The time is ripe for new wine formats on German television: TV producers are gradually taking into account the fact that viewers are showing a growing interest in concrete wine information.
Wine plays a role in many programs - whether as a recommendation for a meal in cooking programs like Alfred Biolek, as a tip in advice programs (SWR), as a side aspect in travel programs, as information in housewives' mornings (ZDF) or in playful form in entertainment formats like "Happy Vineyard" and "Election of the German Wine Queen": Wine is more present than ever as a topic - especially again and again in autumn.
However, hardly any program manager (except ARTE) dared to dedicate a format of its own to the topic of wine. In October, two new wine TV projects will start, both of them with twelve episodes each for the time being:
"Deutschlands Beste Weine" - joint production of hr and SWR, "Vinum TV" - on n-tv. Both formats rely on a prominent moderator: Frank Elstner, in-house moderator at SWR ("Menschen der Woche", "Verstehen Sie Spaß?") is entering the race for the public coalition, ZDF political veteran Ulrich Kienzle is moderating for the private competition. The approaches are similar: Credible protagonists present vintners, wine regions and interesting facts about great wines.
SWR and hr asked a jury of celebrities (Alfred Biolek, Rainer Hunold), trade press ("Alles über Wein", "Wein Gourmet", "Weinwelt") and wine celebrities (Natalie Lumpp, Christina Fischer) to present a list of what they consider to be the best 100 German wineries with their best wine. The first selection does not hold any surprise: The "usual suspects" like the Meyer-Näkel, Heymann-Löwenstein, Peter Jost, Hermann Dönnhoff, Philipp Wittmann, Bernhard Breuer, Schloss Vollrads, Robert Weil, Juliusspital, Ökonomierat Rebholz, Karl H. Johner and Gerhard Aldinger wineries. Each episode focuses on a selected wine of a winery. In addition, wines with a good price-performance ratio from the respective region are presented.
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| Frank Elstner (left) in the vineyard with Helmut Dönnhoff tasting a Riesling from the "Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle" vineyard |
Filming with Frank Elstner began on September 5. Up to now, the well-known presenter has tended towards strong red wines. The concentrated confrontation with high-quality Rieslings from Reinhard Löwenstein, Peter Jost, Dr. Rowald Hepp and Helmut Dönnhoff left him amazed: Fascinated, Frank Elstner tasted world-class German white wines, was even allowed to taste a Dönnhoff ice wine awarded with 100 Parker points.
The former "Wetten dass?" host was also amazed by Helmut Dönnhoff's wine comparisons: He compared great wines to great classical music in the interview. "Germany's Best Wines" starts on 2 October at 4.15 pm on SWR and at 7 pm on hr. On October 16 at 3.30 p.m., "Vinum TV" will be on air for the first time. Producer Markus Vahlefeld has been patiently preparing the foray through the world of wine for months. With TV-routineer Ulrich Kienzle, he succeeded in winning a "wine character" of rank as protagonist.
Several members of the "Weinfeder" are involved in the production of the new shows: Werner Eckert presents "wine tips" from correct storage to the optimal drinking temperature at SWR.
The author of this article is the author of three episodes of "Deutschlands Beste Weine" (Germany's Best Wines), and Weinfeder treasurer Yvonne Heistermann proves her camera skills with wine recommendations for "Vinum TV": Following a call for entries by the DWI, a jury of experts tasted 140 wines in a blind tasting. Twelve favorites from Pinot Noir to Rieslings to sparkling wine were selected and explained by Yvonne Heistermann in front of the camera: "It was a new experience: we presented aromas with fruits, we shot twelve episodes in Frankfurt in the "Silk" in just two days - I had a lot of fun working with the camera." Whether the
whether the new wine shows will remain in the program beyond the pilot seasons will depend on the ratings.
Both formats have chances to establish themselves - the mixture of expertise and audience proximity is right. Moreover, both programs could pave the way for one of the big nationwide TV programs to find the courage to regularly broadcast a competent wine magazine. The topic wine would deserve it.
Source: Weinfeder Journal, issue 8, September 20, 2005