During the past few days I’ve been busy connecting with Iowa wine industry friends and colleagues in a slow, deliberate process to get the word out about our film Wine Diamonds: Iowa Uncorked™.  First I contacted Mike White, Iowa State University Extension Viticulturist, who has probably visited every winery and vineyard in the state and let him know about our project and asked for his assistance in connecting with family winery/vineyard operations.  His generosity was immediate and far reaching as he provided his insights and contacts for us to talk with.  He also produces a weekly newsletter that he emails to more than 1,000 recipients that he included our “press release” that asked winery families to participate.  The first note back from an interested winery came only a few hours later.  Thanks, Mike!

I also connected with the Iowa Wine Growers Association, the trade organization for the wine growers and makers of Iowa, asking for similar help.  Again, without hardly a pause, I was put in touch with a list of potential supporters.  The IWGA is just one of several organizations that are supportive of our efforts to help reach winery families.

On Friday night, my wife Jill and I, visited Fireside Winery to listen to some live entertainment and visit with the family.  We’re excited to announce Fireside Winery will be a major player in our documentary film.  Bill Wyant, the owner of Fireside Winery, is a fifth generation Iowa farmer who farms more than 3,000 acres of corn and soybeans and has a substantial vineyard as well.  We’ll be filming at vineyard and winery shortly during the upcoming harvest.  The team is excited to interview the Fireside family, to learn more about the challenges and opportunities of having a family winery business.

Thanks so much for the growing support of this documentary film.