Casting Calls for "The Wine Makers"

Producers of "The Wine Makers," a PBS reality series to be filmed in the wine country of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo, will start casting for the show next month.

Set to premier in spring 2007, "The Wine Makers" follows six men and women as they compete for a chance to create and launch their own wine label. All of the contestants will be wine enthusiasts who want to start winemaking careers.

The first casting call will be during the Paso Robles 2006 Grand Tasting Tour on Feb. 1 in Atlanta's Fox Theatre. The event attracts vintners, the media and consumers and showcases wines from 25 wineries in the Paso Robles American viticulture area.

Additional casting calls are scheduled in Dallas, Austin, Texas, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

The series is a joint effort of Doc City Production producers Kevin Whelan and JJ Levine, and South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV). Whelan is the producer of PBS shows such as "Wine 101" and "Tales From the Vineyard," a wine-and-travel program. Levine has developed television series and films for Tri-Star Pictures, Columbia Television, The Walt Disney Co. and Turner Network Television.

Principal photography for the series will be shot in San Luis Obispo County starting in September. For any information regarding casting, e-mail the producers at casting@doccitytv.com