Now Casting for The Wine Makers

"The Wine Makers," a new public television series slated to be filmed this September on the Central Coast, will interview potential cast members in Paso Robles on May 12. The casting call is scheduled during the annual Hospice du Rhone wine celebration at the Paso Robles Events Center.

"It promises to be quite the event,'' said producer Kevin Whelan, adding that the particulars of the show are still being worked out.

Applicants will have a separate entrance and exit from the Hospice du Rhone celebration; and there is no charge to audition.

Set in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo wine country, the premier season of "The Wine Makers'' is a competition of men and women of various ages and occupations. All are looking for a chance to create and launch their own wine label. The format of the reality TV show is in the tradition of NBC's "The Apprentice," CBS's "The Amazing Race," and PBS's "Frontier House."

Whelan said PBS producers are looking for 25 semi-finalists in a nationwide search in cities from Atlanta, Dallas and New York to San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose. They plan to narrow their choice down to the final six spots on the show sometime in the summer.

After the cast is chosen, the stars of the show will need to available for four to five weeks of the show's production. "The Wine Makers" will pay for all transportation and living expenses, including accommodations, food and other miscellaneous expenses.