Community Corner
Behind the Scenes: 'The Grapes Unwrapped'
A local TV show shoots at two local spots — and Patch is on the scene.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to shoot a TV show?
I got to find out as I tagged along with Hank Zona and his crew as they filmed scenes for an upcoming episode of “The Grapes Unwrapped” in downtown South Orange.
Zona — on-camera star of the wine infotainment show (which airs on SOMA-TV), proprietor of Swirl Wine Events, and longtime local resident — invited me to watch the taping.
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“We are exploring the idea of doing the show in front of a live audience,” he said, “and this was a good way to test the waters.”
Each episode of “The Grapes Unwrapped” takes a user-friendly approach to a wine-related topic. Shows have included how to pair wine with chocolate, which wines bring out the best in summer vegetables, and how to match up wine with casual Italian food.
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Today, Zona and his team were shooting a segment on how to pair wine and seafood — and what better place to do it than at counter at ?
“People ask me all the time how to match wine with fish,” Zona said. “It can be a challenge, especially since for many people the cost of seafood is intimidating.”
Zona sampled freshly shucked blue point oysters while sipping Chablis, a classic pairing. Next, he mixed it up a little by matching the bivalves with a less expected choice: sherry.
As he slurped, tasted and sipped, Zona explained the reasons behind his choices. His patter was relaxed and largely unrehearsed, yet chock-full of useful information presented in an unintimidating style.
“The show is a good combination of well thought-out and fly by the seat of your pants,” said cameraman and producer Jim Calabrese.
Zona matched a variety of wines with salmon, sushi and other choices. Then the crew wrapped up at Eden and headed a few doors down to to shoot a short piece on glassware.
Owner Ben Salmon was waiting with a selection of inexpensive and durable wine glasses, as well as wine stoppers.
Zona told viewers that Salmon – whose award-winning kitchenware shop boasts several thousand well-curated items – is “more passionate about what he does than anyone else I know.”
In that respect, Zona and Salmon are a perfect pairing.
Look for the special South Orange wine and seafood episode of “The Grapes Unwrapped” to air soon on SOMA-TV.
South Orange:
Cablevision Channel 19
Verizon FiOS Channel 44
Maplewood:
Comcast Channel 35
Verizon FiOS Channel 24
South Orange/Maplewood:
Verizon FiOS Channel 22
