Business : Local documentary maker earns Outstanding Partner Award from IWGA

Producer Brad Johnson of Wine Diamonds accepts the Outstanding Industry Partner of the Year Award.

DES MOINES — The Wine Diamonds Film Team has been named the Iowa Wine Growers Association’s Outstanding Industry Partner for 2016. Producer Brad Johnson was presented the award during the 2016 Iowa Wine Awards Banquet & Dinner in conjunction with the Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference on Sunday, February 28 at Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa.

Wine Diamonds: Uncorking America’s Heartland™ is a feature length independent documentary film about the struggles and opportunities of creating a new wine region in the upper Midwest. The film team began filming in July 2014 and since that time, they have driven more than 3,000 miles, filmed in four states (IA, IL, MN & WI), interviewed more than 200 wine industry people, and cataloged more than 100 hours of interview footage. They are now in the final stages of the editing and fundraising process. The film team consists of: Brad Johnson, Kirk Monson, Jeff Zahrt, Jeff Fitzgerald, Rob Bauer, Lauren Chalupsky-Cannon, Shayna Grundey and Logan Johnson.

“We are pleased to present this award to Brad Johnson and the entire Wine Diamonds film team and we thank them for their work in highlighting our industry in the film scene,” said Cassie Bott, president of the Iowa Wine Growers Association.

The Iowa Wine Growers Association represents the 100 wineries and more than 300 vineyards operating in the state of Iowa. Established in 2000, the Association provides support and education to encourage sustainable viticulture practices and promotes the creation of quality wine and grapes from Iowa. The Iowa wine and grape industry provided $420 million in economic impact to the state of Iowa’s economy based on a 2014 survey performed by MKF Research.