A Drama About Black Wine Barons Is Coming To OWN

OWN By Keyaira Boone ·Updated November 17, 2021

Another show centered on Black excellence is coming to your TV screen in the new year. OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, has picked up The Kings of Napa.

The drama will follow an elite Black family in the Napa wine valley.

Their story will open with the King siblings dealing with the aftermath of their patriarch’s unexpected departure from the family business. Forced to leap off the society pages and into the boardroom, Reginald King’s three children compete to grasp control over the company and ultimately their personal and family legacies.

Each child has a unique set of skills to aid them in their quest to land at the head of the table. Elder brother Dana King played by Rance Nix (Zero Issue, Amsterdam Ave) uses his head for numbers, and business acumen to serve as the CFO. August King, played by Ebonée Noe (FBI, Wrecked)l is the visionary middle child wielding her marketing savvy to find new ways to expand the business beyond its traditional reach. Ashlee Brian appears as Christian King (The Forty-Year-Old Version, Family Reunion) is the little brother who uses his logistical experience to runs the in-house bottling facility but fails to properly educate himself about the science associated with properly rearing grapes.

Karen LeBlanc (Ransom, Jack Ryan) plays Vanessa King, the shrewd matriarch who sacrificed her own career to ensure the success of the winery by supporting her husband Reginald King. Reginald is played by Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire, Da 5 Bloods).

The extended family comes along for the ride as well. Devika Parikh (Grey’s Anatomy, Aquaman) portrays Melanie Pierce, an eccentric aunt who returns from extended absence with a bombshell of a secret in tow. Yaani King Mondschein (The Prince & Me, Saving Grace) portrays Bridgette Pierce, a cousin who manages the vineyard properties that produce the wine.

Janine Sherman Barrois (Claws, Jezebel, ) is the showrunner for the series. She will co-executive produce with Michelle Listenbee Brown (The Parkers, One on One). Academy Award winner Matthew A. Cherry also directs the first two episodes of the series.

The Kings of Napa premieres on OWN on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. See the trailer below.

TOPICS: black television black winemakers television Wine