Wine.com Cooks Up PBS Partnership

In an effort to reach the upscale demographic attracted by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), e-tailer Wine.com on Thursday inked a deal that gives it prominent mention on three of the television network’s cooking programs.

The agreement calls for Wine.com to contribute content, provide underwriting support, and receive placement at public television cooking events and in promotional materials. The programs with which Wine.com is partnering include “Regina’s Vegetarian Table,” “Great Food,” and “Master Chef USA.”

Wine.com will also have a presence on the accompanying Web sites for these programs. It will make recommendations of wines to pair with the recipes listed on each of the cooking programs’ sites, and visitors to the sites will be able to buy the wines through Wine.com or through the programs’ Web sites.

On television, Wine.com will receive 15-second underwriting message segments before and after each program.

Wine.com will also appear at events, on home videos, in companion books and publications, and in PBS membership programs.

The partnership starts this month, and continues through the 2000-2001 season. The programs air on more than 200 PBS affiliates nationwide. “Regina’s Vegetarian Table” is one of PBS’ top-rated programs.