Sommelier-turned-filmmaker Jack Kauffman’s Uncorked Potential: The Wild Wines of Chile is now streaming on PBS.org following screenings on Connecticut Public Television and a “Staff Picks” award at the Around International Film Festival in Amsterdam. The documentary follows Kauffman through wineries, winemaker interviews and visits to wine-centric restaurants, offering a vivid snapshot of Chile’s diverse and evolving wine scene.
The project’s origins date back to 2017, when Kauffman produced the first Uncorked Potential, focused on New York’s Finger Lakes, with the goal of launching a docuseries exploring the world’s lesser-known winegrowing regions. Work as a sommelier and as a wine consultant for auction houses and private individuals took his attention for the better part of the next decade.
But a serendipitous invite from VIK winemaker Christián Vallejo, asking Kauffman to join the winery for the 2025 harvest, sparked the idea for a continuation of the series. Immediately after the VIK harvest, Kauffman and his team embarked on a two-week blitz taking in five wineries, three wine bars, two wine festivals and one pisco producer.
Spanning one of the world’s most diverse wine cultures
As fans of Chilean wine know, diversity is one of the country’s vinous strengths. Its vast range of terroirs, combined with its use of lesser-known grapes like Carignan, Pais and Carménère in addition to international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, gave the filmmaker much to choose from. Ultimately, Kauffman selected wineries that span the spectrum from low-intervention practices to high-tech, modern winemaking, with vineyard sites stretching from mountainous terroirs to coastal areas.
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