Dinners, with options for every dietary restriction, were personally delivered to attendees’ front doors to complement the event, which had to be brought to the virtual world because of the recent spike in the pandemic after the holidays.
The Kings of Napa is a juicy drama from acclaimed writer and executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois (Claws, Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker). Ebonée Noel (FBI, Wrecked) stars in the series as August King, the middle sibling and the family’s brilliant marketing whiz whose passion for wine incites her to look for new ways to expand the family business. After the Kings experience a devastating event, the family starts to break apart, a split that’s amplified by August’s aunt Melanie Pierce, played by Davika Parikh (Grey’s Anatomy, Aquaman), who pops up with news that threatens to change the King family forever.
Hosted by Terrence J, the ‘Dinner with the Kings’ event consisted of a one-hour panel with the cast, along with a three-course meal. Attendees were given an advance inside look at the brand new show and the chance to listen in on what the cast and showrunner had to share about the series. In partnership with Black Restaurant Week, the specially delivered dinner was courtesy of incredible Black-owned restaurants in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles.
Members of the cast who attended the virtual event are Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Reginald King), Ebonée Noel (August King), Yaani King Mondschein (Bridgette Pierce), Rance Nix (Dana King), and Ashlee Brian (Christian King), along with showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois.
Other major players in the series include Rance Nix (Zero Issue, Amsterdam Ave) plays Dana King, the older brother and savvy CFO of the family winery business, House of Kings. Karen LeBlanc (Ransom, Jack Ryan) plays Vanessa King, the matriarch of the family who gave up her career to help her husband Reginald King, played by Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire, Da 5 Bloods), run the winery in Napa. Yaani King Mondschein (The Prince & Me, Saving Grace) plays Bridgette Pierce, the cousin of the King siblings who works as the winery’s vineyard manager. Ashlee Brian (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Family Reunion) plays Christian King, the youngest brother with swag who manages the winery’s bottling facility but in fact knows little about growing grapes.
The Kings of Napa is produced for OWN by Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. Showrunner and executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois, along with Michelle Listenbee Brown (Love Is…, Real Husbands of Hollywood) and Oprah Winfrey. Academy Award winner Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) directs the first two episodes of the series.
Be sure to catch The Kings of Napa via OWN on cable, the OWN app, satellite, or Hulu Live.
