Two years ago, a group of former Saturday Night Live stars vacationed in Napa Valley and Sonoma County to celebrate Rachel Dratch’s 50th birthday. While vineyard-hopping, Amy Poehler got an idea: to make a movie inspired by this trip, with the same cast of friends.
The Wine Country movie, which will be released on Netfilx in 2019 (date TBD), is Poehler’s feature directorial debut. The movie includes SNL alums Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Tina Fey, Paula Pell, and writers Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski.
Dratch recently shared some of her and the cast's favorite spots in wine country with the Hollywood Reporter. Her highlight stay was at Andaz Napa (“it has a ‘wow’ factor because I like laidback, not fussy,” she says), which is across the street from her go-to dinner spot in downtown Napa—the rustic-Italian restaurant, Oenotri.
The cast also made a stop at the multi-vendor Oxbow Public Market and headed to Yountville to taste the fried chicken at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc.
Visiting wineries was, of course, a huge focus of the trip and the movie. Wine Country was partially filmed at both Quintessa and Artesa Vineyards & Winery in Napa Valley. “That day was memorable because we were surrounded by epic panoramas,” Dratch says. “I ordered a bunch of Artesa Albariño to take home. After a few glasses, you're in for the case.”
Read more about the Dratch's favorite wine country locations here.