Autumn in the Vineyard

6.4/10 · 2,345 ratings20161h 24mWeirdness 4/10Bingo card

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The premise

Two former childhood sweethearts are forced to work side-by-side on a vineyard during a legal dispute.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — an enemies-to-lovers arc and a second-chance romance keep it from being totally by-the-book.

A rare specific

Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.

Who’s in it

You’ve seen this pairing before: Rachael Leigh Cook and Brendan Penny have made 3 Hallmark movies together.

Behind the camera

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Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • A territorial llama named Mittens who eats water lines and steals cell phones
  • A literal 'Romeo and Juliet' feud based entirely on grape growing
  • The 'shut up' kiss used as a tactical maneuver in a public jelly competition
  • A house split down the middle where one person owns the bathroom and the other owns the kitchen

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 35 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

An enemies-to-lovers wine-country romp with a great hook. Rachael Leigh Cook plays Frankie and Brendan Penny plays Nate, heirs to rival winemaking families who both accidentally buy the same vineyard and are forced to co-run it during a legal fight. They are also former high school sweethearts, which makes the bickering crackle. The setting is gorgeous and the harvest-competition stakes are fun. The weird flourishes sell it: a territorial llama named Mittens who chews water lines and swipes cell phones, and a house literally split down the middle so one of them owns the bathroom and the other owns the kitchen. A lively, second-chance charmer.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film opens in the town of St. Madeleine, where Frankie Baldwin decides to strike out on her own after her father, Charles, hires an outsider to run the family's prestigious Baldwin Farms. Frankie uses her life savings to buy Sorrento Farm from her friend Glow. Simultaneously, Nate DeLuca—Frankie’s high school ex and son of the rival DeLuca family—returns to town with a PhD in microbiology and buys the same farm from Glow’s ex-husband, Sam. Because the divorce settlement is unclear, a judge rules that both have a legal claim and suggests they co-manage the property until the court decides. This leads to a 'forced proximity' situation where they literally divide the farmhouse and the vineyard in half, with Frankie using traditional 'grape whispering' methods and Nate employing high-tech drones and science. To resolve the stalemate, they agree to a challenge: whoever produces the highest yield by weight during the autumn harvest wins the right to buy the other person out. Their rivalry is complicated by a local llama named Mittens, who lives on the property and frequently sabotages their equipment. As they work the land, the old 'sparks' return, leading them to team up for a local grape-picking relay race. However, tensions rise when Frankie suspects Nate of sabotaging her water pump, though it turns out Mittens the llama was the culprit. A crisis hits when a wildfire threatens the valley. Nate and Frankie work together to save the vines, and Frankie reconciles with her father, who is secretly facing bankruptcy. At the Autumn Harvest Festival, Frankie enters a secret Cabernet Sauvignon she has been developing for years and wins 'Best Wine.' Upon learning the extent of her father's debts, Frankie prepares to sacrifice her dream of owning Sorrento, offering to sell her share to Nate so she can return to Baldwin Farms and use her prize money to save her father. In the climax, Nate reveals he has secretly invested in Baldwin Farms to cover the debts as a loan, ensuring the Baldwin legacy remains intact so Frankie doesn't have to give up her dream. The film concludes with Nate and Frankie confessing their love and agreeing to run Sorrento together, finally ending the decades-long Baldwin-DeLuca feud.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Frankie and Nate both discover they have purchased the same vineyard, Sorrento Farm, leading to a legal stalemate.

  2. Inciting Incident

    The judge orders the rivals to co-habitate and split the property, leading to a literal line being drawn through the house.

  3. Midpoint

    Frankie and Nate agree to a harvest challenge where the winner of the highest grape yield takes full ownership of the farm.

  4. Climax

    A wildfire threatens the vineyard, forcing the two families to cooperate; Frankie wins 'Best Wine' at the festival.

  5. Resolution

    Nate saves Frankie's father from bankruptcy with a secret investment, and the couple reconciles to run Sorrento together.

35 tropes in one movie

We counted 35 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.4 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.4567

Higher-rated than 45% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Autumn in the Vineyard belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

In the VineyardPart of the 3-film In the Vineyard series.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Sweet, bold, complex... I'm just rehearsing my comments for the grape jelly competition.”
    — Nate DeLucaNate flirting with Frankie during their first encounter back in town.
  • “You grow your way, I'll grow mine. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you could outgrow me?”
    — Frankie BaldwinSetting up the harvest challenge.
  • “The harder the grape vines have to struggle—the better the wine. A metaphor for life.”
    — Charles BaldwinDiscussing the resilience of the vineyard after the fire.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Frankie Baldwin

    Lead

    Winemaker

    StubbornTraditionalistIndependentPrickly
  • Nate DeLuca

    Love interest

    Microbiologist/Vintner

    Former high school sweetheart and current rival

    ScientificCompetitiveCharmingWealthy
  • Charles Baldwin

    Supporting

    Owner of Baldwin Farms

    Father

    ProudTraditionalSecretive
  • Carla DeLuca

    Supporting

    Co-chair of Autumn Festival

    Nate's mother and family rival

    CompetitiveOutspokenMatriarchal
  • Mittens

    Supporting

    Llama

    Property resident and occasional antagonist

    MischievousDestructiveTerritorial

Questions people ask about Autumn in the Vineyard

Where can I watch Autumn in the Vineyard?

Autumn in the Vineyard is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Autumn in the Vineyard?

Autumn in the Vineyard runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB