Wine Country is a 2019 American comedy film co-produced and directed by Amy Poehler (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski, based on a story conceived by Poehler, Spivey, and Cackowski.
Starring Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, Spivey, Jason Schwartzman, and Tina Fey, the film follows a group of longtime friends who take a vacation to Napa Valley as a birthday getaway.
Rather than allow them to relax and drink, Abby wants them to adhere to a strict schedule, a way of seizing control, as unbeknownst to the rest of her friends, she has recently lost her job.
All the others are struggling with their own problems: Rebecca is in denial that her husband is inattentive and her friends hate him; Naomi is afraid of receiving test results from her doctor; successful businesswoman Catherine feels they are cutting her out; Val is looking for love; and Jenny, a depressed writer, is simply miserable in life.
Naomi is bitten on the ankle by a snake; as they can't get cell phone reception, Val decides to run down the side of the steep hill they are on to get help.
That night, the women sit around drinking and invite the loner local owner of the house they are staying in, Tammy, to join them.
It was reported that Amy Poehler would make her feature directorial debut with the film, and also executive produce alongside Carla Hacken and Morgan Sackett.
The website's critical consensus reads, "Wine Country's comedy might not be quite as robust as fans of this ensemble will expect, but it's got sweetness on the nose and a nicely balanced finish.
[16] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian was also positive, writing "There’s an engaging, hard-to-fake chemistry between the group and while scenes often have a naturalistic tone, there’s a refreshing lack of indulgence, something that can afflict comedies populated by real-life friends.
"[17] Other reviews expressed that "none of the jokes feel as barbed-wire sharp as the material you know these brilliant comic actresses could have come up with if they tossed out the script and just ad-libbed.