Christmastime in Hermann – On the Silver Screen!
Hermann, Missouri, a picturesque town steeped in history and charm, has taken center stage as the backdrop for the heartwarming full-length holiday film, “A Christmas Vintage” released by Nicely Entertainment and now available through streaming channels like Tubi, Freevee, Xumo, Roku, Peacock, and other on-demand video platforms.
The cast includes Karlee Eldridge as Samantha Hermannhof; Ignacyo Matynia as Parker Williams, both heirs to competing wineries; Madison Bullock as Emily Hermannhof; and Reed Rathore as Tony, Parker’s step-brother and co-owner of the competing winery.
In A Christmas Vintage, things get complicated when Emily, who has secretly fallen for Tony, convinces her sister to come home to Hermann to date Parker, who’s known locally as a curmudgeon with a distaste for rival wineries. Samantha is sure not to share her family background as a Hermannhof, but as she gets to know Parker, she realizes there may be another side to him.
A Christmas Vintage – Written in Hermann!
The city, with shop and restaurant-lined streets and festive spirit, was the perfectly enchanting setting for this story of love, family, and the magic of the Christmas season.
A Christmas Vintage was written in Hermann. Elizabeth Snoderly, the co-writer and Executive Producer, and Ferguson Sauve-Rogan immersed themselves in the city, including to get some coffee and writing time in at Stomp’N Grounds Espresso Bar.
Lexi Giovagnoli, also known for “Christmas Lovers Anonymous (2021)” and “Pride and Prejudice, Cut (2019),” directed the film. The cast and crew spent just under three weeks filming. If you watch closely, you may recognize some familiar Hermann faces in the film. (Hint: pay attention to the wine judging and restaurant patrons.)
Behind the Scenes
With the exception of the scenes at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, the entire movie was filmed in Hermann in the winter of 2022. Locations include:
- Hermannhof Winery: The cellars at Hermannhof were included in filming, and though there were challenges with radio communication through the cellar, much of the team expressed that filming at the cellars at Hermannhof and Adam Puchta Winery was a highlight.
- Hermannhof Festhalle: The Festhalle at the Inn at Hermannhof was a part of the filming, showing footage of Hermann during Christmas. There are scenes from the annual Christkindl Markt, a Christmas market with stalls bursting with gifts like beeswax candles, ornaments, and more!
- Adam Puchta Winery: Adam Puchta Winery was showcased in the film as the rival winery Reserve Cellars. The movie was filmed in four places at Adam Puchta Winery: the Press House that regularly serves as the room for elevated tastings, the cellar which is regularly the Bistro, the warehouse where the wine is made and stored, and finally an outdoor scene in the courtyard area between the tasting/sales room and the Press House.
- Hermann 1837 Cellar Bar: The production crew filmed a dinner date at Hermann 1837 Cellar Bar.
- The sidewalk at Espresso Laine: The production team used the sidewalk outside of Espresso Laine in the shadows of the historic courthouse for a night walking scene with Parker and Samantha.
- Doxie Slush: Doxie Slush was host to a chance meeting between the two main characters of the movie.
- The tree lighting at the Hoftgarten (with a tree supplied by Pea Ridge Forest): An amazing tree lighting scene was filmed on a cold night at the Hoftgarten.
- Tin Mill Restaurant: The Tin Mill Restaurant was used for a number of scenes, both inside and out.
- Celebration Hall at Tin Mill Restaurant: Celebration Hall played a large part in the movie where a number of Hermann residents got a chance to be extras and part of the movie. Celebration Hall was used both for the city council meeting along with the wine judging competition.
- Hermann Hill Riverbluff Cottages: The gazebo overlooking the Missouri River was the location of one of the scenes.
- The Vallet House (formerly Alpenhorn Gasthaus): The historic mid-1800s cellar of the Vallet House was a filming location.
- Jett Manor: The Hermannhof family’s home was used for filming several scenes in A Christmas Vintage.
Take an Online Tour of Filming Locations
A walking tour of filming locations is available on GuidiGO. The tour includes audio interviews with the cast, crew, and locals who both helped with and were actors in the movie. There are also 360 degree photos of several filming locations.
Hermann Tours With GuidiGo
A Christmas Vintage Walking Tour
This tour, along with the poster photography for the film, were created by Matt Wilson of Wilson Video Productions, a Washington, Mo. native who works closely with Visit Hermann.
Some excerpts from the tour:
The main parts of the story were written before Elizabeth (the writer/executive producer) knew it would be filmed (in Hermann). After her first visit, she discovered that it was a movie made to be filmed in Hermann. One of the main characters is Parker, the owner of a winery, just like Parker Puchta, owner of Adam Puchta Winery.
Elizabeth, Ferguson, and Lexi visited a few times in the late summer and fall, meeting local winery owners, finding locations, and learning about the Missouri wine industry. After each visit they would adjust the script to include any new information they learned and continued to plan for filming in early December.
On December 2, 2022, a team of around 20 crew members and five main actors arrived in Hermann to start production of ‘A Christmas Vintage.’ We were fortunate to have the opportunity to be with them at a number of the locations where they filmed and to document the filming process, along with interviewing the cast and crew members.
Over the span of 15 days, the crew filmed the movie. The crew included members from all across the country, from North Carolina to Iowa, and from Texas to California. The actors came from both the east and west coasts to meet for the first time just before they started filming. It was a true pleasure to meet all of the cast and crew and work alongside them.
Make Memories in Hermann
Ready to make some memories of your own in Hermann? Check out the Christmas events calendar for special events or pop in for a day of shopping, food, and drinks with loved ones.
