It wouldn’t be the holidays without new (cheesy) Christmas movies on Netflix, and Holiday in the Vineyards serves as the yearly entertainment for romantic comedy lovers in 2023. The film, directed by Alex Ranarivelo, premiered on December 13 and quickly jumped to the top five of the streaming service’s “Top 10 Movies” list, which isn’t too surprising, given its premise, timely release date, and conventionally attractive cast. The Netflix feature revolves around a playboy heir to a wine company and a struggling widow trying to sell a vineyard to a trustworthy source. Anyone who has seen a Christmas rom-com can guess what happens next.
The cast of Holiday in the Vineyards includes Josh Swickard as Carter Baldwyn, Sol Rodríguez as Valentina “Val” Espinosa, Eileen Davidson as Margo Baldwyn, Omar Gooding as Moe Walker, Carly Jibson as Cindy, Annika Noelle as Emma Paxson, Carlos Solórzano as Santiago Espinosa, Julian Rangel as Fernando Espinosa, and a few more supporting actors. Together, they make up the dynamic characters who have undoubtedly increased the Netflix Christmas movie’s popularity. Perhaps the streaming service will be convinced to circle back to this story for a potential future sequel featuring the return of this cast in the vein of similar Netflix holiday rom-coms.
Josh Swickard As Carter Baldwyn
Josh Swickard stars as Carter Baldwyn, the aforementioned playboy, in the 2023 Netflix rom-com. When the movie begins, Carter is a spoiled man who can’t seem to stick around for long in his romantic relationships. However, when his mother, who owns a prestigious wine company (Baldwyn Wines), gives Carter the job of scouting out a potential wine vineyard for sale, he meets a woman who changes everything. By Holiday in the Vineyards‘s ending, Carter has developed immensely (as is par for the course for any misguided man in a cheesy Christmas film), and it’s all thanks to a Val.
Before joining the cast of Holiday in the Vineyards, Swickard starred in two other Netflix Christmas flicks — A California Christmas and A California Christmas: City Lights. It seems the streaming platform is taking a page out of Hallmark’s book by having a rotating list of performers for their original holiday films. Aside from his Netflix roles, Swickard has appeared in Liv and Maddie, Roped, and A Hollywood Christmas. The actor is most known for his role as Harrison Chase in General Hospital, though.
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Sol Rodríguez As Valentina Espinosa
Sol Rodríguez plays the second half of the leading couple in Holiday in the Vineyards — Valentina “Val” Espinosa. Val, a widow and mother of two boys, is a real estate agent determined to sell Huckabee Estate Vineyard to someone who doesn’t belong to a “greedy” company like Baldwyn Wines. Of course, this leads to complications when Carter discovers her hatred towards his mother’s corporation, so he lies about his true identity. His lies come back to bite him, though, when he starts to fall in love with Val.
Those who watch Holiday in the Vineyards on Netflix might recognize Rodríguez from a handful of other movies and television shows. She has starred in Devious Maids, NCIS, Once Upon a Time in Venice, and Party of Five. The actress also portrays Dr. Teresa Ramirez in Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+.
Eileen Davidson As Margo Baldwyn
Margo Baldwyn, played by Eileen Davidson, is Carter’s mother and the owner of Baldwyn Wines in Holiday in the Vineyards on Netflix. Margo is unimpressed by her son and his antics, but he is the heir to her company, so she gives him a job to test his skills. Of course, everything goes wrong once Carter arrives at Huckabee Estate Vineyard, swiftly lies about his identity, and falls in love with the real estate agent selling the vineyard. However, Margo is more understanding than she initially seems.
Aside from appearing as the head of Baldwyn Wines in Holiday in the Vineyards, Davidson is most known for her roles in soap operas. She notoriously stars as Ashley Abbott in The Young and the Restless, and the actress has played multiple characters (like Kristen DiMera, Marlena Evans, and Susan Banks) in Days of Our Lives. Davidson’s other credits include The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time, The House on Sorority Row, and Symphoria.
Omar Gooding As Moe Walker
Omar Gooding stars as Moe Walker in Netflix’s 2023 film Holiday in the Vineyards. Moe is a winemaker and hardware store owner in Los Santos who helps Carter with his carpentry skills (since Carter lies and tells Val he is a carpenter). In exchange, Carter helps Moe make wine. Viewers might recognize Gooding from his roles in Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Barbershop, Saturdays, Family Time, and Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.
Carly Jibson As Cindy
Carly Jibson plays Cindy, Val’s best friend, in Holiday in the Vineyards. Cindy is Val’s support system, who helps her look after her two boys following the death of their father and encourages her to pursue a relationship with Carter. Aside from appearing in the 2023 Netflix Christmas rom-com, Jibson has starred in One Mississippi, The Guest Book, Atypical, and Best Foot Forward.
Annika Noelle As Emma Paxson
Emma Paxson, portrayed by Annika Noelle, is Carter’s ex-girlfriend in Holiday in the Vineyards on Netflix. Before meeting Val, Carter was living the life of a bachelor, meaning he had no regard for his partners’ feelings, including Emma’s. He breaks up with her via text message, resulting in Emma embarrassing Carter at the film’s beginning. However, by the end, Carter realizes the error of his ways and apologizes to Emma. Viewers may recognize Noelle from her role as Hope Logan in The Bold and the Beautiful, but the actress has also starred in Venice the Series, Chasing Life, and Love’s Christmas Journey.
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Holiday In The Vineyards Supporting Cast & Characters
Carlos Solórzano as Santiago Espinosa – Carlos Solórzano plays Val’s youngest son, Santiago, in Holiday in the Vineyards. The kid actor has also appeared in The Black Demon, Flamin’ Hot, Mayans M.C., and Yoga Friends.
Julian Rangel as Fernando Espinosa – Julian Rangel stars as Val’s oldest son, Fernando, in the Netflix Christmas movie. Before joining the cast of the romance film, Rangel had a role in The Good Doctor on ABC.
Manuel Rafael Lozano as Larry – Larry, played by Manuel Rafael Lozano, is a real estate broker who has feelings for Val in the 2023 movie. Unfortunately for Larry, the feelings are not reciprocated since Val only views him as a friend. The audience might recognize Lozano from films and shows such as Teen Wolf: The Movie, 9-1-1, Criminal Minds, and Casa Grande.
Alan Toy as Joe – The last supporting cast member is Alan Toy as Joe, a local in Los Santos. Aside from appearing in Holiday in the Vineyards, Toy has starred in The Night Before, In the Line of Fire, The Aviator, Alias, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
