Can you spot the Paso winery in 'Destination Wedding'? Here's what filming there was like
While watching the trailer for Keanu Reeve's latest movie, viewers may recognize a certain Central Coast winery.
"Destination Wedding," starring Reeves and Winona Ryder as two wedding guests who fall in love, features several scenes filmed at Dubost Vineyard & Winery in Paso Robles, winery co-founder Kate Dubost confirmed Thursday.
"That was us. We were the undisclosed North County location," she said with a chuckle.
Released May 16, the official trailer for "Destination Wedding" shows Reeves and Ryder quaffing wine and trading barbs while attending a wedding in Paso Robles wine country.
The pair was spotted shooting scenes for "Destination Wedding" at the San Luis Obispo Regional County Airport in August 2017.
Locals also saw Reeves jogging around San Luis Obispo — exploring the Downtown SLO Farmers Market, dining at Foremost Wine Co. and staying at the Apple Farm. The actor even stopped by San Luis Obispo restaurant Thai Boat to say “hi” after filming at a massage parlor, Happy Feet SPA, next door.
But DuBost Vineyard & Winery served as a primary filming location.
According to Dubost, a 55-member production crew spent five days at the rural Paso Robles property in mid-August 2017, enduring scorching hot weather as they shot scenes at the tasting room, vineyards and other spots. (The winery, which sits on 320 hilly acres in the heart of the Adelaida region, shut down during filming.)
A hill that's hosted private weddings in the past served as the backdrop of a marriage ceremony scene, Dubost said, while a rehearsal dinner scene was shot on the winery's so-called "crush pad." Meanwhile, the vines where the Dubost family grows grapes for their white, red and rosé wines can be seen in a scene in which Reeves and Ryder's characters come across a mountain lion.
Several of the Dubosts' friends, family members, neighbors and wine club members served as extras. Winery co-founder Curt Dubost, Kate's husband, stood in for father of the bride, while his son Ted was the groom.
Although Kate Dubost, a "Beetlejuice" fan, was thrilled to meet Ryder — "I couldn't believe I was talking to Lydia," she gushed — her husband enjoyed spending time with Reeves, who reportedly snapped selfies with everyone who asked.
Curt Dubost recalled how "The Matrix" star acted after wrapping up an exhausting shoot around 4 a.m.
"They finish up and everyone is dead tired," Dubost said. "Keanu went around the winery and found every single extra, introduced himself and thanked them for being a part of the whole experience."
Another time, Dubost said, the actor ducked out after lunch on a special errand. "He left, ostensibly to have a cigarette, but instead went and found our trash can and picked up everyone's trash," Dubost said.
According to Kate Dubost, a few mementos of the filming experience remain — such as the hand-lettered wooden signs that appear in a few scenes of "Destination Wedding." But her memories of Reeves and Ryder will last longer.
"They couldn't have been nicer," she said. "They were both gracious and personable."
This story was originally published May 18, 2018 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Can you spot the Paso winery in 'Destination Wedding'? Here's what filming there was like."