Aahana Swrup
In Netflix’s ‘Ruth & Boaz,’ Tennessee becomes a place of new beginnings and second chances for the titular protagonists. The romance film revolves around the story of Ruth, an aspiring singer, who grows skeptical of her manager’s plans for her music career. For the same reason, once her boyfriend passes away, she decides to skip town and move to Pegram, Tennessee, with the latter’s grieving mother as a pillar of support for her. In the new city, she finds work at the vineyards that belong to the House of Azra Winery. There, as fate entangles her path with Boaz, the owner of the winery, sparks go flying and the stars promise to align. Thus, the story’s primary setting, the winery, also becomes integral to the unique love story that unravels between the lovers. In fact, their signature 2017 Azra Reserve also becomes a symbol of their connection, later labeled “R&B” in its honor. Naturally, these crucial narrative elements remain intriguing aspects of the film.
The Real-Life Location That Stood in For the Fictional House of Azra Winery
‘Ruth & Boaz’ is a modern-day retelling of the ‘Book of Ruth,’ which tells one of the best-known biblical love stories. Therefore, in adapting the ancient tale for the screen, Alanna Brown’s film fictionalizes much of the narrative and the characters. Thus, like the world around it, the House of Azra Winery also becomes a work of fiction. Consequently, outside of similarly named places, fans won’t be able to find the on-screen House of Azra winery in real life. Still, there is a close off-screen counterpart that one can find for the place. The Montaluce Winery & Restaurant in Dahlonega, Georgia, reportedly served as the real location for Boaz’s winery during the project’s filming.
The real-life establishment, located at 501 Hightower Church Road, is a luxurious estate with a Tuscan winery and vineyard. The restaurant and agriculture business hybrid is known for its estate-grown wines, open-concept dining room, and a cozy, homey feel. As such, the location becomes a perfect visual and thematic counterpart for the on-screen Tennessee-based winery. Additionally, the other vineyards situated in Dahlonega, such as Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery or Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery, could have also served as potential filming locations for the fields in the House of Azra.
The Fictional 2017 Azra Reserve R&B Becomes a Crucial Symbol of Ruth and Boaz’s Love
In the ‘Book of Ruth,’ Ruth and Boaz’s story unravels in Bethlehem. There, the former, a widowed young woman, regularly visited the latter’s field, collecting leftover crops from the aftermath of the barley harvest. In the contemporary film, this setting is swapped out for the sprawling fields of a vineyard. Likewise, Ruth’s role as someone who gleans from Boaz’s fields is also turned into her employment as a grape-picker under the House of Azra winery. Therefore, in translating the barley field to a wine one, the film inherently intertwines the on-screen duo’s love story with the craft of winemaking.
Tennessee’s long-standing identity as the home to a wine industry in the United States further grounds its narrative in reality. Yet, much like the House of Azra itself, the 2017 wine reserves from the place also remain fictitious in nature. Although there are numerous local wines that come out of Tennessee, there’s no direct counterpart for this fictional element. In the story, the wine, christened R&B, becomes a physical representation of the duo’s committed love for one another. Furthermore, the fact that the reserves manage to survive a destructive fire lends a level of divine intervention to the story. Ultimately, this fictional wine offers a complementary and satisfying end to Ruth and Boaz’s magical romance.
