Have you ever wondered what would happen if you knew a lot about wine and then visited Australia, all while living in a world where the rules of Hallmark movies apply? 

Neither have I, but A Perfect Pairing answered this question for me.

This brand-new Netflix original is cringily cute and is full of such excellent tropes as “woman makes career change and finds love in the process.” It may not be particularly punchy or innovative, but I for one love to see it!

Lola Alvarez (Victoria Justice) works for Mythos, a Californian wine import company, and she is a star employee. She’s competent, charming, and she’s angling for Regional Sales Director. Unfortunately, even competent and charming people aren’t immune to selfish coworkers or crappy bosses. One day that very boss, Calder (Craig Horner), pushes her a bit too far. Lola finds herself in pitch meeting, giving an impassioned speech that ends in her resignation.

Alone and unemployed, Lola wastes no time in setting up her own wine import business. There’s only one snag — she’s not licensed, and no one wants to work with such a new company. Desperate for clients, Lola flies halfway around the world. Through several turns of events, Lola ends up working on an Australian sheep station — a far cry from her beginnings!

She struggles quite a bit to find her footing. None of her coworkers seem to think very highly of her, and the boss, Max (Adam Demos), is often less than impressed with her work. Despite this rough beginning, Lola finds several things several things on the farm. She gains a stronger sense of self, some good friends, a possible employment opportunity, and, of course, love. 

Lola’s fish-out-of-water experience is nothing new in terms of plot points, but it is fun to watch the city girl learn to pour grain and take quick showers. Plus, Lola manages to pull a few surprises from her sleeve, and she quickly gains the affection — and even the approval — of her fellow sheep farmers. After a couple of weeks, one of her coworkers exclaims, “that’s no lady. That’s our Lola!”

Max, the leading man of the movie, has a suitably Hallmark-ish tragic backstory which has left him frightened of commitment. The more time she spends on the farm, fixing fences and moving hay, the closer Lola gets to thawing out his icy heart. Again, nothing new, but if you’re like me then the loner learning to love again is a trope that never gets old. 

Everything is not roses and rainbows, however. Max is hiding a secret that could very possibly shatter Lola’s trust in him. Will he and Lola be able to rebuild the shattered trust between them?

A Perfect Pairing is a pretty run-of-the-mill Netflix original, although it scores points for having both wine and sheep as main themes and somehow making that feel normal. It’s predictable, but it’s sweet, and sometimes that’s nice to have while living in a world that feels unpredictable and bitter.