Add The California Post on Google Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wine connections are raising eyebrows as his winery group becomes the only Napa operation to score a settlement after a devastating wildfire ravaged wine country.
California wineries have been scrambling to recover from the 2025 Pickett Fire, which caused an estimated $56 million in winegrape losses across Napa Valley.
More than 30 winery and vineyard owners are seeking up to $90 million from Hundred Acre Winery and its owner, Jayson Woodbridge — but so far, only Newsom’s PlumpJack Group has reached a settlement.
PlumpJack was co-founded by Newsom, who built his wine and hospitality empire in part through connections to California’s wealthy Getty family.
The development comes as criminal charges were filed Thursday against Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, an independent contractor for Hundred Acre Winery, who is accused of starting the Pickett Fire.
In the criminal complaint, Marfil “admitted to Cal Fire Law Enforcement of the disposing of hot ashes into a burn pile, which caused the Pickett Fire.”
The blaze left wineries and vineyards facing massive losses, much of it from smoke taint — when wildfire smoke penetrates grapes and ruins the resulting wine.
While other winery owners have struggled to reach settlements with Hundred Acre, PlumpJack managed to strike a deal for an undisclosed amount.
About 60 acres of PlumpJack’s Oso Vineyard burned, with many of its grapes also suffering smoke taint.
The settlement has left other Napa growers still fighting to recover millions in losses.
“We are grateful to put this matter behind us,” the PlumpJack Group said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. “As the only vineyard involved in this case to experience burn damage, we were not surprised to be among the first to reach a resolution.”
That, however, left some other vineyard owners suspicious and furious, as they wondered whether the connection to Newsom helped Plumpjack with getting its payout.
“I don’t know what connections or motivations the defendant would have,” John Cadieux, an attorney with a firm representing the 30 wineries and vineyards, told the Chronicle. “But certainly I’d imagine (Newsom’s connection) played a part.”
PlumpJack denied “any speculation that Newsom was involved in the settlement process” and noted the governor put his stake into a blind trust, where he and the governor’s office has no oversight.
Wine companies seeking money from Hundred Acres said they fear Woodbridge’s insurance will not be able to cover the whole cost of damages. Three companies sued after failing to reach a settlement.
A spokesperson for Woodbridge told the Chronicle that settlements couldn’t be reached because companies “didn’t provide sufficient data to us that, in our opinion, would demonstrate a valid claim of damage.”
An attorney for a plaintiff insisted sufficient evidence was provided.
“That is the type of nonsense everyone faced before our clients chose to file this lawsuit and let a court decide,” attorney Daniel Reidy said.
Ultimately, winery owners are slowly growing more pessimistic that they’ll get the same result that Plumpjack did.
“It is seriously looking like no one will be made whole,” Heather Griffin, co-owner of Summit Lake Vineyards, told the Chronicle. “We are all massively devastated financially from this fire.”
Randy Dunn, co-founder of Howell Mountain’s Dunn Vineyards, said to the Chronicle he has lowered his expectations.
“Our initial claim was $8 million,” he said. “I’ll be surprised if we get $8,000.”
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