How is this even fair?
A California wine business co-founded by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has reached a settlement stemming from the devastating 2025 Pickett Fire, even as dozens of other Napa Valley wineries and vineyard owners continue fighting to recover millions of dollars in losses.
The situation is generating controversy in California’s famed wine country because PlumpJack Group — the hospitality and wine company Newsom helped establish before becoming governor — is so far the only Napa operation involved in the dispute to announce a settlement.
The amount of the settlement has not been publicly disclosed.
There is no evidence that Newsom personally negotiated the agreement or received the settlement money directly. PlumpJack says the governor’s business interests are held in a blind trust and denies that Newsom had any involvement in the settlement process.
Still, the different outcomes have raised questions among some vineyard owners and attorneys as businesses devastated by the same wildfire struggle to recover their losses.
Napa Wineries Face Millions In Wildfire Losses
The Pickett Fire caused widespread destruction across Napa Valley in 2025, resulting in an estimated $56 million in wine-grape losses.
More than 30 winery and vineyard operators are pursuing claims totaling up to $90 million against Hundred Acre Winery and its owner, Jayson Woodbridge.
Much of the financial damage resulted not only from flames but also from “smoke taint.”
When wildfire smoke surrounds vineyards, compounds from that smoke can penetrate grapes and affect the taste and quality of the wine eventually produced from them. In severe cases, entire grape harvests can lose their commercial value.
For family-owned vineyards and other businesses dependent on a successful annual harvest, the financial consequences can be enormous.
Contractor Charged In Connection With Fire
The case developed further when prosecutors brought criminal charges against Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, who worked as an independent contractor for Hundred Acre Winery.
Authorities accuse Marfil of starting the Pickett Fire after disposing of hot ashes.
The criminal complaint states that Marfil told Cal Fire investigators he had placed hot ashes in a burn pile, an action authorities believe ultimately sparked the wildfire.
The criminal case is separate from the financial claims being pursued by wineries and vineyard owners seeking compensation for their losses.
Newsom-Linked PlumpJack Reaches Settlement
Among the businesses suffering significant damage was PlumpJack Group.
Newsom co-founded PlumpJack before entering California’s highest political offices, building a wine and hospitality business with connections to the wealthy Getty family.
Approximately 60 acres of PlumpJack’s Oso Vineyard burned during the wildfire, while grapes were also reportedly damaged by smoke exposure.
Unlike numerous other affected businesses, however, PlumpJack has reached a settlement.
The financial terms remain confidential.
“We are grateful to put this matter behind us,” PlumpJack Group said in a statement reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
PlumpJack argued there was a legitimate reason it was able to resolve its claim early.
The company said it was the only vineyard involved in the case that suffered direct burn damage and therefore was not surprised to be among the first to reach an agreement.
Other Vineyard Owners Raise Questions
Not everyone is satisfied with that explanation.
John Cadieux, an attorney with a firm representing approximately 30 wineries and vineyards, questioned whether Newsom’s connection to PlumpJack could have affected the situation.
Cadieux acknowledged that he did not know what connections or motivations may have influenced the defendant. However, he suggested Newsom’s connection could have played a role.
No evidence has emerged showing that Newsom intervened on PlumpJack’s behalf.
PlumpJack has also explicitly denied speculation that the governor participated in the negotiations.
The company says Newsom placed his business interests into a blind trust, leaving both the governor and his office without oversight of those holdings.
The unanswered questions nevertheless come at a difficult time for Napa Valley business owners who fear they could be left absorbing enormous financial losses.
Wineries Turn To The Courts
Three companies have filed lawsuits after being unable to reach settlements.
One major concern is whether available insurance coverage will be sufficient to compensate businesses for the full extent of their losses.
A spokesperson for Woodbridge told the San Francisco Chronicle that settlements had not been reached with certain companies because those businesses did not provide enough information, in Woodbridge’s view, to establish valid damage claims.
Attorneys representing affected wineries dispute that characterization.
Daniel Reidy, an attorney representing one of the plaintiffs, rejected the argument and said the dispute should now be decided in court.
For business owners who watched valuable crops and years of work disappear because of the fire and smoke, the legal battle could determine whether they recover substantial portions of their losses.
Some Napa Owners Fear They’ll Never Recover
As the dispute continues, pessimism appears to be growing among some Napa Valley vineyard owners.
Heather Griffin, co-owner of Summit Lake Vineyards, told the Chronicle that the financial damage from the wildfire has been devastating.
“It is seriously looking like no one will be made whole,” Griffin said.
Randy Dunn, co-founder of Howell Mountain’s Dunn Vineyards, offered an equally sobering assessment.
His original claim totaled approximately $8 million.
His expectations today are dramatically lower.
“I’ll be surprised if we get $8,000,” Dunn told the Chronicle.
The difference between an $8 million claim and an $8,000 recovery illustrates just how worried some business owners have become.
Why The PlumpJack Settlement Is Drawing Attention
PlumpJack’s settlement does not establish wrongdoing by Newsom, nor is there evidence that the governor used his political position to secure the agreement.
But the circumstances have created an uncomfortable contrast.
A business Newsom helped build has successfully resolved its claim while dozens of other California wineries and vineyards remain locked in negotiations or litigation over potentially devastating losses.
For conservative critics of California’s political establishment, the episode is likely to reinforce broader questions about whether wealthy, politically connected businesses enjoy advantages unavailable to ordinary business owners.
The evidence currently available does not establish that such favoritism occurred here.
That distinction matters.
What is established is that PlumpJack reached a settlement, its terms remain undisclosed, other businesses are still pursuing compensation, and some affected parties are openly questioning why their claims have produced different results.
Napa Businesses Still Waiting For Answers
For the wineries and vineyards affected by the Pickett Fire, this controversy ultimately involves something more important than California politics.
It involves whether family businesses, farmers and property owners can recover financially after a disaster that caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Some are now turning to the courts for answers.
Others are lowering their expectations about how much they will ever recover.
Meanwhile, PlumpJack has already put its claim behind it.
Whether the remaining Napa Valley businesses eventually receive comparable compensation remains an open question — and one that will likely keep the Pickett Fire dispute under scrutiny as the lawsuits move forward.
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