California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke with Robb Report about his history in the wine industry, a career that began more than two decades before he entered the governor's office in Sacramento. The interview appeared in the publication's newsletter, The Oeno Files, and covered his start in the business, his favorite wines and the challenges facing California growers today.
The conversation offers readers a rare look at how a sitting governor's business background intersects with policy decisions affecting one of California's major industries. Wine supports more than 422,000 jobs in the state, according to Newsom, a figure that puts the industry's struggles with oversupply and trade disputes in context for anyone who buys a bottle of California wine or works in a related field.
Newsom told Robb Report that wine first became a way to connect with his father, who shared an interest in food, wine and travel. He said his father could be difficult to reach emotionally, and wine gave them a shared language that let them talk and learn together without forcing the conversation.
In 1992, at age 24, Newsom cofounded the PlumpJack wine shop in San Francisco. He said the idea came together over dinner at the Balboa Cafe with his father and Pat Kelley, a former owner of a nearby wine store. Newsom raised $174,000 from 15 friends and family members, quit his job and spent nearly two years working through permits before opening the shop. His goal, he said, was a store that avoided both the discount rack and the intimidation of a shop meant only for wine experts.
The name PlumpJack comes from Sir John Falstaff, the Shakespeare character who inspired an opera written by Gordon Getty. Getty, an oil heir and composer, was a family friend and one of the partners who helped start PlumpJack. Newsom said he admired how Falstaff mocked stuffiness and embraced the absurdity of life, an attitude he wanted to carry into the wine business.
Two years after the shop opened, the group launched PlumpJack Cafe, offering wines such as Cabernet, Pinot and Zinfandel by the glass without heavy restaurant markups. In 1995, the opportunity arose to buy a winery in Oakville, an area of Napa Newsom said he had long favored. The company eventually grew to include PlumpJack, Cade and Odette wineries. John Conover serves as general manager, and Newsom's sister, Hilary, is also part of the leadership team.
Newsom said his favorite wines include Oakville Cabernets, naming Groth and Silver Oak as early favorites, along with Burgundy, Chablis, Pinot Noir and Italian whites. He said he has always cared more about drinking and sharing wine than collecting it.
Asked about the oversupply of wine grapes in California, which led growers to remove a reported 40,000 acres of vines and leave 100,000 tons of grapes unharvested in the past year, Newsom said government cannot manufacture consumer demand or fix a problem built up over many years. He said the state has supported growers through research, pest prevention, water resilience and market development. He added that he has kept his personal history in the wine business separate from state policy throughout his time in office.
Newsom also criticized trade actions under President Trump, saying a trade dispute with Canada has triggered retaliation against American wine in what has been California's largest export market. He said that makes an already difficult market worse for growers.
On the perception that vineyard owners are wealthy and do not need government help, Newsom said the industry includes many small and multigenerational wineries, along with farmworkers, cellar workers, truck drivers, and restaurant and hotel employees whose jobs depend on it.
Newsom also discussed his book, "Young Man In A Hurry," which takes its title from a 2009 Economist article about him. He said he came to see the description as a fair self-critique of his impatience and ambition. He said he hopes readers take away that people, including himself, are more complicated than their public image suggests.
Asked what wine he would want served at a White House dinner, Newsom said his answer, for now, is "anything but Trump Wine."
Robb Report did not indicate any planned follow-up interview or further comment from Newsom's office.
Earlier in this series: California Vineyard Cuts Spark New Worry Over Future Grape Shortage
