LVMH-owned Napa Valley producer closes
Napa Valley's Newton Vineyard has announced that it will permanently close four years after it was ravaged by a wildfire. The post LVMH-owned Napa Valley producer closes appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Napa Valley's Newton Vineyard has announced that it will permanently close four years after it was ravaged by a wildfire.
Founded by Englishman Peter Newton in 1977, Newton Vineyard grew to cover 260 hectares, around 48ha of which was under vine. Luxury giant LVMH would acquire a majority stake in Newton Vineyard in 2001 – Newton would die in 2008, with his family retaining a small stake in the producer. The estate became particularly famous for its single vineyard wines, such as its Cabernet Sauvignon expressions. Disaster struck in September 2020 with the outbreak of the Glass Fire which swept across Northern California. Newton Vineyard was one of a number of Napa producers to be affected by the inferno, losing a large area of vineyard and its winery building – some reports suggested that just 2ha of vines survived the fire. It did not produce a 2020 harvest, and the majority of the 2019 vintage, ageing in barrels, was also lost. At the time, then-general manager Jean-Baptiste Rivail told local news outlet North Bay Business Journal: "We are working full steam ahead with our insurance partners and county officials to clean and plan the rebuilding and redevelopment — all our energy is focused on preparing our future and moving onward and upward. We are determined to rebuild!" After this point, Newton Vineyard's winemaking was undertaken in a temporary facility. When db's American contributor Roger Morris examined the issue of wildfires in California last year, he noted that LVMH had not made any mention of rebuilding the Newton Vineyard winery. It has now emerged that the producer will permanently cease to operate. An email to members of Newton Vineyard's wine club explained that the decision to close was "profoundly challenging". "We sincerely hope that everyone who has been touched by Newton Vineyard will continue to cherish the wines and memories we have created together," it continued. "We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support we have received over the years from our valued consumers and dedicated fans." db has reached out to LVMH for comment on the closure.
