An extensive investigative report from The City Journal examined the labor practices connected to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wine holdings in Napa County. The report, which cites n court records, federal labor data, state oversight files, and interviews with industry sources, focused on the PlumpJack Collection of Wineries and its relationship with a vineyard management contractor.
PlumpJack, which Newsom co-founded, holds more than 400 acres of vineyards in Napa. In 2022 the company purchased the 129-acre Oso Vineyard in Pope Valley for $14.5 million.
Field operations at Oso are handled by Renteria Vineyard Management (RVM). RVM was established in 1987 by Salvador Renteria, who entered the United States without authorization in the 1960s, and is now led by his son Oscar. The firm manages more than 2,200 acres and employs up to 400 seasonal workers.
Newsom placed his business interests in a blind trust after taking office. Tax filings for Newsom and his wife show at least $11 million in combined income between 2019 and 2024, with the majority attributed to wineries, restaurants, and related investments.
A spokesman for the governor stated that Newsom has no role in PlumpJack’s day-to-day management, while PlumpJack has said it requires vendors to follow applicable law. RVM did not respond to inquiries from the reporters.
RVM does, however, have a documented record of wage-and-hour violations, The City Journal noted. In 2022 the U.S. Department of Labor found that the company had failed to pay proper wages to 45 employees and assessed back wages and penalties under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. Additional state actions include a prior heat-illness citation and more recent private lawsuits alleging unpaid wages, one of which settled in September 2026.
The Journal noted that RVM does not appear in the federal E-Verify database.
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The outlet further noted that Napa County agricultural employment is heavily comprised of immigrants. Official figures indicate that 71 percent of agricultural workers in the area are foreign-born, while multiple industry sources estimated that roughly 80 percent of vineyard field workers are present in the country without authorization.
A former RVM employee told City Journal that approximately 80 percent of the company’s workforce lacked legal status and that management was aware of this. Oscar Renteria has previously stated that some of his workers have “complicated immigration status” and “may be in the country illegally.” In addition, an individual who contacted RVM by phone, who stated that he lacked a green card or Social Security number, was told a manager would follow up.
Limited H-2A temporary-worker petitions were filed for Oso in 2022–2023 through third-party contractors, thoughnone were identified for RVM or other PlumpJack properties after 2023.
The investigation also reviewed state policies under Newsom that expand services available to unauthorized immigrants, including Medi-Cal coverage, farmworker housing complexes in Napa that receive state funding and house unauthorized residents, and farmer-relief programs that prioritize undocumented operators.
Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1136 in 2025, a measure that would have limited employers’ ability to claim ignorance of a worker’s status. California has also pursued litigation against certain federal immigration-enforcement actions. These measures coincide with the period in which PlumpJack has contracted with RVM.
Federal law prohibits the knowing employment of unauthorized workers. Labor statutes enforced by the Department of Labor further regulate wages and working conditions for migrant and seasonal agricultural employees. The City Journal reporting documents RVM’s history of violations and the prevalence of unauthorized labor in the regional vineyard workforce that serves PlumpJack properties.
It does not allege that Newsom personally directed hiring decisions, however.
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