An extensive investigative report from The City Journal has brought to light serious questions regarding labor practices tied to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wine holdings in Napa County. The analysis utilized court records, federal labor data, state oversight files, and interviews with industry professionals, focusing particularly on the connections of the PlumpJack Collection of Wineries with a vineyard management contractor.
PlumpJack, co-founded by Newsom, encompasses over 400 acres of vineyards in Napa. In 2022, the company acquired the 129-acre Oso Vineyard in Pope Valley for $14.5 million.
Field operations at Oso are managed by Renteria Vineyard Management (RVM), established in 1987 by Salvador Renteria, who arrived in the U.S. without authorization during the 1960s. The firm is currently led by his son Oscar and oversees more than 2,200 acres, employing up to 400 seasonal workers.
After taking office, Newsom placed his business interests in a blind trust. His tax filings with his wife indicate they earned at least $11 million in income from 2019 to 2024, with most stemming from wineries, restaurants, and affiliated investments.
According to a spokesman for the governor, Newsom does not engage in the everyday management of PlumpJack, while the company has asserted that it mandates compliance with applicable laws for its vendors. However, RVM did not respond to inquiries from the journalists.
It is important to note that RVM has a documented history of wage-and-hour violations, as indicated by The City Journal. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor determined that the company failed to pay the proper wages to 45 employees, leading to back wages and penalties under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. Additionally, the firm has faced state actions including a previous heat-illness citation and various private lawsuits alleging unpaid wages, one of which settled in September 2026.
The Journal also pointed out that RVM does not appear in the federal E-Verify database.
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EXCLUSIVE: We spent weeks in Napa Valley investigating Gavin Newsom's wine empire. According to a whistleblower, the operation is built on undocumented migrant labor, in violation of the law.
Illegal aliens pick the grapes—and Newsom sells the wine for up to $7,000 a bottle. pic.twitter.com/26XvCOQuDX
— Christopher Rufo (@christopherrufo) November 11, 2026
The report further emphasized that Napa County’s agricultural workforce is predominantly composed of immigrants. Official statistics reveal that 71 percent of agricultural laborers in the region are foreign-born, with industry sources estimating that approximately 80 percent of vineyard field workers are in the country without authorization.
A former RVM employee informed The City Journal that about 80 percent of the company’s workers lacked legal status, and management was reportedly aware of this issue. Oscar Renteria has acknowledged that some of his workers have “complicated immigration status” and “may be in the country illegally.” Additionally, when a person without a green card or Social Security number contacted RVM, they were told a manager would respond.
For the years 2022 to 2023, limited H-2A temporary-worker petitions were filed for Oso through third-party contractors, but no petitions have been identified for RVM or other PlumpJack properties beyond that period.
The investigation also assessed state policies under Newsom that have expanded services for unauthorized immigrants, including Medi-Cal coverage, state-funded farmworker housing in Napa that accommodates unauthorized residents, and farmer-relief programs prioritizing undocumented operators.
In 2025, Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1136, which aimed to restrict employers from claiming ignorance about a worker’s status. California has also engaged in litigation against certain federal immigration enforcement actions during the time PlumpJack contracted with RVM.
Under federal law, it is illegal to knowingly employ unauthorized workers. Labor laws enforced by the Department of Labor govern wages and working conditions for migrant and seasonal agricultural employees. The reporting from The City Journal outlines RVM’s history of violations and highlights the widespread issue of unauthorized labor within the vineyard workforce serving PlumpJack properties. However, it does not claim that Newsom personally sanctioned hiring decisions.
