Newton Vineyard

Newton Vineyard was founded in 1977 by English entrepreneur Peter Newton and his wife, Su Hua Newton, on Spring Mountain. Peter Newton (d. 2008), a former journalist for the Financial Times, had founded Sterling Vineyards in 1964, and in 1977 he sold Sterling to Coca-Cola. After years of planting vineyards and preparing the estate, Newton released its first commercial vintage in 1979. Its Unfiltered Chardonnay was originally made by winemaker John Kongsgaard, and the first vintage of the Unfiltered Chardonnay program was 1981. LVMH acquired a majority stake in Newton in 2001. After more than twenty years under Moët Hennessy, the estate was acquired in 2025 by Nick Livanos and Eric Bryan Seuthe, along with their family and friends. The purchase included 487 acres of the 560-acre property and the brand, and the buyers' investment group is Newton Vineyard & Company LLC.

• 1964: Peter Newton founded Sterling Vineyards; he sold it to Coca-Cola in 1977.
• 1977: Newton Vineyard founded by Peter Newton and Su Hua Newton; 1979: first commercial vintage.
• 2001: LVMH acquired a majority stake.
• 2025: acquired by Nick Livanos and Eric Bryan Seuthe with their family and friends, through Newton Vineyard & Company LLC.

Nick Livanos is a principal at Renkert Oil, and Eric Bryan Seuthe, Newton Partner, is an attorney. As of October 2025, winemaker Caryn Harrison was crafting the first wines of the new ownership at Materra Winery in Oak Knoll, a custom crush facility; the vineyard was in the hands of Hugo Maldonado, whose father managed Newton Vineyard for many years; and Chris Ryan led the direct-to-consumer side. In September 2026 Newton announced the appointment of Luc Morlet as Winemaker. Morlet joined Newton Vineyard in 1996 and spent five harvests at the estate, during which he crafted the Unfiltered Chardonnay and worked alongside Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland on the Bordeaux-variety program. Winemaking alumni who worked in Newton's cellar over the years also include Ric Forman, Aaron Pott, Andy Erickson, Jean Hoefliger, Blair Walter, Rob Mann and Stephen Carrier.

• Owners: Nick Livanos and Eric Bryan Seuthe, with their family and friends.
• Winemaker (as of October 2025): Caryn Harrison; vineyard: Hugo Maldonado; direct-to-consumer: Chris Ryan.
• September 2026: Luc Morlet appointed Winemaker, returning to the estate he joined in 1996.

Much of the 560-acre Spring Mountain property is hidden by a rugged forest. By 2020 the vines were mostly planted on steep hillsides ranging in elevation from 500 to 1,600 feet, primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, and LVMH had invested to renovate the winery and convert the vineyards to certified organic farming. The winery also owned estate vineyards in Mt. Veeder, Yountville and Carneros; these were not included in the 2025 sale. After the Glass Fire, LVMH started replanting 25 acres of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec and Cabernet Franc. In September 2025 the estate had over 30 planted acres, with 70 acres considered plantable. In November 2025 Newton listed replanting 10 to 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot and restoring power to the historic winery pad and caves among its next steps. Newton has also added the One Lane Bridge Vineyard on Mount Veeder, where it historically maintained an estate vineyard.

• 560-acre property on Spring Mountain; vines on steep hillsides from 500 to 1,600 feet, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Former estate vineyards in Mt. Veeder, Yountville and Carneros were not included in the 2025 sale.
• Over 30 planted acres in September 2025, with 70 acres considered plantable.
• One Lane Bridge Vineyard on Mount Veeder added to the Newton family.

On September 27, 2020, the Glass Fire swept across Spring Mountain and destroyed Newton's historic winery and hospitality buildings. The winery, the tasting room and all but 5 acres of vineyards were destroyed. The caves survived, and the storage facility was not affected, saving all bottled vintages. Newton then opened a temporary tasting room in Calistoga, and wines were made from the other estate vineyards. On February 13, 2025, Newton announced to its wine club members that the winery was permanently closing; the statement cited the fire as the reason.

• September 27, 2020: the Glass Fire destroyed the winery and hospitality buildings; only 5 acres of vines remained.
• The caves survived, and all bottled vintages were saved in an unaffected storage facility.
• February 13, 2025: closure announced to wine club members.

The 2025 harvest was the first vintage under the renewed ownership: the team brought in just over 40 tons of estate fruit, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec from the mountain blocks. The 2025 wines include Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate vineyard on Spring Mountain, along with Cabernet Sauvignon from a single-vineyard site on Mount Veeder. As of August 2026 the 2025 wines remained in barrel. As of September 2025, a new tasting room and winery were in development.

• 2025: just over 40 tons of estate fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, the first vintage under the new ownership.
• 2025 wines from the Spring Mountain estate vineyard and from Mount Veeder, in barrel as of August 2026.
• As of September 2025, a new tasting room and winery were in development.

Newton's labels have included Unfiltered, The Puzzle and Single Vineyard. The Puzzle is a Bordeaux-style blend with varietal percentages that vary by vintage and is considered Newton's flagship wine; the first Single Vineyard wines were from the 2014 vintage. In the 1990s the Unfiltered Chardonnay was barrel-aged and fermented with native yeasts. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that Newton was revered for its 'restrained winemaking style, which resulted in wines that were fresh and balanced.' The estate gives its founding philosophy as 'let the vineyard speak first,' and writes that its Spring Mountain barrels speak to 'our rugged elevation, volcanic soils, and the quiet intensity that defines this historic estate.'

• Labels: Unfiltered, The Puzzle (Bordeaux-style flagship blend) and Single Vineyard (first vintage 2014).
• Unfiltered Chardonnay: barrel-aged and fermented with native yeasts; first vintage 1981.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/restoring-a-legacy, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/meet-the-team, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/our-first-harvest, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/first-impressions, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/historical-harvests, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/luc-morlet-returns-to-newton, https://www.newtonvineyard.com/blog/can-a-vine-take-the-heat. Secondary sources: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/newton-vineyard-sold-21032658.php (San Francisco Chronicle), https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/09/08/napa-valley-winery-newtons-new-local-owners-plan-reopening/ (The Press Democrat, September 8, 2025), https://www.winespectator.com/articles/newton-vineyard-is-reborn (Wine Spectator, September 4, 2025), https://www.winespectator.com/articles/newton-vineyard-will-close (Wine Spectator, February 14, 2025), https://www.napawineproject.com/newton-vineyard/ (The Napa Wine Project). Last verified 2026-10-21. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.