As riots spread across Los Angeles—with mobs vandalizing public buildings, setting vehicles on fire, and attacking law enforcement—California Governor Gavin Newsom was attending an upscale wine-tasting event in Napa Valley.
The gathering took place on the afternoon of June 7, 2025, at the Odette Estate Winery, which Newsom co-founded in 2011. Billed as “Vineyard Vibes,” the event was a fundraiser for the PlumpJack Foundation, founded by Newsom’s sister, and featured “contemporary yet sophisticated” wines, live jazz music, and locally crafted pizza and smash burgers.
Promotional materials described it as “the perfect kick-off to summer fun.” They added: “The fete will take place on the Winery Crushpad, where we’ll gather for music, food, conversation, and delicious wine!”
A source who photographed Newsom at the event was shocked by his attendance, especially since riots had erupted in Los Angeles the previous day. “I couldn’t believe it,” the source said. “He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.” Newsom attended the wine party for at least 90 minutes. When the governor eventually left, he appeared to retreat to the inner rooms of his winery, City Journal reported.
The timeline is significant. The riots in Los Angeles began on June 6 in response to the Trump administration’s deportation policies targeting illegal immigrants. By the following day, while Governor Gavin Newsom was attending a wine-tasting event in Napa Valley, rioters in Los Angeles were already vandalizing public buildings, blocking roads, setting vehicles ablaze, and hurling rocks, bottles, and cinder blocks at law enforcement officers.
That evening, after the event concluded, President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to California, stating they were necessary to “address the lawlessness.” A spokesperson for the governor said Newsom “proudly attended” the fundraiser, which was held in support of the UCSF Cancer Center “in honor of his mother, who died of breast cancer.”
This is not the first time Governor Newsom—widely seen as a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination—has drawn criticism for his upscale lifestyle. In November 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he dined with political allies at the Michelin-starred French Laundry restaurant, despite urging Californians to forgo family gatherings ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
He would later apologize, saying, “I made a bad mistake . . . I need to preach and practice, not just preach and not practice.” City Journal added: “In this instance, it was wine, rather than food, that caught Newsom’s attention. But the principle is the same: Newsom sips Cabernet while his state burns.”