Napa Valley's famed Newton Vineyards is set to have a new lease on life under new ownership. Friends Nick Livanos and Eric Bryan Seuthe have purchased all of the brand's 487 acres (and the brand), which they plan to revive.

No purchase price was disclosed.

Since 2001, the Napa Valley winery has faced significant challenges, including a change in ownership, a devastating fire that destroyed its Spring Mountain facility, and a final announcement from its then-owners, Moët Hennessey (the wine and spirits division of LVMH), that it would be closing its doors for good.

The partnership between Seuthe and his wife, Brenda, and Nick Livanos and his wife, Patti, began at a Davies Vineyards wine club event in Napa five years ago. According to Livanos, the two couples became fast friends, and over a shared bottle of wine, they began discussing the idea of purchasing a vineyard together.

In a statement, a spokesman for Moët Hennessey said, “We are confident that the new owners will bring renewed energy to the estate and continue to care for the land and its legacy with respect and dedication. We remain grateful for the many years of support and for the community that has grown around Newton.”

Before the closure, LVMH had already begun replanting 25 acres of vineyards at Newton, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon along with Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The new owners plan to continue this replanting effort.

In an ambitious move, the pair also plan to revive the Newton brand, with the goal of releasing their first new wines from the 2025 vintage. The winemaking will be led by Caryn Harrison, and production will be done offsite for the time being.

Peter Newton, an English journalist and magnate, became a key figure in the Napa Valley wine scene. He founded Sterling Vineyards in 1964 and later sold it to Coca-Cola in 1977. He and his then-wife, Su Hua, established Newton Vineyard at the foot of Spring Mountain.

The 560-acre property was known for its distinct features, including English gardens, a pagoda-topped winery, and mountaintop views hidden by a rugged forest. While the winery produced age-worthy Cabernets and a claret-style wine, it became most famous for its iconic Unfiltered Chardonnay, which became a benchmark for quality in the 1990s.

In 2001, French luxury company LVMH acquired a majority stake in Newton Vineyard. Following Peter Newton's death in 2008, his family retained 70 acres of the property. LVMH invested $10 million by 2020 to renovate the winery and convert the 68 acres of vines—primarily Cabernet Sauvignon planted on steep hillsides at elevations from 500 to 1,600 feet—to certified organic farming.

The winery also owned other vineyards in Mt. Veeder, Yountville, and Carneros, which were not part of the recent sale.

Despite the significant investment, the future of the winery was jeopardized by the 2020 Glass Fire, which destroyed the winery and gardens, leaving only five acres of vines intact. Though the staff initially planned to rebuild and opened a temporary tasting room in Calistoga, the winery ultimately announced its permanent closure to its wine club members in early 2025.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team