Dozens of Napa Valley wineries and grape growers have sued Hundred Acre Wines and its owner, Jayson Woodbridge, over the 2025 Pickett Fire, seeking damages for a harvest they say was ruined by smoke, the Press Democrat reported. The Chronicle said the complaint, filed Nov. 5 in Napa County Superior Court, also names contractor Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil and demands a jury trial.
Why it matters: The fire started Aug. 21, 2025, at 2339 Pickett Road in Calistoga, on Hundred Acre’s property, and burned about 6,800 acres, the Chronicle reported. The Press Democrat said at least 35 wine entities are plaintiffs in the new filing, including growers on Howell Mountain as well as Jackson Family Wines and Robert Foley. Attorney Jon Cadieux of Singleton Schreiber said informal talks failed and that more complaints would follow.
Napa County has estimated wine-industry losses from the fire at $56 million, plus $1.7 million for other agricultural commodities and farm structures, the Press Democrat reported. A county preliminary assessment cited by the Chronicle put agricultural damage at at least $65 million, and the Chronicle said impacted wineries and growers have sought to recoup roughly $90 million in losses. In August, the Napa County district attorney charged Marfil with a felony count of recklessly causing a fire; the Chronicle said he pleaded not guilty. Charging documents said he told Cal Fire investigators he put hot ashes into a burn pile. The district attorney has not charged Woodbridge or the winery.
Spokesperson Sam Singer said Hundred Acre and Woodbridge deny the allegations. He told the Press Democrat that prosecutors charged the contractor, not the winery, and told the Chronicle the suit is “an economic ploy from vintners who are struggling with the decline in demand and consumption.” The Chronicle also reported that Woodbridge had already settled with PlumpJack Group, and that other companies sued in August.