Gavin Newsom claims he was unaware of the 5,000-bottle wine cellar in his own $7.5 million home.
At a press conference last week, the California governor, 57, was put on the spot about whether he had filled the massive cellar at the Sacramento-area residence he shares with wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The couple listed the property for $7.5 million on Tuesday — double the price they paid eight years ago, according to its Zillow listing.
“Are you serious? Really?” the Democrat asked, stunned.
“No, I never filled it. I didn’t even know I had that much.”
“I literally didn’t even know,” the governor added, claiming he only discovered that detail about his own home from news reports.
The winemaker-turned-politician offered an alternative use for the space. “By the way, I put books in there,” Newsom claimed. “There’s no wine there, it’s books,” he went on, suggesting they were his “only inheritance” from his father, former judge and Gordon Getty consigliere William Newsom.
The secluded home features a “personal wellness oasis,” a resort-style pool, full-size tennis court, and a “private casita” in addition to the sprawling basement wine cellar, according to a property description. Photos of the cellar show a luxurious, open area with seating and rows of shelves locked behind a glass door. There appear to be books stacked inside the walls along with bottles of wine.
Newsom is winding down his time in the California capitol as he preps an expected White House run. Outside of Sacramento, the couple purchased a $9 million home in Marin County in 2024.
The Newsoms earned between $1.7 million and $2 million annually between 2022 and 2024, according to tax returns released last month. Much of the family’s income comes from Newsom’s stakes in a lucrative wine and hospitality business he founded off the back of his connections to one of California’s wealthiest families, the Getty oil clan.
The powerful couple’s finances came under scrutiny this year after the governor revealed that his family and associates were under investigation by federal law enforcement, which Newsom described as a political hit job.
The Marin County purchase and Sacramento listing have fueled speculation about Newsom’s political ambitions beyond California.
The $7.5 million home remains on the market as the governor continues his final term in Sacramento.