NVL winemaker spotlight
Newton Vineyard Winemaker
ANDREW HOLVE Fulfills the Mountain Winery's Vision BY FRAN MILLER
Photos courtesy of Newton Vineyard
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o truly know Newton Vineyard and its wines, one must understand its history, its prominence within the Napa winery community, and its resilience. Founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton, the Spring Mountain winery, long lauded for its complex varietals, was significantly damaged by the 2020 Glass Fire. But thanks to the teamwork of its small winemaking crew, led by winemaker Andrew Holve, the Newton label is not only enduring, it is thriving. At the Newton helm since July 2021, Holve, a Sonoma County native, joined the winery in August 2015, shortly after earning his master’s degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis. His path to winemaking entailed a post-undergrad (USC) position with Americorps, where he worked on a wide range 60
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of projects, from building homes with Habitat for Humanity to riparian restoration with the Bureau of Land Management. “That is when I discovered that I enjoyed working with my hands, being outdoors, and creating things,” said Holve. “And my thoughts returned to friends in Sonoma County whose families were in the wine business, who had often encouraged me to join them. I grew up around wine, but I hadn’t realized until then how strong an affinity I had for the work itself.” As Newton’s lead winemaker since July 2021, Holve oversees a solid winemaking team of five, some of whom have been with the winery for 30 years. “Our team has great longevity, and we know our in-house style and what we are trying to produce,” said Holve, who credits predecessors Rob Mann and Alberto Bianchi as his mentors.
