FILE: Former Central Valley Rep. Devin Nunes has resurfaced with a wine bar on California’s Central Coast.
Patrick Semansky/AP
A former Republican member of Congress who was once called Donald Trump’s “stooge” has resurfaced as a wine connoisseur in a quaint coastal California town.
Devin Nunes made headlines constantly in the first Trump administration, with the Central Valley representative accused of meddling in Trump’s Russia investigation to protect the president and then suing a parody Twitter account called “Devin Nunes’ Cow” for $250 million after it called him a “treasonous cowpoke.”
Article continues below this ad
He left Congress to run Trump’s social media platform and then largely fell out of the news. He has since re-emerged as a wine investor and the owner of a new tasting room in Pismo Beach called the Nunes Wine Company.
The former representative was first spotted by the San Luis Obispo Tribune’s opinion editor. Nunes is partnering with longtime winemaker and personal friend Mike Sinor, who has helped Nunes turn his political persona into a brand. The former representative’s name is written in big, white capital letters on every bottle.
Pismo Beach is an idyllic beach community north of Santa Barbara, known for its wide sandy beaches, seafood and small town charm. The town was known as the “Clam Capital of the World” for years for its abundance of its namesake Pismo clam, until overfishing destroyed the local shellfish industry by the late 20th century.
Jon Fleischman, the former executive director of the California Republican Party and longtime Republican consultant, told SFGATE that “it’s great” he’s opening up the business, but the news is unexpected.
Article continues below this ad
“I’m a bit surprised that he’s doing it in California so I’m sure it won’t be long before he will be regaling us with stories about how difficult it is to be a business owner in an over tax and over regulated state,” he said when reached via text message.
Nunes represented a Central Valley district that included parts of Fresno and Tulare counties from 2002 up until he resigned in 2021. He started out as a low-key Republican and, after President Donald Trump was elected the first time, evolved into one of the country’s most polarizing political figures.
In 2016, Nunes was on Trump’s executive transition team. He was already chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and remained in the role from 2015 to 2019. During his time there, he became one of Trump’s biggest defenders amid an investigation into whether Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election. Nunes faced blowback after he was accused of colluding with the White House and had to step away from his role. He was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, and kept a low profile afterward.
Three years later, in 2021, after remaining a close confidant to the president, Nunes resigned from Congress to become the CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns platform Truth Social. He left that job in April of this year. The company has since seen a dramatic fall in users.
Article continues below this ad
Nunes comes from a Portuguese American family of farmers in the San Joaquin Valley and has been involved in the wine industry for years. His grandfather reportedly grew grapes, and Nunes invested in wineries as early as 2006. He launched his own wine label, Devin Nunes Wines, in 2023.
The Nunes Wine Company told SFGATE that it specializes in Portuguese and Bordeaux varietals, and the Pismo Beach tasting room opened over the July Fourth holiday weekend. A representative for the bar said Nunes was not available for an interview.
Access our new app with ad-free reading, curated maps and more.
GET IT NOW
It’s not unheard of for politicians to also be attracted to the hospitality industry. Though he started the venture before his political career took off, Gov. Gavin Newsom remains a partial owner of PlumpJack, a hospitality group that owns several liquor stores and restaurants throughout the Bay Area. Arnold Schwarzenegger, also before he was governor, dipped his toes into the industry; he was an early investor of Planet Hollywood and helped develop a Santa Monica restaurant. Former U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono also had a restaurant in Palm Springs before he got into politics.
Article continues below this ad
If anything, Fleishman thinks working in politics and particularly Trump’s orbit may have prepared Nunes for an afterlife in wine.
“I don’t know what’s better preparation for opening a wine bar, serving in Congress or being a part of the Trump organization,” the former California Republican Party director said. “Either of them would wanna make me drink a lot of wine.”
Dining and Cooking