Newport Beach is not exactly short on places to drink wine. But a private vineyard tucked into the Back Bay, with koi ponds, tropical paths, a land turtle named Gucci, and a Lamborghini hanging on the wall? That is a more specific assignment.

Newport Beach Vineyards & Winery sits on 3.5 acres at 2128 Mesa Drive, hidden behind the kind of gate most people drive past without realizing there is an entire little wine-world behind it. It is not a public tasting room. To visit, you need a reservation and a group of at least eight people. The tour and tasting is about $65 per person and lasts roughly two hours.

The owner adds another layer to the story. The vineyard is owned by Richard Moriarty, a Newport Beach businessman and member of the Segerstrom family through his mother, Ruth Ann Segerstrom Moriarty. Ruth Ann was the older sister of Henry Segerstrom, the Orange County developer and philanthropist best known for South Coast Plaza and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Moriarty’s path to wine was not exactly the polished Napa route. A 2001 Los Angeles Times profile described him as a former Newport Beach party promoter turned novice vintner, known in the 1980s for throwing huge, over-the-top events before shifting his attention to grapes, land, and a very different kind of hospitality. The winery says it has been growing and maturing wine on the Upper Newport Bay property since 2001.

That mix explains a lot about the place. It has old Orange County family roots, private-estate money, and just enough eccentricity to keep it from feeling sterile.

Is $65 high for a wine tasting? Yes. But this is not a bar-counter flight and a laminated tasting sheet. The point is the property.

The tour winds through meandering paths filled with tropical plants, ferns, koi ponds, and lush little corners that feel more botanical garden than Newport backyard.

There is also Gucci, the resident land turtle, who has his own house appropriately called “House of Gucci.”

Guests also get a look at the outside of the residence, which adds to the intrigue. Peer inside and you can spot a Lamborghini mounted on the wall, because apparently some people collect art and others collect extremely expensive conversation starters.

The underground wine cave is another highlight. Inside, you will find a large security door that looks straight out of a bank vault. According to the tour guide, it connects directly into the residence, which is both practical and wildly dramatic.

The tasting includes four wines. The whites are brought in, while the reds are grown and blended on site. The wine itself was good, especially the reds, but the real draw is the setting. This is a place for people who want the wine, yes, but also the story, the stroll, and the “how did I not know this was here?” factor.

And while Newport Beach Vineyards is sometimes described like OC’s lone vineyard unicorn, it is not the only vineyard in Orange County. Giracci Vineyards & Farms in Silverado is another local vineyard destination, with Cowboy Canyon Winery as well. Still, Newport Beach Vineyards has its own very specific charm: private, coastal, eccentric, and best experienced with a group of good friends.

2128 Mesa Drive, Newport Beach
www.nbwine.com
949-645-2200
[email protected]
By appointment only