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Devin Nunes, the former congressman and one-time CEO of Trump Media, has quietly shifted from national politics to the Central Coast wine scene, opening a tasting room in Pismo Beach this July. The move arrives as legal and financial pressures continue to surround the social platform he once ran, raising fresh questions about how public figures pivot into private enterprises.
Nunes lands in Pismo Beach
Nunes’ new venture operates under the name Nunes Wine Company, a tasting room and label that launched its doors this summer. The project grew out of collaborations begun in 2023 with Cal Poly alumnus Mike Sinor, co‑founder of Ancient Peaks Winery, and focuses on Portuguese varietals and Bordeaux-style blends.
The team behind the winery says Nunes drew on a lifelong connection to agriculture: his family farm in Tulare County and academic training at Cal Poly, where he earned a master’s in agriculture in 1996 after transferring from the College of the Sequoias. Before his congressional career, he also served on a community college board at a notably young age, shaping local higher-education decisions.
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Wines released so far include the 2023 Vintage Collection, and the company has signaled plans for additional bottles this coming November as it prepares what it calls a sixth vintage. Some labels lean into Nunes’ public profile—one Bordeaux‑style Cabernet is marketed with patriotic imagery—while company materials emphasize traditional winegrowing roots.
Students and locals interviewed offered mixed reactions: some said they would judge the wines on quality alone, others worried the business could rely on Nunes’ political brand for attention rather than the product itself.
From Congress to CEO to vintner
Nunes left Congress after accepting the CEO role at Trump Media & Technology Group in January 2022 and remained with the company for roughly four years, stepping down in April of this year. The organization behind the platform Truth Social has since appointed Kevin McGurn, formerly of Hulu, as interim CEO.
His move into the wine trade completes a visible transition from public office and corporate leadership to a small-business operation that is very much rooted in a regional industry.
- 1996 — Nunes graduates from Cal Poly with a master’s in agriculture.
- 2022 — Leaves Congress to become CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group.
- April 2026 — Resigns as CEO of Trump Media.
- July 2026 — Opens Nunes Wine Company tasting room in Pismo Beach.
- November 2026 (planned) — New releases and sixth vintage announced.
Truth Social, Truth API and the legal spotlight
While Nunes turns to wine, the platform he once led remains under scrutiny. By the end of June 2026 the company reported a net loss of roughly $238.1 million, and its recent product rollouts have stirred controversy.
The most contentious is the subscription service marketed as Truth API, which offers paying customers prioritized access to posts from the platform’s so‑called “highest ranking” accounts — for fees reported to reach as much as $100,000 per month. Business reporting indicates some subscribers can receive material that may affect markets before it reaches general users, a point that has prompted scrutiny from journalists and regulators alike.
Legal challenges have followed. The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation have filed suit alleging the platform’s monetization model raises constitutional and regulatory concerns, including claims tied to the First and Fifth Amendments. Plaintiffs argue that agreements like a 2024 “Social Media 6‑Hour Exclusive,” which requires certain communications to appear on Truth Social first, could create unfair information access and commercial advantages.
Critics worry the paywall model could enable privileged, market‑moving information to reach a small subset of subscribers in advance, while defenders say private platforms are entitled to commercial terms. The lawsuits and broader regulatory questions are likely to shape how the company — and similar offerings — operate going forward.
Nunes himself remains engaged in public affairs: he currently serves as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, an unpaid but influential role advising on national security matters.
What this shift means locally and nationally
The Pismo Beach tasting room is an immediate, tangible sign of how some former officials repurpose their careers after public life. For local residents and Cal Poly students, the tasting room adds a new business to the coastal tourism mix; for observers of media and politics, it underscores how business ventures and political networks can overlap.
At stake are several practical questions: will the winery stand on its own merits, or depend on name recognition; how will Truth Social’s controversies affect associated ventures; and what precedents do Truth API and related lawsuits set for information access on private platforms?
Those answers will unfold over the coming months, as the winery releases new vintages and legal proceedings around the platform continue to advance.
