Today, we join the wine community in remembering Marvin R. Shanken and honoring the remarkable legacy he leaves behind. For more than five decades, Marvin helped bring people closer to wine. Through Wine Spectator, he crafted a place where vintners, winemakers, and wine lovers could come together around a shared passion. At Jackson Family Wines, his contributions feel personal. Our longstanding relationship with Marvin and Wine Spectator spans much of our history, sharing the Jackson family’s vision and our wines with readers around the world. We are grateful to have been part of the publication alongside so many others who shared his belief in wine’s place in our culture. Marvin R. Shanken was also a champion of wine education and understood that wine’s future depended on people having the opportunity to learn. Through the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, more than $40 million has been raised for wine education, opening doors for people who will shape our industry for years to come. His philanthropy also extended beyond wine, including his work with his wife, Hazel, to help establish the Els for Autism Foundation. Our hearts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Wine Spectator and M. Shanken Communications family.
A beautiful tribute. What Marvin Shanken built with Wine Spectator — and the scholarship work carrying it forward — changed how so many people learn about and appreciate wine. He'll be missed.