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Marvin R. Shanken, Longtime Publisher and Editor of Wine Spectator, Dies at 83
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Published 10/30/2026 5:58:12 PM
Publisher, Editor of Wine Spectator Was 83
Marvin R. Shanken, the longtime editor and publisher of Wine Spectator magazine who was instrumental in elevating the profile of American wine business, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 83.
Shanken started his career in 1972 when he bought a small industry newsletter named Impact, which became a key resource for the wine and spirits industries. He purchased the struggling Wine Spectator newspaper in 1979, which he turned into a glossy magazine with more than 100,000 subscribers.
Wine Spectator became a key educational tool to help consumers become more familiar with the beverage, and contributed significantly to raising the status of the Napa Valley wine region. Wine Spectator articles utilized the 100 point wine rating system, which made buying fine bottles much more approachable for the general audience.
Shanken also founded the magazine Cigar Aficionado and purchased Food Arts and Malt Advocate, which was renamed Whisky Advocate. Other publications he founded through his M. Shanken Communications include Market Watch and Shanken News Daily.
“He helped educate millions of Americans on the joys and virtues of wine, and tirelessly encouraged and pushed winemakers to produce the best for their customers,” Wine Spectator wrote in its obituary.
Among his many milestones were establishing Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards program, taking over the long-running Wine Experience weekend to bring producers together with consumers and creating the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation.
“It was an extremely influential publication that, along with Robert Parker, actually affected the way wine was made. Wine Spectator could make wineries halfway around the world change the way they made wine,” W. Blake Gray of the website Wine-Searcher told the New York Times.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Shanken studied business at the U. of Miami, then received an MBA from American U. in Washington.
He started off working in investment banking on Wall Street, during which time he was sent to California to help finance a vineyard purchase. This led to him developing a strong interest in wine and the industry. He pivoted his career to running the Impact newsletter, encouraged by its reception from alcoholic beverage wholesalers. At the time, there was very little substantial reporting on the wine business.
After he bought the struggling Wine Spectator newspaper, he relocated the offices from San Diego to San Francisco and became editor. The magazine expanded to cover travel, cooking, restaurants and collecting, and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Shanken is survived by his wife, Hazel Rudy, daughters Jessica, Allison and Samantha, four grandchildren and two sisters.
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The Japan IP Market will be back in Cannes next May for a second straight year. The Cannes Film Market and TIFFCOM, the content market of the Tokyo International Film Festival, are again teaming up on the event, and the 2027 edition will run May 14-15.
The return was revealed at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, during a conference on how Japan can forge new international partnerships after its stint as Country of Honor in Cannes. Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Cannes Film Market, was among the panelists.
“The success of Japan, Country of Honor showed what can happen when a focused national presence creates lasting opportunities for the industry. The Japan IP Market is one of those outcomes: a collaboration that extends beyond a single edition and gives Japanese intellectual properties greater access to international partners,” said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. “I’m delighted that we are continuing this work with TIFFCOM to create more opportunities for rights holders to connect with international producers and partners, develop new adaptations and bring their stories to global audiences.”
The Japan IP Market first ran in May 2026, one of the initiatives tied to Japan’s turn as Country of Honor at the Cannes Film Market. It put Japanese rights holders in the same room as industry professionals from abroad via pitches, one-on-one meetings and industry discussions. Kadokawa, Shochiku and Toei Company were among the companies taking part. The speaker lineup included Fujimura Tetsu, executive producer of “One Piece” and founder and CEO of Filosophia, Inc.
“The Japan IP Market is about creating the right conditions for business opportunities between Japanese rights holders and international companies,” said Zakharchenko. “By bringing them together in Cannes, we can help turn growing interest in Japanese content into concrete adaptation deals and acquisitions, while fostering new collaboration opportunities.”
Shiina Yasushi, executive adviser at UNIJAPAN and CEO of TIFFCOM, said the partnership with the Cannes market plays an important role for Japan’s audiovisual industry. He described the Cannes market as the biggest market attached to any film festival in the world. “Meeting the international professionals who gather there and creating together with them is the key to nurturing Japanese IP into global content,” he said.
Ikeda Kaori, managing director of TIFFCOM, said the first edition had shown how keen producers and partners worldwide are on Japanese IP. “Through the continued partnership linking Cannes in May with the Tokyo IP Market in October, we are pleased to offer more professionals the opportunity to meet Japanese rights holders directly and discover the rich diversity of Japanese IP,” she said.
The 2027 roster of companies and the rest of the program will be unveiled in the months ahead.
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