# Marvin R. Shanken, Longtime Publisher and Editor of Wine Spectator, Dies at 83

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/marvin-r-shanken-longtime-publisher-and-editor-of-wine-spectator-dies-at-83/
- Published: 2026-10-30T22:58:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T23:13:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/biz/lifestyle/marvin-r-shanken-dead-wine-spectator-1236935611/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Marvin R. Shanken has died aged 83.
- He transformed Wine Spectator into a magazine with over 100,000 subscribers.
- Its ratings helped shape wine buying and production.

## Summary

Marvin R. Shanken, the longtime publisher and editor of Wine Spectator, has died in Manhattan aged 83. He helped make wine more accessible to American consumers and raised the profile of the US wine industry, including Napa Valley.

Shanken bought the industry newsletter Impact in 1972 and the struggling Wine Spectator newspaper in 1979, turning it into a glossy magazine with more than 100,000 subscribers. Its 100-point rating system helped readers choose fine wines, while its influence extended to how wineries made them. He also founded Cigar Aficionado and other trade publications, established Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards and created its scholarship foundation.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.