Marvin R. Shanken, founder of M. Shanken Communications and longtime editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, died on October 29 at the age of 83. Over more than five decades, he shaped not only the wine world but also the spirits, beer, cigar and restaurant industries.
Career: Shanken started out in 1972 with Impact, a trade newsletter on the wine and spirits business, after working as a banker on Wall Street. In 1979 he took over a struggling free newspaper, The Wine Spectator, and turned it into a glossy magazine. In 1985 the publication adopted the 100-point scale for rating wines, and in the early 1990s he broadened its coverage to travel, cooking and dining. He also launched Cigar Aficionado and acquired titles including Food Arts and Malt Advocate, later renamed Whisky Advocate.
Legacy: He created the Restaurant Awards (1981), the Wine Experience event and the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised more than $40 million for scholarships and grants. He held firmly to editorial independence, even when advertisers or producers were unhappy, and saw himself first and foremost as an editor.
Personal: He is survived by his wife Hazel, his sisters, three daughters and four grandchildren.
