Jan Shrem
Jan Isaac Shrem | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1930 Colombia |
| Died | September 1, 2024 (aged 94) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, winery owner, art collector, philanthropist |
| Known for | Book distribution and publishing; owner of Clos Pegase Winery; philanthropy |
Jan Isaac Shrem (1930 – September 2024) was an American entrepreneur known for his work in book distribution and publishing, ownership of a winery, art collection, and philanthropic efforts.
Background
Shrem was born in Colombia to Jewish-Lebanese parents and spent his early years in Jerusalem before returning to Colombia during his adolescence. At age 16, he moved to the United States. He pursued higher education at the University of Utah and UCLA while supporting himself by selling encyclopedias.
In 2012, Shrem wed Maria Manetti Shrem. He passed away in September 2024 at the age of 94.
Publishing and book distribution in Japan
Following a relationship with a Japanese woman, Shrem relocated to Japan where he lived for 13 years. During this time, he established a company focused on distributing English-language encyclopedias as well as books on engineering and art. His firm also produced Japanese translations. By the time he exited the business, it maintained 50 offices staffed by approximately 2,000 sales representatives.
He married Mitsuko Shrem in 1960, with whom he had two sons, Marc and David. Their marriage lasted until her death from pancreatic cancer in 2010.
European business activities
After divesting from his Japanese enterprise, Shrem resided in Italy and France, continuing his involvement in publishing and book distribution. He also developed an interest in art collecting and viticulture, enrolling in enology studies at the University of Bordeaux.
Clos Pegase Winery
In 1983, Shrem transitioned from publishing to establish Clos Pegase Winery located in Napa Valley. Partnering with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, he initiated an architectural competition won by Michael Graves, who designed the winery’s postmodern structure that opened in 1987.
The Washington Post referred to Clos Pegase as "our first monument to wine as art," while architecture critic Susan Dinkelspiel Cerny described it as "an interpretation of Classicism in ochre and burnt sienna, with a spare desert feeling."
Shrem gained recognition for his captivating presentation titled "Bacchus the Rascal: A Bacchanalian History of Wine Seen Through 4000 Years of Art," which connected the evolution of wine with artistic expression.
At age 83, Shrem sold Clos Pegase to Leslie Rudd’s Vintage Wine Estates in 2013. In July 2024, Vintage Wine Estates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, intending to liquidate all assets including Clos Pegase.
Philanthropy
The Shrems have been major benefactors to various cultural and healthcare organizations. Their donations include $10 million to the University of California, Davis for the creation of the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, $3 million to the San Francisco Opera, and $1.5 million to KQED, marking the largest single gift ever received by the public broadcaster. In 2019, they contributed $18 million to the University of California, San Francisco to establish the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Neurology Clinic within the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, focusing on complex neurological conditions.