Rene di Rosa
Rene di Rosa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 2010 (aged 91) |
| Occupation(s) | Vintner, art collector |
| Known for | Winery Lake Vineyard, di Rosa art collection |
Rene di Rosa (May 14, 1919 – October 3, 2010) was a prominent American vintner and collector of art.
Personal life
Originally from Boston, di Rosa completed his studies at Yale University, where he served as editor of the Yale Daily News. Following his military service during World War II and a period spent in Paris, he began working as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1950. In 1974, he wed artist Veronica McDonald (1934–1991).
Winery Lake Vineyard
In 1960, di Rosa purchased nearly 460 acres located in the Carneros area of Napa Valley.[1][2] He cultivated vineyards on roughly 250 acres within this property, which he designated as Winery Lake Vineyard.[3][4] While producing both Chardonnay and Pinot noir, di Rosa became particularly known for supplying premium grapes to local wineries including Belvedere and Acacia.[2][5][6] In 1979, he was a founding partner of Hagafen Cellars alongside Ernie Weir, Zach Berkowitz, and Norm Miller.[7] Di Rosa sold Winery Lake Vineyard to Joseph E. Seagram & Sons in 1986, utilizing the funds from the sale to broaden his collection of art.[8][9]
Art collection
During the 1960s, while pursuing viticulture studies at UC Davis—where influential artists such as Robert Arneson, Roy De Forest, and William T. Wiley were active in the art department—di Rosa began assembling a collection focused on Northern California counterculture art. His holdings encompass significant Bay Area movements including assemblage, the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Funk Art, and Conceptual Art. The collection features notable artists such as Joan Brown, Jay DeFeo, Viola Frey, Robert Arneson, William T. Wiley, and Peter Voulkos.
Di Rosa displayed his collection on his estate, much of which remains protected as a nature preserve through the Land Trust of Napa County. In 1997, he opened this location—known as the di Rosa Preserve—to public visitation. By 2000, the property and its collection were formalized as a public trust. Di Rosa retired in 2002, with Jack Rasmussen appointed as the inaugural executive director. Currently operating under the name di Rosa, the institution curates the collection, organizes rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, and provides educational initiatives.
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednytimes1986 - ↑ Carneros.com
- ↑ Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Chicago Tribune
- ↑ Hagafen.com
- ↑ Chicago Tribune
- ↑ New York Times