Gerald Dale Boyd, a Former Wine Spectator Editor, Dies at 90

Gerald Dale Boyd, a former editor of The Wine Spectator, longtime wine columnist and educator, and retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant, died Aug. 6 at Kayden’s Loving Care in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was 90.

Boyd had lived in Anacortes, Washington, in recent years after a long career that connected military service, journalism, wine education and judging. According to an obituary released by his family, he remained active in wine writing well into his final years and continued publishing a weekly blog until January 2026.

He was born Oct. 15, 1935, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to Richard F. Boyd and Elizabeth Aurand. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and served until 1976. During that 23-year career, he rose to the rank of master sergeant and retired with an honorable discharge.

After leaving the military, Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree in English and moved into the field that would define the second half of his working life. His first published wine article appeared in Denver City Magazine, beginning a journalism career that later put him in a central role at one of the country’s best-known wine publications.

Following the sale of Wine Spectator by founder Robert Morrisey to publisher Marvin R. Shanken, Boyd was hired as managing editor and later became editor of the magazine. He served in those roles from 1979 to 1983 in San Francisco, according to the obituary.

His work then expanded beyond magazine editing. Boyd wrote as a freelancer for several publications and became known in the wine industry as a judge, speaker and organizer. The obituary described him as a respected industry figure whose assignments and appearances took him around the world.

Among his leadership roles, Boyd served as co-chairman of the Wine Industry Integrity Award Program in Lodi, California, and as chairman of the Alameda County Fair Wine Competition. He also co-founded The Gold Challenge Wine Competition at The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California, with Steve Mirassou.

He was a regular speaker and panelist at wine events including the Kapalua Wine Symposium in Hawaii and the Monterey Bay Wine Competition in California. Over the years, he also contributed to Wine Review Online and wrote as a staff wine columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Boyd also spent a significant part of his career in the classroom. He taught wine studies for 13 years as an adjunct professor at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, California. His teaching work ran alongside his journalism and judging, helping introduce students to the history, evaluation and business of wine.

In 2011, the Wine Media Guild of New York inducted Boyd into its Wine Writers Hall of Fame, recognizing his work in wine journalism. The honor placed him among a small group of writers and editors acknowledged for long-term influence in a field that has grown steadily in reach and commercial importance over the past several decades.

After moving to Anacortes in 2018, Boyd continued writing about wine from the Pacific Northwest. His family said he kept up a weekly blog until the start of this year, extending a public writing career that had lasted for decades.

Outside his professional life, the obituary said Boyd had a strong interest in classical music and often shared that with his wife, Janet, by watching concerts together on Sunday afternoons. His family said he placed special importance on family life and military service.

Boyd is survived by his wife, Janet Mary Boyd, whom he married on May 3, 1958, in Philadelphia. The obituary said the couple met through Janet’s brother Gene during Air Force boot camp, where the two men were serving. Their marriage lasted 68 years.

He is also survived by two sons, Mark G. Boyd and Sean T. Boyd; daughters-in-law Kimberley and Kristin; grandchildren Brandon, Jeremy, Aaron and Cameron; and a great-grandson, Phoenix. The obituary also listed numerous nieces and nephews, brothers-in-law Eugene Boyle and James Boyle, and lifelong friend Richard Marschner among those surviving him.

He was preceded in death by his son Kevin P. Boyd and his brother Richard Boyd Jr.

A funeral service with full military honors was scheduled at Evans Funeral Chapel in Anacortes on Wednesday, Aug. 12, according to the obituary. The family said memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.