Cloverdale, CA (January 3, 2014) – The wine community is mourning the passing of an innovative leader and one of the industry’s true visionaries. Arthur “Jay” Fritz, Jr., founder of Fritz Underground Winery, passed away on December 30, 2014 at the age of 74 after a long illness.
Jay, as he was known to family and friends, was born in 1940 to Arthur Joseph and Emily Sue Fritz, the oldest of three children including brother, Lynn, and sister, Sandra Davis. A life-long San Francisco resident, Jay graduated from St. Vincent De Paul Grammar School, St. Ignatius High School, Dartmouth College (cum laude) and Stanford Law School.
Upon his retirement as Chairman from Fritz Companies in 1998, Jay was able to focus full-time on Fritz Cellars, the Sonoma County winery he founded in 1979. From humble beginnings knocking on the doors of local restaurants, Jay found success again, building Fritz Cellars into a thriving, award-winning business selling over 25,000 cases annually. In 2001, Jay turned the reins over to his son Clayton, who continues to make wine under the Fritz Underground Winery label.
“My father instilled in me the same vision that led him to start Fritz Underground Winery – a viticultural passion based on a respect for the environment, excellence and hard work,” said Clayton Fritz. “He was a man of great wisdom and accomplishment, with a deep and abiding love for his family, friends and community. He will be missed by all who knew him.”
Jay’s vision for a winery grounded in responsible stewardship is what allowed the quality of the natural bounty of the 120+ Estate to thrive over the past thirty years. With a natural spring to supply simple irrigation, redwood groves to provide unique micro-climates, and a soil ideal for prized planting year after year, the Fritz terroir provides for a caliber of wine unrivaled. It was Jay Fritz’s fidelity to sustainability and quality that ultimately made the Fritz Underground Winery what it is today.
The sense of loss will extend well beyond the wine community. He was a member of the Board of Regents at his alma mater St. Ignatius and contributed service time as a member of the Knights of Malta, Stewards of St. Peter, Legatus, Daughters of Charity Advisory Board, Cathedral School for Boys Board of Trustees and Santa Catalina School Board of Trustees. In 1995, he and his wife founded the Barbara and Jay Fritz Charitable Foundation which supports numerous worthy organizations with an emphasis on helping children in need.
A devoted husband and father, Jay is survived by wife Barbara Frances Carr; three children: Arthur (Tri), Clayton and Jenner; and seven grandchildren: Ainsley, Buchannon, Sarah, Audrey, Bianca, Georgia and Leonardo.
Friends and relatives are invited to St. Dominic’s Church, 2390 Bush St. in San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 6th at 6:30 p.m. for a Viewing followed by a Rosary Vigil, and on Wednesday, January 7th at 11:30 a.m. for a Funeral Mass with reception to follow; Fritz Underground Winery will be closed on January 7th in remembrance. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to “Mission Dolores Academy Scholarship Fund,” 3371 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114. www.halstedngray.com
