San Francisco socialite and philanthropist Diane Wilsey, known as Dede, just gave $100,000 to the streamlining housing measure backed by Mayor London Breed, Proposition D . } In August 2016, Trump came to the Bay Area for fundraisers at private homes in Napa and on the Peninsula. And I typically react when I see something and it touches me. The To Kalon vineyards, which are all around us, have several different owners now, but fetch some of the highest prices in the world for grapes, Trevor explains. Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor and philanthropist, and the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey. closeSignupBar(); + '<\/div>'; Diane "Dede" Wilsey. Some of the trees are 130 years old. We are bound to one another by the kind of esprit de corps that comes with the pursuit of magicmagic in the vineyards, on the table, at the drawing board. It is a nurturing environment where I feel comfortable at work with my new creations and benefit being surrounded by such talented people and their positive energy. " Maupin read the book and has supplied a cover blurb for it. } The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. She recounts a recent party for museum directors that took place in the de Youngs tower on one of those rare San Francisco nights where there was no fog: It was so beautiful. Or that life in high society is about power and status, so everybody is always trying to position himself as a success -- or at least, avoid offending the powerful, for fear of being shut out of the scene. And no civilization has ever survived where you have only rich and poor. She's sitting in an armchair in her Napa Valley homethe place where she is most happyher 10-year old Maltese at her feet. Diane Buchanan "Dede" Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican Party donor, and philanthropist. By There are no sociological pronouncements made. I loved that painting. By Carol Hyman. He has two guards with him at all times. Tax ID 26-4008029. */ Festival Napa Valley is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Michael Taylor decorated Trevors parents homes, and his grandmothers house in Newport, Rhode Island, was done in the 1960s by Valerian Rybar; Thomas Britt decorated the homes of Alexis parents. More than 200 artists, wineries, resorts, theaters, restaurants, chefs, and vintners participate each year, joining with audiences, patrons, staff and volunteers to create a vibrant and vital community. There's only one Dede Wilsey on the Bay Area social scene. He began to fantasize about her sexually as a teenager, trying to see her through his father's eyes. For the Fine Arts Museums, I recently bought a Canaletto at the Getty auction. Steel and Traina split up in 1995. My sisters and I each found our creative passions early in life. What is the most impractical work of art you own? Everybody you can imagine. $.each(a, function () { onSuccess(); Over the years, Wilsey has earned a place on the Mount Rushmore of remarkable women who lead by giving and doing for the City's premier cultural institutions. Contributing to the causes she believes in is her job and one that she takes very seriously. //show automatically after delay And living in a house like this, you realize that a great big kitchen and a great big porch are really where you want to be., For his part, Trevor adds that even the houses indoor living can feel somewhat alfresco: I joke that were camping here, because we have 18th-century wallpaper. Though they both grew up in high-style households, Trevor says, were very casual and we arent at all fancy here., Trevor and Alexis are undoubtedly the chicest couple I know, says design impresario Ken Fulk, a close friend. The longtime supporter of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on the Caillebotte that got away and the pleasures of pet portraiture. It was at Amity, a now-defunct reform school in Tuscany, that Wilsey was transformed. I was at boarding school when my parents (pictured here) called to say, We just bought a vineyard in Napa Valley! It is very heavy. Thirty-two years ago my serial entrepreneur father, Clarke Swanson, got an itch, a romantic notion of the American dream, and in the blink of an eye purchased a hundred acres in Napa Valley, on Oakville Cross Road. setTimeout(function() { FIESTA Da de los Muertos celebrates life with music, dancing, art, and flowers. + '<\/form>' He went on to become winemaker at Harlan Estate and Bond, producers of some for the most sought-after cult wines ever made in the United States. His addition to our metal arts team sharpened our offerings and his popular programs have proven to be a cut above! "If I saw a book in that bookstore with that title, I'd think it was about an Indian princess covered with emeralds, or a memoir about some war general on the winning side. From left: Dede and Al Wilsey in 2001, Cissie Swig in 1992, Frances and John Bowes in 1995; Sharon Owsley in 1993 | San Francisco Examiner via Library of Congress the San Francisco Fine Art Museums nabbed it. Site funded . But she didn't handle stress well. callback: function() { Vittoria Benzine, o[this.name] = [o[this.name]]; Sean Wilsey writes that his father was too busy with his new family -- Dede and her sons, Trevor and Todd Traina -- and building a fortune with his Wilsey Bennett Co., a dairy business that manufactured edible oils, margarines and foil-wrapped butter pats, to pay attention to him. if (!$modal.length) { It is fuchsia with a purple bow. I was absolutely miserable. Put it in the basement of the Legion? . There were two people in beautiful clothes, a man and a woman with a parasol, walking away from you. break; Just fabulous. This is a family home; its very comfortable and familiar., The decor is an assemblage of styles, though most are heirlooms and antiques set in place by Trevors mother. } The acquisition was part of a complex transaction whereby vintner Robert Mondavi purchased the vineyards and Trainas parents received the property and the house. . }); w = pagetype + 20 * Math.round(w / 20), h = pagetype + 20 * Math.round(h / 20), googletag.cmd.push(function() { function initNewsletterSignup() { Definitely the Koons egg. The picture was of a house, a villa. The drive from San Francisco to the Napa Valley takes only a little more than an hour, but for tech entrepreneur and IfOnly CEO Trevor Traina and his wife, Swanson Vineyards creative director Alexis Swanson Traina, the two places feel as far away from each other as possible. Shes given generously to the UCSF medical facilities, San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Opera. I wish him well.". Wendy Sheanin, events manager at the store, said that anything associated with McSweeney's or bearing the word McSweeney's pricks the interest of readers. Traina has his own Napa vineyard . Like. In October, she funded the museums acquisition of Canalettos Venice, the Grand Canal looking East with Santa Maria della Salute. support us. // Show email validation error and hide other errors San Francisco philanthropist Dede Wilsey underwrites the festival's dance series, which has featured dancers from American Ballet Theatre, Bandaloop, Bolshoi Ballet, . Dede Wilsey - Early Life. Its not random. Julie Baumgardner, } If they want to join, fine., Wilseys been trying to make San Francisco a better place since she first came here over 40 years ago. + '<\/div>' if (!onSuccess) { The Best Carry-On Backpacks for Every Traveler, The Best Luxury Luggage for Traveling in Style, A Guide to 8 Hotels in The Reluctant Traveler. map, photo credits | site by tmarks | dev by sa8. + '