After Years of Art Sale Battles and Survival Shifts, a Cultural Landmark Seeks New Owner
The 217-acre di Rosa Preserve at 5200 Sonoma Highway has long been one of Napa Valley’s most extraordinary gems, a breathtaking fusion of contemporary art, stunning natural landscapes, and rich history.
Founded by visionary collector Rene di Rosa (who transformed his former winery land into an “art park” after selling his vineyards in the 1980s), the site features a 32-acre reservoir, rolling meadows, panoramic vineyard views, indoor galleries, and a massive outdoor sculpture meadow.
Protected forever by conservation easements with the Napa Valley Land Trust, it sits directly across from Domaine Carneros, offering easy access to both Napa and Sonoma.
Rene di Rosa (1919–2010) was a pioneering Bay Area figure: a WWII Navy veteran, Yale graduate (and Yale Daily News editor), former San Francisco Chronicle reporter, early Napa vintner, and passionate collector of Northern California contemporary art.
Born in Boston to an Italian diplomat father and manufacturing heiress mother, he moved to San Francisco in the 1950s, immersed himself in the North Beach arts scene, and in 1960 bought land in Carneros to plant vineyards—long before the region boomed. While studying viticulture at UC Davis, he formed lifelong friendships with influential artists like Robert Arneson, Roy De Forest, Manuel Neri, and William T. Wiley, sparking his voracious collecting of Bay Area Funk, Figurative, and assemblage works.
After marrying artist Veronica di Rosa in 1976 (she passed in 1991), he sold his acclaimed Winery Lake Vineyard to Seagram in 1986, using the proceeds to transform the remaining 217 acres into a public “art park” that opened in 1997. Known for his eccentric, unpretentious style (often in denim and a baseball cap), Rene championed “incorrect” or overlooked art, served on boards for SFMOMA, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Whitney Museum, and left an enduring legacy as the heart of this cultural landmark.
Home to over 1,600 works by Northern California legends (names such as Robert Arneson, Jay DeFeo, William T. Wiley, and more), the preserve has been a haven where art meets nature, from massive outdoor installations to serene gallery spaces.
But behind the beauty lies a long-running story of financial strain: an insufficient endowment after Rene di Rosa’s 2010 death, hits from the 2008 recession and 2017 wildfires, and a controversial 2019 plan to sell most of the collection (scaled back after artist and community outcry, preserving a “legacy” core).
The nonprofit has since pivoted under executive director Kate Eilertsen, with the permanent collection finding a home at San Francisco’s Minnesota Street Project, and focusing on earned income to ensure sustainability.
Now, the entire 217-acre property is listed for $10.9 million, including transferable Napa County permits for up to 36 public events per year (250 guests), exhibitions, retail, and more, plus options for larger gatherings.
The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art remains fully active with ongoing exhibitions (like “The Incorrect Museum” in Napa and new shows at di Rosa SF), programs, and community engagement, no closure in sight. The sale seems designed to secure the nonprofit’s long-term future while passing stewardship of the property to a buyer who could evolve one of Napa’s most beautiful locations.
This rare listing marks a pivotal moment for one of the Bay Area’s most distinctive cultural sites.
– written and photographed by Michael Cuffe
An Inside Look at the Property in Photos:
