–Doug Wregg.
We learn with sorrow that Patrick Sandeman died in a skydiving accident on Saturday afternoon. I met Patrick a few times; he was always affable and pleasant as well as forthright in his opinions; he was extremely proud of what he had achieved at Lea & Sandeman, and justifiably so. Lea & Sandeman set the standard for quality wine merchants in London; their strengths were legion, from competitively-priced Bordeaux and Burgundy to superb Italian wines; they had great value entry level wines from the Languedoc and a terrific selection from New Zealand.
Patrick commanded tremendous respect from within the trade; he was also very well liked; the wine trade will be the poorer without him.
My god, what a shock, and truly a great loss… can’t quite believe it. I met him on numerous occasions, and he was always a true gentleman and an honest and forthwright taster of wines. Absolutely gutted. When I was just a newbie, and very rough around the edges, he made me feel welcome and spoke frankly and in language I both appreciated and understood. My feelings go out to his family and friends, he really made a difference to me in my own way. Rest in peace.
Thank you for sharing your experiences of your encounters with Patrick Luke. The wine world has lost a great man.