53 year old Patrick Sandeman, co-owner of London’s Lea & Sandeman wine merchants, died after colliding with another parachute, The Telegraph newspaper has reported.
Sandeman, an experienced jumper, was skydiving near Peterborough in the UK on Saturday, when he is said to have collided with a French skydiver. The Frenchman, in his 20’s, was airlifted to a local hospital.
The news has sparked many tributes from the trade. Jancis Robinson MW writes on her website: “I’m sure I am not alone in having found Patrick one of the most appealing and entertaining characters in the wine business. A total ornament to the British wine trade, he was a member of the Sandeman family of port and sherry fame, managing to be devastatingly handsome but not intimidatingly so. Charming but not oleaginous. Well informed but engaging. Great company, in a word - and extremely talented in his ability to hand-pick great wines from, particularly, Italy. He occupied a unique place in the world of wine.”
You can read Robinson’s full tribute here.
