Ex-Negociants director Guy Wilkes dies

The drinks business is sad to report the death of Guy Wilkes, aged 49, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Having begun his career with Hedges & Butler, Guy also worked for Griersons and Geoffrey Roberts Associates before joining Negociants UK in 1992. Having spent more than a decade at this UK arm of Australian family-owned winery Yalumba, Guy left in 2004 to set up his own wine business, The Wine Shed, near Taunton.

Michael Cox, UK director of Wines of Chile, commented: “Guy was my right-hand man at Negociants UK for 11 years, and was a close and loyal friend. The wine trade has lost a genuinely nice, honest, laconic man, full of integrity and charisma.

“His courage in facing his awful illness has been moving and humbling, but his family will cherish the high esteem in which Guy is held by his many friends and colleagues in the trade”.

Guy leaves behind his wife Shelley and three children. His funeral will take place on Friday 13 April 2012 at 11:00am at Taunton Deane Crematorium, Taunton, Somerset.

The family is welcoming donations for the St Margaret’s Hospice and Pancreatic Cancer UK.