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News
Doyenne of wine industry dies aged 89
Director and co-founder of French Wine Farmers Pat Green has died at the age of 89 after a brief illness.
Described by friends and colleagues as a doyenne of the industry, Green was born in Rye in June 1921 and began her career in the wine trade as an au pair for the Vialard family at Château Cissac after World War II.
She later persuaded Louis Vialard to sell barrels of Château Cissac direct to wine enthusiasts in the UK before beginning a business with him selling French cheese to supermarkets. When this was successfully sold the pair co-founded French Wine Farmers to sell Cissac and other wines to the UK market, which grew to become one of the largest exporters of French wine into Britain.
She is fondly remembered for being a formidable host of “fabulous” lunches at the French Wine Farmers’ offices in Mayfair.
Her funeral takes place today at Rye Parish Church at 2.30pm.
Patrick Schmitt, 14.04.2011