Caspar Auchterlonie dies

Wine writer Caspar Auchterlonie has died aged 44.

Tributes from the trade have been pouring in from Twitter, since his death on Tuesday.

Wine writer Joe Wadsack described him as: “The man with the biggest heart in the wine trade.

“Funny, eccentric, unpredictable and always positive, he was the warmest of intelligent men who was as colourful as his worn-out shiny jackets,” he said.

Loire expert Jim Budd remembered Auchterlonie as “full of life and good humour.”

On leaving Cambridge University, he joined Oddbins and spent 13 years in the independent wine retail sector, including three years as a manager and wine buyer for Conran restaurant Le Pont de la Tour.

A member of the Circle of Wine Writers, Auchterlonie had been a senior judge at the International Wine Challenge for 22 years, and set up the Own Label Awards in 2006.

He was also a judge for the International Sommelier Awards, a contributor for Imbibe magazine, and a wine speaker for Quaglino’s and Vinopolis.

Auchterlonie was well known in the trade for his beloved greyhound Herbie, who died last year.

He leaves behind his wife Alex.