John Radford obituary

John Radford, the UK wine writer, broadcaster and lecturer, who was renowned as one of the world’s foremost Spanish wine experts, died on 19 October aged 65.

John Radford: 1946-2012

Born in Nottingham in 1946, John joined the wine trade in 1972, but soon found his niche in writing and talking about his subject, carving a particular niche in the wines and cuisine of Spain. A contributor to the drinks business, he was due to write a feature for the upcoming Spain Report 2012.

In addition to his own books such as The New Spain and The Wines of Rioja, Radford’s Spanish expertise saw him regularly called upon as a contributor to publications including The World Atlas of Wine and Companion Guide to the Wines of the World. His respected palate saw him act as a judge in major wine competitions.

John also ran a regularly updated website, www.johnradford.com. One of his last posts focused on a particularly great passion, Sherry, as he welcomed Delgado Zuleta’s decision to become the latest producer to release a UK en rama bottling.

Although he built a reputation as a wine and food expert, John’s interests and talent took him in a number of other directions. These included writing for children’s comic Judy for Girls, Sporting Post and the science fiction series Starblazer.

As well as numerous awards for his writing, John was widely recognised for his work in supporting Spanish wine. In 1996 he was ordained as a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino and, earlier this year, was elected into the Cofradia del Vino de la Ribera del Duero.