The end of last week brough the very sad news of the death of one of the most energising people in the UK wine trade, Matthew Jukes. At the age of only 58, this has been a huge shock. Many tributes have already appeared, and the outpouring of grief is only to be expected since he was a much-loved character.
We are all going to miss Matthew for the glint in his eye and ready smile, his teddy bear persona, but also for his extraordinary professionalism in tasting and his ebullient enthusiasm for wine which he communicated so brilliantly.
We at L&S are going to miss his incredible support for the NSPCC quiz (the Fine Wine Challenge) for which he has acted as quizmaster since 2018. So typical of the man, as one can see from other tributes, he not only gave his time but also contributed auction prizes in the form of private tastings. He was a brilliant quizmaster, holding the room with his growly voice and admonishments to the rowdier, always with humour, while bringing his deep knowledge to bear.
The success of the event, and the amounts raised were a testament to how much people wanted to be in the room with him and to how persuasively he could make the case for a good cause. We will raise a glass to him at next year’s Challenge, and every one after that.
