This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
News
Richard Tanner: 1938-2014
Richard Tanner, who built his family firm into one of the UK’s most distinguished wine merchants, has died aged 75.
Born in Shrewsbury in 1938, Richard joined the wine trade straight from school in 1956, working in both London and France.
Recalling these early days, he once said: “I borrowed an old van from my father and we picked grapes at Bourg and at Château Palmer. Madame Bollinger gave us a super lunch at Aÿ and helped to push-start the van afterwards.”
Having commissioned into the 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Goorkhas, Richard spent his national service from 1958-9 with the 2nd Battalion in Singapore and on active service in Johore, Malaya. He remained a lifelong supporter of the Gurkhas.
In 1959, he joined the family business, Tanners Wine Merchants, becoming director in charge of wine, shipping, bottling and sales the following year.
He later held the posts of managing director and chairman of Tanners, as well as director of the Merchant Vintners’ buying consortium.
During his time at the helm, Tanners expanded from its existing Shrewsbury, Welshpool and Bridgnorth bases to take over Hereford merchant William Pulling & Co. Richard also launched the Tanners Claret own label in 1973, sourced from the Sichel family who had supplied the merchant since the 1890s.
As the concept of national mail order began to take off in the 1970s, Richard ensured Tanners was at the vanguard, introducing this expanding customer base to wines from the Rhône, Loire, southern France and Spain, as well as domaine-bottled Burgundies.
Outside the wine business, Richard was a keen countryman, naturalist and Master of Foxhounds, who held the post of High Sheriff of Shropshire in 2006.
He died on New Year’s Day 2014 as a result of Parkinson’s Disease and is survived by his widow Marion, daughter Lucy and son James, who has been managing director of Tanners Wines since 2006 and joint managing director with Richard Hayden since 1994.
I did my apprenticeship in the wine trade with Richard Tanner in 1956. We spent 6 months at Brown, Gore & Welch in Seething Lane, near the Tower of London. Richard was quiet, but with a wry sense of humour. I will remember him as one of the gentlemen of the Wine Trade. Lawrence Page.
How strange. I must have been at Brown Gore & Welch at roughly the same time and was in Herefordshire too.. it would be good to hear more from old friends. I did not stay long in the wine trade. I was with Wilson & Valdespino for about a year but then went travelling. Long story as with all of us.