Bill Warre MW dies

This week the Port trade bade a sad farewell to William Warre MW who has died at home in Wimbledon aged 91.

A member of the old Anglo Port family whose lodge still bears the name, William (known as ‘Bill’) was one of the very early masters of wine, passing the exam in 1960.

Working alongside the Symington family that now own Warre’s for many years, Warre was also a keen historian of the Peninsular War in which his ancestor, Lt. General Sir William Warre, served with distinction.

Paul Symington told Jancis Robinson MW a lovely story of how Bill and Michael Symington (Paul’s father) would spend days after their retirement exploring the old Portuguese battlefields of that war near Almeida and Guarda.

He said: “Dad and Bill knew the little villages, streams and bridges intimately and loved to visit the scene of the smaller, almost forgotten skirmishes, even more than the big battles. Port played a big role in these historical visits and I would be rung up at work and asked to send up more Port as campaigning was tough…”

Bill’s daughter Philippa Eustace said in a statement that Bill’s funeral would take place in January at a date yet to be decided.