Geoffrey Rush in Shine (Oscar and BAFTA); Chelsea Football Club in 2009/10 (Premiership and FA Cup); Kelly Holmes in the 2004 Olympics (800m and 1500m): all good examples of ‘doing the double’.
Last night at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair we joined this merry band with our second major award of the year: Decanter Magazine’s Bordeaux Specialist Wine Retailer for 2014. You may recall that back in June we were also awarded the same honour by the International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards – making us the first wine business in almost 15 years to hold both of the major Bordeaux Specialist Merchant awards in a single year. Of course this is a huge honour for us and a fabulous reward for the sheer hard work and effort put in by the entire BI team across all four global offices – but most of all it’s a tribute to the fantastic, loyal support we have from both our suppliers in Bordeaux and from our brilliant customers, without whom this business would not exist.
The comment from the awards Chairman Peter Richards MW (pictured below, with yours truly and Christelle Guibert, Decanter Tastings Director) sums it up well:
"The purpose of these Awards is to highlight the very best - giving you, the consumer, the inside, expert steer directly to those people offering the finest value, service, expertise and range. The Awards are bang up to date, both rewarding and championing the most exceptional places to buy wine in this country right now.
"Selling Bordeaux hasn't been the easiest task of late, after a run of tricky vintages. Bordeaux Index, while also performing well in other fields, remains a powerhouse in this category. Regular tastings of mature vintages, seasoned en primeur campaigners, proactive sourcing and a renewed emphasis on effective communication makes for a dynamic operation well worthy of this win."
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for trading with Bordeaux Index. We recognise that everyone has a choice as to where to buy their wine and we are delighted and thankful that you continue to choose BI. It’s always great to be recognised for being the best at what you do, but it’s also a reminder that we can always strive to be better. Over the coming months we will be introducing a number of new features which will make buying, owning and broking wine with BI easier and more enjoyable.
But for now, let’s drink to the present – and make mine a Double...