Bordeaux Index Asia Turns 18

"We Knew Exactly Who We Were And Where We Were Going. It Was Grand." (‘Stand by Me’, Columbia Pictures 1986)

Who doesn’t love a good ‘coming-of-age’ story?

2025 marks 18 years in Asia for Bordeaux Index. Pitching up in Hong Kong in 2007, keen to plant our flag in a burgeoning wine hub, I don’t think anyone at Bordeaux Index or the wider industry, could have predicted the journey that the wine trade would subsequently go on. Maybe it’s owing to the pace and rhythm of Hong Kong, or the general feeling that time appears to be moving faster than ever but essentially we have condensed 30 years worth of wine market dynamics, macro and micro forces with a sprinkle of geo-politics to boot, into half that time! 

Moreover we’ve seen young and some relatively nascent wine markets across Asia develop at breakneck pace. Smart phones, social media and the voracity with which we consume information has turbo-charged this process, allowing fairly green entrants into the world of fine wine, accumulate an intricate level of wine knowledge that would have previously taken a lifetime. A world getting smaller and an abundance of access to almost any bottle you like, certainly in HK, has allowed many the opportunity to build up, in some instances, a highly impressive bank of tasting experiences. Just check out some of the output by well-known Asia-based collectors on Cellar-Tracker or even Instagram.

ALL ROADS LEAD EAST

While the early stages of HK’s emergence as a wine hub were very much influenced by more mature markets, be it London, New York or Tokyo, I’ve had the privilege to witness first-hand the rapid development of HK’s own wine culture and eco-system. The same can be said of markets in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and of course China.

Indeed this rapid development has seen collectors and markets here shift from being under the influence, if you’ll pardon the expression, to being influencers and taste makers. I’ve lost count of the amount of times, peers from the UK, Europe or US have ‘discovered’ an exciting new grower, or region, that is already old news over here. Received wisdom is powerful and the passing down of wine knowledge and appreciation from generation to generation, master to apprentice even, has been a beautiful thing to be a part of.

I owe my greatest vinous experiences and memories to sifus, clients and friends who have so generously shared their bottles, wisdom and time with like-minded individuals. The long term nature of fine wine encourages long term relationships, it demands patience and commands integrity. Hard work and humility are the two pillars with which we’ve built our business out here and is the ideology I preach (read; bore) my team with but having a long term outlook is critical, there are no short cuts in this industry – those looking to get rich quick, especially at the cost of integrity and relationships, have fallen by the wayside pretty swiftly.

Last year we finally left Wanchai and set up a new base of operations in Central. A high-efficiency, smart, tailor-made, loft-style space, more befitting a business entering adulthood. But the foundation of who we are, what we do and what we are building, remains the people. Our amazing family-like team are everything. 

18 years has gone by in the blink-of-an-eye, our growth has often been breathless but has generally been considered, despite the odd foray into regions, products or activities outside of our comfort zone. If you fancy half a pallet of “aged” Sake, PM me!  The man who first planted our flag out here, my dear friend Doug Rumsam, wisely told me when I arrived in HK in 2010 and reminded me when I succeeded him in 2015, that ‘you get out of HK, what you put in’. Words I always hold close and hope will serve Bordeaux Index well during its next 18 years in Asia. 

18 YEARS IN ASIA: IN NUMBERS 

133 

The combined number of years Team Asia’s current roster have been with Bordeaux Index (over 13 years per head) almost 150 combined years in the wine trade at large! I don’t think there is a more experienced team out here. A little wiser (I hope) and a little more grey (in my stubble) I for one still feel as wide-eyed and energised as I did, when I rocked up in HK in 2010.

USD 1 BILLION

BI Asia’s total sales since 2007 are now within reach of this significant milestone. 

206,218

The total number of bottles of Lafite sold by our Asia team since 2007. 

7 Weddings, 10 Births 

Our team have done a lot of living in 18 years!

A huge thank you to all of our colleagues, past and present, to all of our clients, friends, suppliers and partners. We are hugely excited for what we can do together next…

 “There was no question in Boom’s mind, or anyone else’s, that attention from Asia was guiding the ebbs and flows in the market. Asia was still the place to be, and Hong Kong was still the hub” (‘Thirsty Dragon’ by Suzanne Mustacich in 2015)