Changing the Landscape: A New Era for Bordeaux Index

Long established as a restless disruptor in the fine wine market, last year we set about bringing this part of our DNA alive with a new identity which you'll see across our website

Introducing Lidar: Mapping Influential Terroir

Bordeaux Index is a dynamic force in the fine wine and whisky market. With a passionate team and state-of-the-art technology, we make buying, selling, collecting and investing in fine wine and whisky easier than ever before. We create a fluid and seamless experience for buyers and sellers, by bringing genuine liquidity to the market for the first time.

Last year, we collaborated with M&C Saatchi, a top UK creative agency, to give our website a fresh look that reflects our innovative spirit. Our mission is clear: transform how fine wine and whisky is bought and sold. Our LiveTrade platform introduces genuine liquidity, reshaping the market. It is the only pan-market trading platform offering transparent, instant pricing on thousands of the world’s top wines. It provides a level of market access which helps the market operate efficiently and accessibly by allowing any user to instantly buy, sell and place bids and offers on sought after producers and vintages.

‘Changing the Landscape’ is a line that speaks of our innovation, our relentless nature and our ethos of driving the future of the wine and spirits industry, shaping and changing the way it works like never before. We’ve created unique visuals, designed especially for Bordeaux Index, that map some of the world’s most renowned wine and whisky regions, tracking the flow of Bordeaux’s Garonne and Dordogne, California’s Nape River and Scotland’s River Spey. We connect the fluidity of rivers to the role we play, emphasising how we bring change to the fine wine and whisky market by creating flow and liquidity through our market leading trading platform.

Bordeaux Index: A Powerful Origin Story

Bordeaux Index’s drive and ambition has always been a part of the company’s DNA. Gary Boom, Founder and CEO, set out to change the way the fine wine and whisky industry worked when he started the business in 1997. Righting the wrongs of a walled off opaque industry by opening it up to the many. With an emphasis on an unparalleled client relationship, transparency and innovative technology, Bordeaux Index became a major disruptor in the trade. The early days saw yellow-page phone books used as temporary desks while wine orders were individually wrapped and shipped by hand. Staff travelled the major wine regions of the world and created lasting relationships with those producing the finest wines and spirits. We continue to serve as the connector between our clients and these producers and regions. Bordeaux Index strives to be transparent, offering direct access and expert advice for those looking to buy, sell and invest.

Gary’s vision was to completely shake up the wine trade, improve its efficiency and ultimately improve the experience of the consumer by bringing technology and trading concepts from his former life at ICAP into the wine market. Through this thinking LiveTrade, the world's first guaranteed two-way trading screen for fine wine, was born.

Created in 2008, LiveTrade stands out in the market as the only willing fine wine buyer globally offering liquidity to any user on the platform. The transformational marketplace advances the dynamics of global trading by centralising a previously fragmented marketplace on one platform. Intuitive and constantly updated, LiveTrade offers users a competitive price and the ability to sell in minutes, revolutionising the world of fine wine trading. With the goal of making buying and selling easier, quicker and more streamlined, along with bringing much-needed transparency to pricing, LiveTrade became a fully-fledged trading platform in 2017. Over the last six years, the platform has grown to become the most active fine wine trading marketplace in the world for Bordeaux, Champagne and the Super Tuscans, dwarfing its closest rivals. In 2022 some 244,000 bottles were traded on LiveTrade with the total price of transactions reaching over £130 million.

Visualising Changing the Landscape

In collaboration with Saatchi, we embarked on the visualisation of our new line, 'Changing the Landscape,' with a clear goal of making a bold statement about our innovative spirit. Before Saatchi delved into the subject of maps and modern cartography, we explored various angles to ensure that our vision would resonate powerfully. This process was crucial in shaping our identity and reinforcing our commitment to pushing boundaries in the industry.

Through this process we discovered the answer, groundbreaking LIDAR technology. LIDAR is a technique to collect data, which is assimilated by low flying aircraft or satellite with equipment that shoots millions of laser points to the ground. The data gives an amazingly accurate model of the ground and can capture the detail in the most influential and iconic terroir in the world. The stunning visuals and ability to capture the detail spoke to us immediately and Saatchi got to work. The first port of call, Dan Coe, the Cartographer responsible for turning Lidar Technology into something remarkable. Mapping Bordeaux’s Garonne and Dordogne, California’s Napa River and Scotland’s River Spey, Dan Coe has created these stunning modern landscape images exclusively for Bordeaux Index.

Dan Coe, Cartographer

“Rivers Revealed - Uncovering the hidden pathways of flowing water with lidar.”

“My path to cartography was rather serendipitous. After studying illustration and graphic design in a commercial art school, I found myself working as a sea kayak guide in Alaska. Eventually, my fascination with geography led me back to university, where I delved into Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It was during this time that I realised the perfect fusion of my interests—travel, geography, and art—lay in the field of cartography. While working for the Oregon Department of Geology, where we were leveraging Lidar technology to map geological features, I began experimenting with Lidar data along the Willamette River. It was here that I stumbled upon a method to visualise historic river channels with stunning clarity. This discovery laid the groundwork for my exploration into the historical landscapes shaped by rivers.

I utilise GIS software to analyse geospatial data obtained through Lidar scans. Lidar captures millions of data points, which are then transformed into digital elevation models. Through GIS, we manipulate and colourise these models to highlight specific features, offering a unique perspective on the terrain. The age of these pathways varies based on geological factors. In regions like the Willamette Valley, channels dating back to the last Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago, are discernible. However, the age of river channels can range from recent to millennia, depending on local conditions and geological history.

By meticulously refining the LIDAR data and experimenting with visualisations, I uncover compelling narratives within the landscape. This approach allows us to highlight the profound influence of rivers on terroir and microclimates, crucial factors in viticulture. Rivers play a pivotal role in shaping microclimates conducive to wine cultivation. Their moderating effect on temperature creates favourable conditions for grape growing, influencing the flavour profile of wines. Understanding these nuances aids in strategic vineyard planning and cultivar selection.”

Conveying the message

“With a restless team and state-of-the-art technology, we make buying, selling, collecting and investing in wine easier than ever before. We create a fluid and seamless experience for buyers and sellers, by bringing genuine liquidity to the market for the first time. The market now flows in a way that it never did before.”

With our ethos, concept and visual identity in place, we began creating compelling copy and developing assets to effectively communicate our message. Throughout our website and visuals, you'll find intricate details paying homage to the art of cartography, featuring crosses, coordinates, and scales. These elements serve as a reminder of our journey and the meticulous attention we dedicate to navigating the world of fine wine and spirits.

“Bordeaux Index are disrupting the wine industry. Our idea, Changing the Landscape, sums that up. What better way to bring that to life than to work with Dan Coe, a celebrated cartography artist, who used LIDAR technology to show how the landscape of wine regions have changed over the millennia.” Guy Bradbury, Executive Creative Director, M&C Saatchi

“At Bordeaux Index, we prioritise strong client relationships, transparency, and cutting-edge technology. Since 1997, we've changed the industry with our approach. Our team extensively travels to the world's top wine regions, forging lasting connections with top wine, whisky, and spirits producers. Giving our clients unprecedented access to the finest products globally, we're excited about our new look and eager to introduce the sensational features and opportunities of LiveTrade to our esteemed clients." - Gary Boom, Founder & CEO Bordeaux Index

We go deeper to source the rarest wines and spirits, and you’ll be hard pushed to find knowledge, access and insights like this anywhere else.

We look forward to sharing more.

Join Bordeaux Index today to start buying and selling fine wine and whisky