London fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index has opened an office in Los Angeles to target fine wine investors and drinkers in the US, as well as overseas interest in California's finest.
The move complements the merchant and trader’s existing bases in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.
‘We already have clients in the US so now we’ll be on roughly the same time zone, meaning we can give them better service,’ said Bordeaux Index managing director Gary Boom (pictured).
‘It will also bring us closer to some of the leading producers, estates and private collectors in the US, meaning we can offer a wider range of top American wines to our customers worldwide.’
Giles Cooper, head of marketing for Bordeaux Index, told Decanter.com that having four regional offices at different points of the globe means ‘we can move quickly’ and operate 24 hours per day.
‘We’re also the only people aside from the auction houses that can open up [Europe and Asian] markets to clients in the US.’
Buyers in California already have access to several fine wine merchants sourcing internationally, such as K&L or Fine Wines International. But, Cooper believes BI’s ‘great relationships’ with wine properties, negociants and agents will give it an edge.
There are signs of a resurgence in the fine wine market globally in 2013. Wine Asset Managers’ Miles Davis told Decanter.com in February that, while Asia remains the key driver, there is ‘evidence of more American interest creeping back in the past year or so’.
Cooper said Bordeaux Index’s launch in LA ‘has been over a year in the planning, so any changes in the current market are coincidental’.
Written by Chris Mercer
