What Liquid Icons does

Liquid Icons Productions Ltd is a London-based private media and events company founded in 2019 by Lewis Chester and the late Gérard Basset, operating the Golden Vines franchise for the global fine wine and rare spirits industry. Its core products are The Golden Vines Awards — an annual three-day premium event priced at £10,000 per ticket featuring gala dinners, masterclasses, and winemaker lunches — The Golden Vines Report (a sixth-year industry survey drawing on 800+ Academy Members across 120 countries, independently adjudicated by Deloitte LLP), and online and live charity auctions whose proceeds are donated to the Gérard Basset Foundation. The Foundation, established in 2021, has raised $5 million cumulatively and impacted nearly 1,600 beneficiaries across 30+ countries through scholarships and grants to 30 grantee organisations.

The business is fundamentally event-driven and content-driven rather than technology-driven. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, a growing roster of named event sponsors (Ruinart, Octavian, Symington Family Estates, Amorim Cork, Bacchus, Robb Report, Slate Aviation, Gucci, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars), editorial partnerships with luxury publications including Robb Report and LUX Magazine, and a documentary series called Extreme Obsession – Wine. Distribution leverages a global concierge alliance with Entourage Collection and the Givergy online auction platform.

The organisation operates with a lean team of 8 employees and has no disclosed institutional funding. Geographic expansion has been deliberate and city-by-city: London (2021), Paris (2023), Madrid (2024), Miami (2025), and a return to London (2026). The 2025 online auction raised a record USD 1.4 million for the Foundation, the strongest single-year result on record.

Name

Liquid Icons

Legal name

Liquid Icons Productions Ltd

Website

https://liquidicons.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Liquid Icons is a London-based private media and events company that operates The Golden Vines Awards, the Golden Vines Report, and global fine wine charity auctions for ultra-HNW collectors, with all auction proceeds donated to the Gérard Basset Foundation for diversity scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Wine and Rare Spirits Events & Media

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Fine wine awards
• Charity wine auctions
• Luxury industry events
• Wine industry publications
• Fine spirits media

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets: Revenue generated from ticket sales for The Golden Vines Awards, a three-day premium event featuring gala dinners, masterclasses, winemaker lunches, and exclusive experiences. Tickets priced at £10,000 per person for the 2026 London edition.
2. Online Auction: Annual online charity auction of fine wine, rare spirits, and exclusive experiences. Proceeds benefit the Gérard Basset Foundation. The 2025 auction raised over USD 1.4 million.
3. Live Auction: Live auction events featuring unique experiences, luxury items, and rare wines/spirits for charity fundraising purposes.
4. Content and Editorial: Production of articles and editorial content for luxury lifestyle publications including Robb Report and LUX Magazine, positioning Liquid Icons as thought leaders in fine wine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Liquid Icons organizes The Golden Vines Awards, an annual three-day fine wine and rare spirits recognition event hosted in rotating international cities (London, Paris, Madrid, Miami), with event tickets priced at £10,000 per person. The company produces The Golden Vines Report (an annual industry survey of 800+ Academy Members across 120 countries, adjudicated independently by Deloitte LLP), runs online and live charity auctions of fine wine and rare spirits (proceeds benefiting the Gérard Basset Foundation), publishes editorial content through luxury lifestyle publications, and produces the Extreme Obsession – Wine documentary series.

Product overview

Liquid Icons is a fine wine and rare spirits media and events company offering a suite of products centered around The Golden Vines Awards and related initiatives. The core offering consists of The Golden Vines Awards (annual awards ceremony recognizing top wine and spirit producers), The Golden Vines Report (comprehensive industry survey), The Golden Vines Online Auction (global charity auction), and The Golden Vines Live Auction. All auction proceeds fund the Gérard Basset Foundation and its Golden Vines Scholarships program, which support diversity and inclusion in the wine and hospitality industries. Additional offerings include Liquid Icons Articles (editorial content for luxury publications) and Extreme Obsession – Wine (documentary series).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Golden Vines: Annual awards recognizing the world's greatest wines and spirits, featuring gala dinners, masterclasses, winemaker lunches, and charity auctions. Now in its sixth edition.
• The Golden Vines Report
• Gérard Basset Foundation
• Extreme Obsession – Wine

Products and services

• The Golden Vines Awards Annual three-day awards ceremony recognizing the world's greatest fine wine and rare spirit producers, voted on by over 800 Golden Vines Academy Members across 120 countries. Includes gala dinners, masterclasses, winemaker lunches, and trophy presentations across multiple award categories (Best Fine Wine Producer in Europe/Americas/Rest of World, Rising Star, Innovation, Sustainability, Hall of Fame, etc.), adjudicated independently by Deloitte LLP.
• The Golden Vines Report Annual comprehensive survey and report on fine wine and rare spirits, collating opinions from over 1,000 industry professionals across 120 countries. Now in its sixth year, recognized as a trusted marker of quality in the industry and addresses the lack of democratized quality assessment in fine wine.
• The Golden Vines Online Auction Industry-leading global online charity auction for fine wine, rare spirits and experiences, powered by Givergy. Auction lots include large-format Grands Vins from prestigious estates with exclusive 'money-can't-buy' experiences. All proceeds benefit the Gérard Basset Foundation. The 2025 auction raised over USD 1.4 million.
• The Golden Vines Live Auction Definitive live auction in the fine wine, rare spirit, hospitality, and luxury industries, raising funds exclusively for the Gérard Basset Foundation. Features unique experiences with Michelin-starred chefs, luxury brands, and rare wine estates, with bidding available through dedicated auction catalogues.
• The Golden Vines Experiences Curated luxury experiences accompanying the Golden Vines Awards, including winemaker lunches, exclusive estate visits, masterclasses, and access to 'money-can't-buy' fine wine experiences with world-renowned producers.
• Liquid Icons Articles Original editorial content about fine wine and rare spirits published for leading luxury lifestyle publications including The Robb Report and LUX Magazine. Features articles by wine experts, industry profiles, and educational wine content.
• Extreme Obsession – Wine Global travelogue documentary series celebrating extraordinary winemakers and their stories. Six-episode series filmed over one year, showcasing vineyards in extreme environments, from active warzones to mountain ranges, exploring themes of human triumph and winemaking passion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2025 Golden Vines Online Auction raised over USD 1.4 million for the Gérard Basset Foundation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Gérard Basset FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gérard Basset Foundation is the sole beneficiary of all Golden Vines fundraising auctions. Founded to honor the legacy of Gérard Basset OBE MS MW MBA, the Foundation funds education, training and mentorship programmes globally within wine, spirit and hospitality industries focusing on diversity and inclusion. Liquid Icons donates proceeds from all auctions to the Foundation.
• Deloitte LLPcoreOthersDeloitte LLP independently adjudicates the Golden Vines Awards voting results in accordance with The Golden Vines Voting Rules, providing transparency and credibility to the award process.
• Entourage CollectioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEntourage Collection serves as the trusted, discreet concierge partner for The Golden Vines 2026. They provide on-the-ground support in London including hotels, jets, yachts, drivers, restaurant bookings, and multi-stop global travel itineraries. Established in 2010 with offices in London, NYC and Melbourne.
• Simon RoganminorOthersSimon Rogan is the chef for The 2026 Golden Vines Awards Gala. He is the chef behind L'Enclume—a three Michelin-starred, Michelin Green Star restaurant in Cartmel, Cumbria—and the flagship of a global collection holding nine Michelin stars.
• RuinartcoreOthersRuinart is a sponsor of The 2026 Golden Vines Frédéric Panaïotis La Paulée event, along with Octavian and Symington Family Estates.
• OctaviancoreOthersOctavian is a sponsor of The 2026 Golden Vines Frédéric Panaïotis La Paulée event, along with Ruinart and Symington Family Estates.
• Symington Family EstatescoreOthersSymington Family Estates is a sponsor of The 2026 Golden Vines Frédéric Panaïotis La Paulée event, along with Ruinart and Octavian.
• GivergycoreTechnology or IntegrationGivergy provides the auction platform technology powering The Golden Vines Online Auction, enabling global participation in the charity auction for fine wine, rare spirits and experiences.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GuildSomm: Independent wine education platform for trade professionals. Comparable as a wine education and community-building business; smaller-scale peer with overlapping audience of sommeliers and fine wine trade.

Direct peers

• Wine Spectator: Leading US-based wine media brand publishing reviews, ratings, and industry awards. Directly comparable to Liquid Icons as a fine wine content and recognition platform, though with a much larger audience and broader retail-distributed magazine model.
• Decanter: UK-headquartered global wine media title running the World Wine Awards and consumer-facing events. Closest direct peer — operates wine awards, editorial content, and consumer events serving the same HNW collector and trade audience as Liquid Icons.
• The World of Fine Wine: Subscription-based fine wine review and awards publication. Comparable to Liquid Icons as a curated, premium-positioned fine wine editorial and recognition brand targeting serious collectors and trade.
• Wine Enthusiast: US-based wine media, ratings, and retail-adjacent brand. Comparable as a wine awards and content platform, though with a broader mid-market consumer focus versus Liquid Icons' ultra-premium positioning.
• Court of Master Sommeliers: Global body administering Master Sommelier certifications. Adjacent peer as the leading fine wine/hospitality education and credentialing institution; overlaps with Liquid Icons via scholarships and recognition in the trade.
• The Drinks Business: Global trade publication covering wine, spirits, and beer, including awards and events. Comparable to Liquid Icons as a media-and-events business serving the fine wine and rare spirits trade.

Broad incumbents

• Robb Report: US luxury lifestyle media brand with global editions covering wine, spirits, travel, and luxury goods. Comparable as a partner and adjacent peer — also a current editorial/sponsorship partner of Liquid Icons — but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple luxury verticals.
• Just Drinks: Industry news and analysis service covering the global beverages sector. Comparable as a media business covering wine and spirits, though with a B2B trade focus versus Liquid Icons' HNW consumer events.

Others

• Givergy: Charity auction technology platform powering the Golden Vines Online Auction. Adjacent enabler rather than competitor — provides the auction infrastructure Liquid Icons uses for fine wine and rare spirit charity lots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liquidicons

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liquid Icons