Why Bouchons & Co Exists

I spent many years living on the Côte d’Azur. In France, wine isn’t a luxury — it’s part of everyday life. You sit outside in the evening for an apéro, order a glass of rosé, and for a couple of euros you’re given something dry, well-made, and genuinely enjoyable. Even the house wine is good. No fuss. No overpricing. Just decent wine.

Last year, for personal reasons, we moved back to the UK — and it wasn’t for the weather! One evening in a local pub, I asked for my usual: a dry rosé — ideally a Rosé de Provence. The bartender recommended their Provençal rosé, “LADYA, La Coste, Côtes de Provence Rosé”: £12.50 a glass or £48 a bottle. We were told we’d be better off with the bottle, and although it felt a little overpriced compared to what we were once used to, we agreed — happy to pay if it was a decent bottle.

When it arrived, I checked the label. It was French, Mediterranean… but not exactly what I expected. While it carries the “Côtes de Provence” label, it isn’t technically a true Provence rosé because it has a broader geographical designation and isn’t exclusively made from the traditional Côtes de Provence vineyards, which can be a little misleading. The wine itself was fine — nothing special, not something I’d remember for the right reasons or choose to drink again. But at £50 a bottle, the markup was impossible to ignore.

That experience is exactly why we want to bring real, authentic bottles to the UK — wines that are true to their region, made with care by small producers, and priced fairly so people can enjoy them without second-guessing.

That moment stayed with me. It highlighted how far removed the UK wine experience can be from what wine is meant to be — honest, accessible, and shared. Somewhere along the way, good everyday wine had become overcomplicated, over-marketed, and overpriced.

That’s where Bouchons & Co began.

Bouchons means corks in French. It reflects a simple philosophy: working with small producers, choosing wines that are made to be drunk and enjoyed, and pricing them fairly and transparently.

The wines we import are personally sourced by Jonathan, a French man himself, a chef with years of experience in the food and wine industry and a deep understanding of authentic French wines. They are the ones you’d happily drink in a bar in France, or enjoy with a meal shared with friends. The kind you order without overthinking. The kind you finish and immediately want another glass.

Good wine shouldn’t feel intimidating or exclusive.

It should feel familiar. It should feel like home.