Meet Gavin Quinney who runs Bordeaux vineyard Chateau Bauduc

Here’s an example: hours spent eating, sipping, swimming and generally having a memorable time aboard an elegant launch in the Gulf of Arcachon, the massive bay close to Bordeaux’s vineyards, home of a hugely popular oyster industry and overlooked by Europe’s biggest sand dune.

Appropriately, the launch was owned by a major wine-producing château, and the afternoon was light relief on a press trip covering many aspects of a world-leading wine region.

Gavin Quinney, vines and Château Bauduc. (Image: Château Bauduc) It was also the first time I met Gavin Quinney, an encounter that prompted my continuing enthusiasm for his wines, the epitome of enjoyable bordeaux at very approachable prices.

The story isn’t that unusual: British businessman sells share options in successful IT company, buys vineyard and turns hobby into profession.

But for Gavin and Angela Quinney, Chateau Bauduc isn’t a tax-saving exercise or vanity project. They’ve been – literally – hands on in vineyard and cellar, alongside raising four children, since 1999.

Pavie, last of the Quinney family’s ‘three musketeers’. (Image: Château Bauduc) Quinney is frank about the challenge: “Looking back, it’s hard to imagine a less efficient way of investing one’s ill-gotten gains: buying a vineyard, and then replanting half of it, is about the least sensible thing you can do with your money.”

But scan the images in Bauduc’s e-newsletter or on the website, and there’s almost always a smile on his face.

His wines make me smile too. I’ve long loved the Trois Hectares Semillon, from his oldest vines, one of an enticing white trio completed by light, crunchy sauvignon blanc and stylish sauvignon-semillon.

His reds are juicily fruited but also silky and serious, and his newest bottle – a vintage fizz – is the best crémant de Bordeaux I’ve encountered, elegant and supremely celebratory.

Chateau Bauduc’s Cremant de Bordeaux. (Image: Courtesy of the Producer) The wine I buy most frequently, though, is Bauduc Rosé, and the 2024 (equal parts cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon) is such a delight, with much more to it than far pricier Provence examples yet still delicate and very summery.

While Quinney takes wise advice from consultants he is the viticulteur (a term he likes for its encompassing sense of creation) with colleagues Daniel Gauvin and Nelly Massion, a team responsible now for 25 Bauduc vintages.

The sauvignon blanc and rosé are house wines in Rick Stein’s restaurants, but for home drinking there’s an excellent UK-based direct sales system (six-bottle cases), free delivery in Greater London for two-plus cases.

Bottle prices range from £13 to £16.50, reasonable indeed. Sign up for the newsletter, order on bauduc.com (discounts for loyal customers) and enjoy. 

Despite such pleasures as Bauduc, Bordeaux isn’t the obvious choice for most rosé lovers.

A red wine made to be drunk chilled. (Image: Courtesy of the Producer) Neither, surely, are Austria’s Weststeiermark and Rosalia regions, Catalonia, Basilicata and Sicily, Macedonia or the Peloponnese. Yet all featured in London’s Drink Pink Wednesday last month, when close on 200 European rosés were poured for trade and press.

Event organisers Elizabeth Gabay MW and her son Ben Bernstein aimed to emphasise the diversity of rosé in style as well as origin, in an on-going celebration of a wine that is increasing acknowledged as a significant, sometimes age-worthy, year-round drink.

Pale and dry remains top fashion but deeper shades don’t inevitably mean sweetness – think French tavel or Spanish clarete. Beyond Provence there is so much to love: all these offer depth and character, wines to match food as well as to drink alone.

At M&S, Etna Rosato (£14) is textured and aromatic, and crisp Fleur de Lise Saint Mont (£8.50) is great value.

Temptingly priced, too, is Ramon Bilbao Rosado Rioja (£8.75, Co-op), with pretty, lingering fruit. For really smart pink rioja, Flor de Muga (£21, Waitrose) combines delicacy with depth and complexity – delightful. 

Widening the colour chart, Yalumba Y Series Pinot Grigio (£12, cellier.co.uk) is unusual and delicious, while Austrian white blend Familie Mantler Gemischter Satz (£8.75, thewinesociety.com) is so summery, fragrant and flavour-full.

Reds to serve cool are burgeoning, and juicy, bright Michel Chapoutier Rouge Clair (£13, islingtonwine.co.uk) is specifically made for chilling.

Beaujolais is another ideal contender: Laurent Delaunay Les Grappillages Fleurie (£12, Morrisons) adds concentration to freshness. Or head a few kilometres north, for appealingly versatile Louis Jadot Bourgogne Gamay (£16.50, Sainsbury’s), a more burgundian edge to the grape.

Also, remember the warm-weather pleasure of cool dry sherry. Once I’ve typed this final sentence I’ll pour a glass of Solear (£10.25 until 29 July, Waitrose, halves widely available) a fine example of salt-tanged manzanilla, and nibble olives and serrano ham.

1 Gavin Quinney, vines and Château Bauduc. Image: Château Bauduc
2, 2a Night harvest at Château Bauduc. Image: Château Bauduc.
3 Bauduc grape assessor, Pavie, last of the Quinney family’s ‘three musketeers’. Image: Château Bauduc