Super! Why big retail's great for wine lovers

HERE are more than 1,000 specialist wine merchants in the UK — up by a third over the past decade - and we should rightly support them. If you can get over your shyness and relax, they're friendly fonts of knowledge.

- by Matt Nixson

Nothing beats an indie wine seller for in-depth expertise — except that it's also nice to bask in a seemingly endless variety of prices, grapes, styles and countries. And almost nowhere beats the big supermarkets for their huge selections.

So here's a shout-out to the supermarkets who have been doing a brilliant job for a long time.

In a highly competitive market, the majors are engaged in ongoing price-cutting on many of their most popular brands to entice customers online and into their stores. So do shop around for the best deals.

But it doesn't end there. The supermarket wine buyers are the unsung heroes of the trade. They know their beat well and, because they buy in bulk, customers can expect great prices and some incredible selections.