Wine buyers at Morrisons have just completed a mammoth' task to review every single wine on its shelves with the evidence going on show in London to to selected wine journalists for the first time this week. John Spurs, licensed trade director of the northern based multiple, said: "This was not before time. Wine is growing tremendously and two years ago we changed the emphasis of our drinks fixture and made wine the central point. "This time we overhauled every product, a mammoth task that took us eight months. Brands that did not cut the mustard have gone." One of the casualties was part of the bestselling Gallo range, but Spurs said: "It was about getting the range right for our customers, not for our back pocket. "We are trying to provide the facilities that specialist wine shops can offer together with all the benefits of a supermarket environment." One of the results of this is that the group has more higher priced wines than it used to. It still sells big volumes under £3 but the average price of a bottle of wine in the stores is £3.60 and Spurs said there was a big increase in demand for wines over £4. "We are a profitable company and very competitive and we will always offer a point of difference," said Spurs. "We still carry the brands that people expect to find because the wine world is rushing down the branded route at 1,000 miles per hour, but at the same time we try to be individualistic and find specific styles that are applicable to us." {{DRINKS }}

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