Shop! Mary Portas at Wine Rack Despite my big mouth and lofty ambitions, I know that the challenges ahead are enormous. There are a million things that influence how and where we shop and socialise, many of which are inexplicable and down to whims as well as daily and weekly needs. I know that from how I shop myself. Despite the fact that my nearest shop is a branch of Wine Rack, and my favourite pastime is perusing the shelves of wine shops, I've always elected to walk a few streets further to Majestic, where I've come to know and trust the boys who work there. Our relationship took a knock recently when Majestic's chairman, Phil Wrigley, pronounced that today's high streets were 'moribund and irrelevant," which suggested that he and I are not on the same page. While I concede that, in highlighting how bad things have got for some of our high streets, Mr Wrigley had a point, it's this kind of defeatist doom-mongering that, I feel, inhibits action and change. So, Wine Rack, it's time to give you a chance. The brand has, like so many, had a tough time of it - the previous owners First Quench went into administration in 2009 and announced the closure of 391 of the group's stores (including the better known Thresher name). Soon after, a London-based distributor, Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants, rescued 13 shops and revived the Wine Rack name. Let's see if it was worth saving. The windows My visit coincides with the Jubilee weekend and I'm bemused by a promotion offering a bottle of Martell cognac for £21.99. Who on earth drinks brandy at a street party? There's also a poster for Jacobs Creek - the official wine of Wimbledon, apparently. Note to self: take my own wine next time I go to the tennis. Shopability There was a far wider choice of wine than I'd expected. There were a few crates of dodgy stuff in the central aisle (Naughty Girl sparkling rosé and I 1 Chardonnay being the most notable examples) but these aside, the range and quality of wine on offer around the perimeter was pretty good: a decent selection of French reds, a huge number of summer rosés, at all reasonable prices, and decent-looking New and Old World whites. Service For most of the time I was in the shop, the solitary sales girl had been hijacked by another customer who was searching for a red wine she had enjoyed on holiday with the word 'tree" in the name. And, all credit to the girl on duty, she fumbled and searched on the shelves and in her store room for at least five minutes, eventually returning with a white wine called Apple Tree, or something similar, which although it wasn't what the customer was looking for, ensured she got full marks from me for trying. She then lost a few points for her rather bossy approach to till etiquette. She had obviously decided at some point in her employment here that customers must stand on the right of the till and place their purchases on the left - and anyone who failed to adhere to these rules would be made to feel just a teensy bit stupid. I complied. Verdict A pleasant surprise. The selection was far better than I'd imagined, as was the service, although it lacked Majestic's expertise and was a bit surly for me and my Jubilee mood. And compared with the local Tesco, which I visited on my way home, Wine Rack's prices seemed competitive and the range certainly wider and more complex. I'd urge the business to do more to shift the rather naff, cut-price image it presents to the world. Ditching the generic promotions and nasty themed wines will probably help. Will I be leaving my local branch of Majestic for good? But there's enough that's good about Wine Rack to ensure that I'll be popping in again. Wine Rack Elgin Avenue, London W9 Visited Saturday, noon Number of stores 20 What they sell Wine (and other beverages) Website winerack.co.uk Who's in charge? Laki Christoforou, chairman