Waitrose vs Majestic - and the winner is ...

In spring, whatever a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of, my nose is firmly wedged inside a glass.

In spring, whatever a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of, my nose is firmly wedged inside a glass. It's the time when supermarkets, high-street chains and wine warehouses - of which Waitrose, Oddbins and Majestic are respectively leading lights - dust down their ranges and parade their latest offerings in front of an expectant wine press.

Is Waitrose still primus inter pares in the supermarket sector? It would certainly like to believe so and many would say that the quality of its range is second to none. With four masters of wine in the buying team and a fifth member, Nick Room, one of the most energetic and innovative buyers in the country, Waitrose has always taken wine just that bit more seriously than the other supermarkets.

The current range is as extensive as ever, but there's a sense in which the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality could be playing to its disadvantage. The usual buzz of excitement generated by the first spring tasting was lacking this time because of a sense of déjà vu, in particular with wines from Australia, Argentina and California. On the plus side, Waitrose should be congratulated for bringing not one but two Austrian grüner veltliners to the range: the delightful, spritz-fresh 2004 Gobelsburger Grüner Veltliner at £5.99, is particularly good value.

Riesling features strongly too, starting with the mouthwateringly featherweight, off-dry 2002 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese (£9.95), worth the admission price. Waitrose champagnes too are second to none, my favourite being the creamy-textured Blancs de Blancs NV Brut (£17.99). Six out of 10, then.

To Oddbins and mixed feelings because since Castel Frères bought the innovative high-street chain and raised their profit margins to more than 40 per cent, the energy that enthused staff and buyers alike has deflated like a saggy balloon. Having said that, as the high street has imploded in recent years, Oddbins is still top dog. They remain strong in the New World, in particular in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Chile, but there are some strange choices in never-knowingly-oversold Napa Valley country. The French imperative appears to have crept into Oddbins with mixed results, but it should be congratulated for its new range of white burgundies from Morey Blanc and Michelot. The four wines in the Domaine Michelot range are excellent, from the sumptuous 2003 Meursault (£21.99) to the complex 2003 Meursault Les Narvaux (£26.39). Six out of 10.

Majestic has no competition as a destination wine warehouse. Despite its owner John Apthorp cashing in his chips and deals specialist Tony Mason retiring, Majestic looks in better shape than ever with a young but experienced wine-buying team and the sort of enthusiastic sales staff that once characterised Oddbins. White burgundy here too is in great shape with some excellent value dry whites from Christophe Cordier, such as the ripe but subtly flavoured 2004 Mâcon-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes (two for £9.99 each).

Thanks to a surprisingly conservative clientele, Majestic has always trumpeted well-chosen French classics such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone, and it's strong too in the south of France with winners like the sumptuously spicy 2003 Domaine La Galine, Minervois (two for £5.49 each). While it has tended to conservatism in the New World, there are encouraging developments in Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Eight out of 10. Majestic: summa cum laude.