The retailer confirmed today that 118 wines had been included in the “redesign” of the own label range, which has ditched the entry level ‘Vineyards World Wines’ and ‘Simply’ sub-brands to allow it to strip out duplication and devote more space to better-selling lines.

Availability is also being improved, it said.

A spokesman told db it was “all about avoiding duplication” and was “part and parcel” of the revamp that was announced over a year ago and started last October. He explained that whereas previously there may have been a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon in each tier, for example, this duplication had now been stripped out.

“Before we had the main Tesco own label range, plus Simply and Vineyard, but now those two tiers have disappeared, we just have the one range,” he said. “Tesco wanted to simplify the wines range and make is easier to shop, making it more transparent and easier to understand and felt that the different tiers of Vineyard and Simply were making it more complex for people because it brought in price-branding, which it want to move away from.”

“Now it has one own brand range with much more stable pricing, that will help people find the wines they want and understand the pricing a lot better,” he said.

The range concentrates on the best-sellers but has also allowed allowing the BWS team to bring in new wines, ranging from a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a South African Pinot Noir, a Spanish Tempranillo, and a Bordeaux Superior to “something more exotic like a Tesco Fruit Fusion peach and pineapple

Gavin Warburton, Tesco’s category director for BWS said the retailer had listened to its customers and the new branding had been designed to help customers make a quick and easy choice in the wine aisle..

Industry experts commented that it was unlikely that the changes

In August 2015 the company surprised its customers by closing its popular Wine community.