What white wine to choose in a supermarket?

A Belgian supermarket wine aisle can stock 200-500 references, which is overwhelming. Here's how to navigate it like a pro.

The quality floor for white wine is around €5-6. Below that, production costs, shipping, and retailer margins leave almost nothing for grape quality. The sweet spot is €7-12 — that's where you find genuinely good wines.

Reliable appellations to look for: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie (€4-8) delivers crisp, mineral freshness perfect with seafood. Picpoul de Pinet (€5-8) is the Languedoc's answer to Chablis — bright and saline. Côtes de Gascogne (€4-7) gives you aromatic, fruity whites from Colombard and Gros Manseng. Spanish Rueda (€5-9) offers punchy Verdejo with great expression. Portuguese Vinho Verde (€4-7) charms with its lightness and gentle fizz.

What to avoid: wines with fancy brand names but no appellation (usually bland table wine blends), generic 'Vin de France' Chardonnay (rarely interesting under €8), and discounted old-vintage dry whites (they're on sale because they didn't sell — white wine doesn't improve sitting on a warm shelf).

Pro tip: flip the bottle and read the back label. 'Mis en bouteille au domaine' (estate bottled) means the producer controls the entire process. 'Mis en bouteille par' followed by a company name means it's a négociant — not necessarily bad, but less traceable.