Wine shop or supermarket?
Quick answer
A wine shop offers personalised advice, a curated selection, and bottles you won't find elsewhere, at an average of €10-15. Supermarkets work for everyday purchases at low prices, but lack guidance and diversity.
Detailed answer
This is the great Belgian wine-buying debate. According to the Fédération des Cavistes Indépendants (2024), wine shop customers spend an average of €12.50 per bottle versus €6.80 in supermarkets — but report 40% higher satisfaction with their purchases.
The wine shop wins on: personalised advice (a good merchant knows every wine and guides you by taste), a unique selection (small-producer wines unavailable in supermarkets), the chance to taste before buying, and the trust relationship that builds over time.
The supermarket wins on: price (bulk buying = lower prices), convenience (one-stop shopping), wine fair promotions, and availability of well-known brands. It's a solid channel for everyday wines.
The ideal strategy: combine both. Buy your weeknight wines at the supermarket (Côtes-du-Rhône, Languedoc, €6-8) and save special occasions for the wine shop. In Belgium, 20hVin in La Hulpe and La Cave du Lac in Genval perfectly illustrate a wine shop's added value: expertise, discoveries, and service.
Specialist e-commerce like expertvin.be combines the best of both worlds: wide selection with detailed expert profiles, competitive prices through direct buying, and home delivery.