Can You Age Supermarket Wine?
Most supermarket wines are made to drink on release. But what does “ageing” really mean — and where can you find bottles that genuinely improve with time?
We generally have this image of a supermarket where there are only cheap, affordable wines, mainly coming from New World wine-producing countries such as Australia and Chile, as well as entry-level wines from European countries such as France and Spain. The price range would typically be between 10 and 15 USD. In most cases, these wines are made to be enjoyed upon release. And this is not a bad thing: when consumers open these bottles, the wines are immediately ready to drink.
Keeping vs. improving: what "ageing" really means
There is another question, though. What do we mean by age?
There are two ways of understanding that word. One is that the wine will keep as it is, without evolving or improving in any significant way. The other refers to a wine that will actually improve with age, meaning that it will become more complex and balanced and that the tannins, in the case of a red wine, will become softer and more integrated.
If we consider the first definition of the word age, then we can say that most wines do not really age. If we refer to the second definition, only a relatively small number of wines can genuinely improve over time.
I am thinking about some classified-growth Bordeaux, some Burgundy Grands Crus, some wines from the Rhône, such as Hermitage, and, outside Europe, wines such as certain California Cabernets. Of course, this list is far from exhaustive and could include many other wines, notably from Germany, Austria and even Lebanon.
It depends on the supermarket
And to complete the answer to the question, Can you age supermarket wine?, it also depends on the type of supermarket and the wines it has on display.
Most supermarkets will mainly offer global brands. I am thinking here about Yellow Tail and the lower end of the Penfolds range, both from Australia; Casillero del Diablo and Gato Negro from Chile; Kendall-Jackson from California; and J.P. Chenet from France, just to name a few.
Then there are larger supermarkets with more space to offer a broader portfolio, or stores where the wine manager is a wine enthusiast who makes a careful selection. These are the places where you can potentially find wines that will age gracefully for five to ten years, or even longer.
Where to find wines worth cellaring
But if you are looking specifically for wines with ageing potential and you have a cellar in which to keep them, the best option is to visit your favourite local wine shop. You will get better advice and have access to a wider selection.
And if the owner is passionate about wine, they will most likely have visited many of the wineries they represent. They will have plenty of anecdotes to share, making your visit not only useful but enjoyable too.