Michelin officially enters in the world of wine with “Wine Selection” and “Michelin Grapes”

The rumor had been circulating, and now it is confirmed, unsurprisingly, straight from France: the Michelin Guide, after awarding restaurants with “stars” (or rather “macarons”) and hotels with “keys”, will now introduce a symbol for wine. More precisely, for wineries, which will be rated from 1 to 3 “bunches of grapes” or “grapes”, or “Michelin Grapes” as announced today in Paris, evaluating estates and producers.
This initiative comes at a particularly challenging time for the wine industry and seems like a classic example of French “chauvinism” with all forces joining to create a unified system. In any case, the “grapes” will be assigned basing on five well-defined criteria: “quality of agronomy” meaning “assessment of soil vitality, balance of reserves, and care given to the vines. All essential factors that directly influence wine quality”; “technical mastery”, judged on “technical skills in the winemaking process. Our inspectors look for precise and rigorous vinification processes which produce well-developed wines reflecting the terroir and grape varieties, without distracting flaws”, explains Michelin. Still, “identity” will be evaluated with the guide highlighting “wine producers who express personality, a sense of place, and the surrounding culture”; and, then, “balance”, i.e. “harmony among acidity, tannins, wood, alcohol, and sweetness”; and, “consistency” with wines “evaluated across multiple vintages to ensure quality remains steady, even in challenging years” celebrating “wines which reveal greater depth and excellence over time”. A commitment, that of Michelin in the wine world, which has already appeared in various forms, as we have reported for some time, and now takes on a new, defined shape.
And, in this way, explains an official statement, “a new benchmark for discovering and showcasing winemaking talent” comes with “Michelin Grapes”. With the Michelin Guide, which “rewards not only vineyards but, above all, the men and women who embody them. With this new distinction, the Guide aims to highlight unique situations and know-how passed down through generations, as well as innovative techniques and contemporary practices, using a rigorous and independent methodology”.
As Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, explains: “after guiding wine enthusiasts to the best tables in over 70 destinations and to the world most elegant hotels, the Michelin Guide is delighted to open a new chapter dedicated to wine: this new benchmark is thought for both curious enthusiasts and the most demanding experts honoring the men and women building the most rigorous and high-quality vineyards worldwide”.
The “3 bunches” will indicate “exceptional producers. Whatever the vintage, wine enthusiasts can turn to the estate creations with complete confidence”.“2 bunches” will be reserved to “excellent producers who stand out among their peers and in their region for both quality and consistency”, while “1 bunch”will recognize “very good producers who create wines with character and style, especially in the best vintages”. There will also be “selected” producers, i.e. “reliable estates chosen for regular reviews, producing well-made wines that offer a quality experience”.
Therefore, this will be the “Wine Selection” by Michelin Guide, which will, of course, starting from 2026, begin from its “motherland”, France, focusing on Burgundy and Bordeaux. It is clear that coverage will soon extend to the world most prestigious wine regions, with Italy at the forefront. For now, Michelin has made no mention of changes regarding the prestigious wine magazine “The Wine Advocate”, founded by Robert Parker and 100% owned by the French group.
But one wonders whether, in a not-too-distant future, Michelin will truly replace the 100-point scoring system for “bunches of grapes”, i.e. the system created by the legendary critic Robert Parker, which remains the most influential innovation for evaluating and communicating wine quality to the public in a concise way with its “bunches” for wineries. Time will tell...