“Michelin Grapes”, the new “Wine Selection” explained, to WineNews, by Michelin Guide

Without any doubt, Michelin debut in “wine criticism” with the introduction of “bunches of grapes” or rather “Michelin Grapes,” awarded to wineries (and not to single wines, which will remain, for now, the focus of “The Wine Advocate”, also owned by Michelin and which, at least in the immediate future, will continue on its current path), with a rating from 1 to 3 “bunches of grapes” (following the model of “stars” for restaurants and “keys” for hotels), as announced in early December, will have a significant impact, given the group communication power and the authority widely (though not unanimously, at least among industry insiders, ed) recognized to guida “Rossa” - the “Red Guide”. Which, after its historic core business of restaurants recently launched its hotel guide and, starting in 2026, will introduce one for wineries in some prestigious regions, beginning, for now, only in France, with Bordeaux and Burgundy. While some aspects are already clear, such as the fact that wineries, not single wines, will be evaluated according to well-defined parameters, from the quality of agronomy to mastery in the cellar, the ability to express identity and balance, as well as quality across the entire production and over multiple vintages, i.e. consistency, and that the “inspectors” will be Michelin employees, as with restaurants and hotels, but not anonymous, and will include some current tasters from “The Wine Advocate” along with other selected professionals from the sector, for example) others, as it is natural in any new project which begins, remain much more vague and undefined. For example, although Michelin has announced that the first wine selections will cover Bordeaux and Burgundy, it is easy to imagine that Champagne will soon follow in France, and then Italy will likely be next, given the prestige of its wines, starting with Piedmont and Tuscany (though, according to rumors, Veneto or Sicily, “wine continent” which has become an iconic reference point for Italian wine in just a few years, might also be included, ed). These are the most salient points emerging from Michelin responses to WineNews questions, as well as from industry rumors surrounding a long-anticipated announcement that made noise when it was officially confirmed.
Meanwhile, although it is unclear whether the wine guide will be a standalone publication or integrated with the restaurant guide (as it happened with the 2025 Michelin France edition, for example), Michelin interest in the wine world is not new, because, as the French group explained to WineNews, “the Michelin Guide has been dedicated to gastronomy and travel for 125 years; introducing a distinction for wine strengthens its role as a comprehensive and global reference in the lifestyle sector. We want to guide our audience toward the most interesting wine producers worldwide, basing on rigorous evaluations and clear criteria. Our readers will access this information through the Michelin ecosystem”.
Most likely, however, the future of the “Wine Selection” will be exclusively online, via website and app, considering that printed editions of the Michelin Guide now survive only in historic countries like France, Italy, Spain, and few more, while the many guides launched in recent years for other countries are already “digital natives”. Michelin also monetizes through commissions on reservations made via its digital platform for restaurants and hotels that voluntarily participate in the service.
In any case, the fact that this new wine-focused initiative by Michelin comes at a time when the sector, both in France, but not only, is facing challenges and needs every possible tool to relaunch seems purely coincidental. “Our focus on wine is not new: in the first French edition of 1900, restaurants, hotels, and local wines were considered. Since 2004, we have - underlines Michelin - mentione the most interesting wine lists, and since 2019, we have introduced a special award for the best sommelier in various countries. Also since 2019, we acquired Robert Parker Wine Advocate, a renowned wine rating company famous for its rigor. By integrating their expertise with our methodology, we can now offer a holistic and refined perspective on producers. After 125 years, it was natural for us to open this new and complementary chapter. We took our time to design a wine distinction that is as structured as possible”.
However, unlike the anonymity that has always characterized Michelin inspectors for hotels and restaurants, this “taboo” will fall for wineries awarded with 1, 2, or 3 bunches of grapes. “Wine selection inspectors are, as always, Michelin employees, with a range of diverse and complementary skills. Just like our hotel inspectors, all former industry professionals, our wine team consists of individuals with deep practical experience in the wine world, such as sommeliers, wine critics, and production experts. Each inspector is carefully selected not only for their credentials but also for their ability to evaluate with integrity. Unlike restaurants and hotels, where anonymity is necessary to experience what customers do, wine inspectors will not be anonymous. They will introduce themselves to producers and request to visit - and evaluate - the work in vineyard, the cellar, and the tasting room. What remains unchanged is that every decision is supported by a collegial evaluation process”, explains Michelin to WineNews. They also reiterated that producers “will be assessed through five universal criteria: agronomy quality, i.e. an evaluation regarding soil health, vine balance, and care, all essential factors directly influencing wine quality; technical expertise with the evaluation focusing on technical skills of winemaking processes with inspectors looking for precise and rigorous winemaking processes which produce well-developed wines that reflect terroir and types of vines and vineyards without disrupting defects; still, identity with the guide valorizing wine producers who express personality, sense of place, and culture); balance, which will be the valuation of harmony among acidity, tannins, wood, alcohol, and sugars; and consistency  with wines which will be evaluated across multiple vintages to verify quality even in challenging years. The guide celebrates wines which reveal greater depth and excellence over time”. And, this makes Micheline become known, also leveraging the vast historical archive of “The Wine Advocate”, which, since its founding by Robert Parker in the late 1980s, revolutionized wine rating with its “100-point system” and compiled over half a million wine reviews worldwide.
As officially announced by Michelin, the first two regions to be reviewed and classified will be the two great pillars of French red wine, Bordeaux and Burgundy. It is easy to imagine that Champagne, the land of the world most admired and expensive sparkling wines, will follow soon, as well as Michelin moves in Italy, a country which ranks second in importance for the Michelin restaurant guide. “The first selections, Burgundy and Bordeaux, will be unveiled during 2026, but it is still too early - explains Michelin - to share further details. For Italy, we can’t confirm which regions will come first yet (it seems obvious to think of Piedmont and Tuscany, the two most celebrated and famous Italian regions worldwide, but as said, rumors also suggest Veneto and Sicily, ed), but the quality of Italian viticulture is a priority. It is a wonderful wine region”.
Of course, one might wonder whether Michelin new “Wine Selection” risks overlapping with the work of “The Wine Advocate”, one of the strongest brands in wine criticism, which Michelin first acquired 40% of in 2017 and then 100% in 2019. But, “The Michelin Guide selection - as Michelin explains - will connect our audience with wine producers. We will not evaluate single bottles. Former tasters from “The Wine Advocate” are now Michelin employees. Some of them will continue to focus exclusively on Robert Parker tastings, reviewing and rating bottles. Others will be employed as winery inspectors for Michelin, meaning they will evaluate estates as a whole. Some will work for both publications, in different roles”. Words that suggest, therefore, that “The Wine Advocate” will continue, at least in the short term, along the same path it has followed so far.
Certainly, there are already many wine rankings and selections, including those focused on wineries, such as “The World’s Best Vineyards” by the “50 Best” brand of the William Reed group, which mainly looks to the wine tourism experience. Michelin, therefore, while pioneering in the restaurant sector, enters the wine world somewhat late and into an already crowded field, but without any reverential fear. “There are many guides not only for wine but also for restaurants and hotels. However, we believe there is only one Michelin Guide. We will maintain the same approach as always: we do not aim to create an exhaustive inventory, but a selection. We want to be, for our readers - whether beginners, enthusiasts, or professionals - a new, reliable, and independent reference point for navigating regions and producers. As with Michelin Stars and Michelin Keys, the system has three levels: One Grape (producers of great quality), Two Grapes (excellent producers), and Three Grapes (exceptional producers). And, then, there are selected producers: even just being mentioned in the guide will be an important recognition of their quality”.
In this way, Michelin spoke to WineNews, better clarifying some aspects but leaving many questions open. And, as always, whether the project succeeds will be determined by time.