Starting with Bordeaux and Burgundy, the guidebook publisher will hand out one, two or three grapes.
The approach is comparable to the Michelin star system, with three grapes awarded to ‘exceptional’ producers, two grapes to ‘excellent’ producers and one grape to ‘very good’ producers.
Grapes will be awarded based on five pieces of criteria: ‘quality of agronomy’ — an assessment that evaluates the vitality of the soil, the balance of the vine stocks and how the vines are cared for — technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency.
Producers in Bordeaux and Burgundy are set to start being rated in 2026, but it is unclear whether there will be a printed guide.
Michelin says it then wants to roll the system out to other key wine regions in France and throughout the world.
Given the ‘quality of agronomy’ criteria, it appears to be focused on producers that grow their own grapes. What this means for Champagne - where houses typically reply on growers for their grapes - remains to be seen.
Michelin says that it already has significant expertise in the wine world because it has long highlighted exceptional wine lists and sommeliers, notably through the ‘wine’ pictogram created in 2004 to distinguish outstanding food and wine pairings.
In 2019, the Michelin Sommelier Award was introduced to honour professionals whose expertise enhances the guest experience through exemplary mastery of wine selection and service.
“After having oriented wine-lovers towards the finest tables in more than 70 destinations and to the world’s most elegant hotels, the Michelin Guide is delighted to open a new chapter with the world of wine,” says Gwendal Poullennec, the international director for the Michelin Guide. “This new reference is designed for both the curious amateur and the most ardent expert — it rewards the men and women who are building the most demanding vineyards around the world.”
The Michelin Guide launched in France in 1900 and started giving out stars in 1926.
Michelin began awarding its modern 1–3 star ratings in the UK in 1974, with the first edition of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland to use the star system.