Michelin launches 'Michelin Grapes' awards

Michelin has moved beyond restaurants and hotels into wine, unveiling its first-ever MICHELIN Grapes selection in Burgundy on July 7 and creating a new rating system built around one, two or three grapes. The inaugural 2026 selection recognized 94 wine estates in Burgundy, with nine receiving the top Three MICHELIN Grapes distinction, according to Michelin’s press release. (michelin.com) The launch took place in Dijon at the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, now the city hall, Michelin said. (michelin.com) Burgundy was the starting point for the program, covering estates in Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. (guide.michelin.com) ### So what exactly is Michelin launching here? Michelin said MICHELIN Grapes is a new recognition system for wine estates, separate from the Michelin stars used for restaurants and the Michelin Keys used for hotels. The company described it as an extension of the guide’s existing role in gastronomy and hospitality into wine. (michelin.com) The new awards use one, two and three grapes rather than stars. In the Burgundy debut, Michelin said 62 estates received a grape distinction — nine with three grapes, 20 with two grapes and 33 with one grape — while 32 more estates were listed as selected. (michelin.com) ### Why did Burgundy come first? Burgundy was chosen as the first launch region because Michelin described it as a benchmark for wine lovers and a place where the modern idea of terroir was born and refined. The company said the region’s family-owned estates and long winemaking traditions made it a natural starting point for the project. (guide.michelin.com) The June 29 pre-launch announcement said the first selection would focus on Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise, spanning the Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire departments. The formal unveiling then followed on July 7 in Dijon. (michelin.com) ### How is Michelin saying it judged the estates? Michelin said the awards are based on five criteria: the quality of the vineyard, the mastery of winemaking, the expression of terroir in the wines, the personality and consistency of the estate, and the visitor experience. The company said the methodology was designed to be rigorous, transparent, independent and consistent. (michelin.com) Michelin has also framed the project as recognition not just of vineyards, but of the people running them. That language mirrors how Michelin has historically presented its restaurant and hotel distinctions as judgments on overall excellence rather than a single product. (guide.michelin.com) ### What do the first results look like? The inaugural Burgundy list gave the highest Three MICHELIN Grapes distinction to nine estates, according to Michelin and The Drinks Business. Michelin said 94 estates were recognized overall in the first selection. The three-grape result is the headline number because it shows Michelin is treating the top tier sparingly in its first wine ranking, rather than handing the highest distinction to a broad field. (guide.michelin.com) That is an inference from the published totals. ### Is this a one-off, or the start of a broader rollout? Michelin said in earlier announcements that Burgundy and Bordeaux would be the first two regions for MICHELIN Grapes in 2026. (guide.michelin.com) That means Burgundy is the opening step rather than the full scope of the program. The Michelin Guide’s own pre-launch materials said Bordeaux was part of the 2026 plan, though the July 7 announcement focused on Burgundy alone. (michelin.com) For now, Burgundy is the only region with a published inaugural selection. ### Where would a reader look next? Michelin’s next concrete milestone is Bordeaux, which the company has already identified as part of the 2026 rollout for MICHELIN Grapes. (michelin.com) The official MICHELIN Guide and Michelin press pages are the primary places where the next regional selection is expected to appear. (guide.michelin.com)