Michelin launches 'Grapes' wine awards

Michelin has moved into wine with a new award system that mirrors its restaurant stars and hotel keys, but for estates rather than dining rooms. On July 7, the company unveiled its first-ever MICHELIN Grape Selection in Dijon, starting with Burgundy and assigning one, two or three grapes to wine estates. (michelin.com) Michelin said the inaugural Burgundy edition recognized 94 estates across Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise. The launch gives Michelin a new category inside the Guide after decades centered on restaurants and, more recently, hotels. (michelin.com) Michelin said the grape distinction is meant to guide wine lovers toward producers, while also recognizing the people behind the estates. (guide.michelin.com) ### How does the new system work? Michelin said the new distinction uses one, two and three grapes, with the top tier reserved for estates judged to offer the highest level of excellence. In Burgundy’s first edition, nine estates received Three MICHELIN grapes, 20 received Two grapes, 33 received One grape and 32 were listed as Selected. (michelin.com) The Guide said its inspectors assess estates using five criteria: the quality of the vineyard, mastery of winemaking, the expression of terroir in the wines, the personality and consistency of the range, and the overall visitor experience. Michelin described the method as independent and consistent, extending the same inspector-led approach it uses in other parts of the Guide. (guide.michelin.com) ### Why did Michelin start in Burgundy? Burgundy was chosen as the first region because Michelin described it as a foundational wine territory where the modern idea of terroir was shaped over centuries. The July 7 launch focused on the Côte d'Or and Saône-et-Loire departments, covering Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise. (michelin.com) Dijon hosted the announcement at the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, now the city hall. Michelin said the setting was intended for the first unveiling of what it called a benchmark for wine lovers. ### Is Michelin rating wines or wine estates? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said the award is aimed at wine estates and producers, not at individual bottles. Its earlier announcement said the project is designed to reward “the people who run” wine estates as much as the vineyards themselves. That makes the category closer to Michelin’s broader hospitality model than to a bottle-by-bottle scoring system. (michelin.com) The criteria include not only vineyard and winemaking quality, but also the coherence of the range and the visitor experience. ### How does this fit into Michelin’s broader guide business? (michelin.com) Michelin said the Grape distinction follows the launch of its restaurant stars in 1926 and its hotel Keys in 2024. The company has framed the move as an expansion of the Guide’s role in gastronomy and travel rather than a separate wine publication. The Michelin Guide’s own explainer said inspectors already review restaurants and hotels anonymously, and that wineries were the next category being added. (guide.michelin.com) That places wine estates inside the same branded ecosystem Michelin uses for dining and lodging recommendations. ### What comes next after Burgundy? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said before the launch that Burgundy and Bordeaux would be the first two regions in the MICHELIN Grapes project. The Burgundy selection was unveiled on July 7, and Bordeaux remains the next named region in Michelin’s rollout plan. The Burgundy selection is now live through Michelin’s guide and corporate channels, where the company has published the inaugural list and the breakdown of one-, two- and three-grape estates. (guide.michelin.com) (michelin.com) (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)