Published on
Wine drinkers looking for outside validation have a new source for intel, if not debate.
Last week, Michelin – the tyre company-turned-global rater of restaurants – released its inaugural winery guide.
The Michelin Grape Selection began with one of the world’s most famous wine regions: Burgundy. But almost as soon as Michelin expanded into the millennia-old world of wine, its first ratings ran into trouble.
Shortly after Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux discovered it had been awarded one Michelin ‘grape’ – the entry-level distinction in Michelin’s three-tier ranking for wine estates – the Burgundy producer returned it.
“We do not know how the Domaine’s rating … could have been established,” the estate wrote on social media. “Since 2020, we have deliberately chosen not to submit our wines for press reviews or ratings.”
The public rebuff has marked an awkward start for the brand, putting its assessment process under immediate scrutiny as it continues expanding beyond restaurant guides.
What are Michelin Grapes?
Unlike traditional wine guides, Michelin’s new Grape Selection doesn’t evaluate individual bottles or vintages. Instead, it assesses estates on the quality and consistency of their wines, their vineyard and cellar practices, and their ability to express a sense of place, among other criteria.
Estates receive one, two or three Michelin Grapes, with three representing the highest distinction. The first selection covered three Burgundy subregions: Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise. Ninety-four estates received Michelin Grapes.
While Michelin says the system is designed to recognise excellence beyond reputation alone, its first public dispute involved one of Burgundy’s better known estates.
The company’s expansion into wine also comes after criticism over changes to one of its restaurant awards.
Earlier this year, Michelin discontinued its Green Star for sustainability, upsetting some chefs who had earned the accolade. The star was later replaced by an editorial platform called “Mindful Voices” that features sustainability stories in food, wine and hospitality.
A welcome boost?
For some producers, though, Michelin’s timing couldn’t be better.
French wine is entering one of its toughest periods in decades. Bordeaux – one of the country’s premier wine regions, and the next destination pegged for Michelin’s grape guide expansion – is grappling with an unholy trinity of overproduction, plummeting prices and declining demand for its red wines.
Earlier this year, France expanded a large-scale vine-uprooting (arrachage) programme to reduce its grape surpluses. Meanwhile, some estates have looked beyond bottle sales, expanding into tourism to keep their businesses afloat in a sea of crises.
Lydia Coudert, the fifth-generation co-owner of Vignobles Coudert, whose family has been making wine in Bordeaux since 1865, believes Michelin’s new guide could help wineries like hers reach new consumers and restaurant buyers – just when they need it most.
“It’s a new tool in our pocket,” she says.
But she adds that Michelin’s credibility will ultimately depend on how it conducts its tastings, echoing the headline-grabbing concerns that lay at the heart of Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux’s public rejection of its Michelin distinction.
“The difficulty is actually how independent the tasting will be, how [anonymous] the bottles will be,” she says. “I hope they will do something ethical.”