Michelin Sets Its Sights on the Wine World
The Michelin Guide, famous for its coveted restaurant stars, is now turning its gaze toward wine. According to La Revue du Vin de France, the Guide’s international director Gwendal Poullennec announced that Michelin will soon begin awarding distinctions for wines — a historic expansion for the century-old institution.
Details remain scarce. There’s no word yet on when the system will launch, who the tasters will be, or what criteria will define excellence. But the news has already rippled through the industry, signaling a bold new era for Michelin — and a potential shake-up in how wine is judged, ranked, and revered.
The move comes as Michelin faces growing competition from the World’s 50 Best brand, which has recently ventured into ranking vineyards alongside restaurants. For some, Michelin has been for some time now become passe— and it seems determined to reclaim the spotlight. it could possible just dilute their prestige.
Michelin isn’t entering uncharted territory. Since 2019, it has owned the Robert Parker Wine Advocate, the publication founded by the legendary American critic often dubbed the “Pope of Wine.” Parker’s 100-point scale once dictated global tastes, particularly in Bordeaux, where winemakers famously chased his approval with bold, high-alcohol reds.
But Parker’s influence has waned as drinkers turn toward fresher, lighter styles. Some even blame the “Parkerisation” of wine for fueling Bordeaux’s current woes — a crisis so deep that French authorities have paid out more than €120 million in subsidies to cut production amid collapsing demand.
Michelin’s chairman Florent Menegaux told The Times that the new ranking will be “more influential than Parker’s,” adding that “the Michelin brand is much more powerful.” It’s an audacious claim, but one that fits the company’s growing ambition.
With its next act, the tire maker–turned–taste arbiter seems determined to extend its reach from kitchens to cellars — and perhaps, once again, to define the world’s idea of excellence.
