The Michelin Man Is Coming for Wine. Should Critics Like Me Be Worried?

• By WineBottleMag
• December 9, 2025
• Coming Critics Man Michelin Wine Worried
• With 0 comments

Am I going to be run over by the Michelin Man? 

News that the world’s most trusted restaurant reviewing machine will add wineries to its map is sending ripples—some worried, some confused, but mostly just curious—across the food and drink media landscape. 

Will this historic and yet now expanding empire eventually rule the realm of wine criticism like it has done in the restaurant business for 125 years? Might the 100-point scale go the way of the dodo? Could veteran, on-the-ground critics such as myself be tossed aside in favor of an all-knowing panel of globe-trotting gourmands? 

Who knows, especially given the scant specifics about how it will all work, not to mention the struggling state of the wine business. A press release last week did lay out basic details, namely that wineries will be ranked on a One-, Two-, and Three-Grapes scale, from “very good” to “excellent” to “exceptional,” much like restaurants are. There’s also a “Selected” designation for “dependable” wineries that will get regularly evaluated, somewhat akin to Michelin’s Bib Gourmand for eateries. 

These decisions will be based on five criteria: farming quality; winemaking technique; “identity,” which appears to mean terroir expression; balance of finished wines; and consistency across vintages, with extra appreciation for wines that age well. Making these collective decisions will be a team of “former sommeliers, specialized critics, or former winemakers,” who will taste as a panel.   

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That’s about all we officially know about “the how.” The San Francisco Chronicle did get Michelin to reveal that, unlike the clandestine restaurant reviewing process, these inspectors will not visit anonymously. And that makes sense, given that many exclusive, Three-Grape-able estates around the world don’t allow much visitation anyway. 

Speaking of “the where,” Bordeaux and Burgundy will be first up in 2026, which surprised no one in my peer group.

Curiosity lingers mostly about “the why.” 

Certainly, wineries are a natural partner to a portfolio of hospitality reviews that’s included restaurants since 1900 and hotels since the 1920s. Just last year, Michelin upped its hotel system by issuing “Keys” like they do “Stars” for restaurants. 

But when Michelin started reviewing restaurants and hotels generations ago, they essentially invented the mold. Now they’re stepping into a wine industry that’s been picked over by multiple publications and countless critics for decades. Will Michelin just emphasize the ones we already know about, or will they embark on a mission of discovery to find the next generation?   

A Bit Pivot with Lots of Unknowns

Of course, this all may just be a smart way to rebrand existing assets. Six years ago, the Michelin Guide bought Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, whose namesake founder invented the 100-point scale for wine reviews a half-century ago. Though not without its share of detractors, that scale is now globally dominant—I personally dole out about 200 such scores each month for this magazine based on blind tastings—and yet Michelin appears ready to compete with that directly. 

As they may find, writing about restaurants—which I myself do weekly for a newspaper in Santa Barbara—is a much different game than covering wineries. There’s subjectivity in both regards, but restaurants use multiple ingredients, techniques, and styles that are objectively defined. 

Wines, meanwhile, are thoroughly based on one’s own interpretation and palate, which is why blind evaluation brings a level of fairness to the game. There have been countless times where I was surprised by tasting wines without knowing the producers, and it goes both ways: historically classic bottlings that I thought fell short of their reputation and, more often, undersung or overlooked projects that punch far above their weights. 

The company is officially silent so far on what exactly will happen to Wine Advocate—aside from Michelin’s CEO saying the tire company brand is far more powerful than Parker’s legacy. But the smart money is betting that the Advocate, or at the very least a number of its resources, are folded into this new venture. Why completely invent a new wheel when you’re already driving on four of them? 

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It’s also feasible that both survive: Advocate remaining as a per-bottle reviewing model with Michelin existing as brand-level stamp of approval.    

Of course, when it comes to a for-profit company, you’ve got to wonder about the money. It’s well known that the Michelin Guide’s restaurant review operation is partially funded by tourism bureaus that pay to bring attention to their regions. It’s probable that they’ll try to do the same with wine associations, although there’s historically been a lot less meat on those bones. 

Whatever happens down the road, it’s already obvious that Michelin’s foray into wine will shine more light on the wine industry as a whole. That right there is why this news is actually encouraging to me, rather than threatening. I’ve always advocated that more information is better than less, and that consumers of all products benefit from a wide variety of trusted sources rather than just a few. 

Right now, wine needs all the positive attention it can get. Having a world-class authority on taste reminding consumers that wine is an integral part to living well should only serve to help everyone involved, from those who grow the grapes to the winemakers who work the cellars to those of us at the end of the line who report on how delicious they taste.    

Which is to say, welcome to the tasting bar, Michelin Man. 

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