Michelin’s First Winery Ratings Spark Backlash in Burgundy

The Michelin Guide has unveiled the inaugural Michelin Grape Selection, a new winery classification covering Burgundy. Using a system similar to its restaurant stars, Michelin awarded wineries one, two or three “Michelin Grapes” based on the overall quality of the estate rather than individual wines. 

The launch also sparked immediate controversy.

Burgundy producer Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux publicly asked Michelin to remove it from the guide after receiving a one-grape rating, saying the estate stopped submitting wines for reviews or ratings five years ago.

The dispute underscores the challenge Michelin faces as it enters a wine evaluation market long dominated by publications and critics including Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Decanter.

Nine wineries earn Michelin’s highest distinction

The inaugural Burgundy guide includes 94 wineries. According to Michelin, the selection is based on five criteria, namely, quality of agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency.

Nine estates received the highest Three Michelin Grapes rating, while 20 earned two grapes, 33 received one grape and another 32 were included in a “Selected” category.

Among the top-rated producers are some of Burgundy’s most established names, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Dugat-Py, Roumier, Domaine d’Auvenay, Coche-Dury and more recent rising superstars such as Domaine Cécile Tremblay and Domaine Jean-Marc & Thomas Bouley and Hubert Lamy.

The mix suggests Michelin is attempting to balance established reputations with more recent quality achievements rather than relying solely on historical prestige.

Five of the nine top-rated wineries are located in the Côte de Nuits, while the remaining four are based in the Côte de Beaune.

Looking beyond famous appellations

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said the rankings are intended to evaluate wineries rather than simply reward famous vineyards.

“This first MICHELIN grape Selection reveals a Burgundy that upholds its heritage with unmistakable vitality,” he said, but added that a winery’s quality depends equally on vineyard management, winemaking and a long-term commitment to excellence.

He said the guide also reflects the evolution of Burgundy, recognising both multi-generational family estates and younger producers established within the past two decades.

Controversy 

Within days of publication, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux in Vosne-Romanee became the first producer to publicly reject the new ratings.

The Vosne-Romanée estate said customers, collectors and journalists had questioned Michelin’s methodology and how the winery had been evaluated under the guide’s five published assessment criteria.

It also reiterated a policy adopted with the 2020 vintage of no longer submitting wines to critics or participating in scoring systems.

“Since 2020, we have deliberately chosen not to submit our wines for press reviews or ratings. We have therefore asked Michelin to remove the Domaine from the selection, in keeping with this long-standing position,” the estate said.

Michelin’s next frontier

Wine is the latest expansion for Michelin, whose guide has evolved beyond restaurant ratings into hotels and broader travel experiences.

The company entered the wine media business in 2017 by acquiring a 40% stake in Wine Advocate, the influential publication founded by American critic Robert Parker. Michelin acquired the publication outright two years later, giving it an established editorial team and deep expertise in wine criticism.

Earlier this year, Michelin announced it would introduce its own winery ratings.

Unlike traditional critics, who score individual wines vintage by vintage, Michelin is evaluating wineries as a whole, placing greater emphasis on long-term consistency, vineyard management and overall production standards.