The arrival of Michelin in the wine guide industry introduces a “starred” rating system applied to wineries and not to individual wines. A choice that opens up questions: how will wineries with large productions be evaluated? How will this method be reconciled with those who have been using stars for years? And what role will The Wine Advocate, already acquired by Michelin, play?
Michelin launches wine guide: starred wineries
The news of recent times in the wine world is that of Michelin’s descent into the field.
The “redhead” will publish a wine guide, using its well-known “stars,” but not rating individual wines, but rather wineries. They will be “starred” in the same way that restaurants are, rating them with zero, one, two or three stars, while individual wines will be considered like dishes in the restaurant guide.
A system that could penalize large companies
Everything okay? We will see the result. What is certain is that some large and famous companies are unlikely to reach the top score because they “cover” even medium, if not low, market segments with their production. Kind of like if a restaurant made pizza, which would almost certainly exclude it from the star system.
Stars in wine: a story from afar
I would then add that Michelin, which was definitely the first to use star rating for restaurants, is not at all for wines.
Veronelli began in the 1960s with the Bolaffi Catalogue of the Wines of Italy, where stars were used on wines.
Continued Gambero Rosso and Slow Food on Wines of Italy, where for every ten “three glasses” a star was awarded to the winery this time.
Even DoctorWine for the past twelve years has been using stars in exactly the way Michelin will do, awarding “three stars” to wineries and not to wines, rated in cents and “veneers.”
A possible “pre-use” conflict?
What will the “redhead” do in the presence of a kind of “pre-use right”?
Will you open litigation or, more appropriately, pay no attention?
Certainly DoctorWine’s Three Stars has been around for a long time and may even become a publication, who knows.
What role will The Wine Advocate?
Then, Michelin had not taken over The Wine Advocate by Robert Parker? What role will that publication play in the future? Of course, it is a newsletter and not a guide, however, always wine is being talked about and always Michelin is the publisher.
We shall see in this case, too, evidently.
FOCUS AND FAQ.
Michelin-starred wineries are wineries rated using a star system, similar to that used for restaurants. The guide assigns zero to three stars to wineries, considering the overall quality of production and not individual wines.
How the Michelin-starred winery system works:
- Stars are awarded to wineries, not individual wines.
- The rating ranges from zero to three stars.
- Wines are examined as part of the winery’s overall production.
- The goal is to make a judgment about the overall level of the company.
What does Michelin rate in wineries?
Consider the overall quality of production, the consistency of the wines, and the winery’s ability to maintain high standards over time.
Why does Michelin award stars to wineries and not to wines?
Because the focus of the guide is on the overall level of the company, similar to the approach used for restaurants.
Is it possible for a large company to be penalized?
Yes, because a very large production sometimes includes ranges intended for less prestigious segments, making it more difficult to achieve the highest score.
Is Michelin the first to apply stars to wine?
No. Stars were used as early as the 1960s by Veronelli and more recently by others such as DoctorWine.
