Wine Trends Archives

The Michelin Guide Expands Its Expertise in Recommendations and Introduces a New Distinction in the World of Wine

For 125 years, the MICHELIN Guide has celebrated places and talents that embody excellence in gastronomy and hospitality, with the MICHELIN Stars introduced in 1926 and the MICHELIN Keys launched in 2024. This expertise now naturally extends to wine, a key reference in the gastronomic experience. The MICHELIN Guide has long highlighted exceptional wine lists and sommeliers, notably through the ‘wine’ pictogram created in 2004 to distinguish outstanding food and wine pairings. In 2019, the MICHELIN Sommelier Award was introduced to honour professionals whose expertise enhances the guest experience through exemplary mastery of wine selection and service.

The MICHELIN Grape, MICHELIN Guide’s new distinction, will now spotlight wine estates across different regions of the world. It will assess their overall excellence based on five universal criteria applied consistently.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director for the MICHELIN Guide, explains:

” After having oriented wine-lovers towards the finest tables in more than 70 destinations and to the world’s most elegant hotels, the MICHELIN Guide is delighted to open a new chapter with the world of wine. This new reference is designed for both the curious amateur and the most ardent expert – it rewards the men and women who are building the most demanding vineyards around the world.”

The MICHELIN Grapes: a new reference for discovering and showcasing wine-growing talent

In the world of wine, the MICHELIN Guide rewards not only the vineyards but also the men and women who personify them. With this new distinction, the Guide will be using a strict and independent methodology – it will also provide wine-lovers with a trusted benchmark: Grapes 1, 2 or 3 and, additionally, a selection of recommended vineyards.

Three Grapes

Exceptional producers. Whatever the vintage, wine lovers can turn to the estate’s creations with complete confidence.

Two Grapes

Excellent producers who stand out as exceptional within their peer group and region for both quality and consistency.

One Grape

Very good producers who craft wines of character and style, especially in the best vintages.

Selected

Dependable producers who have been chosen for regular review, producing well-made wines that deliver a quality experience.

Here is the methodology based on 5 criteria:

For its new distinction, true to its fundamental values of excellence and independence, the MICHELIN Guide applies five criteria uniformly and wherever it may be.

The quality of agronomy
The assessment evaluates the vitality of the soil, the balance of the vine stocks, as well as the care provided for the vines. All essential factors that directly influence wine quality.
Technical mastery
The evaluation focuses on the technical skills in the wine-making process. Our inspectors are seeking precise and rigorous wine-making processes producing well-developed wines which reflect the terroir and the vine types, without any distracting flaws.
Identity
The Guide will highlight winemakers who craft wines that express the personality, the sense of place, and the culture behind them.
Balance
Evaluation of the harmony between acidity, tannins, oak, alcohol, and sweetness.
Consistency
Wines will be evaluated across multiple vintages to ensure unwavering consistency in quality, even in the most challenging years. The Guide celebrates wines that reveal greater depth and excellence as time goes by.

Expertise at the heart of the assessments

Future selections will rely on the expertise of dedicated wine inspectors, all professionals employed by the Michelin Group. This team, which makes its recommendations collectively and with complete independence, will bring together seasoned wine specialists and newly recruited inspectors.

All team members have been selected not only based on their qualifications, but also on their ability to assess a vineyard with rigour and integrity. They are all seasoned professionals in the sector, i.e., former sommeliers, specialized critics or production experts, all bringing concrete and in-depth experience of the wine-producing world to the team.

Their assessments follow a rigorous methodology, including a panel review process and editorial supervision.

In 2026, the MICHELIN Grapes adventure will be writing its initial chapter in the heart of two mythical French wine-producing areas: Burgundy and the Bordeaux region

The MICHELIN Grapes project will start with two regions among the most emblematic in the worldwide wine-producing landscape: Burgundy and the region around Bordeaux. A compelling choice, celebrating the diversity, the historical intensity and the cultural richness of wine à la française.

Over the centuries, Bordeaux has established itself as a historic force in the world of wine. Its distinguished vineyards and their reputation go far beyond our borders. The entire prestigious Bordeaux region is renowned throughout the world for its innovations and its traditions.

Burgundy, for its part, differentiates itself by its approach, deeply rooted in the local heritage. Its human-sized, family-owned vineyards reflect rigorous traditions and care imposed at each stage in the production process. From generation to generation, legacies have curated the local identity and forged the worldwide reputation of Burgundy.

Stay tuned in 2026 for the very first selections of the MICHELIN Grapes.

Georgia’s Wine Tourism Boom: $4.6 Billion Forecast Fuels Record Growth and Global Recognition

Nestled among Kakheti’s vineyards and Tbilisi’s age-old streets, Georgia is crafting a narrative perhaps even richer than its famous qvevri wines. Galt & Taggart, the investment firm, now projects that tourism revenue could hit $4.6 billion by 2025, a slight increase from its prior estimate of $4.5 billion. This celebrates a sector that’s not just recovering but really shaping the country’s future economy.

With impressive data from the year’s first nine months, this boost confirms tourism’s role as a powerful engine, attracting foreign investment, creating jobs, and fostering growth that has Georgia doing better than many other countries.

The update, found in Galt & Taggart’s most recent Weekly Investment Review, isn’t just a shot in the dark. It’s based on concrete progress: the National Bank of Georgia shows $3.6 billion in tourism money came in from January to September, marking a 5.1 percent rise year-over-year. The third quarter by itself brought in a dazzling $1.7 billion, up 6.6 percent compared to 2024, suggesting that tourists are choosing Georgia for summer and fall travel. “Based on the actual figures from the initial three quarters of 2025, we expect that tourism income will total $4.6 billion,” the report states, showing how strong demand is, despite some global uncertainty.

Georgia’s Tourism Is a Pillar of Prosperity

Tourism isn’t a minor part of Georgia’s economy; it’s central, supporting foreign currency reserves and providing job opportunities. Since the pandemic, the industry has thrived, with first-half 2025 earnings reaching a record $2 billion, a 3.8 percent increase from 2024, or even more impressive, a 35.4 percent jump over pre-COVID levels in 2019. There are many more direct flights from Europe now, serving both airlines and travellers, and smart marketing showcases Georgia’s mix of Soviet history, Silk Road influences, and Black Sea beaches.

This growth goes hand in hand with wider economic improvements. Georgia’s GDP grew substantially by 9.4 percent in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing economies. Since 2000, per capita GDP has increased by 370 percent, with predictions from Batumi Projects suggesting it could climb by 500 percent by 2030. Galt & Taggart’s analysts foresee more variety in the future, with specialized tourism like eco-tours and cultural experiences, helping the sector to remain strong into 2026 and beyond. In a region with ongoing conflicts, Georgia’s focus on hospitality is paying off, bringing in reliable income that provides stability and highlights the country’s “peaceful future” goals.

Kakheti’s Wine Tourism Ferments a Luxury Legacy

Central to this success is Kakheti, the heart of Georgia in the southeast, and the main area for wine production, creating 75 percent of the nation’s wines. Formerly less known among wine enthusiasts, the area is now attracting high-end visitors seeking a unique and historical “wine experience.”

Wine tourism here is not just about basic tastings; it’s about exploring 8,000 years of history, from wines fermented in clay to exclusive wine cellars also acting as art galleries.

The progress is clear. Between 2020 and 2022, several new wine-focused hotels opened in Telavi, the main town in Kakheti, combining local charm with luxury services. There are about 20 high-quality properties planned nationwide for 2025-2028, turning quiet villages into attractive destinations. This development mirrors the increase in exports; in 2024, 95 million litres were exported, earning $276.1 million, with a 6 percent rise in volume and a 7 percent increase in income. New markets like the UAE (+80 percent), Turkey (+62 percent), and the UK (+42 percent) are embracing Georgian wines, even though Russia still consumes nearly two-thirds of the exports.

Wine production, Georgia’s second-biggest export sector (after mining), is closely linked to tourism, much like vines on a supporting frame. Visitors don’t just sample the wine; they become part of it, like going on vineyard walks. Perhaps by engaging in traditional winemaking classes or sharing stories of hardship amidst authentic culinary experiences. “Georgians have a strong sense of confidence regarding their viniculture,” is a common sentiment, and this devotion is seemingly proving successful, drawing an affluent demographic which may soon compete with the prestigious wineries of Bordeaux.

Source: Wine Tourism Review

The Return of Pink Chardonnay: A Lost Heir Rejoins Champagne’s Noble Lineage

Pink Chardonnay, officially recognized in the Champagne appellation since July 31, 2025, marks a historic return of a nearly forgotten grape variety to its rightful place in the region’s viticultural legacy. A natural mutation of white Chardonnay, this rediscovered gem becomes the eighth authorized grape variety in Champagne, joining the traditional seven and reflecting both heritage preservation and forward-thinking adaptation to climate change.

A Return to Heritage

First identified in the early 1900s in both Champagne and Burgundy, Pink Chardonnay [also known as Chardonnay rose] had long lingered in obscurity. Sustained only by the dedication of a few visionary growers, it was largely confined to experimental collections or isolated vineyard rows. Its inclusion in the French National Catalogue in 2018 conferred official recognition, enabling its propagation and preservation as part of France’s viticultural biodiversity.

Official Recognition and Symbolic Significance

The decision to include Pink Chardonnay in the Champagne appellation’s official specifications symbolizes a renewed commitment to genetic diversity and historical authenticity. Pink Chardonnay is a spontaneous natural mutation, proof that innovation in viticulture can arise organically from nature itself. This recognition not only restores a piece of Champagne’s past but also reflects the region’s intelligence in adapting to new environmental realities.

Viticultural and Oenological Qualities

In both the vineyard and the cellar, Pink Chardonnay closely mirrors its white counterpart. Its agronomic behaviour and oenological performance demonstrate similar freshness, balance, and finesse, qualities that have long defined the elegance of Champagne wines. Yet, beyond its technical attributes, the grape’s deeper value lies in its narrative: a story of rediscovery, resilience, and the enduring dialogue between tradition and innovation.

Diversity Within Continuity

While Pinot Noir, Meunier, and white Chardonnay continue to dominate Champagne’s 34,000 hectares of vines, minority varieties, including Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and now Pink Chardonnay, account for only 0.5% of total plantings. Their preservation reinforces Champagne’s identity as a living, evolving ecosystem, one that values both its cultural roots and its scientific capacity for renewal.

Learn more at www.champagne.fr

OIV reveals growing role of re-export hubs in global wine trade

A new report from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) shows how re-exportation has become a structural force in the global wine market, shaping trade flows and value creation across continents.

Re-exportation reshaping global wine trade

The OIV’s latest Statistical Thematic Focus 2025, titled “The Global Trade in Wine: Role and Relevance of Re-exportation Hubs”, offers the first comprehensive estimate of global wine re-exports. It finds that re-exportation now represents a key driver in how wines reach new markets and consumers.

What is wine re-exportation?

Traditional wine-producing and exporting countries are typically located around the 40th parallel in both hemispheres. However, some nations export substantial quantities of wine despite producing little to none. This suggests that their wine exports originate from previously imported wine – a practice known as re-exporting.

According to the OECD glossary of statistical terms, “re-exports consist of foreign goods exported in the same state as previously imported, from the free circulation area, premises for inward processing or industrial free zones, directly to the rest of the world and from premises for customs warehousing or commercial free zones, to the rest of the world.”

Between 2018 and 2023, re-exports accounted for around 13% of total wine exports – equivalent to 14 million hectolitres valued at €4.6 billion. The report highlights how this activity supports market access and value creation beyond production, through logistics, bottling, storage and redistribution.

According to the OIV, the global wine trade now represents 47% of world consumption. Traditional European trading centres such as the United Kingdom continue to serve as major redistribution platforms, while new high-value gateways like Singapore have emerged in Asia. The report also points to Canada and Angola as rising regional connectors that are helping to diversify global trade routes.

“Re-exportation reveals the real geography of wine flows,” the OIV notes, “distinguishing between where wines are produced, traded and consumed.”

Global exports show steady long-term growth

Wine exports have grown steadily over the past two decades, with the share of exported wine in total global consumption rising from 5% in 1960 to nearly half by 2024. Since 2000, exports have increased by 4% per year in value, though volume growth has slowed to 2%.

In 2024, non-sparkling bottled wines made up two-thirds of total export value (€24 billion) and just over half of global export volume. Sparkling wines, which account for only 11% of volume, contributed almost a quarter of total value, reflecting their higher average prices. Bulk wines comprised nearly one-third of export volume but only 7% of total value.

Sparkling wines have shown the fastest growth since 2017, with value up 4.8% per year and volume up 3%. Non-sparkling bottled wines have shifted towards premiumisation, with value increasing 3.8% per year between 2009 and 2024 despite flat volumes.

The top three exporters – Italy, Spain and France – together represent 55% of global export volume. The ten largest exporting countries account for 85% of exports, underlining the sector’s high concentration.

A more complex, interconnected market

The OIV concludes that re-exportation has become a “structural element” of the global wine economy, shaping not only how wine moves but how it creates value. As trade routes evolve and new hubs emerge, understanding these flows will be critical for anticipating demand, improving transparency and strengthening market resilience.

The full report, “The Global Trade in Wine: Role and Relevance of Re-exportation Hubs”, is available on the OIV website: www.oiv.int.

Sources: OIV and The Drinks Business

Global Wine Tourism Report 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis of Emerging Trends, Economic Impact, and Sustainability in the Global Wine Tourism Sector

The recently published Global Wine Tourism Report 2025 marks a significant milestone for the international wine and tourism industries. Conducted by Hochschule Geisenheim University in collaboration with UN Tourism, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWC), and WineTourism.com, this comprehensive study draws on data from 1,310 wineries across 47 countries, providing the most extensive global analysis of wine tourism to date.

According to Professor Gergely Szolnoki, who led the research, the report offers a global perspective on current market conditions, consumer behaviour, and strategic innovation, helping the sector better understand the evolving expectations of wine tourists worldwide.

Over the past decade, wine tourism has become an increasingly dynamic force in the global economy. When effectively managed, it not only drives rural and regional development but also safeguards cultural heritage, environmental sustainability, and community well-being. Despite its rapid growth, the industry has long lacked robust international data, an information gap this report aims to fill through a systematic, evidence-based annual survey.

Key Findings reveal several structural and behavioural trends shaping the future of wine tourism:

Economic Contribution: Wine tourism continues to serve as a critical economic driver, generating significant revenue and employment in local and rural economies.

Profitability: Two out of three wineries report profitability from tourism, accounting for nearly 25% of total revenue.

Sustainability: Environmental and social sustainability are increasingly central to winery strategies, with two-thirds rating them as “important” or “very important.”

Regional Disparities: Europe reports rising visitor numbers, while several overseas regions experience declines, illustrating uneven recovery patterns.

Engagement: One in four wineries which have not yet engaged in wine tourism has already decided to enter the field, and half are considering doing so in the near future.

Demographics: The 45–65 age group remains dominant; however, millennials and younger travellers (25–44) represent a rapidly expanding segment, drawn to experiences combining education, gastronomy, and sustainability.

Challenges: Economic pressures, falling wine consumption, regulations, labour shortages, and digitalization demand adaptive responses.

Core Activities: Tastings, cellar visits, and vineyard tours continue to form the backbone, offering authentic experiences and personal connections.

Trends: Growing demand for authentic, local, culinary, eco-friendly, and nature-based offers, reinforced by strong digital engagement.

Strategies: Innovation is driven by storytelling, social media, food pairings, local partnerships, education, and cultural events.

Innovation & Investment: Wine tourism is widely regarded as essential for competitiveness, although actual investment levels vary.

Outlook: Half of wineries plan further investment, most anticipate growth, and nearly two-thirds see wine tourism as a resilience tool.

The Global Wine Tourism Report 2025 establishes a unique international benchmark, reaffirming wine tourism’s role as a vital catalyst for economic growth, cultural exchange, and sustainable development within the global wine landscape.

The Full report and executive summary are available at:
👉 www.hsgeisenheim.de/gwtreport