In partnership with
It’s Thursday!
Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore how The Michelin Guide is getting into wine.
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: Michelin owns the most influential wine publication on earth. Now it's launching a competitor to itself, and claiming the new system will be "more powerful" than the one it already bought.
What happened: Michelin announced Monday it's launching Michelin Grapes, a three-tier wine estate rating system debuting in Burgundy and Bordeaux in 2026, just five years after acquiring 100% of Robert Parker Wine Advocate.
Why it matters: Robert Parker changed how wine was made. Producers reshaped their entire approach to chase his scores, creating a generation of "Parkerized" full-bodied reds. Now the company that owns his legacy is building its replacement and asking us to trust both.
What to watch: Whether wine regions will have to pay for Grape ratings the way American cities pay millions for restaurant stars. Boston paid $1 million. Texas spent $2.7 million. Burgundy has deeper pockets.
They bought the Pope of Wine. Now they're starting their own church.
Sponsor Break
Before we slurp into today’s brew…
Here are some wordies from today’s sponsor.
The Smartest Free Crypto Event You’ll Join This Year
Curious about crypto but still feeling stuck scrolling endless threads? People who get in early aren’t just lucky—they understand the why, when, and how of crypto.
Join our free 3‑day virtual summit and meet the crypto experts who can help you build out your portfolio. You’ll walk away with smart, actionable insights from analysts, developers, and seasoned crypto investors who’ve created fortunes using smart strategies and deep research.
No hype. No FOMO. Just the clear steps you need to move from intrigued to informed about crypto.
Here’s Your Brew
In 1900, France had fewer than 3,000 cars.
André and Édouard Michelin had tires to sell, but nobody was wearing them out.
Their fix: a free guide showing drivers where to eat, sleep, and refuel. Make the countryside worth visiting.
More driving, more flats, more sales.
The star system came in 1926. "Worth a stop." "Worth a detour." "Worth a special journey."
Each tier meant more kilometers, more rubber on the road.
125 years later, the marketing scheme runs the global taste economy. Stars for restaurants. Keys for hotels (launched 2024). Full ownership of Robert Parker.
And now Grapes for wine.
Michelin says Grapes will be "more powerful" than Parker, the critic it spent years acquiring.
A controlled demolition of your own asset to build something you control completely.
A tire company from Clermont-Ferrand now decides what excellence means across food, hospitality, and wine.
The Bibendum cinematic universe is complete.
Two Sides, One Mug
Pro: A unified global standard helps consumers navigate overwhelming markets, and Michelin's anonymous methodology has built trust over a century.
Con: The same company sets the criteria, employs the judges, and owns the competition. Its restaurant arm charges cities millions for the privilege of being rated.
Our read: Hard to claim independence when you own both the exam and the textbook.
Receipt of the Day
The Drinks Business — October 2025
"Michelin told The Times the new system would be 'more influential than Parker's', with one executive claiming: 'The Michelin brand is much more powerful.'"
Why it matters: Strange thing to say about a publication you paid to acquire. Unless the plan was always to absorb and replace. Source
Spit Take
$2.7 million — what Texas paid Michelin to rate its restaurants. [Fort Worth Report]
Your Coffee Break Links (and water cooler chatter)
Parker didn't just rate Bordeaux. He reshaped it. — His preference for full-bodied, high-alcohol reds changed how producers made wine. French authorities have since paid €120 million in subsidies to reduce production amid collapsing demand. Michelin now owns its publication. The Drinks Business
Michelin's restaurant guide is already pay-to-play. — Tourism boards from Boston to Bangkok pay hundreds of thousands for Michelin to send inspectors. Cities that don't pay don't get rated. "This is pay to play, at least initially," one Boston food writer told GBH. Slate
The question nobody's answering: How do you rate a house that makes 50 wines? — Burgundy négociants produce everything from regional blends to Grand Cru. One estate, one Grape rating? The methodology has a hole. Wineanorak
Join your team of caffeinated skeptics.
Opinionated world news that respects your time.
One bold take, the best counter, and the receipt(s) that prove it (all in sixish minutes).
Mugshot Poll 📊
Michelin's next move after wine:
You can read yesterday’s newsletter on AI spending here.
For the love of coffee, see you tomorrow!
Enjoy your Thursday, keep it caffeinated.
How did we do?
Thanks for reading!
Are you subscribing?
Be sure to get your daily curse and coffee fix by hitting your daily knowledge button below.