Wine's world

Since May, the early development of the 2026 vintage (already evident due to budbreak three weeks ahead of schedule, followed by rapid flowering) has been accelerating as a result of successive heatwaves.

The anticipated harvest dates (for all Bordeaux appellations, not just the earliest-ripening terroirs) are remarkable and are sure to break many records:

• First week of August: harvest of Crémants de Bordeaux, for which preserving acidity is paramount,
• 15 August: harvest of dry whites,
• last week of August: harvest of Merlot.
• Given that the harvest typically lasts around 20 days, the last Cabernet grapes will likely be picked before mid-September.

With heatwaves compounded by persistent drought, it is the youngest vines and/or those on the most well-drained sandy soils (the southern Haut-Médoc on the outskirts of Bordeaux, the Graves on the edge of the Landes Forest, and Saint-Émilion and Pomerol on the outskirts of Libourne) that will suffer the most.

Conversely, old vines with deep root systems, and terroirs on clay or clay-limestone subsoils, will – barring extreme weather conditions – be able to make the most of these summer heatwaves to produce great wines, as was the case in 2022.

The SoWine agency has just published its 2026 report, packed with information on the consumption of alcoholic beverages in France:

• Type of drink. Wine remains the favourite alcoholic drink for 52% of respondents, ahead of beer (51%), Champagne (34%), cocktails (29%), sparkling wines (22%), cider (20%) and neat spirits (18%)...

• Wine colour. Among wine drinkers, white wine (91%) is the most popular, ahead of Champagne (87%), rosé (85%), red wine (83%), French sparkling wines (79%) and foreign sparkling wines (62%)...

• Wine region. Bordeaux (61%) remains the French people’s favourite region, ahead of Burgundy (58%), Champagne (42%), the Rhône Valley (40%) and Alsace (39%)... 

When we learned that Michelin had acquired (40% in 2016, then 100% in 2019) Robert Parker's magazine, The Wine Advocate, we suspected that their intention was ultimately to add a wine guide to their publications.

This will soon be a reality, as Michelin has just officially announced the publication of its Wine Guide in early 2026, in which wine estates will be awarded 1, 2 or 3 bunches, similar to the stars awarded to restaurants.

Their ranking is based on five factors: the quality of the agronomy, the technical expertise in the cellar, the personality of the estate, the balance of the wines and the consistency of production quality (by taking over The Wine Advocate, Michelin has gained access to 38 years and 500,000 ratings from Robert Parker).

For this first edition, the guide, which is available in digital format only, will focus exclusively on Bordeaux and Burgundy vineyards, but Michelin intends to gradually expand it to include other French and foreign vineyards. This eagerly awaited guide is already raising many questions:

- Will wine producers, like some restaurant owners, agree to be ranked in this way, or will they prefer not to be included in the Michelin Guide?
- Do wine lovers really need a digital guide to find out which producers are good (given that it is not individual vintages that are rated, but rather the estates' overall production, including all wines and vintages)?
- Will the number of grapes directly influence the pricing policy of the promoted estates?
- Will Michelin also award “bibs gourmands” to distinguish estates offering good value for money?
- And so on.

Given the power of the Michelin brand, this new Guide is sure to shake up the global wine media landscape. As soon as it is published, we will be sure to tell you all about it...