Michelin to unveil its first Napa Valley winery ratings in 2027

The announcement

On November 6, 2026, the MICHELIN Guide said selected Napa Valley estates would be named on April 23, 2027. This would be its first wine-estate selection in the United States and the first outside Europe. No estates or total number were announced.^{2 · 3}

Napa would be the 3rd region covered. Michelin introduced the grape distinction in 2026, presenting Burgundy in Dijon on July 7, 2026, followed by Bordeaux at the Cité du Vin in September 2026.^{2 · 3}

Why Napa

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guide, said Napa Valley held an important place in modern wine. Michelin cited the Judgment of Paris in May 1976, when leading Napa wines finished ahead of celebrated French wines in a blind tasting. It also noted the valley’s differing microclimates across roughly 30 miles and plantings led by Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.^{2 · 3}

Assessment and tiers

Specialist inspectors would independently assess 5 criteria: agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency. Michelin described these as covering soil vitality and vine care, winemaking rigor, expression of place and people, harmony among a wine’s components, and performance across vintages, including difficult ones.^{2 · 3}

Michelin said its inspectors were employees working collectively and independently, with panel review and editorial supervision. The anonymous inspectors would visit Napa estates incognito and taste a wide range of wines.²

The 4 tiers are: 3 grapes for exceptional producers considered reliable in any vintage; 2 for producers distinguished by excellence, quality and consistency within their terroir; 1 for high-quality producers with character and style, especially in the best vintages; and Recommended for trusted producers of consistently well-made wines.^{2 · 3}

European context

Vinabox.net calculated the comparison from Michelin’s reported totals. Burgundy listed 94 estates: 9 with 3 grapes, 20 with 2, 33 with 1 and 32 Recommended, with 9.6% at the top. Bordeaux listed 83: 9 with 3, 16 with 2, 37 with 1 and 21 Recommended, or 10.8% at the top. The publisher derived Bordeaux’s Recommended count by subtracting the 62 estates awarded grapes from the total of 83.³

As of November 9, 2026, no Napa winery held a Michelin grape. The Napa selection remained scheduled for April 23, 2027.^{2 · 3}