A Michelin Star Winery
Striving for "Bucket List Winery" Status and Other Unreasonable Goals
Every once in a while, someone says something about your work that makes all the late nights, tough decisions, and high standards feel deeply worth it. Recently, a customer referred to one of my clients as a "bucket list winery." Think about that for a moment: bucket list. As in, visiting this winery wasn’t just a fun weekend plan—it was something they felt they must experience in their lifetime.
What an incredible compliment. And what a lofty goal to aspire to for any winery. It got me thinking: What does it take for a winery to reach that level? What does it mean to go beyond simply being a “good winery” or even a “luxury winery” to becoming a place people dream about, plan for, and pilgrimage to?
To answer that, I want to propose a new category of wineries: the Michelin Star Winery. Somewhere beyond the exclusivity of a cult winery and the opulence of a luxury winery sits this third type of winery—a place where exceptional hospitality, unforgettable experiences, and impeccable products combine to create something aspirational yet accessible.
Defining the Three Tiers: Cult Winery, Luxury Winery, and Michelin Star Winery
Luxury Winery
Luxury wineries represent the pinnacle of prestige and tradition in the wine world. These are wineries with decades—sometimes centuries—of history behind them, allowing them to carry the weight of heritage and time. These are the wines that become collector’s items, frequently auctioned off for jaw-dropping prices. Luxury wineries have world-renowned reputations. Think of names like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Château Lafite Rothschild, where the wine has become more of an enduring cultural symbol than a beverage.
Cult Winery
Cult wineries, on the other hand, are the rising stars, often defined by their rarity and exclusivity. While they may not yet have decades of heritage to their name, they create a buzz with small production runs and outstanding quality, earning them near-mythical status within the wine world (this sounds dramatic as I write it, but here we are).
Cult wines frequently have long waitlists, sky-high secondary market prices, and dedicated, cult-like followings. Still, they aren’t typically auctioned off for thousands of dollars just yet—though some, like Sine Qua Non, are already showing signs of graduating into luxury winery status, as evidenced by their wines appearing in high-profile auctions. These are the aspirational wineries of today that could very well be the luxury wineries of tomorrow.
Michelin Star Winery
My proposed third classification considers the tasting experience as well as the wine. A Michelin Star Winery is the kind of place where people feel like they’re part of something special, where hospitality is elevated to an art form, and where the memory of the visit lasts long after the last drop of wine is poured.
Michelin Star (or, alternatively, Bucket List) Wineries don’t need to be exclusive, though having limited seatings can help create really special experiences. It’s about being memorable and remarkable in a way that makes people feel lucky to have been part of it. It’s where exceptional wine meets exceptional hospitality and storytelling, creating an experience that feels deeply personal and meaningful.
If Luxury Wineries are the haute couture of the wine world and Cult Wineries are the indie darlings, then Michelin Star Wineries are the ones chasing the kind of experiential magic that could earn them the equivalent of a Michelin star for unforgettable excellence.
What a Michelin Star Winery Could Look Like
As far as I’m aware, wineries don’t get Michelin stars unless they also have a restaurant. And even then, the star is awarded to the restaurant, not the winery. But what if we approached the creation of our winery experiences using the idea of a Michelin star as a blueprint?
Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants that consistently deliver impeccable food, service, and ambiance. It’s the entire experience, from the first greeting to the final goodbye. A winery could strive for the same:
Unparalleled Wine: Obviously, the wine itself must be exceptional. That’s non-negotiable. And the story behind the wine—its connection to the land, the people who made it, and the traditions it honors—should be just as compelling.
Remarkable Hospitality: Borrowing from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, the difference between good service and unforgettable service lies in the little moments. Personal touches like sending a handwritten thank-you note, adding your guest’s names to a personalized tasting menu, offering an unexpected pairing, or sharing a heartfelt story during the tasting can elevate a visit from enjoyable to extraordinary.
Memorability: Every element of the visit—how you’re greeted, how the space feels, how the staff interacts—should be designed to leave a lasting impression.
You Don’t Have to Be Snooty to Be Exceptional: Lessons from Bell’s Los Alamos
Bell’s in Los Alamos is a local-to-me gem that proves excellence doesn’t have to come with pretension. It’s a Michelin-starred restaurant with a welcoming, approachable vibe. People go to Bell’s for the incredible food (obviously), but they come back because of the extraordinary experience they had.
Wineries can—and should—aspire to the same. Being a Michelin Star Winery doesn’t mean being inaccessible or elitist. It means being intentional about every aspect of the experience you offer, from the wine you pour to how you make people feel.
Unreasonable Goals Worth Striving For
Imagine what it would feel like for your winery to be the one people talk about in hushed, reverent tones. The one they put on their travel itinerary, their vision boards, their bucket lists. That’s not just a dream—it’s something you can achieve.
Work on building beautiful and authentic experiences so that when your customers look back at their visit to your winery, they might not remember the exact vintage they tasted, but they will remember how they felt. And that feeling? That’s the magic of a Michelin Star Winery.
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