Two years after China imposed a punitive tax on Australian wine, Australia’s grape growers are still suffering. The New York Times reports on the crisis. “Farmers are facing a choice between selling grapes at a huge loss or keeping costs to a minimum and not harvesting…China went from being the biggest buyer of Australian wine, accounting for 40 percent of exports, to 23rd, below countries like Sweden and the Philippines. It was devastating for an industry that had reoriented its priorities after the two countries struck a free-trade agreement in 2015.”

“Bordeaux grapegrowers are planning to tear out almost 23,500 acres of vines—and they’re thrilled. After nine months of negotiations with local, regional and national government representatives, on March 1 the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) reached an agreement with Marc Fesneau, France’s minister of agriculture and food sovereignty, for financing the vine pull,” reports Suzanne Mustacich in Wine Spectator. “These uprooting efforts will allow struggling growers to find new uses for their land and hopefully end a perpetual surplus of low-cost Bordeaux wines.”

In January, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, acquired the nearby Jefferson Vineyards. Dave McIntyre reports on the news in the Washington Post. “We’ll see how the foundation, a non-profit entity, succeeds in managing a winery, a type of business that does not always fit comfortably into a corporate culture….Integrating Jefferson Vineyards into one of Virginia’s largest tourist attractions could boost the profile of Virginia wine, especially as tour buses stop at the tasting room after leaving Monticello.”

In Wine Enthusiast, Kathleen Willcox explores the important role of bees in vineyards.

Janice Williams offers a guide to Bulgarian wine in SevenFifty Daily.

Natural wine skeptic Lettie Teague explores New York City’s natural wine bars in the Wall Street Journal.

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Esther Mobley delves into tipping at wineries.