The Monarch tractor.

Wine grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the U.S., but they aren’t subsidized — high risk and high reward. That’s why many vineyard owners are exploring costly tech solutions to combat the industry’s inherent unpredictability. For Ambrook Research, I delve into the many technological advancements showing up in vineyards, and whether they have the potential to be the great salvation for grape growers.

“Just 25 years ago, no one—not even winemakers in Santa Barbara County—promoted the name “Sta. Rita Hills” as a prime place for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yet just two decades after the appellation’s creation in 2001, this fog-soaked, wind-whipped western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley is a globally recognized hotspot for cool-climate grapes and a model of how to correctly craft an American Viticultural Area.” Matt Kettmann checks in on the region in Wine Enthusiast.

Brands likely shell out big bucks for media coverage – they definitely do for social influence – but should we care? In Wine-Searcher, Kathleen Willcox ponders the impact of buying influence in the wine world.

Nina Caplan explores Australia’s Mornington Peninsula in Club Oenologique. “The peninsula’s gorgeously layered Pinot Noirs and creamy yet elegant Chardonnays are the happy outcome of a series of mistakes, starting with the European settlers’ first efforts to plant vines here, in the mid-19th century.”

In Wine Spectator, Mitch Frank on what we can expect from wine in 2023.

In Decanter, Vicki Denig chats with winemakers about the rise of New York State wine.

On JancisRobinson.com, Tamlyn Currin reviews Imperial Wine: How the British Empire Made Wine’s New World by Jennifer Regan-Lefebvre.