The Morning Claret - Simon J Woolf

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The Morning Claret - Simon J Woolf

Simon J Woolf and friends on natural, organic, biodyamic and orange wines. Award winning and much lo Simon J Woolf and friends on wild and wonderful wines.

We love natural, organic, biodynamic and orange wines!

28/03/2026

Spend a week in the beautiful Slovenian countryside working on your writing.

Do you love wine, food or travel? Writing about your passion is not just fulfilling, it can also earn you money. Learn from a leading non-fiction writer, hone your craft and discuss your work with colleagues.

This May, I’m running a residential course in rural Slovenia specifically for non-fiction writers. Both experienced and aspiring writers are welcome. Wine, food and travel will be the main themes, however writers with an interest in any non-fiction topic are welcome.

The dates are May 24th - May 29th.

Full details and booking form at courses.themorningclaret.com (clickable link in bio).

📷 and Vila Arte

05/02/2026

Go check out my latest article at themorningclaret.com

It's about new wave wines from Bordeaux. There are even a few jokes in there.

I spent an hour making this crappy video, but I spend days on writing, researching and editing my articles.

Ignore my insta. Unfollow me. Go subscribe to my substack.

And if you're a writer, check out my residential course in Slovenia, May 24-29.

See you somewhere else than here.

Https://courses.themorningclaret.com

30/08/2025

's ‘labels with the faces’ are some of the most recognisable bottles in the world of natural wine. The names behind the label are Eduard and Stephanie Tscheppe, who created the brand after they purchased an old abandoned winery in the village of Oggau, Burgenland in late 2006.

I first tasted the wines during a visit in 2013, and was hugely impressed by their elegance and their vibrant energy. I have been a fan ever since. The couple’s dedication to biodynamic viticulture and non-interventionist winemaking is well known. For the global community of natural wine lovers, they have become A-list celebs, adored and admired wherever they go.

Yet some feel that their slick marketing and effortless social media communication is too good to be true. Could ‘real’ growers ever be this good at presenting and explaining what they do? And how boutique is their production - has it scaled up to meet demand? Are the wines still as exceptional as they once were, and can they justify the high prices?

When Steffi invited me to join a weekend deep-dive at Gut Oggau this August, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to pull back the curtain, observe the farming up close and personal, and understand whether the detractors had a point

Now read on at themorningclaret.com (link in bio)

06/08/2025

I love and respect this new initiative from 25 winemakers on the Italian/Slovenian border so much.

Senza Meja, meaning "no borders", is a newly created association and newly opened enoteca (wine bar and shop) in Gorizia. Although it's only open two days a week at present - it's entirely staffed by the winemakers - it's a dream location for any artisanal wine fan.

There is literally nowhere else in the region where you can taste or purchase all of these kick-ass wines.

Read my article (just published, free to read) to find out what makes this association unique and groundbreaking, what they stand for and what they're planning next.

Link or bio, or just visit themorningclaret.com

And check out the members - it's a who's who of all the good guys!

BRDA

.stekar

COLLIO

.wine .podversic

CARSO

COLLI ORIENTALI

.winery

AQUILEIA

If you appreciated this little update, please subscribe to my site and enjoy all the content I publish, every week.

19/05/2025

Faces and a few fave wines from 2025.

A feast of amazing wines & people. I love the combination of a serious tasting with an informal, festival vibe as soon as you step out onto the expansive terrace.

More detailed reportage coming on themorningclaret.com later this week.

1. Estelle and Cyrille won the prize for most lovable and eccentric couple of the fair. I asked this couple from Burgundy why they decided to move to Negotin 🇷🇸 in 2008. They said "We don't really know!" But the wine is amazing

2. ...especially this Black Muscat (Tanjanika) - spicy, aromatic, perfect tannins.

3. So much fun tasting feisty & outspoken wines from .div.ine DИB - Irina and Veselin, who make unique blends of their own grapes from Thrace 🇧🇬 mixed with fruit they buy from nearby Northern Greece.

4. Dominik Machater-Göritzer ( / Mago) from West Styria 🇦🇹 on fine form.

5. Stefan makes the most amazing Sauvignon Blanc and Welschriesling, in Burgenland 🇦🇹

6. with nothing but deliciousness, as usual - Burgenland 🇦🇹

7. Birgit Weiderstein's smile is as infectious as

8. her superb "Flora" 2024 Grüner Veltliner - Carnuntum 🇦🇹

9. Finally met both halves of the super talented

10. Nando's Rebula "Jantar" 2021 blew me away with its spicy fruit and expressiveness (Brda 🇸🇮)

11. Herbert is some kind of magician...

12. making pure wines like this Gelber Muskateller 2024 with a zero zero approach - Styria 🇦🇹

13. Geologist Valentina Dietrich only has 0.5 ha but

14. this was the most beautiful Weissburgunder (2022) of the fair. Styria 🇦🇹

15. new Welschriesling is soooo fruity and smashable - Burgenland 🇦🇹

16. is a new project from two employees. They've been well trained!

17. Their featherlite Pinot Noir is a thing of beauty - Burgenland 🇦🇹

18. It seems wasn't a one vintage wonder. Gelber Muskateller & GV 2023 both excellent. Weinviertel 🇦🇹

19. 's new releases really wowed me

20. His negoce white just demands to be drunk. Burgenland 🇦🇹

11/04/2025

Are you a natural winemaker? Get this anazingly realistic figurine absolutely free when you select one of my shill-tastic producer packages:

Free accommodation & tasting menu = 94 points for all your wines on my site

Higher thread count in my hotel room plus spa weekend = 1,000 word article proclaiming you as region-X's most exciting new winemaker

Case of your most expensive wine finds its way into my car = make that 96 points

Let's go Michelin for dinner = make that 98 points

Open my birth year vintage = I'll tell Robert Parker you deserved more than 50 points

Lifetime supply of your least volatile wine = I'll swear blind I never tasted mouse in any of your cuvées, forever

Hurry! Offers strictly limited and may not actually be genuine at all.

Terms and conditions apply. May contain sulfites.

17/01/2025

I looked deep into my cloudy, unfiltered crystal ball 🔮to bring you the only predictions for wine in 2025 you need. Read them now at themorningclaret.com (clickable link in bio)

Unfortunately, due to my piss-poor research budget, the accuracy of the predictions *might* be a little off....

Help me improve by becoming a 🤑💲💲💲paid subscriber. My site is entirely supported by you, no advertising, no sponsorship.

SPECIAL OFFER until the end of January 2025 - get 20% off an annual subscription by using the code jan2025offer (go straight there with this link https://themorningclaret.com/jan2025offer).

That makes it just €40 for a whole year of insights and opinions on natural, organic, biodynamic and orange wine, all delivered direct to your inbox.

Last year I published 60 articles, including news stories, producer and region profiles, wine recommendations and of course the robust opinion pieces and in depth investigations that you know and love me for.

Plus, you'll get access to my soon-to-be-launched subscriber chat. Ask me for any wine advice you like.

03/11/2024

Korea it's been emotional. I'm back after four days judging at the and a weekend in Seoul. And a ton of gorgeously spicy kimchi, delicate broths and tasty street eats.

Photos:

1. Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul

2. I chaired a panel dedicated only to orange wines for the 4 days. Can't wait to see the results. We had some amazing wines from Georgia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, France & Chile. Thanks so much .chanjun and your team!

3. Museum tower in Daejeon

4. Random noodle soup with beef short ribs, Seoul

5. Goohyan in his shop Gangnam, Seoul. Thanks so much for your nook, and my first ever Korean orange wine!

6. Eating a Korean blood sausage filled with sweet potato noodles. It was superb. Gwangjang market, photo - thanks for being my guide!

7. Cold buckwheat noodle soup in Seoul. A north Korean classic.

8. Beautiful mountain views in Gyeongbokgung Palace gardens, Seoul.

9. A superb treat served by Julie at .alt in Sejong-Si from

10. Julie and my old buddy@drmattyh in the cellar at Lounge.Alt

11. Skyline in Sejong

12. Sensational wild sea urchin dish served at in Seoul. Thanks Paul!

13. One of many treats opened for me by - natural wine importer extraordinare! 🙏🙏🙏

14. Spicy beef soup at a cafe in Daejeon

15. Apparently it used to cos 20,000 USD to get this photo in the VIP room at Wine bar Maison D in Gangnam. I got it for free. Thanks so much Mi Yuen!

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Pedrovo
Branik
5295

Website

https://www.themorningclaret.com/

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Our Story

Simon J Woolf and friends on wild and wonderful wines. The Morning Claret launched in 2011 to celebrate the lesser known, the wilfully obscure, the under-appreciated nooks and crannies of fermented grape juice. It’s since become one of the world’s best loved resources for natural, organic, biodynamic and artisan wine.

These are the bottles we love to drink – We’d sing about them if we could, but trust us, it’s better if we write.

We mix shorter, pithier prose with occasional longer, more technical explorations for those who want to go deeper. Plus, we’re building the world’s largest catalogue of orange wine reviews, one week at a time.