Simon J Woolf
@simonjwoolf.com
Writer, author & presenter. Lover of handmade beverages, food, coffee & electronic music.
Books: Amber Revolution (2018, 2021), Foot Trodden (2021) (with Ryan Opaz)
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: https://themorningclaret.com/
Brit living in NL.
Books: Amber Revolution (2018, 2021), Foot Trodden (2021) (with Ryan Opaz)
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: https://themorningclaret.com/
Brit living in NL.
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
QUIT X.
Remaining on that platform even as an unused username supports its legitimacy.
You do not need it. Deactivate your account.
Remaining on that platform even as an unused username supports its legitimacy.
You do not need it. Deactivate your account.
January 13, 2026 at 11:27 AM
QUIT X.
Remaining on that platform even as an unused username supports its legitimacy.
You do not need it. Deactivate your account.
Remaining on that platform even as an unused username supports its legitimacy.
You do not need it. Deactivate your account.
Calling all wine and food writers, professional or aspiring.
I'm hosting a residential course on non-fiction writing this May.
We'll be based in a beautiful location in the hills of Vipava, Slovenia.
Full details & how to book:
themorningclaret.com/p/writing-co...
I'm hosting a residential course on non-fiction writing this May.
We'll be based in a beautiful location in the hills of Vipava, Slovenia.
Full details & how to book:
themorningclaret.com/p/writing-co...
Residential Writing Course with Simon J Woolf
Spend a week in the beautiful Slovenian countryside working on your writing
themorningclaret.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Calling all wine and food writers, professional or aspiring.
I'm hosting a residential course on non-fiction writing this May.
We'll be based in a beautiful location in the hills of Vipava, Slovenia.
Full details & how to book:
themorningclaret.com/p/writing-co...
I'm hosting a residential course on non-fiction writing this May.
We'll be based in a beautiful location in the hills of Vipava, Slovenia.
Full details & how to book:
themorningclaret.com/p/writing-co...
I felt I couldn't ignore this topic any longer. I promise more seasonal cheer in next week's post!
themorningclaret.com/p/the-last-t...
themorningclaret.com/p/the-last-t...
The Last Topic I Wanted to Write About
But every wine lover needs to consider what the future holds
themorningclaret.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I felt I couldn't ignore this topic any longer. I promise more seasonal cheer in next week's post!
themorningclaret.com/p/the-last-t...
themorningclaret.com/p/the-last-t...
December 15, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Can wine change your life? I believe it can, because one bottle did just that for me, on two occasions.
My story is published here - free for all to read:
themorningclaret.com/p/can-wine-c...
My story is published here - free for all to read:
themorningclaret.com/p/can-wine-c...
Can Wine Change Your Life?
How one bottle changed mine on two occasions
themorningclaret.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Can wine change your life? I believe it can, because one bottle did just that for me, on two occasions.
My story is published here - free for all to read:
themorningclaret.com/p/can-wine-c...
My story is published here - free for all to read:
themorningclaret.com/p/can-wine-c...
The best part about publishing an article like this is that I get to read the discussion and the insightful comments from people much smarter than me.
In that sense, my piece is like a straw man to incite others to put their thoughts down on the page.
themorningclaret.com/p/growing-gr...
In that sense, my piece is like a straw man to incite others to put their thoughts down on the page.
themorningclaret.com/p/growing-gr...
Growing Grapes Under Glass
Could this be the future of vineyards?
themorningclaret.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:07 AM
The best part about publishing an article like this is that I get to read the discussion and the insightful comments from people much smarter than me.
In that sense, my piece is like a straw man to incite others to put their thoughts down on the page.
themorningclaret.com/p/growing-gr...
In that sense, my piece is like a straw man to incite others to put their thoughts down on the page.
themorningclaret.com/p/growing-gr...
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
The World Championship of Pâté en Croute just announced first prize...and it looks delicious. Entries were genuinely from around the world, with some brilliant offerings from Japan, but the winner Thibault Gonzales comes from Thuir, in the Pyrenees Orientales, near me.
December 2, 2025 at 10:53 AM
The World Championship of Pâté en Croute just announced first prize...and it looks delicious. Entries were genuinely from around the world, with some brilliant offerings from Japan, but the winner Thibault Gonzales comes from Thuir, in the Pyrenees Orientales, near me.
If you ever needed proof that China is an authoritarian country.....
December 2, 2025 at 11:05 AM
If you ever needed proof that China is an authoritarian country.....
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
Really loved this article by @simonjwoolf.com Good food wine pairings exist, but you need to put the effort in to find the right match. And, importantly, the dish needs to leave some room for a wine to complement it. themorningclaret.com/p/does-the-p...
Does the Perfect Wine Pairing Exist?
Maybe if you go for orange wine. Here's what changed my mind.
themorningclaret.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Really loved this article by @simonjwoolf.com Good food wine pairings exist, but you need to put the effort in to find the right match. And, importantly, the dish needs to leave some room for a wine to complement it. themorningclaret.com/p/does-the-p...
I finally made it to China's most famous wine region - Ningxia.
Some thoughts and profiles of Silver Heights Winery, Xiao-Pu (Ian Dai), Lingering Clouds and Helan September.
themorningclaret.com/p/is-chinas-...
Some thoughts and profiles of Silver Heights Winery, Xiao-Pu (Ian Dai), Lingering Clouds and Helan September.
themorningclaret.com/p/is-chinas-...
Is China's Most Famous Wine Region Doomed?
Visiting the innovators in Ningxia
themorningclaret.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM
I finally made it to China's most famous wine region - Ningxia.
Some thoughts and profiles of Silver Heights Winery, Xiao-Pu (Ian Dai), Lingering Clouds and Helan September.
themorningclaret.com/p/is-chinas-...
Some thoughts and profiles of Silver Heights Winery, Xiao-Pu (Ian Dai), Lingering Clouds and Helan September.
themorningclaret.com/p/is-chinas-...
Yes.This is exactly the problem. Thank you for this piece of clear thinking.
Natural wine isn’t a fairy tale about “no intervention.” It’s a moral line in the sand about how far we let industrial and commercial logic shape what’s in the glass. Arguing about definitions misses the real fight over practice and quality. #wine #WineSky foodandwineaesthetics.com/2025/11/18/d...
Do We Need Another Debate about “Natural?”
I thought we were past worrying about how to define “natural wine” but apparently it’s still an issue. In World of Fine Wine, Benjamin Lewin (MW) argues that the terms “natural,”“low intervention”…
foodandwineaesthetics.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Yes.This is exactly the problem. Thank you for this piece of clear thinking.
No surprise I guess, this has drawn a huge amount of discussion already:
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
What is it with Natural Wine Haters?
I tried to understand the polemic that never stops
themorningclaret.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:24 PM
No surprise I guess, this has drawn a huge amount of discussion already:
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
A match that allows both {food and wine} to shine is rarer than rocking horse shit. We nailed it by systematically trying wine after wine with bite after bite, until we found the combination that made us both stop in our tracks, speechless with its deliciousness. by @simonjwoolf.com
Does the Perfect Wine Pairing Exist?
Maybe if you go for orange wine. Here's what changed my mind.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:59 PM
A match that allows both {food and wine} to shine is rarer than rocking horse shit. We nailed it by systematically trying wine after wine with bite after bite, until we found the combination that made us both stop in our tracks, speechless with its deliciousness. by @simonjwoolf.com
More travel writing: I hunted down the best restaurants and natural wine haunts in Bangkok, during an amazing week back in April.
Readers of @vanityfair.com can be assured all these places serve *really disgusting* orange wines too.
themorningclaret.com/p/bangkok-un...
Readers of @vanityfair.com can be assured all these places serve *really disgusting* orange wines too.
themorningclaret.com/p/bangkok-un...
Bangkok Uncorked
I hunted down the best natural wine addresses in one of Asia's most gastronomic cities
themorningclaret.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:19 PM
More travel writing: I hunted down the best restaurants and natural wine haunts in Bangkok, during an amazing week back in April.
Readers of @vanityfair.com can be assured all these places serve *really disgusting* orange wines too.
themorningclaret.com/p/bangkok-un...
Readers of @vanityfair.com can be assured all these places serve *really disgusting* orange wines too.
themorningclaret.com/p/bangkok-un...
Always fancied myself as a travel and food writer so I had a go (OK, it is about wine too).
themorningclaret.com/p/holidays-a...
themorningclaret.com/p/holidays-a...
Holidays and Wine
Trying to find the good stuff on a Greek island idyll
themorningclaret.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Always fancied myself as a travel and food writer so I had a go (OK, it is about wine too).
themorningclaret.com/p/holidays-a...
themorningclaret.com/p/holidays-a...
"The people who make our lives more difficult don't arrive on rubber dinghies, they arrive on private jets"
Ross Creer MSP on BBC Debate Night.
Applies everywhere, not just the UK.
Ross Creer MSP on BBC Debate Night.
Applies everywhere, not just the UK.
October 14, 2025 at 9:42 AM
"The people who make our lives more difficult don't arrive on rubber dinghies, they arrive on private jets"
Ross Creer MSP on BBC Debate Night.
Applies everywhere, not just the UK.
Ross Creer MSP on BBC Debate Night.
Applies everywhere, not just the UK.
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
"Left to its own devices, nature will create something more beautiful and unique than a packet of yeast ever could. You just need a little faith"
More magic from @simonjwoolf.com
More magic from @simonjwoolf.com
It's a Kind of Magic
An ode to fermentation
open.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
"Left to its own devices, nature will create something more beautiful and unique than a packet of yeast ever could. You just need a little faith"
More magic from @simonjwoolf.com
More magic from @simonjwoolf.com
I spent a weekend at Gut Oggau, one of Austria's most iconic biodynamic wineries.
They have many fans worldwide, but also detractors who think their slick marketing means they're too good to be true.
Here's what I discovered.
themorningclaret.com/p/the-real-d...
They have many fans worldwide, but also detractors who think their slick marketing means they're too good to be true.
Here's what I discovered.
themorningclaret.com/p/the-real-d...
The Real Deal at Gut Oggau
I spent a weekend immersed in biodynamics and cosmic energy
themorningclaret.com
August 30, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I spent a weekend at Gut Oggau, one of Austria's most iconic biodynamic wineries.
They have many fans worldwide, but also detractors who think their slick marketing means they're too good to be true.
Here's what I discovered.
themorningclaret.com/p/the-real-d...
They have many fans worldwide, but also detractors who think their slick marketing means they're too good to be true.
Here's what I discovered.
themorningclaret.com/p/the-real-d...
A slightly snarky guide to Amsterdam's natural wine scene, with my off-piste favourites and a survival guide if you really want to do battle with the hipsters.
Second half of the piece is for paying subscribers. It'll only cost you €5 to become one of them!
themorningclaret.com/p/amsterdam-...
Second half of the piece is for paying subscribers. It'll only cost you €5 to become one of them!
themorningclaret.com/p/amsterdam-...
August 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A slightly snarky guide to Amsterdam's natural wine scene, with my off-piste favourites and a survival guide if you really want to do battle with the hipsters.
Second half of the piece is for paying subscribers. It'll only cost you €5 to become one of them!
themorningclaret.com/p/amsterdam-...
Second half of the piece is for paying subscribers. It'll only cost you €5 to become one of them!
themorningclaret.com/p/amsterdam-...
Not sure about AI? Here's how to stop search engines from showing you AI answers in preference to actual web sites.
Google: use www.udm14.com (performs google search with the option &udm=14)
Better yet, change your default search engine to DuckDuckGo and don't forget to tweak this setting:
Google: use www.udm14.com (performs google search with the option &udm=14)
Better yet, change your default search engine to DuckDuckGo and don't forget to tweak this setting:
August 11, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Not sure about AI? Here's how to stop search engines from showing you AI answers in preference to actual web sites.
Google: use www.udm14.com (performs google search with the option &udm=14)
Better yet, change your default search engine to DuckDuckGo and don't forget to tweak this setting:
Google: use www.udm14.com (performs google search with the option &udm=14)
Better yet, change your default search engine to DuckDuckGo and don't forget to tweak this setting:
So much this. 100 times this. Fuck ChatGPT, all AI actually.
www.katiematherwrites.com/the-gulp/abs...
www.katiematherwrites.com/the-gulp/abs...
Absolutely Fuck ChatGPT — Katie Mather Writes
There’s a lot to get angry about when it comes to Generative AI, but something that really set me bleeding from the ears this week was learning that kitchen managers, chefs, even cocktail mixologists ...
www.katiematherwrites.com
August 8, 2025 at 10:12 AM
So much this. 100 times this. Fuck ChatGPT, all AI actually.
www.katiematherwrites.com/the-gulp/abs...
www.katiematherwrites.com/the-gulp/abs...
With all the press about Substack pivoting to a model that prioritises advertising integration, I'm starting to face up to a possible migration soon.
Perhaps you got out at the right time @katiematherkm.bsky.social
Perhaps you got out at the right time @katiematherkm.bsky.social
August 7, 2025 at 1:45 PM
With all the press about Substack pivoting to a model that prioritises advertising integration, I'm starting to face up to a possible migration soon.
Perhaps you got out at the right time @katiematherkm.bsky.social
Perhaps you got out at the right time @katiematherkm.bsky.social
25 young winemakers on the Italian/Slovenian border have launched a wonderful initiative, Senza Meja (without borders) to represent their work.
Better still, they've opened an enoteca in Gorizia where you can buy and drink all of their wines. Dream boutique!
themorningclaret.com/p/wine-witho...
Better still, they've opened an enoteca in Gorizia where you can buy and drink all of their wines. Dream boutique!
themorningclaret.com/p/wine-witho...
Wine Without Borders
Senza Meja, a ground breaking new association of Italian and Slovenian winemakers
themorningclaret.com
August 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
25 young winemakers on the Italian/Slovenian border have launched a wonderful initiative, Senza Meja (without borders) to represent their work.
Better still, they've opened an enoteca in Gorizia where you can buy and drink all of their wines. Dream boutique!
themorningclaret.com/p/wine-witho...
Better still, they've opened an enoteca in Gorizia where you can buy and drink all of their wines. Dream boutique!
themorningclaret.com/p/wine-witho...