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.
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...
I rarely write about myself, but this week was the right moment to pull back the curtain and talk about journalism, what it means, and how it can blow up in your face sometimes.
themorningclaret.com/p/a-week-in-...
themorningclaret.com/p/a-week-in-...
A Week in the Life of a Wine Journalist
Spoiler: It wasn't wandering around vineyards sipping and spitting
themorningclaret.com
August 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I rarely write about myself, but this week was the right moment to pull back the curtain and talk about journalism, what it means, and how it can blow up in your face sometimes.
themorningclaret.com/p/a-week-in-...
themorningclaret.com/p/a-week-in-...
I wrote this short piece after reading @emmabentleyvino.bsky.social 's report on a landmark industrial pollution case in Italy.
themorningclaret.com/p/why-organi...
themorningclaret.com/p/why-organi...
Why Organic Matters More than Natural Wine
What you're spraying in the vineyard matters more than a pinch of sulphites
themorningclaret.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I wrote this short piece after reading @emmabentleyvino.bsky.social 's report on a landmark industrial pollution case in Italy.
themorningclaret.com/p/why-organi...
themorningclaret.com/p/why-organi...
I finally made a starter pack.... if you want to find some more wine people to follow on here, maybe it will help.
go.bsky.app/U3ZkLQr
go.bsky.app/U3ZkLQr
July 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
I finally made a starter pack.... if you want to find some more wine people to follow on here, maybe it will help.
go.bsky.app/U3ZkLQr
go.bsky.app/U3ZkLQr
A little story about tracking down one of Slovenia's most eccentric winemakers.
themorningclaret.com/p/meeting-ma...
themorningclaret.com/p/meeting-ma...
Meeting Marinko
UOU and the Consortium of Abandoned Vineyards
themorningclaret.com
July 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
A little story about tracking down one of Slovenia's most eccentric winemakers.
themorningclaret.com/p/meeting-ma...
themorningclaret.com/p/meeting-ma...
An open letter from educators who refuse the call to adopt GenAI in education
openletter.earth
July 10, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
This feels like a ✨prime✨ week to close the book on Amazon.
July 7, 2025 at 3:45 PM
This feels like a ✨prime✨ week to close the book on Amazon.
Sad to read about the protests in Douro (reported by @teamdb.bsky.social in link below). I wrote about these issues (selling grapes below cost of production etc) in Foot Trodden (with @ryanopaz.bsky.social) in 2021. The problem has only intensified.
www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/07/wine...
www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/07/wine...
Wine producers in the Douro take to the streets
More than 500 wine producers have taken to the streets in Portugal to protest at the crisis affecting the area, and demand solutions from the government to prevent producers going bust.
www.thedrinksbusiness.com
July 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Sad to read about the protests in Douro (reported by @teamdb.bsky.social in link below). I wrote about these issues (selling grapes below cost of production etc) in Foot Trodden (with @ryanopaz.bsky.social) in 2021. The problem has only intensified.
www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/07/wine...
www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/07/wine...
Gulp Hablo is a budget priced Spanish orange wine that's been selling like hot cakes and ruffling a few feathers in the natural wine world.
I took a look at what it's all about.
themorningclaret.com/p/gulp-hablo...
I took a look at what it's all about.
themorningclaret.com/p/gulp-hablo...
July 4, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Gulp Hablo is a budget priced Spanish orange wine that's been selling like hot cakes and ruffling a few feathers in the natural wine world.
I took a look at what it's all about.
themorningclaret.com/p/gulp-hablo...
I took a look at what it's all about.
themorningclaret.com/p/gulp-hablo...
I was doing background research for this week's newsletter, and discovered a wine review website (purportedly) that I'm pretty sure is 100% AI created
mpwwine.com
A lot of it is beyond random. Sample article: "Does wine contain caffeine?"
Who is stuff like this for? What's the point of it?
mpwwine.com
A lot of it is beyond random. Sample article: "Does wine contain caffeine?"
Who is stuff like this for? What's the point of it?
MPW Wine: Expert Comparisons And In-Depth Wine Guides And Insights » MPWWine.com
Looking to Expand Your Wine IQ? Are you eager to learn more about the wonderful world of wine but aren't sure where to start? Consider this your invitation to
mpwwine.com
June 30, 2025 at 1:03 PM
I was doing background research for this week's newsletter, and discovered a wine review website (purportedly) that I'm pretty sure is 100% AI created
mpwwine.com
A lot of it is beyond random. Sample article: "Does wine contain caffeine?"
Who is stuff like this for? What's the point of it?
mpwwine.com
A lot of it is beyond random. Sample article: "Does wine contain caffeine?"
Who is stuff like this for? What's the point of it?
What is it about French Wine?
Why and how one European nation has dominated the wine world for centuries.
Is it time for a change?
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
Why and how one European nation has dominated the wine world for centuries.
Is it time for a change?
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
June 25, 2025 at 2:30 PM
What is it about French Wine?
Why and how one European nation has dominated the wine world for centuries.
Is it time for a change?
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
Why and how one European nation has dominated the wine world for centuries.
Is it time for a change?
themorningclaret.com/p/what-is-it...
Reposted by Simon J Woolf
This is a bizarre take: how is naturalness judged? By process or by flavour? If a big company makes natural wine, you can’t audit this by flavour
June 21, 2025 at 6:10 AM
This is a bizarre take: how is naturalness judged? By process or by flavour? If a big company makes natural wine, you can’t audit this by flavour