
My top 10 natural wine discoveries in 2022
Simon chooses 10 wines that surprised and delighted him in 2022.
Simon J Woolf & Friends on Wild and Wonderful Wines
Simon chooses 10 wines that surprised and delighted him in 2022.
Wine classifications guarantee provenance, but why have many of their controlling institutions become de facto style police?
Originally published as “System of a Dão” in Noble Rot issue 28.
Simon reports back from this year’s Austrian single vineyard summit – a massive tasting at Grafenegg castle which provides a unique opportunity to survey the current vintage and many of the region’s top wineries.
The Grafenegg tasting of the Danube’s top wines is one of the highlights of the tasting year. Yet sometimes the wines can show a frustrating uniformity. Simon investigates why this is.
Winemakers in Carnuntum have a point to prove when it comes to their single vineyard Zweigelt. Simon asks, is this really the style we want from this grape variety?
What would you do if the entire economic backbone that supports your business looked like it could collapse? Some might throw in the towel, but not Florian Schuhmann-Irshik (Quantum winery). A young winemaker based in Austria’s Weinviertel, Schuhmann watched as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded around him, and then decided to act. He’s come up with a simple, flexible scheme that supports the wine ecosystem. It’s called Drinking-Against-Sinking and you should support it today!
Simon reviews Soellner Irden Roter Veltliner, a charming and deft orange wine from Wagram, Austria. And we introduce a special offer for Morning Claret readers!
Anyone who thinks that larger wineries can’t do quality, or show a serious commitment to sustainable, minimal-intervention production methods, should check out the wines from Gernot and Heike Heinrich in Burgenland, Austria. Simon takes a spin through their skin contact range.
When Johannes Gebeshuber purchased a failing cooperative winery in the heart of Austria’s Thermenregion, his spoils didn’t just include 25 hectares of old vines and a beautiful vaulted cellar. He also became the guardian of an extraordinary wine library, with Read more
Claus Preisinger shows that Burgenland’s Grüner Veltliner can really deliver, if it’s macerated for five months in a Georgia qvevri.