Earthly pleasures of Soellner Irden Roter Veltliner
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!
Ceci n’est pas un orange – La Biancara Pico
Simon tries to understand what Angiolino Maule means when he says he doesn’t like orange wine.
Matej Skerlj shows the elegance of Vitovska
The wonderful skin macerated Vitovska from Skerlj isn’t just a great wine, it’s also a demonstration of how different this region is from its Friuli-Venezia-Giulia neighbours.
Another religious experience – Coenobium Ruscum
Religious orders are always good for tasty, traditionally made beverages. Simon reviews the latest vintage of Coenobium from the Cistercian nuns at Vitorchiano.
Refinement and classicism in Mlečnik Ana
One of the more popular questions I get asked in masterclasses is “how many days of maceration is necessary before a white wine becomes an orange wine?”
Mlečnik Ana is a great way to answer this question.
The joy of unkempt vines – Meinklang Graupert ’15
Create a 2,000 hectare farm on marshlands that used to be part of Austria’s biggest lake, let your Pinot Grigio vineyard run wild without any pruning, harvest, then ferment in concrete eggs with the skins for three weeks.
Decanter’s first major natural wine tasting
What’s the biggest problem with organising a natural wine tasting? Defining the parameters ranks very high. Also, if one publicises the results with any level of exposure, being prepared to fight off the negative, trolling comments is sadly a serious undertaking.
Making orange wine in the Douro Valley – Part 1
It started with a seemingly innocent question from Oscar Quevedo: “Simon, do you know how to make an orange wine?”. Oscar isn’t stupid of course, he knew damn well I’d have something to say on the subject. We were sat Read more
Oxidative versus Oxidised: Pacina – La Cerretina 2012
“It’s oxidised” – how many times have I heard this statement, when talking about orange wines? Even amongst wine professionals, the misconception often prevails. Most of us are very visual creatures – confronted with what we’re told is ostensibly a white wine, and a darker russet brown, golden yellow or downright orange colour, it can be hard to shake off the thought that the wine is in less than prime condition.
From the horse’s mouth – A short interview with Isabelle Legeron
I’ve just returned from a hugely enjoyable weekend spent at Rawfair, London’s biggest celebration of natural wines. In the space of three years, this event has become a must in my calendar. Every year, I’ve made exciting discoveries and every Read more