Falstaff Magazin International Nr. 3/2022

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WINE FOOD TRAVEL
TIME TO
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WINTER ESCAPES
AN EPIC VOYAGE TO THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING DESTINATIONS
FROM TRIED-AND-TRUE FAVOURITES TO TRENDY NEW HOTSPOTS
PLUS: DELICIOUS ALPINE CUISINE

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PUBLISHERS’ LETTER
WELCOME
DEAR READERS!
Just as the threat of the pandemic was beginning to subside, we were
presented with another serious challenge as the war rages in Ukraine.
We’re expecting record inflation, increases in the cost of living and a
decline in capital investment and consumption. It’s a tough road ahead
for the economy. Right now, we’re experiencing a return to the basics.
Values like family, friends and nature – consciously enjoying life – are having a
renaissance. If there’s a time to realize our dreams, it’s now!
Our winter edition contains plenty of inspiration for the months to come.
Let us take you on a trip to the mountains – to some of the most beautiful natural
landscapes on earth. Winter sports enthusiast are in for a treat as we visit perennial
favourites as well as some trendy new hotspots. This season, sophisticated
resorts like St Moritz, Val d’Isere and Kitzbühel are more glamorous than ever
as they beckon with excellent hotels, outstanding restaurants and exciting winter
events. And of course, you can never go wrong with famous Alpine cuisine, which
is always a delicious choice during the cold winter months. In this issue, we explore
its renaissance and continuous evolution by some of its most celebrated proponents.
To help you bring the old year to an enjoyable close and ring in the new,
we talk to three top chefs who reveal their creative ideas for a festive table. And
because a good meal deserves a good drop, we present some of Italy’s finest wines.
WOLFGANG M. ROSAM
Publisher
wolfgang.rosam@falstaff.com
@RosamWolfgang
If you’re in the market for a sunny escape, your winter paradise awaits in the
Caribbean. From trendy St Barth’s to Jamaica and Mustique – we’ve assembled
the most beautiful islands, and reveal what makes them special. We’re also sneaking
a peek into the topical metaverse. Is the virtual retreat just a fever dream of
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg or are we all headed there on holiday soon?
NADINE TSCHIDERER
Publisher
nadine@falstaff-travel.com
@nadinetschiderer
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Photos: Ian Ehm, Patrick Saringer
Yours,
WOLFGANG M. ROSAM
Publisher
NADINE TSCHIDERER
Publisher
winter 2022/23
falstaff
9

WINE FOOD TRAVEL
WINTER
2022/23
FALSTAFF WINE FOOD TRAVEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 03/2022
FALSTAFF WINE FOOD TRAVEL
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FALSTAFF SCORES & KEY TO SYMBOLS
WINE TASTING & SCORES
Falstaff scores wines according to the 100-point scale.
Falstaff tasters also write detailed tasting notes for each wine, putting the score into
context. All wines are tasted, described and scored by our Falstaff wine editors or
authors contributing to this issue. Each editor, and their respective tasting teams,
are internationally recognised specialists for their regions. Where tastings by more
than one taster are presented in the same feature, the taster’s initials are shown.
International
Anne Krebiehl MW (AK)
Austria, Bordeaux, Fortified Wines Peter Moser (PM)
Germany, Bordeaux, Burgundy Dr Ulrich Sautter (US)
Italy
Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler (OK, SS)
Switzerland, Spain and Portugal Benjamin Herzog, Dominik Vombach (BH, DV)
The Scores
95 – 100 absolute classic
93 – 94 outstanding
91 – 92 excellent
88 – 90 very good
85 – 87 commended
•
•••••
Up to £ 15 / US$ 20
£15-30 / US$ 20-35
£31-50 / US$ 36-60
£51-100 / US$ 61-110
£100+ / US$ 110+
WINE PRICE CATEGORIES
We divide wines into five different price categories,
symbolised by coins. These are based on cellar
door and recommended retail prices. We regret
that import taxes and excise duties of specific
countries cannot be reflected here, nonetheless
the categories should still provide a useful
guideline about a wine’s retail price.
10 falstaff winter 2022/23

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WINTER 2022/23
CONTENTS
50
Cover Story: Winter Escapes,
well-loved and exciting new
European destinations
FALSTAFF.COM
WINE FOOD TRAVEL
TIME TO
CELEBRATE
COVER
Our cover image depicts Aurora Village
in Finland. The resort offers an
immersive polar light experience with
stunning views of the aurora borealis.
PHOTO: JULIUS KÄHKÖNEN FOR
AURORA VILLAGE | AURORAVILLAGE.FI
The World’s Top Ten
Champagne Bars
WINTER ESCAPES
AN EPIC VOYAGE TO THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING DESTINATIONS
FROM TRIED-AND-TRUE FAVOURITES TO TRENDY NEW HOTSPOTS
PLUS: DELICIOUS ALPINE CUISINE
Photos: Jankokes | Dreamstime.com, Stocksy, PRIESTEREGG Premium ECO Resort/www.guenterstandl.de, supplied
TRAVEL
16 TRAVEL NEWS
18 HOT LIST
The best new hotel openings
26 SHOPPING
The latest must-haves in
Beauty, Fashion, Accessories
32 JOURNEY INTO THE
METAVERSE
Brave new world:
Is this the future of travel?
40 INTERVIEW
Ian Schrager – the “father” of boutique
hotels is still setting standards in the
hotel industry
44 BEST OF BOUTIQUE HOTELS
From Norway to Spain: these
hotels belong on your bucketlist
50 SKI NOW! TOP RESORTS
Ski resorts that offer endless slopes,
culinary delights and elegant hotels
9 Editorial
10 Masthead
92 CHALET FEVER
A step back in time with
traditional, yet exclusive chalets
98 EDITOR’S CHOICE: TOP
CHALETS IN THE ALPS
These chalets offer privacy and
comfort in a unique setting
104 WHITE DESERT
Unforgettable expeditions near
the South Pole
110 JEWELS OF THE CARRIBEAN
Stunning island getaways from
St Barth’s to Mustique
132 10 FACTS: MALDIVES
Did you know? Plus: Hot list Maldives
258 MY BEST TRIP:
Anne-Sophie Pic
92
Traditional yet
luxurious experiences in
Europe’s top chalets
132
Find paradise in top
resorts in the Maldives
32
Travel through the
metaverse
winter 2022/23
falstaff
13

WINE FOOD TRAVEL
172
Inspiring recipes for
the festive season
250
Sparkling
atmosphere in
Europe’s best
Champagne bars
FOOD
150 FOOD NEWS
152 NEW ALPINE CUISINE
The next global gourmet trend
160 ELDORADO COLUMN
Angelika Rosam’s top picks
162 DINNER WITH A VIEW
Restaurants with a great outlook
172 LUXURIOUS FEASTS
Delicous recipes to try this
holiday season
180 HOME SWEET HOME
The pleasures of cocooning
182 FOOD FOR THE SOUL
More than just nourishment
WINE
210 WINE NEWS
212 THE TASTE OF ITALY
Italy’s best wines
220 VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN
Discover the diversity of Rioja
228 AUSTRIAN SINGLE VINEYARDS
Five of the best
238 TASTING: Pinot Noir Trophy
244 HYPE WITHOUT END
Gin is definitely here to stay
250 TIME TO CELEBRATE
The best champagne bars
186
Culinary journey through
Dubai’s top restaurants
Photos: Konrad Limbeck, Marco Peruzzo, Shutterstock, supplied
186 CULINARY MELTING POT
Dubai for foodies
190 DELICACIES FROM THE SEA
Mussels, caviar & co.
200 SIXPACK
Europe’s hottest restaurants
204 LA FAMIGLIA
The story of Michelin-starred
chef Massimiliano Alajmo
228
Wine Feature
Austria
190
Where to get excellent
seafood in Europe
winter 2022/23
204
La Famiglia –
Massimiliano
Alajmo’s
success story
falstaff
15

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TRAVEL
SENSATIONAL SURF SPOTS
Pack your swimming costume, grab your “stick” – and hit the waves! Thanks to The Surf Atlas,
even non-swimmers can explore the wonderful world of surfing. From Norway to Ghana to
Waikiki – this book is the ultimate guide to the world’s most remarkable and exciting surfing
destinations. The stunning illustrations are bound to whet your appetite for the real thing. So what are
you waiting for? Gestalten, approx. £44. gestalten.com
SOUTH KOREA
FUTURISTIC BUILDING TO HOUSE A NEW
SCIENCE MUSEUM
The new Robot Science Museum
in Seoul, South Korea, sounds like
something out of science fiction.
The futuristic building, which is
scheduled for completion in early
2023, will be built by robots and
drones. It was designed by the
architectural firm Melike Altinisik
Architects, who say they will “only”
be manning the controls. It isn’t
hard to guess what the museum
will be devoted to: the world of
artificial intelligence.
melikealtinisik.com
PACKED TO PERFECTION
Customs officers opening your suitcase are
sure to find everything in perfect order. The
stylish travel bags from Bag-all are available in
him and her designs as well as in a wide variety
of shapes, sizes and colours. Approx. £14.
bag-all-europe.com
16 falstaff winter 2022/23

NEWS
INDIA
A WINDOW
ONTO HISTORY
JAPANESE INSPIRED
The designers of Lladró’s elegant
Panther porcelain figure were inspired
by the art of origami. In black, gold or
red, from approx. £520.
artedona.com
Some 60,000 South Asian works of art (including photographs and textiles) from the
twelfth century to the present day will be on display from February 2023 at the new Museum
of Art & Photography (MAP) in the metropolis of Bengaluru. For those unable to make
it to India, the museum has also created digital versions of the exhibitions. map-india.org
DESIGN
Photos: Krzysztof Jedrzejak/The Surf Atlas/gestalten 2022, Seoul Robot & Al Museum (RAIM), Jyoti Bhatt, supplied
PARIS
A PLACE TO ENJOY ART
AND A GOURMET MEAL
Anyone who likes the idea of dining in close
proximity to a valuable artwork can now do so
at the elegant Hotel Le Bristol in the French
capital. A luxurious gourmet meal is currently
being served with a genuine Chagall in the
background.
oetkercollection.com
COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT
When L’Objet teamed up with interior designer
Kelly Behun, the result was something special.
Her Leaf bowls on stands, sculpted in oak, are
a sophisticated mix of art deco and surrealism
and the perfect way to present (exotic) fruits
and other souvenirs. From approx. £300.
artedona.com
THE WORLD IN PICTURES
Fancy an adventure tour from the
comfort of your sofa? This photo journal
visits some of the remotest places on
earth and includes useful travel tips
for those who dare to venture to the farflung
regions of the world. Approx. £44.
taschen.com
FUN TRIPS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Family holidays don’t have to be boring.
The Family Adventures travel guide
provides inspiration for the next holiday
with your children – from a round-theworld
trip or wilderness tour to simply
a weekend away. Approx. £35.
gestalten.com
winter 2022/23
falstaff
17

travel / HOT LIST
BEST NEW
OPENINGS
From city hotels in Vienna and Singapore, suites carved into
the cliffs in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and hotels with urban flair
in Switzerland, the exciting new openings on our hot list take
travellers to some of the world’s most beautiful places.
WORDS CHRISTINA M. HORN
Photo: xxxxxxxxxxx
18 falstaff winter 2022/23

NOBU SANTORINI
SANTORINI/GREECE
Photos: supplied
The gorgeous Aegean island of Santorini recently added a new
address to its list of five-star hotels: the Nobu Santorini. It’s
the 26th hotel to be opened by the prestigious Nobu brand,
which was founded by actor Robert De Niro, celebrity chef
Nobu Matsuhis and film producer Meir Teper. Located in
Imerovigli, just a ten-minute drive from the island’s capital, the
newly opened hotel in Cycladic style is on the popular hiking
trail between Oia and Fira and overlooks the entire caldera, a
volcanic crater shaped like a cauldron. Besides a lifestyle
designed around relaxed luxury, guests can look forward to a
culinary experience in a league of its own at the Nobu
Restaurant, which serves award-winning Japanese cuisine as
well as local delicacies. The stunning panorama of the Aegean’s
turquoise waters provides a fitting accompaniment to
superb signature dishes like Black Cod Miso. The adults-only
hotel also boasts an infinity pool with bar, a fitness studio and
soothing in-room spa treatments. PLENTY OF PRIVACY:
The Nobu has just 25 rooms, suites and villas with minimalistic
interiors – all with private terraces, some with their own
private pool. Privacy is guaranteed. Doubles from approx. £430 per
night, incl. breakfast.
Nobu Santorini, santorini.nobuhotels.com
84700 Imerovigli, Santorini, Greece
T: +30 69 4622 2772
winter 2022/23
falstaff
19

travel / HOT LIST
HÔTEL DES HORLOGERS
LE CHENIT/SWITZERLAND
The Hôtel des Horlogers in the Swiss mountain valley and
ski area of Vallée de Joux recently unveiled a thoroughly
modern new face: a sustainable, ramp-like structure
embedded into the hillside. The origins of the luxury hotel
date back to 1857: before the prestigious watchmaker
Audemars Piguet opened the new four-star establishment
not far from its factory, the site was occupied by the Hôtel
de France. AP acquired the building and set about replacing
it with a new design hotel, paying tribute to the valley’s
history by utilising regional materials like wood and stone.
The elegantly understated interiors of the 50 rooms and
suites are bathed in light from panoramic windows with a
view of the Risoud Forest. Besides various meeting rooms,
the Horlogers is also home to the luxurious Le Spa by
Alpeor with a sauna, gym and treatment rooms. THE
HEIGHT OF ENJOYMENT: Diners at the Hôtel des
Horlogers can count on gourmet cuisine at its best. At
Brasserie Le Gogant and the soon-to-open La Table des
Horlogers, three-star chef Emmanuel Renaut uses regionally
sourced products to create a truly outstanding menu.
A drink at the Bar des Horlogers afterwards rounds the
day off to perfection. Doubles from approx. £311 per night, incl.
breakfast.
Hôtel des Horlogers, hoteldeshorlogers.com
Route de France 8, 1348 Le Chenit, Switzerland
T: +41 21 845 0845
Photos: Christophe Voisin, supplied
20 falstaff winter 2022/23

THE SHARAAN RESORT
ALULA/SAUDI ARABIA
Hidden away between majestic rock formations, archaeological
masterpieces and flourishing date groves, the Sharaan
Resort in the AlUla oasis is scheduled to open in 2024. The
unique project in the Sharaan Nature Reserve was developed
by prominent French architect and Pritzker laureate Jean
Nouvel. His vision: a hotel that merges seamlessly with its
surroundings and reflects the rich history of the region. The
Sharaan draws its inspiration from the 2,000-year-old monuments
of the Nabataeans, the ancient people whose spectacular
architectural achievements include the stone cities of Petra
and Hegra. Like them, the new resort will be cut straight into
the sandstone: in 40 suites elaborately carved into the rock,
guests will be treated to a captivating play of light and shade,
a fascinating intermingling of luxury and culture. There will
also be a large patio set within the rock, as well as three villas
and 14 pavilions on the outside. HOMAGE: In keeping with
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the Sharaan Resort will be more
than just a homage to the region’s rich heritage; it will also
feature modern architectural elements and set new standards
in sustainability, for instance by using elaborate, mashrabiyainspired
openings in the rock to cool the building. Prices on
request.
The Sharaan Resort
Sharaan Nature Reserve, AlUla, Saudi Arabia
KIMPTON AYSLA
MALLORCA/SPAIN
October 2022 saw the opening of the first European hotel
in IHG’s Luxury & Lifestyle Collection: the Kimpton Aysla
Mallorca in the idyllic little town of Santa Ponsa, just 20
kilometres (12.4 miles) from Palma. With gorgeous sandy
beaches flanked by steep cliffs, the hotel is the perfect
Balearic hideaway and welcomes guests all year round. It
will particularly appeal to design fans and sports enthusiasts:
the modern, stylish interior and bright, open rooms
feature approx. 700 works by contemporary local artists
and there’s a wide-ranging programme of sporting activities,
including morning workouts, yoga and cycling
through the mountainous surroundings. A large spa area
with seven treatment rooms ensures some well-deserved
pampering afterwards. Wellness seekers can choose
between one indoor and two outdoor pools, immerse
themselves in a mud bath or retreat to the sauna for a
therapeutic steam session. CREATIVE CUISINE: SABA,
one of the Kimpton’s two restaurants, serves delectable
dishes inspired by Southeast Asia, while the SABA Bodega
& Bar excels at creative cocktails and delicious tapas.
Doubles from £230 per night, incl. half board.
Kimpton Aysla Mallorca, ihg.com/kimptonhotels
Avinguda del Golf 37, 07180 Santa Ponsa, Balearic Islands, Spain
T: +34 87 155 5500
winter 2022/23
falstaff
21

travel / HOT LIST
HYATT ZILARA
PLAYA DEL CARMEN/MEXICO
Mexican hospitality meets Caribbean flair: the Zilara Riviera
Maya, a new adults-only hotel by Hyatt, has been welcoming
sun worshippers to the exclusive Riviera Maya region near
Playa del Carmen since December 2022. Evocative of an
upscale hacienda and set amid palms and lush green mangroves,
the 28-hectare five-star resort is flanked by a heavenly
coastline. Guests can spend their daytimes enjoying the
glorious white sands and beach club or indulging in one of the
many luxurious treatments available at the Zen Spa, before
dancing the night away at the on-site club once the sun goes
down. For those who want to improve their fitness rather than
their dance moves, there’s an extensive range of activities for
building strength and stamina as well as a large outdoor pool.
When it comes to culinary pleasures, the Hyatt Zilara’s
umpteen restaurants, bars and lounges take guests on an
international taste tour that transports them from Italy to
Japan and back to Mexico. HIGHLIGHT: All 291 of the
elegant rooms and suites have their own balcony or patio, and
some suites even come with a private plunge pool. Doubles from
approx. £360 per night (all inclusive).
Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya, hyatt.com
Carretera Federal 387, Riviera Maya, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Mexico
T: +52 994 872 4880
THE COMODO
BAD GASTEIN/AUSTRIA
Surrounded by picturesque mountains and towering firs,
the comodo pairs 1960s Alpine nostalgia with contemporary
design and is already causing a buzz in the quiet
village of Bad Gastein. At the same time, it’s so much more
than just an intriguing boutique hotel: it’s the new brand’s
first establishment, and there are plans to add another ten
design hotels around the world in the next ten years –
that’s the vision of owner and architect Barbara Elwardt of
weststudio.berlin who, together with lead designer Piotr
Wisniewski, created the hotel out of a former clinic.
Everything about the new address in Bad Gastein would
seem to suggest that success is guaranteed: in addition to
its 70 rooms and suites, the comodo boasts a restaurant
that oozes with mid-century glamour and combines
down-to-earth Austrian cuisine with a creative twist. All
farm-to-table, naturally. ALPINE SPA: What would a
health resort like Bad Gastein be without wellness? In
addition to two saunas and indoor and outdoor pools, the
comodo spa offers treatments based on the mineral-rich
thermal water that Bad Gastein is known for and pampering
products by Saint Charles. Doubles from approx. £244 per
night, incl. breakfast.
the comodo, thecomodo.com
Kaiserhofstraße 18, 5640 Bad Gastein, Austria
T: +49 30 138 8190
Photos: benwolf.de, supplied
22 falstaff winter 2022/23

MONDRIAN
DUXTON HILL/SINGAPORE
The luxury brand is about to make its debut in Singapore: in spring 2023, the Mondrian Singapore Duxton will open
its doors in the heart of Duxton Hill – a hip and charming heritage conservation area with countless boutiques, galleries
and Michelin restaurants in Singapore’s Central Business District. The new hotel will comprise 302 luxurious rooms
and shophouse suites. Its crowning glory – in both a literal and figurative sense – is the roof terrace, complete with
rooftop pool: a treat for the eyes as well as for the taste buds. Perched high above Chinatown in the restaurants,
lounges and bars, guests will be able to gaze across Singapore towards the setting sun – definitely the place to be for an
evening dinner in Duxton Hill! LOCAL COLOUR: In keeping with the brand’s philosophy, the Mondrian’s architecture
references local tradition and pairs it with an elegant, minimalistic aesthetic. Numerous works and installations by
contemporary artists from Singapore and around the world add the finishing touches. Prices on request.
Mondrian Singapore Duxton, sbe.com
Duxton Hill, Singapore 089686
T: +1 800 606 6090
winter 2022/23
falstaff
23

travel / HOT LIST
ALMANAC
VIENNA/AUSTRIA
Ranked the world’s most liveable city in 2022 by The Economist,
Vienna has seen a host of outstanding new hotel openings
in recent years. 2023 is no exception: the Almanac Palais
Vienna is opening for business on Parkring – the young
Vienna-based hotel chain’s second destination following its
first establishment in Barcelona. Housed in a historic mansion
and former post office on the green boulevard that encircles
Vienna’s historic centre, the new hotel enjoys a prime location
with views of the Stadtpark. The interior honours the city’s
cultural heritage with a compelling design that brings past and
present together. The 111 rooms and suites radiate an elegant
yet modern Viennese charm, highlighting the light, earthy hues
and dark wood with subtle gold accents. A stylish spa provides
relaxation after a busy day in the city, while shopaholics are
sure to find that special something at the in-house concept
store. The Almanac also provides various rooms and facilities
for meetings and events. AN ADDRESS FOR EPICURES:
Culinary culture has always been an integral part of Vienna.
No surprise, then, that the Almanac is home to an excellent
restaurant complete with bar, as well as the Almanac Coffee
Shop. Prices on request.
Almanac Palais Vienna, almanachotels.com/vienna
Parkring 14-16, 1010 Vienna, Austria
T: +43 1 66 113 1894
BANYAN TREE
ALULA/SAUDI ARABIA
The AlUla oasis is one of the most up-and-coming destinations
in the Middle East right now – as indicated by the
umpteen new openings between the dunes and bizarre rock
formations in the Ashar Valley. Among them is the Banyan
Tree AlUla, which opened in October 2022 and draws the
inspiration for its luxury tents from the customs of a
nomadic Arab tribe called the Nabataeans. The elegant tent
villas take glamping to the next level: each of the
light-flooded accommodations comes with its own private
pool and spacious outdoor areas. The Banyan is also home
to a spa with a very special highlight: a rock pool framed
by towering cliffs that form a silent guard of honour as
you swim towards the desert. The treatments combine the
best of Asian and Arab traditions – as does the dining
experience: guests can choose between Thai cuisine at the
brand’s signature Saffron restaurant and the flavours of
Arabia at Harrat. EXPERIENCES: The Banyan Tree
AlUla aims to give guests a deeper understanding of the
destination’s identity. From the service in the villas to the
cuisine and excursions available, the entire experience is
designed to open a window into the local culture.
Villas from approx. £1,300 per night, incl. breakfast.
Banyan Tree AlUla, banyantree.com
Wadi Ashar, Tabuk Road, AlUla 43563, Saudi Arabia
T: +966 55 184 2203
Photos: Christopher Cypert, Federico Sette, supplied
24 falstaff winter 2022/23

RANCHO PESCADERO
EL PESCADERO/MEXICO
The quiet coastal village of El Pescadero is situated on the
stunning shoreline of Baja California Sur, away from the
crowds in Cabo. It was in this idyllic place that the Rancho
Pescadero opened for business in November 2022; part of the
Hyatt Unbound Collection, it nestles between the dunes of the
Sierra de la Laguna and fine sandy beaches lapped by the
azure waves of the Pacific. Set in 30 hectares of grounds, the
adults-only hotel has four pools, a yoga studio, an apothecary
and pickleball courts, as well as three restaurants and bars.
Many of the products used in the kitchen come from the
resort’s own gardens – including herbs, vegetables, honey and
eggs. The custom furnishings and artisanal décor in the 103
rooms, suites and villas are inspired by local influences, and
some of the accommodations are equipped with private plunge
pools and fire pits for a particularly unforgettable stay.
HOLISTIC: Surrounded by the ranch’s lush gardens, the
spacious El Corazón Spa – complete with gym and lap pool
– provides the ideal setting to relax. The spa offers both
traditional and innovative treatments that harness the power
of nature and use products from the on-site apothecary.
Doubles from approx. £700 per night, incl. breakfast.
Rancho Pescadero, ranchopescadero.com
Camino a la Playa s/n Lote 545, 23310 El Pescadero, Mexico
T: +52 612 689 0043
GRACE LA MARGNA
ST MORITZ/SWITZERLAND
PARTNERSHIP
St Moritz has gained a new boutique hotel: the Grace La
Margna St Moritz. As insiders might already guess from
the name, the new opening actually involves the virtuoso
modernisation of one of the skiing resort’s most iconic
landmarks, the La Margna. Under the creative direction of
Divercity Architects, the luxury art nouveau hotel in the
Engadine has been redesigned from top to bottom and will
be bringing an urban flair to the idyllic Alpine beauty spot
all year round from February 2023. Besides rooms and
suites that exude modern, laid-back luxury and come with
lots of extras included, the hotel will also be home to what
Grace itself describes as an “avant-garde” spa. In addition
to relaxing in the pool, whirlpool and sauna, guests can
also pamper themselves with a multisensory shower
experience, for instance in the exclusive Aquamoon shower.
DINE, WINE, DANCE: This is the philosophy behind the
ample culinary offering at Grace La Margna, which
consists of no fewer than ten restaurants, cafés, lounges
and a signature bar. There’s something for everyone: from
vegetarian fare, fine dining and Mediterranean cuisine all
the way to creative cocktails in the art nouveau ambience
of the No. 5 bar. Doubles from approx. £315 per night, incl.
breakfast.
Grace La Margna St Moritz, gracehotels.com
Via Serlas 5, 7500 St Moritz, Switzerland
T: +41 81 832 2210
winter 2022/23
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FASHION
If there’s one colour that’s dominating the
catwalks right now, it’s pink. The extrovert
shade is a firm favourite at the pool too –
and guaranteed to make a splash.
HATS OFF TO STYLE
A trusty companion for sunny
days at the beach: straw hat by
Zimmermann. £521.
zimmermann.com
FINE FIGURE
The gathered one-piece by
Nensi Dojaka features mesh
inserts and evokes the early
2000s. £574.
luisaviaroma.com
MODERN GLAMOUR
Get the on-trend cat-eye
look with these sunglasses by
Balenciaga. £226.
farfetch.com
HEAD-TURNERS
These gold earrings by Gucci are
unusually large and definitely
make a statement. £780.
net-a-porter.com
GLITTERING TIMES
Hot pink and metallic accents are some of the coolest
trends around right now – as demonstrated by iconic
designer Jimmy Choo.
METALLIC MASTERPIECE
Jimmy Choo’s hand-braided
Izobel sandals are a candy pink
dream come true. £1,046.
jimmychoo.com
BAGS OF STYLE
Villa La Semilla in Tulum, Mexico,
pampers up to 14 guests with total
privacy and the kind of views you’d
expect in paradise. Roman, a raffia
bag by Valentino featuring leather
straps and the Italian fashion house’s
signature gold studs, makes the
perfect companion for sunny days in
the Caribbean. £2,540.
mayaluxe.com, net-a-porter.com
26 falstaff winter 2022/23

FASHION
VERSATILE ACCESSORY
The unisex G Chain Ring by
Givenchy in black makes an ideal
addition to dark outfits. £236.
givenchy.com
From the screen to the slopes! The winter
looks sported by Lady Gaga and Adam
Driver in House of Gucci were a global
sensation – and a source of inspiration too!
SPACIOUS AND CHIC
The compact Frozen Riviera
Aaron backpack by Bogner is
also comfortable to wear. £306.
bogner.com
WARM AND VEGAN
Made of faux fur, this cap by
Givenchy promises a warm head
and a clear conscience. £516.
givenchy.com
A VISION OF STYLE
The innovative snow mask by
Louis Vuitton ensures a clear
view of the slopes. From £858.
louisvuitton.com
THE SEASON FOR HIGH STYLE
Athleisure was yesterday – this season Bogner is
counting on Athluxury to prove just how stylish
skiing can be.
ALL-WEATHER FRIEND
The ski jacket by Luhta isn’t just
warm, it’s wind- and waterproof
as well. Approx. £210.
breuninger.com
Editing: Marion Genetti / Photos: Yves Garneau, supplied
ALPINE ELEGANCE
The charming Chalet Yeti in Val d’Isère,
France, sleeps ten people and is the
epitome of comfortable luxury. The
Shark Lock boots by Givenchy are
comfortable and luxurious too: made of
cream leather, they feature a fold-over
shaft and thick rubber sole. £1,222.
brambleski.com, givenchy.com
winter 2022/23
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27

BEAUTY
Even in tropical temperatures, there’s
no need to say goodbye to silky waves
and a perfect glow – provided you pack
the right essentials.
SUBTLE DEFINITION
The Eye Opener highlighter
by The Browery opens up the
eye area and defines the brow.
Approx. £16.
niche-beauty.com
TAMED IN NO TIME
The iconic Supersonic hairdryer
by Dyson is now available
in Vinca blue. £417.
dyson.com
FEATHERLIGHT SHINE
The Ultra Light Glow oil from
Shyne gives dull, dry hair a
glossy gleam. £26.
niche-beauty.com
MATT LOOK
The Magnolia lipstick from
La Biosthétique provides a
matt finish and intense colour.
Approx. £21.
labiosthetique.com
A HINT OF RED
The luxurious beauty line from Jimmy
Choo is just as irresistible as the label’s
shoes and bags.
A SPECIAL SOMETHING
The highlighter compact powder
by Clé de Peau Beauté gives your
complexion a flawless finish.
£89. niche-beauty.com
28 falstaff winter 2022/23
A PLACE IN THE SUN
At the luxurious Sofitel Bali Nusa
Dua Beach Resort, tropical gardens
and cool lagoons refresh the senses.
And after a day on the sandy
beaches of the Indian Ocean, the
LAB-1026 serum from Typology is
a great way to refresh your skin: it
contains retinol and mild bakuchiol
to minimise the effects of the sun.
Approx. £24. sofitelbalinusadua.
com, typology.com

BEAUTY
FLAWLESS COMPLEXION
The Soft Moisture foundation
from La Mer soothes and
moisturises the skin. £98.
net-a-porter.com
Our skin needs extra love and care to
withstand the cold winter weather. These
prestigious products are just right for
pampering chapped faces.
GREEN GUA SHA
Made of natural aventurine, the
facial massage tool gently firms
the skin. Approx. £22.
greenglam.de
PERFECT AFTERSUN CARE
The Green Botanical Serum
from Activist pampers and
regenerates with raw manuka
oil. £92.
niche-beauty.com
A BEAUTIFUL GLOW
Tata Harper restores the skin’s
equilibrium with probiotic
ingredients and AHAs. £63.
cultbeauty.com
ALL-OVER PROTECTION ON CHILLY DAYS
When it’s cold outside, stay nice and warm with this
Canada Goose parka and protect any exposed
areas with innovative skin care.
HYDRATION BOOSTER
The hydrating, featherlight
facial emulsion from La Mer is
definitely worth the hype. £205.
douglas.at
Editing: Marion Genetti / Photos: Hannes Niederkofler, supplied
RESTORATIVE DAYS
Purmontes is a luxury chalet in
the Dolomites for eco-minded
travellers. The ultramodern interiors
and premium spa make this
destination a great place to recharge
your batteries. The Large Lash
Serum from Pixi will restore your
lashes and brows to peak condition
too! Approx. £18. winklerhotels.
com, niche-beauty.com
winter 2022/23
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29

ACCESSORIES
ELEGANT PROTECTION
This silk cap from Pucci is an
upscale new take on a casual
classic. £338.
matchesfashion.com
If you’re heading for the sun this
winter, the future looks rosy – especially
if you pack these handy accessories
in your beach bag!
KEYED INTO SUMMER
This playful key holder by
Louis Vuitton captures the fun
of days by the pool. £534.
louisvuitton.com
ROSE-COLOURED GLASSES
Irresistible: these hexagonal
sunglasses by Fendi have
the logo pattern around the
lenses. £295.
fendi.com
SWISH SHOULDER BAG
This re-edition of Prada’s
evergreen bag comes in a
summery pink and beige
colourway. £989.
matchesfashion.com
ROOM FOR ESSENTIALS
Fashion label Casablanca is going big on
pastel shades – the classic shopper is this
season’s it-piece.
BATTING FOR STYLE
The iconic label’s Dioriviera line
includes various upscale items
for fun days at the resort. £738.
dior.com
FLORIDA FLAIR
Luxurious boutique hotel The Betsy
in South Beach is one of the best
addresses in Miami. Guests spend their
days soaking up the sun at the pool and
beach before painting the town red in
the evenings. The mismatched creoles
by Timeless Pearly are the perfect
accessory for a fun-packed break
on the tropical Atlantic coast. £738.
thebetsyhotel.com, net-a-porter.com
30 falstaff winter 2022/23

ACCESSORIES
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
Keep your essentials in easy
reach with this quilted fanny
pack from Goldbergh. £147.
goldbergh.com
Retro chic is back! The 1970s are making
their mark on the fashion world more than
ever before. The groovy aesthetic is even
being seen on the ski slopes again.
SAFETY FIRST
A helmet is a great idea – a
stylish one is even better:
Goldbergh’s Khloe has a
gleaming gold visor. £259.
goldbergh.com
COOL PASTIME
This wood and leather setby
Brunello Cucinelli takes a game
of bowls to the next level.
£1,432. net-a-porter.com
Editing: Marion Genetti / Photos: Yves Garneau, Pierre-Ange Carlotti, supplied
COSY COUTURE
Stay warm in style with this
monogram-print woollen blanket
from Louis Vuitton. £920.
louisvuitton.com
THE EPITOME OF COOL
Cult brand Bogner demonstrates how to translate iconic
classics like fur boots and wooden skis into up-to-the-minute
must-haves.
FAMILY FUN
Perched on the Arlberg at 1,800, the
Skyfall Penthouse has everything the
heart could wish for, including a natural
yet modern ambience and a gorgeous
spa. A crackling fire and a few rounds
of noughts and crosses with this set
from L’Objet brings the day to a
perfect end. £672.
brambleski.com, mrporter.com
SWISS EXCELLENCE
The ski sets by Bogner x Anavon
are perfection in a kit.
Prices on request.
anavon-ski.com
winter 2022/23
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31

travel / THE FUTURE IS NOW
JOURNEY
INTO THE
METAVERSE
Will we soon be taking our holidays in the metaverse?
Or is that just a pipe dream on the part of Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg? Although the metaverse project is still
in its infancy, companies are already spending big to push the
frontiers of virtual reality.
WORDS KARIN CERNY
Photo: Stocksy
32 falstaff winter 2022/23

In the virtual worlds of the
metaverse, no limits are
placed on our imagination –
or on their architecture.
winter 2022/23
falstaff
33

travel / THE FUTURE IS NOW
In the future, we’ll be able to travel
to see spectacular sunsets and
palm trees without leaving the
comfort of our living rooms.
Predicting the future is fraught
with pitfalls; it’s so easy to
make a fool of yourself, at least
in retrospect. “500 dollars? It’s
the world’s most expensive
phone but doesn’t have a keyboard and so
has no appeal for business users,” said
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer when the
iPhone was launched in 2007. It was a
fateful mistake; today, the smartphone is
seen as a milestone in the history of
technology. The market leader at the time
was Blackberry, whose product had already
been on the market for ten years. It
featured a generously sized keyboard that
many people thought set the standard for
mobile phones of the future. It’s a similar
story with the metaverse, which is constantly
in the news at the moment. No one really
knows what it will look like and what
visions will prevail and achieve success in
the mass market. So far, there have just
been a number of ideas for a virtual
parallel world in which we can work,
communicate, shop and spend our free time
in the future. It seemed like a particularly
tempting prospect during the pandemic:
being able to travel anywhere from your
home office, meeting other people (at least
in avatar form) and attending concerts
together. And going to the seaside, at least
virtually. The pandemic generated enthusiasm
for a digital future. Many people got
their first taste of cryptocurrencies, which
are used for making purchases in the
metaverse. The world was astonished at the
insane prices fetched by Bored Ape Yacht
Club NFT monkey paintings, which have
since become a status symbol, and at the
sums being paid for virtual properties next
to US rapper Snoop Dogg in the Sandbox
metaverse ($500,000). The public mood
fluctuated between scepticism and goldrush
fever, between total rejection and the
desire to make lots of money by getting in
on the act early. In the new, three-dimensional
world of virtual reality, we’ll be able
to buy land, houses, trainers, fashion and
NFT art. There’s a growing push to use
blockchain technology – a kind of land
register in which purchases are recorded
– to help establish a decentralised version
of the internet that is digital, walk-through
and defined by its users. It would allow us
to progress from being passive users to
active developers. Part of the internet will
then belong to us.
Photos: Unsplash, Stocksy
34 falstaff winter 2022/23

META, THE
COMPANY THAT
OWNS FACEBOOK AND
INSTAGRAM, INVESTED
TEN BILLION DOLLARS
IN THE METAVERSE
LAST YEAR.
BRIGHTLY COLOURED AVATARS
The initial euphoria has now subsided. The
value of cryptocurrencies has plummeted,
the frequent insider trading in NFTs has
become common knowledge and the first
attempts to create the metaverse appear
distinctly amateurish. Horizon Worlds is
the name of Mark Zuckerberg‘s version. It
features brightly coloured avatars – virtual
versions of ourselves – who fly through
equally brightly coloured computer game
worlds without any legs. Decentraland and
The Sandbox are equally minimalist and
retro looking. They are reminiscent of the
computer game Second Life, which caused
a stir 20 years ago. It is disappointing to see
that little has changed since then, at least
aesthetically. The avatars are still cartoonish.
Then there is the lack of security:
female users report being victims of abuse
in the metaverse.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook,
Instagram and others, invested ten billion
dollars in the metaverse last year. Yet owner
Mark Zuckerberg believes it will be
another ten to fifteen years before it
reaches its full potential. There are currently
290 companies developing common
standards for the metaverse, including
Microsoft, Nvidia, Google and even Ikea.
Although the metaverse concept is still in
its infancy, it has already entered the
consciousness of end users. Bitkom, the
trade association of the German digital
technology industry, recently surveyed
1,000 over-16s. Twenty-one percent of
those surveyed said they expected to be
visiting foreign countries in the metaverse
using virtual reality goggles by 2030
instead of travelling there physically.
Unsurprisingly, as many as 26 percent of
Virtual Zen garden: Why not take
a yoga lesson or meditate under a
beautiful digital tree?
Work is currently being carried out on affordable, high-quality VR goggles
that will make the metaverse experience as real as possible.
the 16- to 29-year-olds said they could
imagine inhabiting a digital model of
reality as an avatar.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
Swimming in the ocean with sharks.
Exploring space and discovering far-off
galaxies as an astronaut. Balancing on top
of a skyscraper. Accessing the world’s most
remote places. Or even travelling through
time to the Middle Ages. Proponents of the
metaverse claim that it will open the door
to completely new holiday experiences.
Travel will thus become more resource-efficient,
sustainable and environmentally
friendly. You could travel to Antarctica at
the weekend from the comfort of your
living room. You wouldn’t need to be
physically fit to reach the summit of Mount
Everest. You could arrange to meet friends
in New York City. You’d meet digitally, but
still in real time and in a trendy bar. The
metaverse is also an exciting option for live
concerts because it offers the experience of
being in the audience even though you are
at home. If it all gets a bit too much,
<
winter 2022/23
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35

travel / THE FUTURE IS NOW
Avatars in a floating office: Business meetings are also expected to take place in the metaverse.
<
you simply leave and come back for the
finale. Why not a visit to the doctor in the
metaverse, at least for a quick preliminary
diagnosis? And it would also serve a
valuable educational function if used to
take students on excursions to historical
sites from the classroom. To encourage us
to immerse ourselves in new, digital worlds,
work is currently being carried out to
reduce the cost of high-quality virtual
reality goggles. People are already using VR
goggles to help them overcome their fear of
heights. Many museums now offer virtual
tours: you can wander around the Van
Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, for example,
without having to travel there, or skip the
long queues when you visit the treasures in
the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or immerse
yourself virtually in the Guggenheim
Museum in New York. The British Museum
in London has also made a virtual tour
available. The website youvisit.com/tour
offers 3D helicopter flights over New York
City, visits to the Louvre in Paris and tours
of Berlin. These are an ideal way to prepare
for an actual trip because they provide a
sense of distance and depth – you can see
where the entrance to a museum is, for
example, or the nearest café. Virtual reality
tours are also a useful tool for travel
providers, enabling their customers to
virtually inspect hotel rooms before
booking.
MORE LIKE REAL LIFE
There is a downside, however. At the
moment, all content is recorded; nothing is
live. But being in the moment is exactly
what makes a holiday so enjoyable. You’re
able to participate in life’s activities rather
than just engaging with three-dimensional
images. But the difference is this: in the
metaverse, you chat with others, go
shopping, sit in a café as an avatar, instead
of just passively consuming a prefabricated
VR world in 3D. The metaverse is supposed
to feel like real life – with all of its excitement
and unpredictability. This already
works to some degree with live concerts.
The German metaverse platform Yabal, for
example, organises virtual gigs, an area in
which providers such as Sandbox and
Roblox are also active. MTV has even
introduced an annual award for the best
metaverse concert. South Korea’s capital
Seoul is in the process of building a digital
twin. It plans to move all local government
departments to the metaverse. In the future,
the city’s residents will be able to visit a tax
office or a complaints office as an avatar.
Supporters consider this to be a useful
project, while opponents portray it as dystopian.
Some wags say that many people
already feel that visiting a local government
office is like being in a parallel universe
where a foreign language is spoken.
Whether artificial intelligence can provide
help faster than a real person is questionable.
The beauty of the future, however, is
that it hasn’t happened yet and could easily
turn out to be quite different. After all, the
media has been talking for some time about
fridges that automatically re-order food as
soon as they run out. But it’s not something
that anyone really needs.
<
Photos: Unsplash, Adobe Stock, Rendezverse, Roblox, beigestellt
36 falstaff winter 2022/23

JOURNEY INTO THE
METAVERSE
The most exciting features:
HYPE TRAINERS
To make your avatar look cool in the metaverse, you can purchase
NFT trainers and other digital fashion items.
The metaverse is no different to real life. It’s all about seeing and being
seen – and that means wearing status symbols like the aforementioned
trainers. Labels like Adidas and Nike have already released an
NFT collection of trainers that you can put on your avatars or on a virtual
shelf. Leading the way is the RTFKT collective, whose Nike Dunk
Genesis Cryptokicks (photo above) have already become much
sought-after collectibles on the largest NFT platform Opensea. But
there are also jackets, caps and a winter jacket – for when it gets really
cold in the metaverse. rtfkt.com
RICH AND BEAUTIFUL
Gaming is on trend in the metaverse. The Otker Collection Hotel
Group offers metaverse gaming featuring its luxury destinations.
The Oetker Collection hotel brand has designed a fun metaverse
adventure in cooperation with the fashion styling game Drest. You travel
as a stylist to an upmarket hotel like Le Bristol in Paris and have to
create a look for your avatar that matches the elegant ambience of the
hotel. A virtual gaming community then decides whether the look is a
hit or a miss. Fashion, gaming and hotel destinations are natural partners
in this venture. Drest already has experience in the field: the company
has partnered with about 250 luxury brands to connect the virtual
with the real world of fashion. oetkercollection.com
THE GARDEN OF FASHION
Keen to be seen as trail blazers in the virtual world, many high-fashion labels are checking out the metaverse.
In the middle of the pandemic, Italian luxury label Gucci invited us to take a walk in the virtual Gucci Garden. For two weeks,
you could immerse your avatar in Gucci campaigns on Roblox and experience at first hand thephilosophy of their creative
director Alessandro Michele. Decentraland recently hosted the first virtual Fashion Week at which Dolce & Gabbana and
Tommy Hilfiger sent virtual models down the catwalk. Even the hype label Balenciaga, which appeals mainly to the younger
generation, has responded to the trend by offering digital fashion to upgrade your avatar. blog.roblox.com
winter 2022/23
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37

travel / THE FUTURE IS NOW
JOURNEY INTO THE
METAVERSE
More exciting features:
VIRTUAL HOTEL VISIT
Two international hospitality brands adre designing hotels in the Metaverse that
you can spend the night in.
There’s always something going on in the virtual world but, at some point, you’ll want to
take a break from it all. Two forward-thinking chains, M Social and CitizenM, are currently
constructing pixelated hotels in the metaverse. Dutch company CitizenM, which
has a presence on The Sandbox, also intends to sell NFT art in its hotel. Singapore-based
M Social opened its hotel in May. The building occupies space on Decentraland
and looks like a gigantic M. Because gaming has a high profile in the metaverse,
there’s plenty to experience when you explore the rooms in the hotel.
citizenm.com, millenniumhotels.com
THE DREAM OF FLYING
The air swing is a virtual reality installation in
which you float above the clouds.
When you take your seat on the old-fashioned wooden
swing, you almost feel like a child. The Air Swing
brings together the physical and virtual worlds. While
you swing on the ground, the VR goggles suggest you
are swinging high in the air – over landscapes, houses,
through the clouds and into space. It could prove
to be an effective way of overcoming a fear of
heights. Lufthansa’s VR Swing had its first successful
outing at a trade show, where customers were
encouraged to experience flying without an aircraft.
swing-vr.com
PRIVATE MEETING PODS
Interactive digital twins of hotels help guests find
the right room.
Although still in the development phase, by 2023 the
Rendezverse platform expects to have created virtual
twins of around 1,000 hotels using 3D photography.
Guests with VR goggles or an app will be able to visit
the hotels to inspect the rooms they have booked
before they arrive. Partners include hotel chains such
as Accor, Intercontinental and Marriott. Business customers
will be offered exclusive private meeting pods
that float in the air like UFOs. The twin hotels concept
will eliminate travel costs and offer customers an
exclusive, futuristic experience. Event spaces are also
being designed for the metaverse. These will be rented
out for meetings, exhibitions or celebrations with partners
from all round the world.
rendezverse.com
Photos: A.MUSE – Interactive Design Studio, Adobe Stock, Rendezverse, beigestellt
38 falstaff winter 2022/23

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travel/ INTERVIEW
The EDITION hotel in London:
Modern touches like the photo
of Hendrik Kersten blend
harmoniously into the historic
surroundings.
40 falstaff winter 2022/23

THE FATHER OF
BOUTIQUE HOTELS
In the 1970s, he became famous as co-founder of the New York nightclub
Studio 54. Later, Ian Schrager made headlines as the inventor of boutique hotels.
Today, the 76-year-old entrepreneur is still setting standards in the hotel industry.
BY KATHARINA KOTRBA
Photos: Nikolas Koenig, Mark C O‘Flaherty/Camera Press/picturedesk.com
In 1977, when Ian Schrager and
Steve Rubell opened the doors of
their New York nightclub Studio 54,
everyone – including the two
co-founders – was surprised by its
extraordinary success. In their club,
ordinary mortals mingled on the dance
floor with international celebrities like
Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor
and Michael Jackson. Seven years later,
the successful pair opened their first hotel,
the Morgans on Madison Avenue. It was
an immediate hit, thanks to its detailed
design features, excellent service and the
glamorous lobby that soon became an
important meeting place. The Morgans
went down in the history books as the
world’s first boutique hotel. More hotel
openings followed: the Gramercy Park in
Manhattan, the PUBLIC in New York, the
Delano in Miami and, since 2013, the
EDITION hotels. Although no two hotels
are alike, they all have one thing in
common: a magical luxury atmosphere, for
which Schrager has a special talent
FALSTAFF Studio 54 was a beacon of New
York nightlife and changed the disco scene
forever. Do you know today why everyone,
including the biggest celebrities, preferred
your nightclub?
IAN SCHRAGER We had the same music
everybody had, and we had the same liquor
as everyone else. But Studio 54 was a place
where people could let go, let loose and be
free. Without fear of reprisals. It’s a part of
the human condition: We all like to let it all
hang out and have fun when we can. It’s
been like that for 5.000 years and I don’t
think that will ever change.
After Studio 54, you took off in the hotel
industry. Your first project, the Morgans on
Madison Avenue, became an immediate
success. Why?
My business partner Steve Rubell and I
wanted to open up a hotel for our generation.
Not a hotel for my parents. Something
that hadn’t been done before. We went
about reinventing and rethinking every step
of the process. At that point, other hotels
were generic – everyone in the hotel
industry was trying to be all things to all
people. We weren’t. We were trying to be
something very specific and focused.
Since the Morgans Hotel, you’ve been
named the inventor of the “boutique
hotel”, how did the term find its origin?
It was actually Steve Rubell who coined it,
when he was explaining to the press
<
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travel / INTERVIEW
At the beginning of this year, The Madrid EDITION (above left), the first urban luxury lifestyle resort, opened in the Spanish capital. The hotel favours
subtle colours and is a model of elegant understatement. In complete contrast, The Sanya EDITION (below left and right) in southern China features dark
design elements that radiate a warm and welcoming sense of sophistication. The glamorous image is completed with natural design features such as
wood-panelled ceilings in the lounge area and a reflection pool carved out of solid black granite and framed with bamboo.
AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WE’RE ALL
SELLING THE SAME
THING: A BED FOR THE
NIGHT. BUT IT’S ALL
THE LITTLE THINGS
THAT MAKE A HOTEL
STAY AN EXPERIENCE.
IAN SCHRAGER ENTREPRENEUR
<
what we were trying to accomplish. He
compared other hotels to big department
stores and said that ours was more like a
boutique retail store on Madison Avenue. It
has nothing to do with the size of a hotel.
But with the fact that – similar to entering
a boutique store – you will find that they
are focused on a very specific customer and
they have a specific attitude
Every hotel that you’ve created ended up
becoming “the place to be.” How do you
do it? And how would you explain the
“magic” of Ian Schrager?
I wish I could tell you. There are people out
there who say I should write a book about
it, but I can’t. That’s because it’s all done
step by step and instinctively, every single
time. It’s not unlike the way a woman
dresses when she goes out at night: She
puts her makeup on first, then she chooses
IAN SCHRAGER
DISCO DADDY
Studio 54 wasn’t Ian Schrager and Steve
Rubell’s first nightclub. They had previously
tested their concept in Boston.
BEHIND BARS
The business partners landed in jail - for tax
evasion - not long after launching their iconic
disco.
MOST POWERFUL
Schrager was recently named “one of the 100
most powerful people in hospitality” by the
International Hospitality Institute.
PATCHWORK FAMILY
Schrager has two children from his first
marriage, as does his current wife; they share
a son together.
Photos: Nikolas Koenig, Enrique Marco, Photofest, supplied
42 falstaff winter 2022/23

Ian Schrager’s rapid rise to fame was
due to the legendary success of his Studio
54 (above left and centre). He brought
the feeling of luxury and exclusivity from
the disco to the hotel industry – and each
of his hotels is a one-off.
This is evident in the idyllically situated The
Hotel Bodrum EDITION (top right and bottom
right). Guests at the trendy The Miami Beach
EDITION (bottom left and inset) are also
drawn to the hotel’s refined atmosphere.
a dress from her closet. After that,
she selects earrings to go with the
dress, later shoes. In the end, she
picks a perfume and all of a sudden:
Boom! She’s standing in front of you
and it’s perfect. It’s just like that for me,
too. Every city, every building is different. I
try a bunch of different things and I feel if
it’s working or not. Then I change it up
until I feel exactly the right vibe.
Your newest hotel is the Edition in Madrid.
What goal were you after when you
designed the property?
Madrid is a very special place. The people
of Madrid are very elegant and sophisticated,
they value a good life and enjoy eating
good food. Madrid doesn’t attract as many
tourists as some of the other cities in
Europe do. So we had to create something
that would also work for the locals.
And what does luxury mean to you in a
hotel?
At the end of the day, we’re all selling the
same thing: a bed for the night. But it’s the
little things like elegant design, a cosy lobby
bar and fantastic service in the bars and
restaurants that make a hotel stay a special
experience. It’s about being able to enjoy,
relax and feel secure. It’s not about material
things: Luxury is a feeling.
<
EDITION
HOTELS
MARRIOTT X SCHRAGER
The EDITION hotels are a collaboration between
Ian Schrager and Marriott International.
The first hotel opened in London in 2013.
THE CONCEPT
The luxury boutique hotels are inspired by the
culture and style of the cities and countries in
which they are located.
CURRENT LOCATIONS
Right now, you can stay in an EDITION hotel in
15 cities, including New York, West Hollywood,
London, Tokyo and Shanghai.
FUTURE LOCATIONS
EDITION plans to welcome guests in Doha,
Rome and Lake Como in the near future.
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travel / BOUTIQUE HOTELS
BEST OF
BOUTIQUE
HOTELS
Small, luxurious and usually
privately owned, boutique hotels
are on trend because they combine
superb design with a family
atmosphere. Here are ten European
addresses well worth a visit.
VILLA ARNICA, ITALY
This exclusive family-run hotel, with its
four rooms and six suites, is surrounded
by vineyards but still in the centre of Lana
in Alto Adige/South Tyrol. Here, vintage
sofas meet carefully selected new styles,
and the colour scheme of mustard, sage
and terracotta creates a warm, welcoming
atmosphere. Another unique feature
of this oasis is the extensive garden with
pool. Doubles from £165. villaarnica.it
Editing: Katharina Kotrba / Words: Karin Cerny / Photos: Simon Upton, Francisco Nogueira, supplied
44 falstaff winter 2022/23

Travel back to
the Roaring
TWENTIES
NOMAD LONDON, ENGLAND
A luxury hotel with a past: the NoMad is
housed within a historic listed building.
Situated directly opposite the Royal Opera
House, the former courthouse and police
station building dates from the 19th century.
A particular highlight is the courtyard
restaurant, which is dressed with hanging
plants and takes inspiration from Victorian
glass-topped structures. The hotel interior
uses art on the walls and there are elegant
chandeliers and oriental carpets. The
bathrooms reflect the flair of the 1920s;
the free-standing baths have feet and
gold-plated fittings. Doubles from £410.
thenomadhotel.com
Maritime
STYLE
AMERIKALINJEN, NORWAY
The magnificent headquarters of the Norwegian
Amerikalinjen (America Line) shipping company,
which sent its passenger and cargo ships to the
land of opportunity between 1910 and 1995,
used to be located in the capital city of Oslo.
Anyone wanting to travel to the USA obtained
their ticket in this imposing building. Today, the
Club Gustav still reflects the New York jazz
scene of those times, while the Pier 42 bar
serves American cocktail classics. The Amerikalinjen
boutique hotel is elegant but not overstated;
it combines retro elements with contemporary
design and enjoys a central location
that is ideal for exploring Oslo on foot. Doubles
from £192. amerikalinjen.com
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travel / BOUTIQUE HOTELS
Romance
on the
CANAL
THE DYLAN AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
The Dylan Amsterdam was originally designed as
a theatre in 1632. The building caught fire during a
performance and after numerous renovations was
turned into a luxury boutique hotel in 1999. The
elegant structure is picturesquely situated on the
banks of a canal in the Dutch capital. The rooms
cleverly combine historic charm with modern
comforts. Each one has its own character. Why are
gourmets so attracted to this address? It could be
because the hotel is home to the Michelin restaurant
Vinkeles, where the eight-course menu is
highly recommended. Private dining is also easy
to arrange at any time at The Dylan Amsterdam,
which is well-equipped to cater for romantic
weekends. Doubles from £314.
dylanamsterdam.com
Art in the
CHÂTEAU
CHÂTEAU DE LA RESLE, FRANCE
The Château del Aresle is your ideal getaway in
Burgundy, France, a region famous for its excellent
wines. The stylishly renovated hotel is
housed in a 17th-century château within a
six-hectare country estate, a location that guarantees
absolute peace and relaxation. Guests can
take advantage of a heated outdoor pool, sauna
and steam room, as well as gym and yoga classes
supervised by a private fitness coach. The grand
architecture offers a delightful contrast to the
minimalist furnishings. Each room is designed
differently. The two owners are art collectors,
so there is a lot to discover. Doubles from £218.
chateaudelaresle.com
Editing: Katharina Kotrba / Words: Karin Cerny / Photos: Roel Ruijs, Design Hotels TM, supplied
46 falstaff winter 2022/23

Elegance with a
SEA VIEW
HOTEL ARISTIDE, GREECE
A tax office headquarters in a previous life, this neoclassical
mansion with its marble staircase and Doric
columns now operates as an exclusive hotel far
removed from mass tourism on the Greek island of
Syros. Much attention has been paid to the selection
of artworks dotted around the mansion. There is a
garden for champagne breakfasts and a roof terrace
where guests can enjoy a perfect sunset overlooking
the sea. Doubles from £305. hotelaristide.com
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travel / BOUTIQUE HOTELS
Historic
OPULENCE
LES BAINS, FRANCE
Les Bains was to Paris what the legendary Studio
54 was to New York: an all-night party venue that
made history. A magnet for celebrities, you’d often
see the likes of David Bowie, Grace Jones and Andy
Warhol on the dancefloor. The building itself was
built in the 1880s to house a thermal spa, which is
where it gets its name. After a major restoration,
the building was transformed into a luxury hotel
that manages to balance contemporary minimalism
and historic opulence. The elegant spa area,
bar and restaurant all maintain the retro style.
Doubles from £288. lesbains-paris.com
Minimalist
DESIGN
THE TÓTEM MADRID, SPAIN
From the outside, the Tótem in Madrid is understated,
almost unassuming. Step inside the
19-century building to discover an extremely
stylish interior, a minimalist design based on the
use of high-quality products that is further
enhanced by the pleasant atmosphere that puts
guests at ease. With its blue floral wallpaper
and palm trees, the cocktail bar is a picture of
elegance. The Tótem is also pet friendly and
dogs are always welcome. The hotel is centrally
located in the exclusive district of Salamanca,
which has a high concentration of gourmet
restaurants and boutiques for visitors to enjoy.
Doubles from £175. totem-madrid.com
Editing: Katharina Kotrba / Words: Karin Cerny / Photos: Guillaume Grasset, Felix Brueggemann, supplied
48 falstaff winter 2022/23

Turn of the century
BERLIN
CHÂTEAU ROYAL BERLIN, GERMANY
Berlin’s creatives congregate in the Grill Royal
restaurant, while art enthusiasts visiting Berlin
stay in the Château Royal. And it’s no wonder: the
manager of the Grill is also behind the Château.
The interior furnishings make use of materials
popular in Berlin’s heyday at the turn of the 20th
century: brightly coloured marble, herringbone
parquet and Craquele tiles. There are also over
100 works of art to admire. Doubles from £170.
chateauroyalberlin.com
Jazz
FEELING
GRAN HOTEL INGLÉS, SPAIN
Madrid’s oldest hotel opened in 1886 in one of the
first streets in the city to be supplied with electricity.
The Grand Hotel Inglés continues to combine
urban sophistication with the glamour of yesteryear.
Even in the spa area, you’ll come across elegant
art deco interiors of bronze, marble and glass,
which were the luxury hallmarks of the hotel even
in its early days. The rooms make clever use of
wood and earthy tones, and some have a small balcony.
Doubles from £350. granhotelingles.com
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travel / SKI RESORTS
Sub-zero temperatures
and fresh snow provide the
ideal conditions for skiers.
Photo: LHW Le k2/Courchevel Tourisme/Patrice Mestari
50 falstaff winter 2022/23

SKI
NOW!
Winter sports enthusiasts rejoice! This season, the Alps are even more alluring, with
more excellent hotels, exceptional restaurants and top winter events. We reveal the
best places to go in elegant Kitzbühel, trendy Val d’Isère and other winter hotspots.
WORDS LISA ARNOLD, LUCY BINDER, KARIN CERNY AND PHILIPP JOSEF ROSSMANN
winter 2022/23
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travel / SKI RESORTS
ST MORITZ
M
ore than just a resort – St Moritz is a
legend. What is probably the world’s
most famous winter sports destination
was not only the first place in Switzerland
to have electric light (1878) but was also the first
Swiss town to have a ski lift (1935). It has always
been a glamorous getaway for the international jet
set, who threw legendary parties in St Tropez in the
summer and played polo on the frozen lake in St
Moritz in the winter. This closed circle was led by the
German-Swiss playboy and industrialist heir Gunter
Sachs, whose activities kept the paparazzi busy. Sachs
was the bon vivant responsible for bringing stars and
starlets to St Moritz including Marlene Dietrich and
Audrey Hepburn as well as the director Alfred
Hitchcock, who stayed at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel,
which is believed to have provided the inspiration for
his classic film The Birds. St Moritz has succeeded in
maintaining its reputation as the home of the rich and
beautiful. Virtually nowhere else boasts so many
grand hotels, luxury boutiques, top restaurants and
galleries. Glamour, lifestyle and ostentatious displays
of wealth are still the order of the day. But the true
luxury of St Moritz is to be found in its incredibly
beautiful pistes, which are rarely crowded and offer a
magnificent view of the Engadine peaks. Although St
Moritz’s local mountain, Corviglia, is home to the
steepest slope in Switzerland, it also has pistes
suitable for beginners. Snow is guaranteed. And the
Upper Engadine is renowned for its sunny climate.
The sophisticated resort of
St Moritz, home to the rich
and beautiful, is set against a
fabulous mountain backdrop.
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Photos: Jan Kokes | Dreamstime.com, Olivia Pulver, Filip Zuan, Gian Andri Giovanoli, Wendy Falourd, supplied
PANORAMIC VIEW: Piz Nair (centre left)
is one of St Moritz’s local mountains – and
the perfect spot for yodelling at dawn. The
panorama from the Hotel Carlton (above left,
below) is equally impressive.
BREAKFAST FOR THE GODS: The
Romanoff Restaurant (above right) in the
Hotel Carlton serves international classics
in the evening and a rich breakfast in the
morning – all in elegant surroundings.
SNOW POLO WORLD CUP: This event
(centre right) has been held on the frozen
Lake St Moritz on the last weekend in January
ever since 1895. From the grandstand
you have a view of the game – and the
mountains. Warm up afterwards in a spa like
the one in the Kulm Hotel (centre).
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BEST OF
ST MORITZ
DAL MULIN
The restaurant in the heart
of town features rustic
seating and alpine-inspired
cuisine. Homemade ravioli
with veal shank is a speciality
that is complemented
by an excellent wine list.
dalmulin.ch
At the El Paradiso, you can
dine and celebrate at 2,181
metres. Or relax on the sun
terrace with lounge music,
snacks and a glass of rosé.
paradiso-stmoritz.com
MATTHEO THUN STAR ARCHITECT
Architect Matteo Thun,
who lives in Milan, likes
to escape from the
city in his free time.
He spends his holidays
close to nature – as
often as he can.
Hailing from an aristocratic Italian family, Matteo Thun
teaches the next generation of architects and designers the art
of design from his Milan-based studio. In his private life, the
native of South Tyrol likes to spend time in the Engadine.
The mountains exert a special attraction on you. Where does that
come from?
I grew up in the mountains and took to skis at an early age.
As a former Cresta run enthusiast, I love speed!
What do you look for when travelling in winter?
Accessibility is important to me. From Milan, you can reach
St Moritz and the surrounding area relatively quickly by car.
Otherwise, I can definitely recommend travelling by Rhaetian
Railway.
Why is St Moritz so special to you?
You can find ancient, rich cultures and a multitude of languages
within its magical natural setting. What’s more, I meet
friends from all over the world here every year. As a passionate
skier, I love the fact that everything here is geared to skiing,
skeleton sledding and mountain hiking!
What do you look for when choosing a hotel?
As an architect specialising in the hospitality industry, I have
a very particular view of hotels. For me, a good hotel captures
the genius loci, the distinctive character of a place. It begins
with local materials and includes local suppliers as well as
regional traditions.
Can you give us an insider tip for St Moritz?
My favourite walk is from Sils Baselgia along the lake and past
Isola to Maloja. It’s a wonderful route and deserted in winter.
Photos: Hans-Joerg Zingg, Daniel Chardon, Badrutt‘s Palace Hotel, supplied
54 falstaff winter 2022/23

Traditional
elegance and
idyllic views
over Lake St
Moritz create a
truly charming
atmosphere at
Badrutt’s Palace.
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Talvo: A particular highlight of
this starred restaurant inside
a 17th-century farmhouse is
the cavatelli with mussels.
talvo.ch
RESTAURANT ECCO
The Ecco in the Hotel Giardino Mountain is regarded as one of the best fine dining restaurants
in St Moritz – not least because of its two Michelin stars. Executive chef Rolf Fliegauf
and his team offer perfectly executed fine dining. The aroma cuisine takes seasonal ingredients
and turns them into unpretentious yet unusual menus, available with four to seven
courses and an excellent selection of wines. Four-course menu from £199 per person.
giardinohotels.ch
BADRUTT’S PALACE
The combination of traditional elegance and contemporary luxury
makes this hotel on the shores of Lake St Moritz one of the best
in town. With no less than ten restaurants, some of them
award-winning, the hotel is considered a gastronomic hotspot.
The wellness area with its breathtaking scenery is dedicated to
your health and wellbeing. Doubles from £658.
badruttspalace.com
SUVRETTA HOUSE
Suvretta House dominates the winter landscape like a fairy-tale castle.
A private ski lift takes guests directly to the expansive Corviglia ski area and to Trutz, the
hotel’s own mountain restaurant. From the Trutz, you can enjoy the view over the lakes
while you wait for one of the exclusive wellness treatments that will give your body the
relaxation it deserves at the end of the day. Doubles including breakfast from £372.
suvrettahouse.ch
KULM HOTEL
It is said you can trace the history of winter sports in St Moritz
back to the opening of the Kulm Hotel in 1856. Guests can use
the hotel’s ice and curling rink and in summer tee off on its golf
course. Each of the rooms has a dream view overlooking either
the lake or Piz Nair. Doubles with half board from approx. £1,100.
kulm.com
Photos: Gian Giovanol, Daniel Martinek Photography, supplied
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travel / SKI RESORTS
COURCHEVEL
The palatial Les
Airelles, which opened in
1992, is one of the region’s
leading luxury hotels.
A
name with a reputation – Courchevel in the
French Alps is also known as the St Tropez
of winter sports. With 600 kilometres of
slopes, Les Trois Vallées, of which Courchevel
is a part, is the largest ski resort in the world,
boasting an impressive number of five-star hotels, and
its many exclusive chalets combine sophistication
with local colour. Exclusive boutiques and starred restaurants
are the norm in this resort, which is divided
into three parts, each named after their altitude in
metres: Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 and Courchevel
1850. The airport attracted the jet set early on;
they arrived by private plane and helicopter. Even the
airport approach is an adventure: Courchevel Airport
is considered to have the steepest asphalted runway in
the world – and you touch down in the middle of a
fascinating mountain panorama. There is no shortage
of celebrities, either. The Prince and Princess of Wales,
singer Robbie Williams and Hollywood actor George
Clooney have all stayed here. Courchevel 1850 was
created with the aim of delivering a quality rather
than a mass tourism experience. It was a winning
decision: the town offers an incredible diversity of
skiing options. Two-thirds of the slopes are set aside
for beginners, with about 30 percent rated as intermediate
and only ten percent as difficult. But skiing isn’t
the only attraction; many people visit Courchevel to
experience fine dining in one of its temples of haute
cuisine. The lifts close at 4pm, which is when the
champagne starts flowing – from an elegant keg.
58 falstaff winter 2022/23

RUSTIC CHIC WITH A FRENCH TWIST
Courchevel offers a wide choice of luxe
accommodation in a wide range of styles.
The Six Senses Residences & Spa Courchevel
(above) has a brilliant spa and also offers
scenic helicopter tours.
HIGH-GLOSS ELEGANCE
Aman Le Mélézin (centre left) is great for
stylish relaxation, while Barrière Les Neiges
(centre) offers fabulous “ski in, ski out” fun
on the Bellecôte piste. For opulent interiors,
head to Les Airelles Courchevel (centre
right).
HAUTE CUISINE
The restaurants at Cheval Blanc Courchevel
(below left) offer a choice of superb cooking
inspired by various food cultures. At Le 1947
à Cheval Blanc, culinary virtuoso Yannick
Alléno cooks up a creative storm.
Photos: Alex Moling, Fabrice Rambert, supplied
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travel / SKI RESORTS
BEST OF
COURCHEVEL
LE 1947
Serious foodies should
head to the Cheval
Blanc hotel, home of
Courchevel’s only three-
Michelin-starred restaurant.
Maître Yannick
Alléno composes
intriguing menus that
are a revelation for all
the senses.
chevalblanc.com
LE SARKARA
At this two-Michelinstarred
gourmet restaurant,
located in Le K2
Palace hotel, chef
Sébastien Vauxion takes
fine dining to new heights.
lek2palace.com
Mountain chic: Even on holiday,
the successful entrepreneur and
mother of four turns heads with her
keen sense of fashion.
LENA TERLUTTER
ENTREPRENEUR AND FASHION BLOGGER
Her unerring instinct for fashion has taken Lena Terlutter to
the top. On her Instagram account (@lenaterlutter) the German
influencer shares snapshots of her daily life with her
867,000 followers. Wherever she goes and whatever she does,
her four children – her pride and joy – are always with her.
Who You love holidaymaking with your family, and you travel
frequently. What’s your favourite winter destination?
For us there are two extremes in winter: either sun and a beach
or mountains and snow. This year it will be a white Christmas,
and the entire family is heading to the mountains to go skiing.
What are your top priorities when choosing a destination?
The most important thing is that the piste is close by and easily
reached. And, naturally, there should be a good selection of
shops and restaurants for when we take a day off skiing.
Do your children ski?
Yes, all except the youngest are at ski school.
So what do you do when you’re not skiing?
When we’re not enjoying après-ski treats, we’re usually building
snowmen and tobogganing. This year we plan to go husky sledding
with the kids for the first time – I can’t wait!
Do you and your husband make time just for yourselves, or are
the children always with you?
My husband and I travel to Paris several times a year for work.
We often add a day off. As much as we love our children, a day
or two alone as a couple is absolutely priceless.
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Sweet temptation
The Piste Noire chocolaterie
sells hand-made chocolates
and confectionary.
pistenoire-courchevel.com
AMAN LE MÉLÉZIN
The hotel, which has 31 bedrooms and suites, takes its
name from the larch trees (mélèze in French) in the forests
that surround it. Inside, the oak-panelled interiors, clear
lines and picture windows create a sense of tranquillity.
Two of the hotel’s four floors are devoted to the spa area,
with a pool, hammam and a sauna. Doubles with half board
from approx. £1,000 per person.
aman.com
CHEVAL BLANC
This luxe hotel sits in the prestigious Jardin Alpin, and offers direct access to the ski slopes.
With only 36 bedrooms, it is practically a boutique hotel, albeit one renowned for unsurpassed
service. Alongside its ski in, ski out amenities, Cheval Blanc has a choice of gastronomical
offerings that include the region’s only restaurant with three Michelin stars. After a
strenuous day on the pistes, head to the sensational Guerlain spa for absolutely sublime
relaxation. Doubles with half board from approx. £955 per person.
chevalblanc.com
Photos: Jerome Morin, jc photos, S. Candito, S. Julliard, Daniel Herendi, Fabrice Rambert
LES AIRELLES COURCHEVEL
On the slopes of Courchevel, a fairy-tale palace rises out of the trees, as proud as a
19th-century Austro-Hungarian castle. This is one of the most exclusive hotels in the
Alps, and it’s where discerning winter enthusiasts come to stay. Guests enjoy first access
to the La Saulire piste with its crisp powder snow and picture-perfect mountain views at
sunrise; later, there’s the promise of restorative relaxation at the La Mer spa.
Doubles including half board from approx. £740 per person.
airelles.com
HOTEL BARRIÈRE LES NEIGES
This resort sits in a prime spot at the foot of the legendary Bellecôte
piste in Courchevel 1850. With only 42 bedrooms and
suites, it is one of the most intimate hotels in this exuberant skin
resort. After dining at Fouquet’s or one of the other four in-house
eateries, guests can kick back in the cigar lounge. Doubles including
half board from £780 per person. hotelsbarriere.com
winter 2022/23
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KITZBÜHEL
The place with a positive attitude to life. The
number of regular visitors is high, the luxury
chalets are sought after, and those who are
lucky enough (and of course have the
money) to acquire a second home in Kitzbühel can’t
help but feel like an emperor – an appropriate
designation for someone with a view of the spectacular
Wilder Kaiser mountain massif with its perfect ski
slopes in winter and wonderful hiking opportunities
in summer. It is hard to believe that the tourism
pioneer Franz Reisch, who first brought skiing to
Tyrol in 1892, had to order his ski equipment from
Norway. He had read the book On Snowshoes
through Greenland by the polar explorer Fridtjof
Nansen, whose skis were an astonishing 2.30 metres
long. By 1895, however, ski racing was taking place in
Kitzbühel, a village that became a winter sports icon
as a result of the legendary Hahnenkamm race, which
has been held there since 1931. The Streif is still
considered to be one of the world’s most difficult
downhill ski courses. It is awe-inspiring to see the
famous Mausefalle for real. This is the steepest
section of the Streif, with an 85 percent decline, where
athletes jump as far as 80 metres at speeds of up to
120 kilometres per hour. You can of course also find
easier slopes on the 233 kilometres of downhill ski
runs around Kitzbühel and there are 57 cable cars in
operation. The region also has some of the most
beautiful spa facilities in Austria, such as at the
Schlosshotel A-ROSA, for example, which boasts a
luxurious 3,000-square-metre wellness area. For those
less interested in the quiet life, the nightlife in
Kitzbühel is worth checking out. There’s every chance
you’ll end up sipping champagne next to a celebrity.
From mid-November until
after Easter, the Kitzbühel
mountains are a fabulous
place for young and old.
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TODAY AS THEN:
The famous Sonnbühel ski lodge (left) is a true
legend. The historic mountain inn, which has
been welcoming guests for nearly 100 years, is
not only the best-known ski hut in the Kitzbühel
Alps; it is probably the oldest in the world.
SNOWY IDYLL:
The famous painter and architect Alfons Walde
was so taken with the small community of
Aurach near Kitzbühel (below right) that he
immortalised the village church on canvas.
EXCLUSIVE:
Endless slopes, alpine charm and elegant fashion
await visitors to hotels like the Hotel Kitzhof
(centre right, bottom left). Kitzbühel’s Simone
Becke (centre) creates great pieces for every
occasion.
Photos: Franz Gerdl, defrancesco, Getty Images, Kitzbühel Tourismus | Michael Werlberger, supplied
winter 2022/23
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BEST OF
KITZBÜHEL
ZUMA
After success in Hong Kong
and New York, Rainer Becker’s
fine dining concept comes to
the legendary Weisses Rössl
hotel this winter: dining in the
Japanese Izakaya style – with
a contemporary twist.
roesslkitz.at
With speckled trout,
chamois and pumpkin
as well as handdipped
scallops,
Marco Gatterer’s
Michelin-starred Alpine
cuisine appeals to an
international clientèle.
berggericht.at
ANNA POSCH
YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND INFLUENCER
Vienna-based Anna Posch is known not only for her style (see
her Instagram account @poschstyle), but she has also made a
name for herself as a yoga teacher. While she makes sure her
students work up a sweat in her fast-paced classes, the smart
influencer also enjoys taking breaks from her work to relax.
What do you look for in a winter trip destination?
The place should be easy to get to, possibly even without a car.
But I also like hotels located in unusual places, far away from
other hotels, especially if they offer great views of nature.
When you want to switch off, what matters to you when
choosing a hotel?
As I don’t yet have children, I prefer adults-only hotels. I also
want somewhere with a gym, a sauna and a welcoming atmosphere.
An outdoor pool is always good, of course.
Apart from teaching yoga, you also have your own online
platform – the Poschstyle Studio. Do you also practice yoga
during your winter holiday?
Of course! My motto “#noexcuses” always applies. Whether
at the gym or in a hotel room, 30 minutes is always possible.
What do you usually do at the spa?
I’ve become a big sauna fan and like to treat myself to a massage
or facial.
Do you prefer travelling alone or in company in the winter?
Although I enjoy travelling on my own, I usually travel with
friends or family.
A woman of many talents:
With her fashion sense and
sheer willpower, Viennese
influencer Anna Posch has
come a long way.
64 falstaff winter 2022/23

Simone Becke
Feminine shapes
and unique
details are
hallmarks of
the collections
from this local
designer.
ERIKA BOUTIQUEHOTEL
This delightful hotel in the heart of the Gamsstadt ski area offers charm and elegance to
discerning travellers seeking an oasis of tranquillity after adrenaline-filled days on the
slopes. Behind the Victorian flair of its façade are modern interiors with plenty of warmth
and a high feelgood factor; the spa also beckons with pools, saunas and massages. Doubles
incl. breakfast from £162 per night. erika-kitz.at
Photos: rusne Draz, Henrike Schunck, michael huber I www.huber-fotografie.at, supplied
TENNERHOF GOURMET & SPA DE CHARME HOTEL
Romantics will find everything their heart desires at this luxurious hotel on a gently sloping
hillside with panoramic views. The lovingly decorated furnishings radiate alpine charm of
earlier times, but the facilities are entirely modern. The restaurants, too, offer a perfect
symbiosis of traditional regional food and modern cuisine. Doubles including breakfast from
approx. £340 per night.
tennerhof.com
HOTEL KITZHOF
Awakened by the splendour of the mountains: Nestled in nature,
right next to the town park and just a few minutes from the idyllic
centre of Kitzbühel, the comfortable Mountain Design Resort is a
favourite destination for sports-loving visitors seeking the ideal
starting point for an adventure-packed winter holiday in the Kitzbühel
Alps. Doubles including breakfast from £290 per night.
hotel-kitzhof.com
winter 2022/23
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KRONPLATZ
W
ith 116 kilometres of slopes, 31 lifts
and up to 7-kilometre-long runs, Plan
de Corones (2,275 metres) overlooks
Brunico, Valdaora and San Vigilio.
Here is a winter sports paradise whose gentle hills
and wide slopes are perfect for children and families.
The distinctive mountain is located in South Tyrol, a
region that belonged to Austria in its entirety after the
first world war. Kronplatz is still strongly influenced
by Tyrolean culture, however, with 70 percent of the
population speaking German. This accounts for the
special charm of this region, which combines the best
of both worlds. Traditional ski huts serve both pasta
and dumplings. Worthy of special mention is the
gourmet regional cuisine served by top chef Norbert
Niederkofler, who sources his produce from local
suppliers and actively and creatively embraces the
trend towards sustainability. His Cook the Mountain
cookbook is the ideal introduction to your trip. Not
only does it whet the appetite for the dishes of the
region but it also highlights the beauty of the landscape,
which is as rugged as it is beautiful. The
architecture in Kronplatz also has lots to offer. At the
summit, for example, a former mountain station has
been transformed into a museum of mountain
photography. The museum has 1,800 square metres
of space dedicated to the world of historical alpine
photographs and regularly hosts special exhibitions.
Niederkofler’s AlpiNN restaurant and the LUMEN
photo museum are right next to each other and share
a fantastic view. Another recommended excursion for
skiers wishing to take the day off is the Messner
Mountain Museum Corones, which explores the
tradition of alpinism and is housed in a futuristic
building designed by Zaha Hadid.
The Lumen Museum of
Mountain Photography is
located in a former
mountain station in the
Kronplatz region.
66 falstaff winter 2022/23

Photos: Paolo Riolzi, Manuel Kottersteger, Studio Ignativ, Alex Filz, supplied
AIMING HIGH:
What started as a modest mountain inn is now
literally the region’s most elevated wellness
centre: the Sky Spa at the Alpin Panorama
Hotel Hubertus (above left and right) stands on
stilts; swimmers in the 25m infinity pool (one of
seven pools) may well feel airborne, like they’re
heading direct for the mountain panorama of the
Dolomites.
DREAM TEAM:
Hotel Winkler and Purmontes (centre left and
right), which belong to the same hospitality
group, offer their guests everything needed for a
perfect holiday: lots of action in a family room or
privacy in a private luxury chalet.
PURE PLEASURE:
A highlight on the summit of Kronplatz is the
AlpiNN restaurant (centre) overseen by award
winning chef Norbert Niederkofler.
winter 2022/23
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BEST OF
KRONPLATZ
RESTAURANT RISCHON
If you want to enjoy typical
Tyrolean food in Brunico,
this is the place to go. At
Rischon, tradition meets the
highest culinary skills, and
the results are delectable
creations like pink roasted
duck breast with Jerusalem
artichoke puree or, as a
vegetarian option, Alpine
cheese ravioli with pear
butter. rischon.it
RESTAURANT ALPINN
Perched on the crest of
Kronplatz, Michelin-starred
chef Norbert Niederkofler
elevates Alpine cooking to
a new level. The restaurant
is committed to sustainability
and regional ingredients;
it is housed in an impressive
glass box. Diners are served
a wraparound view of the
Dolomites alongside their
meal. alpinn.it
A man of taste:
Roland Trettl, a selfprofessed
country boy,
loves classic Alpine
cooking.
ROLAND TRETTL
AWARD WINNING CHEF
Among his many other achievements,
Roland Trettl, an award winning, South
Tyrolean-born chef, made a name for
himself as executive chef of the acclaimed
restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg’s Hangar-7.
This garnered him an invitation to appear
on German television, where he ended up a
frequent guest. The charming multi-talent is
now also a successful cookery book author
with his own line of products.
You describe yourself as more of a summer
person. So how do you spend your time
outdoors during the cold season?
I am definitely happier travelling in warmer
climes, but winter can be lovely. While I’m
not a greatly enthusiastic skier, I can
discover so much up in the mountain
regions to feed my passion for cooking.
What’s up there that you can’t find
elsewhere?
Fondue! I adore all kinds of fondue – with
cheese, broth or oil. It’s probably the
conviviality that I love, with everyone
sitting around a large table, chatting. I
believe it’s a style of dining that more
households should take up again.
What do you look for when choosing a
winter holiday destination?
The hotel has to tick all the boxes,
particularly when you’re travelling with the
family. You need to make sure there’s
childcare, because you want to be able to
enjoy an evening meal as a couple on
holiday. And, naturally, the food has to be
great: it can be the most stylish hotel in the
world, but if the food’s not great then it’s
not for me.
What’s your favourite thing on the menu in
winter?
I’m a big fan of braised dishes and venison;
these are classics that keep you warm when
it’s chilly outside.
And what do you do if you can’t decide what
to order?
I put down the menu and place my trust in
the chef. That’s the purpose of a holiday
anyway – to let go and, ideally, discover a
new gastronomical highlight.
68 falstaff winter 2022/23

At Cosmo the
flavour experience
is influenced by
some of the world’s
greatest cities
cosmo-bruneck.com
HOTEL WINKLER AND CHALET PURMONTES
The two properties close to San Lorenzo di Sebato share both an owner and the vision of
fusing wellness, nature and sustainability to offer a sublime experience. Hotel Winkler is a
fantastic family resort with a great choice of leisure activities; Purmontes is a group of elegantly
furnished private chalets offering plenty of personal space. Doubles from approx.
£150 per person; chalet prices on request. winklerhotels.com
FALKENSTEINER HOTEL KRONPLATZ
This hotel owes its design and the roof-top pool with its spectacular
view of the surrounding mountains to no lesser luminary
than star architect Matteo Thun. The world’s preeminent peaks,
from South Tyrol/Alto Adige to Peru, provide inspiration for the
dishes at the 7Summit restaurant. Doubles with ¾ board from
approx. £300 per night. falkensteiner.com
Photos: AuerLukasPhotography, Dean Dubokovic, Helge Kirchberger, Hannes Niederkofler, AMA Stay, TVB St. Vigil/Pixcube.it
AMA STAY
A working holiday? If that sounds like a contradiction you should check out the newly opened AMA Stay hotel in
San Vigilio. So how does it work? Easy! The hotel boasts a special workation concept where guests can combine
working and holidaying. Modern co-working spaces and suites with offices are the ideal remote-working environment
to unleash fresh creativity. The holiday side of things is taken care of with an infinity pool, a sauna and the
delicious food served in the restaurant. Alternatively, the in-house market sells regional produce and delicatessen
to prepare in your own kitchen. Doubles from £174 per night. ama-stay.com
winter 2022/23
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ALPIN GARDEN ST ULRICH, ITALY
A sparkling, glamorous wellness oasis
This adults-only retreat in Val Gardena was completely refurbished in 2020, and the 30
bedrooms and other facilities in the resort still have that brand-new feeling. The hotel is visible
from afar with its distinctive architecture and black-and-gold façade. The interior is equally
glamorous, especially the Art Spa: the completely redesigned, 1,000-square-meter wellness
oasis boasts an indoor pool open 24/7 and a heated outdoor pool with stunning views of the
surrounding peaks. There’s also a whirlpool, a steam bath, a bio-aroma sauna and a salt
grotto. HIGHLIGHT: The golden sauna, which floats gracefully above the outdoor pool, is an
absolute eye-catcher. In the hotel’s restaurant, guests are served gastronomical delicacies from
South Tyrol and the rest of Italy. Winter sports fans will love the nearby slopes and free
snowshoe hire.
Alpin Garden Luxury Maison & Spa, alpingarden.com
J.-Skasa-Str. 68, 39046 St. Ulrich, Italy
T: +39 04 7179 6021
Text: Lisa Arnold / Photo: klaus peterlein
70 falstaff winter 2022/23

DOLOMITI
SUPERSKI
SOUTH TYROL, ITALY
Slopes, hotels and dining options for all tastes
PARTNERSHIP Photos: www.wisthaler.com - Harald Wisthaler
Thanks to their implausibly dramatic jagged fangs and
peaks, the Dolomites were elevated to the status of a
Unesco World Natural Heritage Site in 2009. They are
also one of the most sublime backdrops for a spot of
skiing, attracting thousands of winter sports fans when
the snowy season kicks off. In the Dolomiti Superski region, ski
fans will find the perfect piste for all skill levels from novice to pro.
The region includes 15 ski resorts with 1,200km top-quality slopes
spread over the neighbouring regions of South Tyrol, Trentino and
Veneto. TOP QUALITY: As well as numerous pistes in all categories,
the region boasts a vast choice of accommodation, countless
spas and wellness centres and an unrivalled food culture – all
reasons you’ll want to keep on coming back to Dolomiti Superski
again and again. For the latest great offers for families, couples and
groups, check out the redesigned Dolomiti Superski website.
Dolomiti Superski, dolomitisuperski.com
Arnaria Str, 39049 Kastelruth, Italy
T: +39 04 7179 5397
winter 2022/23
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Natural alpine bliss: The infinity
pool at Gnollhof offers beautiful
vistas of the Dolomites.
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ADVERTORIAL
AN IDYLL WHERE
HEAVEN AND
EARTH EMBRACE
At Gnollhof in South Tyrol, winter knocks gently at the window.
ADVERTORIAL Photo: Alex Filz
winter 2022/23
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Stunning views,
exquisite cuisine and
natural luxury are but a
few highlights of Hotel
Gnollhof.
W
inter is a happy, cosy
season at the Gnollhof
hotel, which faces the
winter sun and is protected
from icy winds by
mighty spruce trees. Offering a place to relax
with contemplative days and peaceful nights, the family-run resort
is perfect for invigorating winter holidays complete with wellness,
gourmet dining and crisp mountain air. At an altitude of 1,160
metres, there’s a clear view of snowy meadows, forests and the
Dolomites. Thanks to its stunning views and tranquil location,
Gnollhof has been attracting guests since 1888; the location hasn’t
changed, but now you can relax in the inviting infinity pool or
luxuriate in the outdoor hot tub. Afterwards, spend some me-time
in the daylight-flooded relaxation room, sweat it out in one of the
three saunas or swim laps in the indoor pool. The clouds dancing
across the sky and the ever-changing light invite guests to engage
with nature, even while indoors. The natural setting is reflected in
the beauty and massage treatments that use natural products, in
the rooms and suites with their pale wood panelling, the panorama
dining room and the parlour, where a crackling fire is lit in the
open fireplace every morning.
EXPERIENCE
WINTER AT ITS
MOST MAGICAL.
Together with their staff, hosts Margit and Peter
Verginer create a relaxed and welcoming
atmosphere for guests to enjoy memorable
moments surrounded by nature. Holidays at
Gnollhof are shaped by ample opportunities to
enjoy nature in various ways, from gentle and
sedate activities, such as organised hikes on foot or on snowshoes
across the surrounding slopes, to more strenuous winter sports, of
which there are many to choose from, including a ski safari with a
shuttle service that takes hotel guests to a different ski area in the
Dolomites every day.
Those who enjoy fine dining and good wine will appreciate
Gnollhof’s culinary offering. Alongside the fine wines grown in the
local Taschlerhof vineyard, the wine list includes a wide choice of
classic wines and rare vintages – all fabulous accompaniments to
the gourmet creations prepared by the Gnollhof culinary team
under the expert guidance of chef Peter Verginer. The focus is on
traditional recipes with a Mediterranean twist, resulting in delicious,
highly imaginative dishes.
Hotel Gnollhof, gnollhof.it
Gufidaun 81, 39043 Klausen, Italy, T: +39 047 284 7323
>
ADVERTORIAL Photos: Alex Filz
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VAL D’ISÈRE
It is considered one of the best deep-snow areas
in the world. In the winter sports paradise of
Val d’Isère in the French Northern Alps close
to the Italian border, the skiing season lasts
until May. You can even ski in the summer on
the Grande Motte glacier beneath the 3,400-metre
Pointe du Monet peak. Up to 20 kilometres of slopes
and five lifts remain open in summer. The tranquil
commune, which is home to about 1,700 people, has
retained its original charm and character. When you
see the traditional wooden houses with slate roofs
and the baroque church, you know you are in a real
mountain village. Even the newer buildings reflect
the traditional style. The atmosphere is cosmopolitan;
there are smart hotels that attract a young
target market as well as luxurious chalets. There is
a network of 153 slopes extending to a total of 300
kilometres and a maximum elevation difference of
1,900 metres. All of the slopes converge at the edge
of the village, which makes it easy for people to meet
up. There are plenty of runs suitable for beginners
and children, and the longer rolling pistes on the local
Bellevarde mountain are also beginner-friendly. At
the foot of the Bellevarde, you’ll find a small museum
devoted to the history of the village – and of course of
Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy, after whom the
ski area is named.
Although Val d’Isère has its
share of modern buildings,
the townscape has preserved
its traditional appearance.
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VIVA LA NEIGE – LONG LIVE THE SNOW:
The winter sports season in Val d’Isère is unusually
long. In fact, you can even strap into your
slats in summer on some of the resort’s highest
slopes. Even so, the main season runs from early
December until late April, when both young people
and families with children make their way to
the French Alps.
ELEGANCE MEETS TOP CUISINE:
Thanks to its contemporary design and first-rate
cuisine, the Le K2 Chogori hotel (centre left and
right) is popular with guests from all over the
world.
MOUNTAIN VIEW:
Delicious food and drinks with a view are par for
the course at Gigi Val d’Isère too (bottom left),
the restaurant at Le Refuge de Solaise.
Photos: Getty Images, Romain Ricard, supplied
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BEST OF
VAL D’ISÈRE
The new
restaurant La
Cucùcina has
incredible views.
L’ATELIER
D’EDMOND
The Guide Michelin
deems the sophisticated
French dishes Benoît
Vidal creates in his culinary
atelier worthy of
two stars. The first-class
set menus present an
intriguing contrast between
the rugged mountain
landscape outside
and the smoothness
of the delicate textures
on the plate.
atelier-edmond.com
The Solarisse sandals
by Moncler are perfect
for evenings round the
fire. moncler.com
ALTIPLANO 2.0
Hotel Le K2 Chogori has
come up with an unusual
gourmet concept for its
L’Altiplano 2.0 restaurant:
seated at a dizzying height,
epicures are treated to imaginative
dishes from the
South America continent – a
culinary marriage between
the Alps and the Andes.
lek2chogori.com
The classic down
jacket has been
essential wear
in skiing circles
for 70 years –
and comes from
a label originally
founded in
France.
moncler.com
Photos: Jerome Molin, Romain Ricard, Fabrice Rambert, supplied
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winter 2022/23

Delicious Italian-style
fare features at Gigi
restaurant, located in the
Le Refuge de Solaise.
gigi-restaurant.com
LE K2 CHOGORI
Just like its sister hotel in Courchevel, the five-star Le K2 Chogori isn’t just a superb location
for skiing, it boasts a spacious spa as well. The interior is the epitome of elegance; characterised
by simplicity and authentic materials, the décor draws its inspiration from Tibetan
aesthetics. Doubles from £242 per person, incl. breakfast.
lek2chogori.com
AIRELLES VAL D’ISÈRE
Spectacularly sited at the foot of the slopes, Airelles offers
guests faultless service and a playful mix of historically themed
interiors – a combination that’s made the hotel a popular new
destination since it opened its doors in 2020. Doubles from £250
per person, incl. breakfast
airelles.com
LE REFUGE DE SOLAISE
Accommodation of a rather different kind, intended for summiteers
with different needs: perched at an altitude of 2,551
metres, the refuge has 16 luxurious guest rooms, four apartments
and a 14-bed dormitory. But that’s not all: Le Refuge de
Solaise also boasts two restaurants, a bar and a wellness area
with a magnificent view of the valley. Doubles from £250 per
person, incl. breakfast. lerefuge-valdisere.com
winter 2022/23
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LECH AM ARLBERG
The figures speak for themselves: 305 kilometres of ski
slopes and 200 kilometres of deep-snow runs with
fantastic powder snow and bright sunshine. Depending on
your ability and how adventurous you feel on the day,
choose from the blue, red and black pistes on offer. Or perhaps
you’d prefer heli-skiing? No problem! In fact, almost anything is
possible in the Lech am Arlberg region. Off-piste fans rave about
the beauty of the pristine snow, families get close to nature on the
high-altitude hiking trails, while Snowpark Lech is perfect for
snowboard freestylers. And there are 27 cross-country skiing trails.
But the two districts of Lech and Zürs are more than just an
outdoor paradise for winter holidaymakers; the high concentration
of gourmet restaurants is so impressive that Austria’s gourmet guide
Falstaff had no hesitation in awarding them the title World Gourmet
Village as long ago as 2008. This was thanks to the farmers,
restaurateurs and hoteliers who founded a network vo:dô (Vorarlbergian
for “from here”) to tempt guests with products from the
region. But there is also a romantic air about Lech Zürs, which has
largely retained its original character. It remains a village with flair
rather than a tourist development. Horse-drawn sleighs transport
visitors through the snowy scenery. And the wellness oases offered
by the wealth of luxury accommodation compete for the attention
of visitors with the resort’s many outdoor activities. Here you will
find nothing but the best: winter fun, great food and relaxation.
Up, up and away:
Enjoy magical views
over the glittering
snowy landscape from
the region’s ski lifts.
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winter 2022/23

GLORIOUS PISTES:
With over 300 kilometres of slopes, Ski Arlberg
is Austria’s largest ski area. In keeping with the
size, the region also offers all things to all types
of skier.
ALPINE AESTHETICS:
Many of the hotels, such as Post Lech (bottom
left), the Almhof Schneider hotel (centre) and
Hotel Arlberg (right centre) pay tribute to the
mountain world with their interiors and furnishings.
Ornate decorations, wood aplenty and
the colours of the forest create a cosy, inviting
ambience.
Photos: Lech Zuers Tourismus/Daniel Zangerl, Getty Images, bureaurabensteiner, Herbert Lehmann, mikerabensteiner, supplied
MOUNTAIN CUISINE:
If you’re after Alpine dining experiences, Lech
is the ideal spot. As well as traditional fare, the
small town also offers innovative dining, for
example at La Fenice (above left).
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BEST OF
LECH AM ARLBERG
ROTE WAND
Even with its reputation as an Alpine haven for
foodies, the gourmet hotel Rote Wand still manages
to astonish with creative innovations. The
bedrooms are informed by the hotel’s mountain
heritage and create a cosy cocoon with ample
use of pale wood, while the clear lines and minimalist
furnishings are crisply contemporary. This
also holds true for the culinary arts at the Chef’s
Table, now under the direction of the young chef
Julian Stieger. He brings a new vision, gleaned
from years of experience in Michelin restaurants.
Doubles from £344 per night. rotewand.com
SKYSPACE
Experience the magical convergence of the sky and earth
in this lightroom by the internationally acclaimed artist
James Turrell. skyspace-lech.com
KLÖSTERLE
Jakob and Ethel, hosts at the restaurant in
the Almhof Schneider hotel, have created a
setting for memorable meals and encounters.
The inspirational cooking and a selection
of their favourite wines make for unforgettable
evenings in the mountains.
restaurant-kloesterle.at
LA FENICE
At Hotel Arlberg, chef Patrick Tober cooks
exquisite Italian gourmet food. The sevencourse
Chef’s Choice menu takes diners on
a journey through Nonna’s kitchen, combining
regional classics with pairings borrowed
from modern haute cuisine.
arlberghotel.at
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winter 2022/23

For more than 100
years the department
store Strolz has
been the number one
address for sports
gear and equipment in
idyllic Lech. strolz.at
ALMHOF SCHNEIDER
Familiarity and a sense of place are key values in this family-run luxury hotel, and they
shape the unsurpassed range of amenities for families. The modern Alpine aesthetic is both
inviting and elegant, the laid-back minimalist spa is a dream come true. A particular highlight
is the cinema on the ground floor for evening entertainment. Doubles with half board
from £844 per night. almhof.at
Photos: Philipp Horak, Florian Holzherr, Mario Heller, bureaurabensteiner, vyhnalek.com, mikerabensteiner, Herbert Lehmann, pepper collection, supplied
POST LECH
This charming hotel in the former post office enchants with a rich traditional style,
expressed in exquisite interiors dotted with antiques and trophies. The hotel distils the
essence of Alpine romance; each room is individually furnished and has its own backstory.
Post Lech, one of the most venerable hotels in the town, has been run by the same family
since 1937. Doubles from approx. £530 per night. postlech.com
HOTEL ARLBERG LECH
The legendary Hotel Arlberg, managed with passion
and dedication by the Schneider family, has reopened
its doors after a complete refit – and now shines even
brighter than before. The luxurious spa and the hotel’s
excellent fine dining are perfection. Doubles with
breakfast from £550 per night. arlberghotel.at
BIBERKOPF
The new lifestyle hotel in Warth wows guests with its dedication
to design, thrilling art collection and attentive service. There’s a
knockout view over the surrounding peaks through the panorama
windows; great food is available in the restaurant, the bistro and
the hotel’s own shop. Doubles from £242 per night.
biberkopf.at
winter 2022/23
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83

OPENING
WINTER
2022/23
not just a luxury hotel
A LEGEND REBORN
OPENING
WINTER
2022/23
not just a luxury hotel
A LEGEND REBORN
gracestmoritz.ch

DOURO - PORTUGAL
WWW.QUINTADONOVAL.COM
BE RESPONSIBLE. DRINK IN MODERATION.

ALPINE GETAWAY
IN GROSSARL
84 falstaff winter 2022/23

ADVERTORIAL
In winter, EDELWEISS Salzburg
Mountain Resort is the perfect
feel-good spot – and the spa
offers relaxation and fun for the
whole family.
The Hettegger family, who run the hotel, have
created an oasis with lots of water, steam and
heat: the 7000-square-meter EDELWEISS
Mountain Spa boasts two heated outdoor pools
and a spacious wellness world extending over
five floors of the hotel with separate areas for families and
adults. Families can enjoy fun times in the Family Mountain
Spa with a 1,000-square-meter indoor aquapark with
five exciting water slides over two floors. Plus there’s a
large indoor pool with a baby and toddler area, cosy
corners and plenty of play options. The family-friendly
sauna area includes a bio-sauna, a Finnish sauna, a steam
bath, an infrared cabin and a whirlpool. The Adults Only
Mountain Spa is in the new wing and includes a spacious
sauna world with a panorama sauna, an infinity pool on
the 6th floor, an outdoor brine pool and restful relax
rooms with comfortable loungers offering an invigorating
ADVERTORIAL Photo: Michael Huber | Huber Fotografie
EDELWEISS IN THE SALZBURG
MOUNTAINS IS THE PERFECT
SPOT FOR WELL-DESERVED
HOLIDAYS
view of the mountains. The stylish SPA Bistro serves
healthy snacks and fresh juices. Sports enthusiasts can
work out in the fitness room on modern Technogym
equipment or take an active class in the gym. The outdoor
sports pool with a panoramic view is perfect for swimming
lengths. There’s also a wide range of individual wellness
treatments using the hotel’s own natural skin care range,
EDELWEISS Natur.
>
winter 2022/23
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The spa at EDELWEISS stretches over five floors and offers grand mountain
views. In the evening, the bar welcomes guests with a wide selection of drinks.
CULINARY DELIGHTS
From traditional Alpine snacks to creative dishes from
around the world and delicious vegan options: the hotel’s
fine dining offerings open up a world of gourmet diversity.
The main restaurant, which was awarded two toques, is
headed by family member and head chef Alexander
Hettegger, who established the EDELWEISS Mountain
Cuisine philosophy based on using local and seasonal
produce and knows most of his suppliers personally. Hotel
guests can dine in any of the in-house restaurants. Gourmets
can savour haute cuisine at the award-winning
PETRUS Fine Dining Restaurant; the Alpin Lounge serves
salads and a choice of international and Austrian mains.
Meat lovers will enjoy dining in the new Steak Restaurant
Sirloin, which opened in 2021 and boasts an open show
kitchen.
DAS EDELWEISS Salzburg Mountain Resort,
edelweiss-grossarl.com
Unterbergstraße 65, 5611 Großarl, Austria
T: +43 64 14 3000
ADVERTORIAL Photos: Matthias Dengler
86 falstaff winter 2022/23

000_000_INSERAT_MUSTERa3.indd 7 22.09.20 21:56
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ADVERTORIAL
GOTTHARD ZEIT OBERGURGL, AUSTRIA
Alpine chic in the Ötztal Alps.
At this high-end skiing hotel, holidaymakers
have the choice between light-filled rooms with
warm wood accents and Alpine suites with a
private balcony and separate living area. Set in
the midst of the Tyrolean Alps, the hotel is just
a few minutes’ walk from the Ötztal Nature Park and the
Rosskarbahn ski lift. The Obergurgl ski area is a snowsure
resort with more than 100 kilometres of slopes for every
level of difficulty. And if skiers return from a day in the
snow with aching limbs, they can revitalise body and soul in
the hotel’s spacious wellness area, which is divided into a
sauna complex and a wellbeing section with pools, a gym,
massage rooms and a quiet zone with waterbeds. Then it’s
time to make plans for the next day’s adventure over a
GOURMET DINNER. The à la carte restaurant spoils
hungry guests all day – with breakfast, sweet and savoury
snacks and an evening menu for connoisseurs.
Hotel Gotthard-Zeit****, Hotel Gotthard – Scheiber GmbH
gotthard-zeit.com, T: +43 52 566 292
Hohe-Mut-Weg 4, 6456 Obergurgl, Austria
Located directly
at the slopes,
Gotthard Zeit is
the ideal ski
hideaway.
ADVERTORIAL Photos: supplied
88 falstaff winter 2022/2023

Where history comes alive
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Located on the shores of Lake Lucerne,
the Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern with its
101 excellent rooms and suites is easily
accessible in the heart of Switzerland, the
City of Lights. The family-run hotel is just
steps away from numerous sights and offers
breathtaking views of the lake and the
alps. At the five star hotel each room tells
its own story, which was written by personalities
such as Queen Elizabeth II, Richard
Wagner or Leo Tolstoy during their
stay. Become part of the legendary history
of the Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern.
The city of Lucerne shines in winter in a
beautiful dress and offers adventurers numerous
activities. The historic old town is
a unique eye-catcher and always worth a
visit. The breathtaking landmarks of Lucerne
shine in the winter days in special,
mystical-white splendor.
Telefon +41 (0)41 410 0 410
www.schweizerhof-luzern.ch

HOTEL
KLOSTERBRÄU
SEEFELD, AUSTRIA
At an altitude of 1,200 metres, the high plateau of Seefeld is a paradise for nature lovers.
Walking through a winter
wonderland: Snowy treetops,
an idyllic lake and pure
mountain bliss await in Seefeld.
90 falstaff winter 2022/23

ADVERTORIAL
Photos: www.stephanelsler.com, David Johansson, TVB Seefeld
A
uthentic Tyrolean hospitality paired with
luxury and supreme comfort. If that’s on your
list, then Klosterbräu has everything you
need. Nestling at the heart of the Seefeld region,
Tyrol’s high plateau, this is a dream
come true for nature lovers: 245 kilometres of cross-country
trails, 37 kilometres of groomed slopes and 34 ski lifts
await winter sports enthusiasts, while rustic mountain inns
invite you to step in and savour homemade food. Or take it
easy and enjoy a romantic walk around the lake. After
returning from the mountains, you can indulge yourself
with gourmet cooking served in the hotel’s nine dinner
locations. The show kitchen with its stone oven is perfect
for a spot of creative pizza baking; the pasta station serves
homemade Italian pasta dishes. Other gourmet hotspots
include the 500-year-old vaulted cellar and the Romeo and
Julia balcony. The à-la-carte restaurant Bräukeller Grill &
Veggie serves tasty food and home-brewed beers; there’s
also a wide range of options for vegetarians and vegans.
HIGHLIGHT: The 150,000-square-meter private Pfarrhügel
park is directly opposite the hotel, offering recreation
for the hotel’s guests in the form of fitness equipment and,
from next summer, an outdoor yoga platform. Doubles
with half board from £164 per person.
KLOSTERBRÄU, klosterbraeu.com
Klosterstraße 30, Seefeld in Tirol, Austria; T: +43 5212 2621
Seefeld Tourist Office, seefeld.com
>
winter 2022/23
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travel / CHALETS
CHALET
FEVER
Chalets are a luxe way of taking a step back in time without having
to forgo modern-day comforts. During the pandemic, demand for
these traditional wooden cabins in the mountains picked up even
further as we all yearned for a haven where we could lock the world
out. Plus: Our favourite chalets for this ski season!
WORDS KARIN CERNY
Photo: Andy Parant
92 falstaff winter 2022/23

Magical panorama:
Snow is guaranteed
at Le Refuge de
Solaise, which sits
in the French Alps at
an altitude of 2,551
metres.
winter 2022/23
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travel / CHALETS
Film star Brigitte Bardot and gentleman playboy Gunter Sachs spend a
rustic holiday in Bavaria (above). Eco resorts like Priesteregg replicate
the rustic style of mountain villages (below).
They start popping up as soon as
there’s a whiff of autumn in the
air: images that fuel a sudden
urge to retreat to a cosy
bolthole in the mountains.
Social media becomes awash with logs
crackling merrily in open fireplaces, hot
tubs with a view of snowy crags and peaks,
and sheepskins scattered invitingly on
rustic wooden chairs, all warming our souls
on chilly days. The Scandinavians would
probably call this sense of Alpine cosiness
hygge. But there’s another magic formula
that instantly conjures up visions of cosy
nests: a chalet holiday. Very few places so
perfectly sum up the combination of luxury
and a nostalgia for a rural past like these
wooden cottages that span the divide
between rustic and modern. Chalets stand
for Alpine style with a contemporary twist.
The word “chalet” originally comes
from the French-speaking part of Switzer-
land and has its origins in Latin. It means
“protected place”; back in the day, these
huts were not intended for holidaymakers,
but provided shelter for herders and their
cattle in the Alps. Traditional wooden huts
were built using beech, spruce, oak or Swiss
stone pine; they were very simple, functional
structures with steep gable roofs built to
withstand heavy snowfall. Unlike in recent
times, they were never used in winter. The
cows spent the summer grazing on the high
Alpine pastures, and the chalet provided
very basic accommodation for the herders.
In autumn, the cows would be driven back
down into the valley, the chalet closed up
until the following spring.
THE BEGINNING OF A TREND
It wasn’t until the 19th century when
European aristocrats and the wealthy
classes discovered the lure of the mountains
– the Alps in particular – that chalets
suddenly experienced a renaissance. There
was a boom in winter sports and Alpine
mountaineering for daring urbanites, and
the new concept of summer vacation
emerged as an enticing prospect. Those
who could afford it would spend a few
weeks holidaying in the countryside. And
what could be more romantic then a
traditional wooden house, fresh mountain
air and sublime landscapes? In most cases
perhaps, the reality did not quite live up to
the dream, as the original chalets lacked
hot water let alone a bathroom, and at best
offered a basic outhouse.
Chalets became synonymous with a
simple country style – albeit replicated with
considerable effort and at great expense.
They gradually spilled off the mountains,
popping up in the parks of aristocratic
estates. There was a new trend for grand
houses built in the chalet style. In this style
of late historicism, intricate carving was
used on roof trims and balconies, and the
typical gable roofs featured prominently.
Referred to as the “Swiss chalet style”, the
trend spread across Europe, with chaletstyle
cottages appearing as far afield as
Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight. It
tied in with a general romantic yearning
for nature. The philosopher Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, a native of Geneva, dreamed of a
society where people could reconnect with
nature and live happily, free from social
<
Photos: Getty Images, PRIESTEREGG Premium ECO Resort/www.guenterstandl.de
94 falstaff winter 2022/23

The luxury of reduction: The
ideal chalet is minimalist and
traditional in one.
CHALETS BECAME SYNONYMOUS
WITH SIMPLE COUNTRY STYLE – ALBEIT
REPLICATED WITH CONSIDERABLE
EFFORT AND AT GREAT EXPENSE.
winter 2022/23
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travel / CHALETS
Beautiful wooden interiors at the Swiss Chalet Ormello,
which is situated beside the piste (above). Most luxury
chalets have a hot tub and sauna, or even a pool (inset right).
<
constraints. In his educational treatise
Émile, he even wrote of nature’s essential
role in helping humans find inner peace.
The simple life of the mountain farmers
was romanticised – and restaged for city
dwellers.
SPECTACULAR LOCATION
In contrast to more conventional holiday
cottages, today’s chalets tend to be located
in a spectacular setting, with dramatic
mountain views high on the list of features.
Their rustic charm is usually emphasized by
the generous use of timber: walls and
furniture made of pine emanate a soothing
resinous scent, and crackling open fires
draw you in on cold winter evenings.
Breakfast is taken on a suntrap terrace;
afterwards, you head off to the private gym
or soak in the hot tub – some chalets even
boast an infinity pool. A butler serves
champagne and a personal chef creates
bespoke menus. Luxury chalets have all the
comforts and amenities of a five-star hotel
– plus the added benefit of maximum
privacy. The choice of chalets available to
rent is as varied as the needs and tastes of
holidaymakers who come here in search of
relaxation. Some are pared down to the
very basics, putting nature at the centre of
the experience. Self-catering chalets in
particular are proving especially popular,
with travellers discovering them as ideal
hideaways for longer stays that double up
as Alpine offices for working far from the
bustle of the city.
Chalets are ideal places to recalibrate
and focus on the essentials: couples get to
spend quality time with each other on a romantic
get-away, families can let their kids
romp and run free, and large multi-generation
families can share precious time together.
In a chalet, the ample personal
space makes you a completely
autonomous unit, allowing you to
luxuriate in your very own bubble.
Even before the pandemic shut the world
down, people were realising that privacy
was true luxury, and that it wasn’t limited
to celebrities and Hollywood stars. Covid
merely amplified this trend. For many,
combining a vacation and work in an Alpine
cottage was an intriguing – and very
moreish – experience.
PLENTY OF CHOICE
There are chalets in all price categories –
the Alps are your oyster. It is, however, a
matter of personal choice – and nerves –
whether a remote house in complete
darkness on the edge of a forest is really a
restful prospect. Chalet estates, currently
proliferating to tap into the trend, may be
more comfortable, but they can also veer
into Alpine Disneyland territory. Developments
like these are also increasingly under
fire because they destroy natural spaces. A
Photos: supplied
96 falstaff winter 2022/23

All together now: With space for 15 people, the luxurious Chalet Ormello is
ideal for holidays with friends and family (above).
more sustainable choice are small chalets
and existing cabins that have been gently
restored and which connect with their
environment and the region through the
use of traditional fabrics and carving;
places that channel the local spirit, rather
than a boxy, cookie-cutter hut that stands
out like a sore thumb.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Before booking, it makes sense to consider
whether you want to self-cater or whether
you want a fully catered vacation. How
much exclusive isolation do you want? Do
neighbours bother you or is it reassuring
not to be completely isolated? Is a small
hut sufficient because you’ll be spending
time outside? Or do you want a wellness
holiday complete with sauna and plunge
pool? There are plenty of beautifully
restored and modernised historical properties
in Switzerland that are so much nicer
than new houses that seek to emulate
heritage but ultimately just feel artificial.
That being said, in recent years there has
been a greater interest in sustainability and
authenticity and many luxury property
owners are recycling old timbers to add
patina and authentic charm.
As an elegant update of shared ski huts
of the past, chalets offer all the rustic
charm but without the unwelcome whiffs
of strangers’ hiking gear and ski boots.
While the template for many shared ski
huts is the après-ski school of raucous
partying, a chalet is an oasis of peace.
CHALETS ARE AN
ELEGANT UPDATE
ON SHARED SKI HUTS;
WHILE OTHERS HOST
RAUCOUS APRÈS-SKI
PARTIES, A CHALET IS
AN OASIS OF PEACE.
THE MAKING OF A MYTH
Anyone who grew up in the 1980s may
remember the British pop band Wham! The
video for their ultimate festive season hit
Last Christmas, which is still rolled out
every winter to be played on a continuous
loop, showed a group of friends – whose
bags were obviously way too small for their
flamboyant outfits, super-sized shoulder
pads and voluminous blow-dries – take a
ski-lift up to a remote chalet where they
celebrate Christmas together. The hut is
located in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, not far
from Zermatt, and it looks surprisingly
plain in real life. It’s also not nearly as
remote as the video makes it out to be. We
may as well bust another myth while we’re
at it: the Wham! chalet is only a short walk
from Saas-Fe – you don’t need to take a ski
lift to get there. Still, it’s surprising is that
the world’s most famous chalet has never
been marketed. And that’s probably a good
thing, because this way it remains anchored
in our minds as the chalet of dreams. <
winter 2022/23
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travel / CHALETS
EDITOR’S CHOICE
TOP CHALETS IN
THE ALPS
With the promise of snowy drifts outside and a roaring
fire indoors, chalets are the epitome of cosy luxury. Soft
pelts, flickering candlelight and wooden panelling create
a warm ambience, while outside winter glitters magically.
WORDS LISA ARNOLD, KARIN CERNY AND KATHARINA KOTRBA
Photos: supplied
98 falstaff winter 2022/23

PARTNERSHIP
Luxury retreat
at
ARLBERG
CHALET N, AUSTRIA
Perched at 1,660m above sea level and with spectacular
views of the peaks of the Arlberg mountains, this
chalet hideaway offers ten exclusive suites, a junior
suite and a family suite. Up to 20 guests can relax in
luxury here, including catering and a chauffeur service.
The penthouse suite has an open fireplace; old
oak and crisp spruce wood create a perfect sense of
Alpine cosiness, and even the bathroom has timber
panelling. There’s a 24-hour concierge service and on
request security staff and ski instructors can be
hired. The stunning spa and wellness offering
includes a sauna landscape, a pool and outdoor hot
tub in the snow. Prices on request. chalet-n.com
winter 2022/23
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travel / CHALETS
A paradise for
outdoor
FANS
HAHNENKAMM LODGE KITZBÜHEL, AUSTRIA
This magnificent chalet lies only 50m from the
starting line of the legendary Hahnenkamm race at
an altitude of 1,645m. The location at the heart of a
winter sports paradise means guests can ski direct
from the front door. The five suites can accommodate
up to 12 guests. The chalet’s spa area is unrivalled,
including a steam bath, a Finnish spruce sauna,
a drinking fountain with fresh water straight from
the mountain spring, a gym with personal training.
Breakfast, afternoon snacks and multi-course meals
in the evening are included, as is a wide selection of
wine, crémant, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
From £5,205 per night. hahnenkamm-lodge.com
Spacious
PURISM
LE CHALET MONTBLANC, FRANCE
During the winter season guests can book the entire
building, which consists of three large living areas
and has space for up to 26 people. For larger groups
of up to 40, the adjacent farmhouse can be added.
The panorama windows bathe the chalet’s interior in
sunlight, while drawing the gaze out to the snowy
slopes of Mont Blanc. The pale blonde wood is a welcome
change from the dark, heavy style of many other
chalets in the area. The spacious spa and wellness
centre has an indoor pool with counter-current jets
for morning swimming sessions. The sauna offers a
spectacular view across to the mountains; the
famous jet-set ski resort Chamonix is close by. From
£10,400 per week. lechaletmontblanc.com
PARTNERSHIP Photos: andreaswimmer.com, supplied
100 falstaff winter 2022/23

An invigorating
IDYLL
AMUS CHALETS DOLOMITES, ITALY
Host Uli would come here as a child when he wanted a peaceful spot to connect with nature. Now, his
guests can share this sense of tranquillity in chalets that are regional down to the last nail. These stylish
boltholes are the perfect place to restore the spirits and recharge empty batteries. Guests stay in a private
chalet, and in the evening everyone gets together at a cosy parlour called the Nest to enjoy tasty South
Tyrolean specialities. The chalets have saunas and private hot tubs. Doubles from approx. £520.
amus-chalets.com
winter 2022/23
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101

travel/ CHALETS
Cosy mountain
BOLTHOLE
LAPOSCH, AUSTRIA
Bergaway is a tranquil resort high up in the mountains, roughly a 30-minute drive from the
Zugspitze mountain. The resort offers 16 unique chalets with rustic design elements and a
cosy atmosphere. In each chalet, guests enjoy all the amenities of a top hotel plus wellness
with a sauna, whirlpool tub and an open fireplace. The luxe delights continue outside,
with a refreshing crystal lake and lots of relax zones in the garden. A basket packed with
breakfast delicacies is served in the morning, and a cake-mobile drops off home-made
sweet treats and pastries. The Tyrolean chalet village is the perfect place to unwind in a
peaceful setting, and is exclusively for guests aged 15+. Chalet from approx. £208 per person
per night incl. breakfast. laposch.at
PARTNERSHIP Photos: Jenny Haimerl, Christophe Hassel, supplied
102 falstaff winter 2022/23

Eldorado for
GOURMETS
ROCCA PENTHOUSE, FRANCE
The panorama windows in this ski chalet in the
French Val d’Isere offer one of the most stunning
views of the mountains, as well as bathing the interior
in natural light. The chalet’s spacious wooden
surround balcony is a perfect suntrap, and the
main living area has an open fireplace in the middle
and a large dining table for ten. Reclaimed wood
has been used throughout, creating a cosy atmosphere.
There is an indoor pool, a hammam and a
sauna. Breakfast, afternoon tea and a three-course
evening meal are included, as is the resort’s chauffeur
service, which will take guests to the ski run or
the neighbouring village – and also provides snow
and weather updates. Before guests arrive, the
team gets in touch to discuss the menus. From
approx. £23,500 per week. hiphideouts.com
SYMBIOSIS
of old and new
ARULA CHALETS, AUSTRIA
Lech is a hot spot for luxurious accommodation
like this exclusive chalet: Arula consists of two
separate luxury lodges (for between 8 and 22
guests), which can also be rented together.
Amenities include an indoor pool, sauna, steam
bath and infrared cabin, an outdoor hot tub, a
wine cellar and a party room for ultimate
après-ski fun. The furnishing style is an accomplished
fusion of traditional and contemporary;
the living room features an open fireplace, a
grand piano and plenty of books to immerse
yourself in. From approx. £6,850 per night.
thearulachalets.com
winter 2022/23
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103

travel / ANTARCTICA
WHITE
DESERT
Endless expanses and a glacial, otherworldly light: the Antarctic is as close as
most of us will get to being on a strange planet. This feeling is reinforced by the
luxury lodges at White Desert, which look like they’ve been teleported in from a
sci-fi film set. Strangeness aside, the camp is a dream destination for those who
are looking for adventure with high-end comfort.
WORDS KARIN CERNY
Adventures on the ice:
Starting from Echo Camp, visitors can
explore the terrain around the runway
astride fatbikes.
Photo: Kelvin Trautman
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winter 2022/23
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105

experiences travel / ANTARCTICA / GENUSS
It’s an iconic image even people who aren’t usually interested
in tales of adventure will probably be familiar
with: a wooden ship, stranded in a life-defying landscape,
dramatically crushed upwards by the relentless
pack ice. The famous Endurance and the Antarctic
Expedition of 1914-1917 are the stuff of legends, not because
the British leader Ernest Shackleton returned with important
scientific data, but because he returned at all, saving
his entire crew from certain death in the unforgiving expanses
of the white continent.
This adventure inspired a young couple to set off in 2004
to traverse the Antarctic, and later to set up the first camp
on the icy continent: the White Desert Project, a camp with
luxuriously equipped capsules that could equally be imagined
on the Moon or on Mars. There’s a distinct astronaut
feel to the camp, and the futuristic design is a perfect match
for the surreal landscape. The camps are so remote that the
nearest human neighbour is on the International Space Station
(ISS), which orbits Earth at a height of 400 kilometres
(roughly 250 miles).
But let’s start at the beginning. Early in the 20th century,
Shackleton planned to lead the first expedition to traverse
the Antarctic. Two teams were to set off from opposite sides
and meet up in the middle. Looking back at those early days
of polar exploration, the audacity of the undertaking is astonishing:
how on earth could they survive with such basic
equipment? Today, the idea of setting out to explore such an
extreme continent without a satellite phone or any kind of
line of communication with the outside world seems almost
crazy. For most of us, the fascination of this tale remains
THE CAMPS ARE SO REMOTE THAT THE
NEAREST HUMAN NEIGHBOUR IS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
Space Age architecture: The design
of Echo, the newest White
Desert camp, was inspired by the
International Space Station.
106 falstaff winter 2022/23

Beam me up! The Sky Pods at Echo Camp are
almost like being on an ultra-luxe space ship.
Photos: Kelvin Trautman, Marko Prezelj , supplied
abstract, but Robyn Woodhead is an adventurer through
and through. She and her husband Patrick read the story of
Shackleton, fell in love with it and began dreaming of their
own trip to the Antarctic. The dream crystallised into a concrete
plan: in 2004, the couple decided to retrace Shackleton’s
footsteps. Robyn boarded a Russian cargo plane, her
husband set off from the opposite side of the continent. “My
breath almost froze in my lungs, and I was blinded by the
bright sunlight,” recalls Robyn, describing her first impression.
“The endless white expanse was like visiting another
planet.”
Like Shackleton’s expedition, this trip did not go to plan,
and Robyn ended up stuck in her tent on her own for two
months. Her first response was to break down and cry, but
in retrospect she acknowledges the real magic and the learnings
of this enforced isolation: “Every journey is an act of
finding yourself, and nowhere else on Earth are you more
compelled to rely on yourself than in the eternal ice and
snow.” It was an experience that taught her how resilient she
was, how she could draw on her inner strength in an emergency
– and how deeply one can feel at one with nature.
Others return from extreme adventures and write a book
about them, but Robyn and Patrick were gripped by the vision
of helping others to experience the incredible beauty
>
On the rocks:
Champagne or whisky? Enjoy a
perfectly chilled tipple at the
Antarctic Bar.
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Ultra-cool luxury: Fine dining at Whichaway
Camp, complete with cosy pelts to conjure
up the style of early polar stations.
Runway on the ice:
The White Desert private jet
flies guests direct to the Antarctic
from Cape Town.
>
of the glistening, icy continent. There were no tour operators,
no camp infrastructure in the wilderness to tap into.
Most visitors to the Antarctic sail along the coast on board
a ship and take day trips onto the ice, returning to the comfort
of their cabins in the evening.
And so White Desert was founded, a dream destination for
affluent adrenaline seekers eager to dip a toe into the freezing
waters of extreme adventure rather than chill on a sleek
yacht. These trips are once in a lifetime experiences, and
there are few other places on our planet as shrouded in mystery
and magic as the Antarctic. The visitors’ book of the
world’s most remote luxury hotel lists some illustrious
names, including Prince Harry.
With an ultra-short season lasting only from November to
December, no more than 300 visitors a year can enjoy a bespoke
expedition. The small groups are flown in on a private
jet from Cape Town, with the plane touching down on a
runway made of ancient ice. A team of polar explorers leads
the visitors on a choice of experiences, including visits to a
colony of Emperor penguins, ice climbing, snow kiting or a
trip to the South Pole. In the evening, guests enjoy a sixcourse
meal cooked by an award-winning chef, and the
drinks served at the Ice Bar are, naturally, chilled with ice
chipped fresh from the glacier.
White Desert has three different camps: Whichaway, the
first luxury camp, is located on the shores of a freshwater
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THE LANDSCAPE IS VARIED,
WITH EVERYTHING FROM BLUE ICE
TUNNELS TO RUGGED MOUNTAINS.
Activities: Mountaineering, hiking or ice
climbing? Visitors explore the vast wilderness
with seasoned guides.
Photos: Marko Prezelj , supplied
lake surrounded by a landscape that appears borrowed
from the moon; among other luxe amenities, it boasts a
glass-fronted sauna overlooking the icy blue lake. Wolf’s
Fang is situated in the mountains of Queen Maud Land and
is ideal for adrenaline junkies seeking the ultimate thrill of
ice climbing and extreme hikes; more sedate activities here
include skidoo tours and walks along easy trails. The surrounding
landscape is surprisingly varied, with everything
from shimmering blue ice tunnels to bizarre ice formations
and jagged mountains that jut up through the icy carapace
like fangs. You can also leave your luxury glamping pod and
spend a night in a tiny tent for that truly authentic polar
explorer vibe.
Echo is the newest camp, with a design inspired by space
travel and the International Space Station. Stepping into one
of the Sky Pods is as close as you can get to feeling like
you’re off the planet without actually leaving Earth. Giant
windows guarantee a dramatic panoramic view. US astronaut
Terry Virts has visited several times and describes the
surrounding mountains as amongst the most beautiful he
had ever seen on Earth, Venus or Mars. What sounds like a
marketing soundbite instantly becomes credible the moment
you set eyes on the landscape.
So is it decadent to vacation in one of the remotest corners
of this planet, a spot so very few people have ever been and
will probably ever see? These are privileged adventures that
come with a considerable carbon footprint. It’s an issue that
Robyn and Patrick Woodhead are highly sensitised to, and
such is their passion for this wilderness that they have been
carbon neutral since 2007. They offset emissions for all
flights, which are operated with sustainable aviation fuel
(SAF) to keep soot emissions to an absolute minimum. The
camps themselves use wind and solar power and the environmental
regulations there are strict. All waste is removed.
In general, no traces at all of human activity are allowed to
remain.
A trip to the Antarctic is a life-changing experience. It is
an opportunity to realise just how small we are compared
with this vast icy, inhospitable expanse; you marvel at the
inexpressible beauty of the planet and recognise just how
fragile the balance is. You may arrive as an adventurer and
adrenaline junkie, but ideally, you return home as an ambassador
for the preservation of this incomparable wilderness.
The two founders view responsible and sustainable tourism
as a power for good, quoting the stance of the British
naturalist, broadcaster and author David Attenborough,
who says: “Travel can help us to understand our planet. No
one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will
care about what they have never experienced.”
The effects of climate change start at home – and not in
the Antarctic. But through travel we experience how
everything is interconnected.
<
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JEWELS
OF THE
Sandy beaches, turquoise
water, green palms – and total
quiet: this paradise on earth
really exists! In our roundup of
the most beautiful Caribbean
islands, we zoom in on the
Bahamas, Jamaica, St Barth’s
and Mustique and reveal where
you can live like James Bond
or Princess Margaret.
WORDS KARIN CERNY AND KATHARINA KOTRBA
CARIBBEAN
Photo: Alex Amengual
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Live like a VIP: The
luxury Palm Beach
estate on Mustique
belongs to Tommy
Hilfiger and is
available for rent.
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Garden of Eden: St Barth’s gives
VIPs a welcome opportunity to swap
the red carpets of Hollywood for the
red roofs of Eden Rock.
Photo: supplied
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ST BARTH’S
Holiday with the stars? On St Barth’s you can: the French-speaking island
is a firm favourite with big-name Hollywood actors and other celebrities.
The Antilles are also home to some of the finest sandy beaches in the world.
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VERY IMPORTANT PRIVACY
Hollywood stars love the exclusive seclusion St Barth’s offers them. The island has an area of just 21 square kilometres (8.1 square miles) and is very sparsely
populated, as the almost deserted streets around the ROSEWOOD LE GUANAHANI (top left and bottom right) go to show. The island takes holidaying in the
Caribbean to the next level, for instance at the EDEN ROCK ST BARTHS (top right and bottom left). The island is a dream for gourmets too – there are even food
festivals dedicated to its FRENCH-CARIBBEAN CUISINE.
Photos: Jeanne le Menn, Noe DeWitt , supplied / Illustration: Blagovesta Bakardjieva/carolineseidler.com
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Sundeck for two: Its location
on a private peninsula makes
Rosewood Le Guanahani the perfect
hideaway for couples.
The island’s full name is Saint Barthélemy, but because
the main clientele comes from the USA
everyone shortens it to St Barth’s – probably because
it has a swish, catchy ring to it that captures
the essence of this island in the Lesser Antilles.
Once American banker David Rockefeller had bought
an estate on St Barth’s in 1957, it wasn’t long before the island
became a popular destination for luxury tourism. The
Kardashians are frequent visitors here, as are Leo DiCaprio,
Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt. Hollywood stars come to St
Barth’s to enjoy an exclusive, secluded holiday in one of its
many upscale villas. Nowhere else is the sand so fine or the
surrounding waters so perfect for sailing. In fact, St Barth’s
is almost a bit too immaculate. Even so, it has plenty of flair:
there’s an Anglican church in the capital, as well as a Swedish
clock tower from the days when King Louis XVI attached
so little value to the island that he offered it to Gustav
III of Sweden in exchange for trading rights in
Gothenburg. France eventually bought the island back in
1877.
St Barth’s has been an overseas collectivity of France
since 2007. It has an area of just 21 square kilometres (8.1
square miles) and not quite 11,000 residents, so it’s enough
easy to find your way around here. Besides the gorgeous
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Waking dream:
The legendary and newly
renovated Le Sereno is right
on the beach and has
breathtaking panoramic views.
Photos: Noe DeWitt, supplied
A
DAY ON THE APTLY NAMED
SHELL BEACH IS DEFINITELY
A MUST – ESPECIALLY FOR
BEACHCOMBERS.
> beaches and expensive yachts in the harbour, there’s alsoo
duty-free luxury shopping in Gustavia, the capital. Although
Caribbean fare can be down to earth, occasionally to the
point of plainness, the French-Caribbean cuisine of St
Barth’s cultivates a high standard. There’s a gourmet festival
in November, as well as a film festival in April and May. A
day on the aptly named Shell Beach is definitely a must, as is
a trip to the lagoon of Grand Cul-de-Sac, which is located
on the less developed side of the island and has preserved its
unspoiled charm. The waves at Flamands beach make it a
hotspot for surfers, the water at Governeur Beach is cobalt
blue, and Colombier is only accessible by boat unless you
fancy a half-hour hike, although the fantastic views more
than make up for the effort. But perhaps the most beautiful
experience of all is exploring the many little offshore islands
for the day on a motor or sailing yacht. Don’t worry if you
don’t have your own – there are plenty for hire!
>
THE LOVELIEST PLACES TO STAY
EDEN ROCK Perched on a rocky headland, surrounded by sandy beaches
and lapped by the turquoise sea, this upscale hotel has hosted Greta Garbo,
the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds and many others in search of a relaxing
escape. Doubles from £1,480 per night, incl. breakfast.
oetkercollection.com
ROSEWOOD LE GUANAHANI The elegant resort is located on a private
peninsula with access to two beaches and the calm waters of the lagoon,
which is protected by a coral reef. Doubles from £1,436 per night.
rosewoodhotels.com
LE SERENO After a rebuild in the wake of the 2019 hurricane, the top
hotel’s 39 rooms and three villas are more elegant than ever thanks to the
minimalistic interiors by star designer Christian Liaigre. Doubles from
£870 per night, incl. breakfast. serenohotels.com
THE BEST FOOD
BONITO The popular restaurant has a cosy look evocative of a beach
house – its big tables aim to make guests feel at home as they enjoy
socialising over a glass of ice-cold champagne and good food.
bonitosbh.com
RIVYERA Two-star chef Arnaud Faye pampers his guests with gourmet
creations inspired by the South of France. The sound of waves lapping
against the cliff is pure romance. hotelchristopher.com
RESTAURANT LE SERENO Every Monday Le Sereno is the place to be:
the live music, cocktails and Italian antipasti on Aperitivo Night add up to
an irresistible opportunity to dance and relax. serenohotels.com
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BAHAMAS
The Bahamas are a dream location – and not just for James Bond films. Only 30 of the
more than 700 islands are inhabited, and from pink beaches and swimming pigs all the
way to one of the deepest blue holes in the world, each one of them has its own charm.
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Film set feeling:
Everybody feels like 007 or a Bond
girl at luxury resort The Ocean Club –
with or without a Martini.
Photo: Rupert Peace
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A LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE
The Bahamas aren’t just a perfect film set, they make for some breathtaking photos as well: DIVING WITH HAMMERHEAD SHARKS, for instance (top left), COCKTAIL
HOUR BENEATH THE PALMS at The Ocean Club (top right), SWIMMING IN HIDDEN BAYS or collecting shells on idyllic postcard beaches. There are more than
1,000 kilometres of sandy beaches on the Bahamas – PINK SAND BEACH (bottom right) on Harbour Island is one of the most beautiful and considered a natural wonder.
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Fotos: Mauritius Images, Christian Horan Photography, Getty Images, Photo courtesy of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, Durston Saylor / Illustration: Blagovesta Bakardjieva/carolineseidler.com
The Bahamas are one of James Bond’s favourite
travel destinations, second only to Jamaica.
Thunderball was shot here in 1965, Never Say
Never Again in 1983, and Daniel Craig returned
in 2006 to make Casino Royale. It’s hardly surprising
really, given that the Bahamas are one of the most
idyllic locations on the planet: even in real life, you feel as if
you’re on a movie set. From pastel blue to turquoise, the
water sparkles in every hue, its beauty unreal, and each of
the islands has a unique charm of its own. Because the capital,
Nassau, isn’t particularly interesting to visit, it’s often
merely a starting point for island hopping, either on one of
the internal flights that take off several times a day from the
20 airports in the Bahamas or by boat. Flying allows you to
take in the splendour from above, marvel at how long and
flat the islands are and get your first look at the divine
beaches along their shores. Boat passengers, on the other
hand, catch a glimpse of luxury mansions belonging to Hollywood
stars and the many uninhabited islands. Inagua –
the southernmost island – is home to 80,000 flamingos and
has a wide choice of eco-friendly accommodations; Abacos
is ideal for sailing; Harbour Island is famous for its New
England-style architecture and chic flair, and Eleuthera is
just a five-minute ferry trip away. Harbour Island is also a
dream destination because of Pink Sand Beach, which owes
its beautiful pale pink hue to a mix of tiny red organisms
>
Sea breeze de luxe:
Live like the stars – the
villas of the Rosewood
Baha Mar resort come
with a private pool and
beach access.
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The colours of Eden:
At The Ocean Club, guests are
immersed in a kaleidoscope of
vibrant blue, lush green and
warming sun yellow.
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TIME PASSES MORE SLOWLY ON
LONG ISLAND, WHERE THE
LAID-BACK FEEL OF THE BAHAMAS
IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST.
>
from the coral reef off the beach. The Exumas, a chain of
365 islands, are surrounded by sapphire-blue waters – and
are also home to swimming pigs that you can experience on
a boat trip. Snorkelling in Thunderball Grotto is another
not-to-miss highlight while you’re on the Exumas. The boats
usually stop at a deserted sandbar afterwards so that guests
can taste the national dish: conch salad with lots of lime,
freshly made and served in the shell.
And then there’s Long Island, the perfect place to soak up
the original laid-back feel of the Bahamas. Time passes more
slowly here, and you find yourself shifting down a gear the
minute you arrive. Long Island is also famous for Dean’s Blue
Hole, which is an incredible 202 metres deep. It’s an Eldorado
for freedivers but never overcrowded: you usually have the
beach to yourself and can marvel at how deep down the crater
goes as you enjoy the unique thrill of swimming over it.
THE MOST ELEGANT HOTELS
THE OCEAN CLUB Set along eight kilometres (five miles) of gorgeous
sandy beaches, the hotel first opened in 1962. Today a Four Seasons
Resort, it’s a home away from home for celebrities and discerning travellers.
Doubles from approx. £1,400 per night, incl. breakfast.
fourseasons.com
ROSEWOOD BAHA MAR The Rosewood is famous for its first-class
service. Guests in the villas and suites are spoiled by a butler and
spend their days relaxing in private beach cabanas on the fine white
sands. Doubles from approx. £1,000 per night. rosewoodhotels.com
ROYAL BAHAMIAN RESORT Following a $50 million refurbishment,
the Royal Bahamian has unveiled its new splendour, including beach
villas with their own pool and butler service. Doubles (all inclusive)
from £780 per night. sandals.com
The royal treatment: The Sandals
Royal Bahamian Resort combines
elegant colonial architecture with a
spectacular view of the sea.
A dream in pink: The Bahamas
aren’t just famous for their
swimming pigs but for their vast
flocks of flamingos too.
THE TOP RESTAURANTS
Photos: christian horan photography, iStock, supplied
DUNE The restaurant of world-famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
is perched on a sandy bluff with magnificent views of the sea.
Guests can also enjoy the sight of innovative French-Asian cuisine
being prepared in the display kitchen. jean-georges.com
GRAYCLIFF The Graycliff Hotel and its top-notch restaurant are just a
few minutes’ walk from the glamour of downtown Nassau. Excellent
wines are paired with outstanding Caribbean fare so good that Jay-Z
and Beyoncé regularly fly in just to eat here. graycliff.com
CAFÉ MARTINIQUE The French cuisine on the fine dining menu
includes dishes like sole meunière and lobster navarin, accompanied
by a view of gleaming superyachts in the glamorous Atlantis Marina.
atlantisbahamas.com
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Plenty to write about:
Once home to 007 author Ian
Fleming, the GoldenEye is one of
the most beautiful hideaways on
Jamaica today.
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JAMAICA
Inhabited by approx. 3 million people, this wonderfully
green island is also home to lush rainforests. Besides its
rich culture, the birthplace of reggae has a wealth of
glorious beaches and mountain landscapes as well.
Rich in vitamin sea:
Guests at the GoldenEye resort can
choose between luxury villas and beach
huts, upscale dining or room service.
Photos: Brie Williams/Island Outpost Images / Illustration: Blagovesta Bakardjieva/carolineseidler.com
For many people it’s a certain outlook on life that
brings them to Jamaica: they want to explore the
home of Rastafari and reggae. It was in the late
1960s that this genre of music emerged on Jamaica,
rapidly spreading to England and then to the
rest of the world. Music icon Bob Marley is omnipresent to
this day. His songs, which had a political message despite
their relaxed sound and championed equality for the black
population, can be heard playing in many of the little roadside
bars that dot the island. His birthplace is in Nine Mile,
about an hour and a half from the capital, Kingston, and
surrounded by verdant mountains.
The first impression of Jamaica is how luxuriantly
everything flowers and proliferates. The upland rainforest in
the island’s interior is home to 28 species of birds that are
not found anywhere else on the planet. The waterfalls (including
the YS Falls, as well as many other less famous sites)
are ideal for swimming, and there are plenty of places where
you can do rafting tours as well. It makes a pleasant change
to get away from the beaches of Ocho Rios or Montego Bay,
which is dotted with buildings from the British colonial period,
because they can get quite overcrowded, especially
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GREEN, GLORIOUS GREEN
Besides being associated with Jamaica’s flag and the reggae movement, the fresh colour dominates the entire island as well. Jamaica offers some UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE NATURE – provided you can bear to abandon your comfy lounger or the ROMANTIC OUTDOOR TUB AT THE GOLDENEYE
RESORT (top left and bottom left) or spend a day away from the COOL BUSHBAR (top right) and crisp white sheets of the RUMBA ROOM (bottom right) at the
Geejam Hotel. You’ll be richly rewarded by the island’s spectacular flora and fauna.
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JAMAICA HAS ALL THE INGRE-
DIENTS FOR PURE RELAXATION –
WITH LEGENDARY SUNSETS ON
ENDLESS SANDY BEACHES.
>
when the big cruise ships tie up. So if you want to get to
know the real Jamaica, it’s definitely worth renting a car and
travelling inland. But be careful: even if you’re used to driving
on the left, the roads get very busy!
None of which is to say Jamaica doesn’t have more than
its fair share of white sandy beaches, five-star hotels and
luxury resorts. Negril is a particularly popular destination
for diving and snorkelling. Add the legendary Caribbean
sunsets, and there’s nothing standing in the way of a blissfully
relaxing holiday. If you get bored, you can always go
hiking on the spectacular Blue Mountain Peak Trail – provided
you’re in good shape: the trail is extremely steep, and
it’s best to go with a local guide. Watching the sunrise from
the 2,256-metre summit with a view over the Caribbean is a
truly breathtaking experience. The air is still cool, the dawn
chorus of the birds the only sound. You’ll definitely have
earned your rum cocktail by the time you get back to the
beach!
Idyllic seclusion: The 27 villas at
the Round Hill Hotel & Villas resort
offer guests a relaxing re-treat
where they can escape the crowds.
Cheers to paradise!
At Round Hill, there’s no shortage
of shady spots for enjoying one of
the famous rum cocktails.
THE LOVELIEST HOTELS
Photos: Christian Horan Photography, Corey Hamilton, Adrian Boot/Island Outpost Images/islandoutpost, supplied
GOLDEN EYE RESORT The name says it all: every one of the 14
James Bond books was written at the Fleming Villa in Jamaica. The
exclusive villas are dotted throughout the tropical gardens. From £600
per night. goldeneye.com
GEEJAM HOTEL Surrounded by rainforest, this hidden paradise at the
foot of the Blue Mountains has a captivating view of the azure blue
waters of Port Antonio. From approx. £380 per night. geejamhotel.com
ROUND HILL The elegant villas of this former pineapple plantation
blur the boundaries between indoors and outside and are designed to
blend in with their natural surroundings. From £840 per night.
roundhill.com
THE BEST RESTAURANTS
SUMMERHOUSE Chefs Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau serve guests
a menu of Jamaican favourites – the sisters are among the bestknown
champions of modern Caribbean cuisine. summerhouseja.com
SUGAR MILL The fine dining restaurant of the Half Moon Bay Resort
has won multiple awards for its extremely creative twist on traditional
Jamaican cuisine. The historical building was once part of a sugar
plantation. halfmoon.com
SEASIDE TERRACE The Round Hill Hotel treats its guests to a
generous helping of romance: freshly prepared traditional fare served
by candlelight under a star-studded sky. roundhill.com
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A tiny kingdom of calm:
Villa Palm Beach is one of the
most exclusive hideaways in
the Caribbean and hosts just
16 guests.
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MUSTIQUE
Princess Margaret used to love escaping to
Mustique: she said the island was the only place
where she could truly relax. Hardly surprising,
given that Mustique is a private island where
you can rent breathtaking celebrity mansions.
Island of the blessed:
Mustique is the ideal place for relaxing and
recharging your batteries – in the infinity
pool of the Mandalay Estate, for instance.
Photos: Alex Amengual, supplied / Illustration: Blagovesta Bakardjieva/carolineseidler.com
Mustique sounds like a kingdom from The Arabian
Nights. But the island really exists: it’s in the Caribbean
and part of the Grenadines. So why isn’t its
name more familiar? Perhaps because it’s been privately
owned for more than 50 years and is a retreat
for the rich and famous. Princess Margaret spent many a holiday
on Mustique. In The Crown, she’s portrayed sipping drinks in
the midst of lush vegetation – although the scenes set on Mustique
were actually shot in Spain. Some Brits are familiar with Mustique
from paparazzi photos of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the
tabloids and gossip magazines too, and former prime minister Boris
Johnson came in for a lot of criticism when pictures of his luxury
holiday on Mustique made the rounds.
There are approx. 110 private villas on Mustique, the majority
of which are available for rent. But there’s another, more traditional
accommodation option too: the Cotton House, which was the first
hotel on the island and occupies its oldest building. Despite its high
density of celebrities, Mustique isn’t a classic jet set hotspot: it’s all
about getting away from it all, and those who want to see and be
seen are better off choosing other destinations. The celebrities keep
to themselves in their villas, day-trippers are only allowed in cer-
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BLUE IS THE COLOUR OF HEAVEN
Blue stands for relaxation, freedom, calm and serenity. On Mustique it works its magic to spectacular effect, for instance in the “GINGERBREAD HOUSES” by
British architect Oliver Messel (top left) or the 20 stunning dive sites that make Mustique an irresistible destination for SNORKELERS AND DIVERS (top right)
thanks to the coral reefs that surround the island. For those who prefer to laze in a picturesque pool or a four-poster bed, the COTTON HOUSE is the perfect escape.
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Retreat instead of razzmatazz: Privacy is a valuable currency here – the quiet island is a haven for celebrities
who enjoy the seclusion of destinations like the Mandalay Estate.
Photos: Getty Images, Alex Amengual, Dominic Lancaster, Edson-Reece.EMAGES
MUSTIQUE ISN’T A CLASSIC JET
SET HOTSPOT – IT’S ALL ABOUT
GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL AND
KEEPING TO YOURSELF.
>
tain areas and drones are banned to guarantee privacy. The only
place where everyone gets together is Basil’s Bar – and even there,
no phones are permitted.
So which villas can you rent? During the low season, the house
that was built for Princess Margaret in 1969 is available for about
£22,000 a week. Sited on a peninsula at the southern tip of the island,
it’s called Les Jolies Eaux and has five bedrooms plus a 12-metre
pool. Then there’s Mandalay, an Indonesian-style villa set in a
beautiful garden and commissioned by David Bowie. Taliesin, designed
by Canadian architect Jack Diamond, is nothing short of
spectacular. With its open-plan living space and nothing but glass
walls separating it from the outdoors, it commands stunning, unobstructed
views of the shimmering turquoise sea.
>
THE LOVELIEST PLACES TO STAY
PALM BEACH Tommy Hilfiger’s villa was built in British colonial style
and influenced by the designs of Oliver Messel. Two smaller houses on
the palm-dotted estate provide private getaways for larger groups.
From approx. £61,000 per week. mustique-island.com
MANDALAY This exceptional estate was designed for British rock legend
David Bowie in the 1980s and is a sublime blend of Balinese style,
modern elements and Caribbean flair. From approx. £78,000 per week.
mandalayestate.com
COTTON HOUSE Echoing the colour of coral, the boutique hotel combines
Caribbean elements with the architecture of the French Antilles.
Every Tuesday an evening of champagne and canapés turns the Great
Room Bar into a social hub. Doubles from approx. £635 per night.
cottonhouse.net
THE BEST FOOD
BASIL’S BAR The bar belonging to Basil Charles has been a hotspot
for the party crowd since 1976. Who knows – there’s every chance
you’ll end up sipping your rum punch alongside stars like Mick Jagger,
Tommy Hilfiger or Bryan Adams. basilbar.com
VERANDA The dishes on the evening menu have their roots in West Indian
cuisine: the ribeye steak is seasoned with a house rub and the dishes
are flavoured to perfection with homemade marinades. cottonhouse.net
BEACH CAFÉ Every Saturday, guests can share in a relaxed Cook on
the Sand dining experience and watch as the chefs build a big fire on
the beach before preparing fresh fish and other Caribbean delicacies
over the flames. cottonhouse.net
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GOOD
TO KNOW...
We take a look at 50 years of dream holidays in the Maldives
and reveal ten things you should know: which animal species
are endemic, why the sand doesn’t get hot and what the
“forbidden islands” are all about. WORDS CHRISTINA M. HORN
Photo: Georg Roske
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The Maldives is a
hotspot for anyone
looking for a relaxed
luxury holiday – in
the resort of Patina
Maldives, for example.
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2.
YOU CAN USE ALL THE PARTS OF A COCONUT PALM TREE
A family in the Maldives consumes between 20 and 30 coconuts every
week – often in their entirety. They use the oil for cooking and coating
their wooden boats, drink the milk and juice for breakfast and make
bowls from the coconut shells and wickerwork from the palm fronds.
1.
THERE ARE “FORBIDDEN ISLANDS”
For a long time, the 200 or so “local islands” were off-limits to
tourists but in 2009, they were opened up and now small hotels,
guesthouses and Airbnbs welcome travellers from all over the
world. However, locals are still only allowed to enter the tourist
islands to work as staff.
3.
ISLAND AND HOTEL MANAGERS PLANT CORALS THEMSELVES
To compensate for the decline in coral caused by increased bleaching
and the rapid growth in tourism over recent decades, staff working in
the islands’ many resorts have taken to planting corals themselves –
including at the Jumeirah Maldives on Olhahali, for example, and the
Baros Maldives. They remain optimistic because the regeneration time
of corals is between 15 and 20 years.
Photos: Getty Images, Unsplash, supplied
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4.
MALDIVES IS THE FLATTEST COUNTRY ON EARTH
The average height of the island nation is 1.5 metres above sea level.
Studies have claimed that the fabulous archipelago will be completely
under water by 2100. The nation has been working to address the
threat of rising sea levels since 1989 when it convened an international
conference in the capital city of Malé.
WHEN YOU SWIM IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, YOU ARE
QUITE LIKELY TO MEET A SEA TURTLE – EVEN CLOSE
TO A RESORT.
5.
MOST TURTLE SPECIES ARE NATIVE TO THE ISLANDS
There are a total of seven species of sea turtle worldwide, five
of which are native to the Maldives: the olive ridley turtle, the
loggerhead turtle, the leatherback turtle, and the two most
common species, the green sea turtle and the hawksbill turtle.
The Olive Ridley Project and other non-profit organisations are
working to protect the endangered sea turtles.
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travel / MALDIVES
6.
THE USUALLY FINE CORAL SAND DOESN’T GET HOT
Coralline beaches account for a mere five percent of the world’s
beaches. The powder-white sand in the Maldives is therefore quite
a rare phenomenon. It is made up of undigested pieces of coral
crushed and expelled by parrotfish. Best of all: this sand doesn’t get
hot in the sun – so you can walk on it without burning your feet.
EXPECT TO COME ACROSS SOME GIGANTIC
CREATURES IN THE MALDIVES. SOME OF THE WORLD’S
LARGEST FISH LIVE HERE, LIKE WHALE SHARKS AND
THE RARE HAMMERHEAD AND TIGER SHARKS.
7.
THERE ARE MANY SEA CREATURES TO OBSERVE
In the Indian Ocean you can not only swim with brightly coloured parrot
fish and turtles but in the atolls, you can watch manta rays dive
and glide through the water. Countless species of shark swim in the
waters around the Maldives. Small reef sharks like the whitetip reef
shark and grey reef shark, rare sharks like the hammerhead and tiger
shark as well as the peaceful giant and largest fish in the world, the
whale shark, are all at home here.
Photos: Unsplash, Getty Images, supplied
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8.
THERE IS A TRADITION OF GOOD SERVICE
Fifty years ago, the Italian Giorgio Corbin opened the first resort in the
Maldives. Accommodation was in houses with palm thatch roofs,
which lacked fans and running water. Much has changed since then. In
the past five years alone, more than 50 hotels have opened, most of
them in the luxury category. What has remained, however, is the courteous
service and the casual barefoot atmosphere.
9.
THE MALDIVES CABINET HELD A MEETING UNDERWATER
Because climate change and rising sea levels are such pressing issues
for the Maldives, the government decided to hold a symbolic meeting
in 2009. For the first meeting of the “underwater cabinet”, then-President
Mohamed Nasheed – the “Mandela of the Indian Ocean” – and his
entire cabinet strapped on diving equipment and convened six metres
underwater. Using waterproof pens, they signed a document appealing
to all the countries of the world to reduce their carbon emissions.
10.
ONLY ONE RELIGION IS PERMITTED
Sunni Islam is the state religion of the Maldives, and the archipelago is the
world’s only one-hundred-percent Muslim country. All of its citizens are Muslim,
and Islam is the only accepted religion. Consequently, there is a strict ban on
alcohol and strict rules of decency are applied on the islands, apart from those
where the resorts are located.
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travel / MALDIVES
Resorts like the Six Senses
promise the pure vacation
bliss of a private villa with
direct access to a beautiful
beach on the Indian Ocean.
MALDIVES
HOT LIST
Nowhere else is the sand so fine, water so clear and everyday life so far away.
The lure of the Maldives is as strong as ever and those who travel there are
sure to find their dream holiday in one of the stunning island resorts.
Photos: Sakis Papadopoulos, supplied
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SIX SENSES LAAMU
SUSTAINABLE ISLAND PARADISE
It takes about half an hour for the propeller aircraft to
transport eager guests from Malé airport to Laamu Atoll. They
touch down in a paradise that has embraced the concept of
sustainable luxury. Six Senses Laamu is surrounded by an
impressive house reef that both amateur and professional
divers rave about. It has 97 villas on the beach and above the
water on stilts. With its thatched roofs, open architecture and
interiors based on high-quality materials that display an
occasional burst of bright colour, the entire resort evokes the
essence of the film Out of Africa. On the pearl white beach,
nine treatment rooms line up like elegant cocoons, offering
personalised packages devoted to mindfulness, fitness, yoga or
even better sleep. Beach barbecues and dinners on the beach
complement the culinary offerings in the restaurants, bars,
cafés and ice cream parlour. ECO FRIENDLY: The Six Senses
scores highly on sustainability. Examples can be seen in the
Earth Lab and Institute of Marine Conservation projects.
Lagoon water villa incl. breakfast from approx. £1,000 per night.
Six Senses Laamu, sixsenses.com/resorts/laamu
Laamu Atoll, 15090 Maldives
Tel: +960 680 0800
MILAIDOO MALDIVES
AUTHENTIC HIDEAWAY
On Milaidhoo, it’s very tempting to kick off your shoes
and explore the small, 300-metre-long private island on
foot. The trail leads over a wooden footbridge, past
thatched water villas, to the fine-sand shore. Here, close to
the island villas and hidden between the tropical greenery,
you’ll find a wide choice of excellent restaurants, lounges
and bars. Some of the gourmet hotspots like the Serenity
Spa stand on stilts in the sea and are reached by a jetty. The
Ba’theli Lounge & Restaurant, for example, looks like a
giant glass-bottomed boat and serves spicy Maldivian
dishes inspired by the island chain’s culinary history.
Milaidhoo Moments takes guests on “inner and outer
journeys” – like joining the crew of a local fishing boat,
attending a cooking class or spending a night on your own
private sandbank. UNIQUE DIVING SPOT: Milaidhoo is
located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve close to
Hanifaru Bay, where manta rays and (between June and
November) some impressive whale sharks can be seen in
their natural environment. Water villa with private pool incl.
breakfast from approx. £1,320 per night.
Milaidhoo Maldives, milaidhoo.com
Milaidhoo, Baa Atoll, 200002 Maldives
Tel: +960 660 778
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travel / MALDIVES
JUMEIRAH MALDIVES
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
A few steps and you are ready to dive from the jetty of your
private, luxury overwater villa with its own pool into the crystalclear
turquoise water of the lagoon around the Jumeirah Maldives
Olhahali. Here, guests marvel at the parrotfish while, overhead,
herons swoop through the sky. It’s easy to believe you’ve found
paradise when dining in restaurants like the Kayto, which seduces
the palate with delicious Nikkei dishes, or at Shimmers, where you
can enjoy a romantic sunset dinner on the beach. The high quality
of service provided by your personal concierge and the many
adventures that make time fly on the island – a guided diving tour,
planting a small coral reef, cookery and painting courses or yoga
on a remote private sandbank – will stay in your memory for a
long time. SPA ON THE WATER: A wooden walkway leads to
our next piece of paradise. The five overwater spa treatment villas
of The Talise Spa provide luxury treatments and massages for island
guests. Water villa with pool incl. breakfast from approx. £1,200 per night.
Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island, jumeirah.com/maldives
Olhahali, North Malé Atoll, 20339 Maldives
Tel: +960 668 2600
Photos: Ken Kochey, supplied
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VELASSARU MALDIVES
AFFORDABLE BAREFOOT LUXURY
Whether you’re snorkelling effortlessly through the tranquil
lagoon, exploring by canoe or unleashing your inner adventurer
with windsurfing, one thing’s for sure: there’s never a dull
moment at Velassaru. The luxury island resort, just a 25-
minute speedboat ride from the capital city of Malé, is an
eclectic getaway for connoisseurs of the finer things in life. The
ten overwater rooms in the spa pavilion offer massages and
therapies. After your treatment, you can dive into the pool
overlooking this peaceful expanse of the Indian Ocean. A
variety of yoga disciplines is available, including sunset classes,
to soothe your mind as well as your body. Afterwards, you
might choose to retire for a quick nap to your accommodation
in a contemporary-style villa or bungalow on the beach, in the
lush gardens or on the water. WINE & DINE: Gourmets can
taste their way through the diverse culinary offerings of the
five different restaurants and bars on Velassaru – from the
traditional to the exotic, from Japanese classics to haute
cuisine. Bungalow incl. breakfast from £460 per night.
Velassaru Maldives, velassaru.com
Velassaru, South Malé Atoll, 08350 Maldives
Tel: +960 665 6100
WALDORF ASTORIA
ELEGANT GOURMET HOTSPOT
Luxury and lifestyle far from the crowds. Located on the
32,000-square-metre island of Ithaafushi, the Waldorf
Astoria is an elegant retreat for gourmets and relaxation
seekers. Visitors to Pearl Island, as the islet on Dhivehi is
known, enjoy an unrivalled level of luxury. With its elegant
beach, overwater and hybrid reef villas and Stella Maris
maisonette villas, the Waldorf resort offers accommodation
on a secluded private island for 24 guests. It is the epitome
of exclusivity. Besides the accommodation, there’s plenty
here to impress. Sunseekers can lounge on the beach or in
the cabanas by the pool; guests can take part in countless
activities involving sport and fun in and under the sea, and
after dinner, get together at the silent disco or under the
stars at the open-air cinema. Speaking of dinner, you’re
really spoiled for choice on this island in the South Malé
Atoll, as it hosts no less than eleven culinary spots.
CONCIERGE OF THE SENSES: The Waldorf boasts
the Maldives’ first-ever wellness concierge service, whose
personalised treatment and fitness programmes focus on
creating a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of
guests. King overwater villa with pool incl. concierge from approx.
£2,400 per night.
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, hilton.com
Ithaafushi, South Malé Atoll, 20009 Maldives
Tel: +960 4000 300
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Luxurious entry: When arriving
on the island, guests of JOALI
BEING are greeted by this
unique arrival Jetty.
UNFORGETTABLE
DAYS IN PARADISE
The two luxury resorts JOALI and JOALI Being blend the natural beauty
of the Maldives with pure luxury and glamour.
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ADVERTORIAL
ADVERTORIAL Photos: provided
Designed as a luxurious artimmersive
island retreat, JOALI
Maldives focuses on sustainable
glamour. This experiential destination
has been created in collaboration
with world-renowned artists and local artisans.
Spread all across the verdant island,
the 73 spacious accommodations redefine
sustainable glamour. With inspiring artworks
and indulgent amenities, each one is
a haven of blissful luxury. Stunning ocean
views offer a backdrop of turquoise and
azure, with a private infinity pool for sunsplashed
swims and midnight dips. Your
dedicated Jadugar (private butler) can help
you arrange virtually anything. Culinary
art is one of the most sensational art journeys
around the world; proudly presenting
collaborations with well-known Michelin-star
chefs, JOALI will whisk you away
on a new and extraordinary culinary
adventure. The exclusive Art Studio nurtures
local artisans as well as art-lovers
through imaginative events and workshops.
The Gallery hosts guest artists who create
interactive projects and nature-inspired collections
so that guests can experience art in
a participative manner, nourishing their
creative side.
At JOALI Spa by ESPA, powerful signature
treatments restore the body’s vitality
and vibrancy to unlock inner joy. Set amid
breathtaking gardens and seaside vistas,
the eight treatment rooms reflect a luxurious
design concept. Muramas Kids Club
is an adventure playground for children
that provides incredible opportunities for
fun, educational and inspirational activities
and experiences. Little ones can nurture
their creativity at the art & craft room and
learn basic yoga at the Kids Spa. Facilities
include a rainbow stairs room, a game platform
and an outdoor pool area.
AN OASIS OF WELLBEING
At JOALI BEING, the first wellbeing island
retreat in the Maldives, a journey of transcendence
awaits. This exclusive sanctuary
invites guests to experience “weightlessness”
– a sense of freedom, joy and lightness.
Built according to biophilic design
principles, the retreat offers 68 Well Living
Spaces with private pools and special
Unparalleled views over the
vast ocean and a private pool:
At JOALI guests enjoy privacy
and luxury on the highest level.
inclusions. The wellbeing offerings are
woven around the Four Pillars of JOALI
BEING: Mind, Skin, Microbiome and Energy.
Transformative spaces unfold across the
island, offering endless inspiration. KAAS-
HI, the hydrotherapy hall, offers an array
of water therapies in complete privacy –
from the relaxation of Watsu to the exhilaration
of the Aufguss Sauna. Rebalancing
and renewal also come in the form of
restorative teas, tonics and balms, crafted
by the resident Herbologist at AKTAR.
Culinary arts at JOALI BEING focus on
an earth-to-table initiative. Guests are immersed
in the vibrancy of FLOW, an openplan
interactive dining space featuring three
signature kitchens. Su serves ocean-to-table
pescatarian fare, Plantae offers vegetarian
and vegan cuisine and B’Well features a
signature JOALI BEING menu, including a
selection of meat and poultry options. For
sunset seekers there’s MOJO, a tropical
beach sanctuary located on a three-layered
sundeck – an ideal lunch and sundowner
spot by the pool. Each day at JOALI
BEING is filled with moments of discovery,
mindfulness and invigoration.
INFO
For details, go to
joali.com
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travel / CRUISES
Breathtaking ocean views, front-row
seat, ample legroom! On a cruise there
are no high-rises to block the view, so
you can see all the way to the horizon.
OCEANS OF
POSSIBILITIES
PARTNERSHIP Photo: Pete Barrett
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Collecting air miles was yesterday: in its Concierge Collection, US luxury cruise line
Regent Seven Seas combines glamorous train travel (on the Orient Express, for instance)
with an all-inclusive voyage – for a holiday that’s an adventure from the minute it starts.
WORDS KARIN CERNY
winter 2022/23
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travel / CRUISES
Slowing down is the mantra of
the moment right now. The journey
is the destination: it’s about
enjoying every stage along the
way, not collecting as many air
miles as possible. Cruises often don’t
understand this desire to relax from the
very first to the very last minute. The holiday
only begins when passengers board the
ship after flying in to the port of departure.
Many destinations aren’t that easy to
reach, but there are concepts that approach
cruises in a new and different way. Luxury
provider Regent Seven Seas recognised
early on that non-flyers would like to have
an alternative too. Its Concierge Collection,
which combines trains and cruises,
is more than a substitution, it’s an ethos:
travelling on a luxury train
is an adventure in its own
right. You’re immersed in a
historic era and watch breathtaking
landscapes roll past the
window, all while enjoying the elegant
aura of the early days of train
travel. The iconic Orient Express, for
instance, which transports passengers back
to the 1920s, passes through the Swiss
Alps and the Italian Dolomites. Travellers
partake of gourmet cuisine and champagne
in the art deco dining car before arriving in
Venice relaxed and rested, ready to board
the luxury ship for their all-inclusive cruise.
Similar train and ship combinations are
available in the US Rocky Mountains and
Alaska, but there is also an itinerary that
Savour the journey: On the
luxurious Orient Express, guests
get to enjoy excellent gourmet
cuisine and fine wines until they
board their cruise.
PARTNERSHIP Photos: Stephen Beaudet
146 falstaff winter 2022/23

takes travellers to the legendary Inca citadel
of Machu Picchu in the highlands of Peru
on the historic Hiram Bingham Express, a
luxurious train that exudes the glamour of
yesteryear in an ambience defined by old
fittings and gleaming wood. A great opportunity
to sip on a Pisco Sour – the national
drink – as you wind your way up through
the mountains!
The US luxury cruise line Regent Seven
Seas was founded in 1992, originally
putting out to sea under the name Radisson
Seven Seas Cruises. Since September
2014, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has been a
100% subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line
Holdings, which also owns Norwegian
Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises. The fleet
consists of medium-sized cruise ships for
a maximum of 750 guests and cultivates a
relaxed country club ambience on board –
no dinner jacket or evening dress required.
Regent Seven Seas is the youngest cruise
fleet in the luxury segment, 85 percent of
all cabins have a private balcony. The fleet’s
new ship, the Seven Seas Grandeur, will put
SLOWING DOWN IS
THE MANTRA. THE
COMBINATION OF
TRAIN AND SHIP IS ALL
ABOUT ENJOYING
EVERY STAGE OF THE
JOURNEY.
to sea in 2013 and offers suites that range
in size from 28 to a spectacular 412 square
metres.
According to the cruise company’s
philosophy, true luxury is immaterial and
personal. So what does that mean, exactly?
Well, when on board you don’t have
to worry about absolutely anything: even
tips, service fees and taxes are included in
the price. The all-inclusive principle makes
for pure relaxation. Not even the shore
excursions have to be paid for on top. As a
result, you never feel as if you’re straining
your budget or missing out on something.
Internet access also comes at no extra
charge, as do all meals and drinks. The
luxury Regent Seven Seas is talking about
translates to having your every need taken
care of. There’s even a sizeable library on
board, which frees up valuable room in
your suitcase because you don’t have to
pack your own books.
The offerings range from the silvery-blue
fjords of Chile to the icy cold of Alaska,
from the Mediterranean to northern Europe,
from the Caribbean and the Panama
Canal to New England and Canada, from
Africa to Asia and Australia. Every one of
the approx. 350 worldwide destinations
has its own special flair. And in 2023, a
world cruise is available again too. But
there’s more to immersing yourself in the
local culture than walking through overcrowded
cities with hordes of other tourists
and shopping for souvenirs. It’s about experiencing
history and nature close up, for
instance on a guided tour through the
<
Here luxury means being free
to relax. Everything is included –
drinks, tips and shore excursions.
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travel / CRUISES
There are many deluxe
quiet zones on board, and
there’s also a large library.
<
ancient city of Pompeii. Or you could go
mountain biking in rural Estonia, climbing
and abseiling in Alaska, or diving and snorkelling
on the Great Barrier Reef. Others
might prefer exploring the vast plains of
Chile on horseback, watching a lumberjack
competition in Alaska or taking tango
lessons in Buenos Aires.
Regent Seven Seas is the
youngest fleet in the luxury
segment and cultivates a
country club ambience.
Neither a dinner jacket nor an
evening dress are required.
And that’s part of Regent
Seven Seas’ forward-looking
principle too: there are lots of
options, but no musts. If you feel
like it, you can spend quiet days on
board enjoying the all-round service and
the pool, while more active types might
prefer to take part in the fitness programme
or experience all kinds of adventures
during the many shore excursions.
There’s something for everyone – whatever
your age and whatever shape you’re in. It’s
all about enjoying yourself – not just on
board but during the excursions too. You
can taste Sicilian wines at a vineyard in
Taormina and there are cooking classes in
some of the most beautiful places on Earth.
In Nova Scotia you can explore one of the
lonely lighthouses and then help with the
lobster catch as you make your way back
on a dinghy. It’s never boring. Unless that’s
exactly what you want.
<
PARTNERSHIP Photos: Stephen Beaudet
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ADVERTORIAL
A romantic balcony
with stone balustrades
and a view of the
surrounding parklands.
SANTA RITA CASA REAL,
A MAIPO JEWEL
Within the grounds of the world-renowned Santa Rita winery 40 minutes
south of Santiago, Chile, Casa Real is a haven of peace and tranquillity.
ADVERTORIAL PHotos: supplied
The Santa Rita winery was founded
in 1880, with both the original
hacienda Casa Real and the
beautiful surrounding parklands
being declared National Historic Monuments
in 1972.
Entering this 19th-century boutique-style
hotel with its original period furniture, oil
paintings and textiles is a little bit like stepping
back in time. The manor house effortlessly
integrates modern convenience with
comfort, offering 16 elegant and airy rooms
with soaring ceilings, smooth wooden
floors and doors leading out onto wide
verandas, each one offering a beautiful
view of the park or inner courtyard. Hidden
amid the gardens, you’ll find a swimming
pool, a sauna, and gym.
HISTORIC PARKLANDS
Centario Park, in which Casa Real is situated,
was designed by the French landscape
gardener Guillaume Renner for the winery
founder Domingo Fernández Concha, who
wanted his summer house set in beautiful
surroundings. Give yourself a treat and
take a horse-drawn carriage ride past century-old
trees, stone sculptures and a
lake occupied by black-necked Chilean
swans. Stop for a quiet moment in the stunning
neo-gothic chapel, or get married there
in fairy-tale surroundings. The chapel
also holds seasonal concerts with world-renowned
musicians performing for local
school children and members of the public,
including ambassadors, local dignitaries,
and specialists in the fields of culture
and music. For full cultural immersion,
a visit to the Andean Museum is a must.
INFO
For further information, go to
santarita.com
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FOOD
CHEF HESTON
BLUMENTHAL
PUBLISHES FIRST
NEW BOOK IN
A DECADE
By now, Heston Blumenthal is a TV
personality and a household name.
The chef initially became famous
for dishes like snail porridge at his groundbreaking
restaurant The Fat Duck in
Berkshire, which now has three Michelin
stars. He has authored several books before,
but this one, called Is this a Cookbook? is a
departure for the experimental chef. As his
publishers note: “Every recipe is simple,
straightforward and totally
do-able. This is Heston at his most
accessible.” The book contains 70
recipes “accompanied by Heston’s
thoughts, stories, insights and
hacks, turning each cooking session
into a journey that will excite and
inspire and reveal a whole world of
culinary possibilities and fresh
perspectives.” The hardback came
out in November and is illustrated
by Dave McKean.
bloomsbury.com
LONDON
MILAN‘S PAPER MOON RESTAURANT TO OPEN IN SPRING 2023
IN WHITEHALL REDEVELOPMENT OF THE OLD WAR OFFICE
Paper Moon, the Milanese restaurant that already has outposts in Qatar, Istanbul, the Algarve and Hong
Kong, will soon be opening in London. It will be part of an “exceptional line-up” at the vast renovation
project that is the former Old War Office in Whitehall, which will open as The OWO in spring 2023. Set
“to become a new culinary epicentre for London,” the OWO will feature a Raffles hotel, “nine destination
restaurants and three bars, including a grand space on the building’s rooftop and three unique dining
experiences by renowned chef Mauro Colagreco.” The menu at Paper Moon “will follow the seasonality of
the ingredients and the timeless elegance of the classic Italian cuisine that is loved worldwide. In addition,
a statement bar will be a focal point for daily aperitivi, serving traditional Italian cocktails and the finest
wines from regions across Europe.” Co-owner Claudio Bertoni said, “We are thrilled to be part of the
collection of exciting new restaurant openings at The OWO, in such an iconic building. Through our focus
on home-style dishes and attentive service, Paper Moon has built an incredibly loyal following around
the world. Our London debut will be a stylish destination where diners can join us for a culinary journey
through Italy.” papermoonrestaurants.com, theowo.london
150 falstaff winter 2022/23

NEWS
FRANCE
PARIS LANDMARK CAFÉ
DE LA PAIX RENOVATED
The legendary Parisian café, located on the
Place de l’Opéra, underwent a full
programme of renovations in 2021 led by
Pierre-Yves Rochon as part of the
redevelopment of InterContinental’s Paris le
Grand. The café is where hotel guests take
their breakfast and is also open to the public
all day, “finishing with a late aftershow
dinner” for music lovers at the Opera or the
nearby Olympia concert hall. “Café de la Paix
is ready to reclaim its time-honoured place in
the whirlwind of Parisian life.” cafedelapaix.fr
ITALY
LUNGARNO COLLECTION OPENS
NEW RESTAURANT IN MILAN
The hotel group with properties in Florence and Rome,
owned by the Ferragamo family, opened its Portrait Milan
hotel in the historic former archiepiscopal seminary built
in 1565. Chef Alberto Quadrio, who trained and worked in
Tokyo, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Paris, has devised an
all-day dining menu that is “reassuringly familiar but also
unpredictable and will surprisingly burst with flavours.”
lungarnocollection.com
WILL BRUSSELS SPROUTS DIS-
APPEAR FROM FESTIVE TABLES
AT CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR?
Ask Gamblers, who evaluated consumer
trends via Google search data, found
that “higher energy bills mean that many
shoppers are planning to cut out some of
their favourite Christmas classics to
make ends meet.” While mulled wine is
the nonessential seasonal item most are
happy to go without, there’s a good
chance that Brussels sprouts will also
feature in far fewer Christmas dinners.
Photos: Rebecca Marshall/laif/picturedesk.com, Jerome Galland, unsplash, supplied
LONDON
SAUCE COOKING SCHOOL
OFFERS FESTIVE COURSES
Having opened in May 2021, the cookery school called
Sauce at London’s historic Langham Hotel in
Marylebone is going strong. It offers tuition from
luminaries such as Michel Roux Jr and launched its
first bread baking courses this past autumn. No prior
cookery or baking skills are required and participants
can make edible Christmas gifts, take classes with
names like Festive Trade Secrets from the Roux
Kitchen or Festive Proper Puddings and learn how to
make pasta. Courses start at £150 per person.
saucebylangham.com
HARRODS TO STOP PROVIDIING
DISPOSABLE BAGS IN FOOD HALL
From January 2023, Harrods will be
removing all disposable carrier bags
from its Food Halls and Gift Shop. Their
appeal to shoppers notes: “Change is
coming! Help us reduce waste by
bringing your own bag, filling an existing
one or investing in our reusable juco tote.
Doing this will go a long way towards
helping us reach our target of reducing
our carrier bag consumption by 50%.”
harrods.com
winter 2022/23
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food / NEW ALPINE CUISINE
NEW ALPINE CUISINE:
EN ROUTE TO
WORLD CLASS
New Alpine Cuisine has what it takes to become the next
defining global gourmet trend: the combination of a distinct
gastronomic tradition and unique produce creates the perfect
terrain for contemporary fine dining with a future.
WORDS DOMINIK VOMBACH AND BENJAMIN HERZOG
The Reitbauer family’s Steirereck am
Pogusch sets the stage for the best local
produce. Some preparation methods
hark back to ancient traditions: like
cooking over an open fire.
Photo: Steirereck
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food / NEW ALPINE CUISINE
Snow-covered peaks, austere
scenery and harsh winters – these
elements combine to make the
Alps not only a place of longing
but a place of awe. On the one
hand, the romance of the Alps stems from
their immeasurable beauty, on the other
from human defiance in the face of
unforgiving nature. This is precisely where
the common features of the various
regional cuisines of the German-speaking
Alpine cultures align. For centuries, the
respective regions were characterised by
secluded rural life in mountain villages and
on alpine pastures. Whatever could be
wrested from the meagre natural surroundings
was put on the table. Altitude means
that vegetation periods are much shorter, so
farming at high altitudes is far more
demanding than in the lowlands. Only
robust crops can thrive but the higher UV
radiation of the sun has a positive effect on
the energy balance of the crops, which in
turn significantly increases their nutritional
value compared to produce from the
lowlands. In summer, livestock is raised on
the alpine pastures and the animals grazing
here produce milk of the highest quality.
Not to mention the fish from lakes with
exquisite water quality and the game found
in the forests. Like any other regional
cuisine, Alpine cuisine is also influenced by
the products and traditions of the
The wonderful world of the
Alps: Lake Gosau in the
Upper Austrian Salzkammergut
is a popular
destination, not just
for nature lovers but
increasingly for gourmets.
Photos: E+ / Getty Images, Steirereck, Kanizaj Marija
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With his Steirereck in Vienna
and the Steirereck am Pogusch,
Heinz Reitbauer has helped
shape Austria’s alpine regional
cuisine like no other by imbuing
it with the traditions of his
immediate surroundings. What
is more, they are executed at a
very high level.
immediate surroundings. The only difference
is that these are not as high quality
everywhere as they are here. Even though
Alpine lands – stretching from the Ligurian
Sea to the Pannonian Plain – span a total of
eight countries, the heart of Alpine cuisine
beats in its German-speaking regions. It is
therefore not surprising that the protagonists
of what is now called New Alpine
Cuisine are to be found in Austria, Switzerland,
Alto Adige and Germany.
DIVERSITY ON THE PLATE
Top chefs like the Austrians Andreas
Döllerer, Thomas Dorfer and Heinz Reitauer
have long championed the cause of the
Alpine regions, recognising their immense
gastronomic potential, their biodiversity and
thus their uniqueness. The same applies to
legendary chefs from other Alpine countries
– such as Swiss Andreas Caminada or Norbert
Niederkofler from Alto Adige. Döllerer
developed his Cuisine Alpine more than ten
years ago, radically influenced by the Salzburg
Alps. He allied himself with regional
producers long before the call for regional
products echoed loudly through the kitchens
of the world. Niederkofler, considered the
inventor of Alto Adige haute cuisine, turned
his restaurant St. Hubertus upside down
in 2008 and eliminated anything from the
menu not grown in the immediate region
<
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<
and season – right down to olive oil and
citrus fruit. Why roam far and wide when
exquisite produce can be found right under
your nose? Excellent game, fine fish from
crystal-clear lakes as well as meat, dairy
and cheese from the surrounding mountain
pastures. From Germany to Switzerland and
Alto Adige to Austria, the Alpine regions
have a culinary wealth that is unique and
that the world should know about. This is
precisely the approach taken by the Koch.
Campus association, of which Döllerer and
Reitbauer are members, along with many
other notable chefs, producers and wineries
from Austria. The project promotes mutual
exchange with the aim of making the diversity
of terroirs, produce and personalities of
Austria’s gastronomy and agriculture internationally
visible. The protagonists of New
Alpine Cuisine have been networking across
borders for several years, organising symposia
and exchanging ideas with colleagues
from other countries, all with the aim of
letting the world know about the unique
diversity of the Alpine region. A shining
example of this approach is the initiative
ARGE ALP, which has started an international
cooperation between the regions of
Norbert Niederkofler has defined Alto
Adige’s top regional cuisine in his St.
Hubertus restaurant: First-class and
traditional at the same time.
The Alps on the plate: Calves’
sweetbreads and larch cones
by Norbert Niederkofler.
Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Ticino, Grisons,
St Gallen, Alto Adige, Lombardy, Trentino
and Bavaria under the chairmanship of the
province of Salzburg. The idea of a unifying
culinary identity is not new and one movement
in particular serves as a blueprint: the
New Nordic Cuisine. Its protagonists René
Redzepi and Claus Meyer hit the mainstream
almost 20 years ago and changed the
culinary world. In their then newly opened
restaurant Noma they gathered experts
from numerous Nordic countries to unite
Scandinavia in a new fashion of haute cuisine
– based on old Scandinavian techniques
and exclusively Scandinavian products. It
was a very successful coup. Today Copenhagen,
representative of the New Nordic Cuisine,
is one of the most exciting gastronomic
capitals in the world and local chefs and
restaurants – like the Spaniards before them
– excel at conveying a common culinary
<
Photos: Alex Moling / St. Hubertus, Alex Moling
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Andreas Caminada’s Schloss
Schauenstein is one of the
best restaurants in the Alps.
His menu increasingly
features regional accents.
CENTRAL ALPS:
A BREEDING
GROUND FOR
TALENT
Despite being small, Switzerland is considered
an educational mecca of the hospitality
industry. Some of the most renowned hotel
schools in the world are located in this small
Alpine country – above all the École hôtelière
de Lausanne, which has ranked at the top
of its field for years. In 2019, the restaurant
affiliated with it – where instructors and
students work alongside – was even awarded
a Michelin star – something that speaks of
both class and tradition. At the end of the
19th century, the legendary Swiss luxury
hotelier César Ritz brought none other than
the seminal French chef Auguste Escoffier
to the country to train his chefs, thus laying
the foundation for the superior reputation and
quality of Swiss hospitality training. This also
explains why the cuisine to this day it is more
French than Alpine.
Photos: Schloss Schauenstein, Danuser
identity to the outside world. Why shouldn’t
this also succeed with New Alpine Cuisine?
Ultimately, all the necessary elements are in
place.
THE LUXURY OF ALPINE
PRODUCE
The Alps have a unique range of local produce
– new delights appear constantly, even
on a small scale: like the potatoes grown
in the Albula Valley in Switzerland. Alpine
potatoes – from Switzerland or from other
regions – illustrate unlike any other crop
the heights a supposedly simple plant can
achieve when grown under the special conditions
of the Alps. Michelin-starred chefs
like Andreas Caminada or Heiko Nieder
from The Restaurant in Zurich’s The Dolder
Grand have long sworn by the aromatic
tubers. Anyone who has ever tasted them
will see potatoes in a different light. With
produce like this, the term luxury is being
redefined. It is no longer about well-known
luxury ingredients but about things that
are really special. Just like the potatoes
from the Alps bursting with nutrients and
THE UNIQUE
PRODUCE OF THE
ALPS REDEFINES
LUXURY – IT IS NO
LONGER ABOUT
WELL-KNOWN LUXURY
INGREDIENTS.
flavour due to the shorter vegetative cycle
and higher UV radiation. Crops of this
kind are not only found in the fields of innovative
farmers in the Alps, but also in the
wild. Most chefs who are committed to alpine
cuisine take advantage of this and forage
the forests with their teams in search of
the truly unique. This is true luxury – and
also truly sustainable. Instead of flying in
products from all over the world, distances
are kept short. It’s yet another aspect that
makes Alpine cuisine so contemporary.
A CUISINE WITH A FUTURE
The young Austrian Milena Broger, one
of the new representatives of New Alpine
Cuisine, prefers to work with foraged produce
that she sources in the surroundings
of her kitchen. When she was in Denmark,
what she foraged was Danish; when she
was in Japan it was Japanese and now it
is Austrian. Two years ago, she took over
the Weiss in Bregenz together with her
partner, Danish chef Erik Pedersen, and
Theresa Feuerstein. The couple’s approach
in the kitchen is to use locally sourced food
presented simply and without frills. That
is why only fish, meat and vegetables from
the surrounding Lake Constance region
are served at the Weiss. Local dairy also
plays an important role as an essential
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Three-star chef Sven Wassmer
creates Alpine cuisine in Bad Ragaz
that delights guests and critics alike.
<
part of Vorarlberg’s culinary culture.
Upcycling, i.e. the use of leftovers that are
not actually used for cooking, is also deeply
rooted in Alpine cuisine. Getting the most
out of an ingredient takes a bit of ingenuity,
but Alpine chefs have it in spades. Sven
Wassmer of Memories in the Grand Resort
Bad Ragaz, for example – recently awarded
a third Michelin star – gives new life to
supposedly worthless kitchen waste. He
roasts and malts cherry stones that would
normally end up on the compost heap and
uses them in desserts. Increasingly, produce
from far away is also being replaced by local
alternatives. Instead of Asian fish sauce,
for example, the protagonists of Alpine
cuisine use a variant of the ancient Roman
condiment garum. In the case of the LUVI
Traunsee garum, which was partly developed
by the well-travelled Austrian top chef
Lukas Nagl, by-catch from Lake Traunsee
is salted and fermented with koji cultures.
Nagl’s products are also used by colleagues
– such as Alpine cuisine pioneer Andreas
Döllerer.
THE WINES
OF THE ALPS
Alto Adige, Styria, Valais, Piedmont or Ticino
– the Alps have some of the most exciting
terroirs in the world. While other regional
cuisines – above all Nordic cuisine – have to
make use of wines from far afield for their
food pairings, Alpine chefs can draw on a wide
range of local wines. Indigenous varieties,
geological diversity and diverse climatic zones
ensure an incredible abundance not only on
the plate but also in the glass. More and more
sommeliers and restaurateurs are making
use of this treasure, creating first-class wine
selections with an Alpine character.
Dream team:
Amanda
Wassmer-Bulgin
– wife of chef
Sven Wassmer –
is responsible for
the wine selection
at the Memories
restaurant in Bad
Ragaz.
Photos: Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
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COMMITTED TO TRADITION
Another advantage of New Alpine Cuisine:
the traditions it plays with. Traditional
dishes that have delighted palates for
centuries are interpreted in contemporary
fashion. The young chef Joshua Leise from
Mural in Munich uses traditional Bavarian
dishes and serves, for example, brown trout
with calf’s head or sauerkraut and mustard.
This is unusual and has a certain wit, as do
the creations of South Tyrolean Thomas
Ortler, who brings relaxed alpine cuisine
to the plate at Flurin in Glums. The Briton
James Baron, who has manned the stoves at
the Krone – Säumerei am Inn in La Punt in
the Swiss canton of Grisons since this summer,
is all about Alpine fusion. Whether it’s
IT IS ONLY A MATTER
OF TIME BEFORE
NEW ALPINE CUISINE
RISES TO THE RANKS OF
THE WORLD’S GREAT
CUISINES. THE OMENS
HAVE NEVER BEEN
BETTER.
Plate by James Baron in the Krone in La Punt,
Switzerland (inset). Guest room at Andreas
Döllerer (below).
Tyrolean gröstl, sauerkraut doughnuts or
yeast dumplings, for the Brit there is only
the best of the Alps, regardless of national
borders. The protagonists of Alpine cuisine
have no lack of creativity and innovation.
Just as there is no lack of visitors and
diners in the Alpine regions who appreciate
all of the above – not an insignificant
factor for successful hospitality. Every
year, several hundred million people flock
to the Alps to enjoy the unique mountain
world. It should thus only be a matter of
time before New Alpine Cuisine rises to the
ranks of the world’s great cuisines and the
Alps are positioned as a culinary entity in
the world. All the elements of success are
already there.
<
Photos: Joerg Lehmann / Döllerer, Sylvan Müller
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ANGELIKA ROSAM
COOL, COLOURFUL,
CREATIVE
’TIS THE
SEASON
FOR FOXES
For glassware collectors and all
those who love to surround
themselves with unique objects,
the animal glassware by Ichendorf
Milano makes for adorable
table decorations. There are
creatures of the sea, of the forest
and of the meadows, all of
them handmade. This charming
little fox is part of the Woodland
series. Glassware is delicate,
so handle with care.
Approx. £53. farfetch.com
CHEERFUL COASTERS
You don’t own anything by Jonathan
Adler yet? Then it’s high time you did!
These pop art-inspired porcelain coasters,
for example, will add a trendy touch to
your next cocktail party. With their unconventional
design and brilliant rainbow
colours, the eye-catching coasters are sure
to be a hit. Those familiar with Adler’s
work know that accessories like these are
an investment in extravagance – with a
playful nod to American Modernism and
the Arts and Crafts movement. £96 for a
set of four.
madeindesign.de
DEDICATION TO DETAIL
Whether you’re out and about or entertaining at home – there’s
no more elegant way to quench your thirst than sipping
through a Louis Vuitton drinking straw.
us.louisvuitton.com
AS GOOD
AS GOLD
Boasting a sleek Scandinavian
look, the stainless steel Copenhagen
cutlery set in gold by
Georg Jensen adds a unique
touch to any table setting. Despite
the simple design, we think
it scores high on the glamour
scale! £55. royaldesign.com
FIT FOR ROYALTY
Rarely have we seen a more elegant set
of salt and pepper shakers than these
handcrafted Spice Jewels by L’Objet.
harrods.com
Photos: Rafaela Pröll, provided
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eldorado
LIFESTYLE
MASTER CLASS
IN MIXOLOGY
What do you get when you
multiply twelve cocktail classics
by twelve exciting variations?
Nothing more and nothing less
than 144 delicious new recipes
to try.
eu.assouline.com
CHECK IT OUT!
Someone must have had fun
with this charming design! An
attractive mug with a cream and
burnt orange chessboard glaze,
plus a sturdy handle that sits in
the hand perfectly. Just the thing
for a steaming hot cuppa! The
mug also makes a stylish gift for
someone who enjoys the good
things in life. Approx. £30.
farfetch.com
Our columnist ANGELIKA ROSAM
is a publisher and co-owner of Falstaff
Publishing. With her inimitable instinct for
the beautiful things in life, she presents
her favourite picks for house and home.
TOOLS OF
THE TRADE
A strainer, citrus knife, bottle
opener, stirrer and jigger – the
Ohara Marble Bar Tool Set has
just about everything you need
to take your bartending skills to
the next level. Made of stainless
steel and polished marble.
cb2.com
SIGNATURE PIECE
This stunning bar cabinet by interior designer Jonathan Adler
is a luxurious objet d’art. With its assymetric design elements and
polished brass details, it is guaranteed to wow guests at your next
party. jonathanadler.com
SHINING
EXAMPLE
This stainless steel coffee set designed
by Corin Mellor is yet another
fine example of the company’s
masterful metalwork design.
The highly polished set consists
of a cafetière, cream jug, sugar
bowl and tray. We love the retro
oval handles! Prices on request.
davidmellordesign.com
Here at Falstaff we’re
always keen to showcase
the best lifestyle
accessories. For this
winter issue, we
researched some
essentials for table
and home. Enjoy!
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food / RESTAURANTS
DINNER
WITH
A VIEW
When your gaze drifts into the distance and your thoughts take flight,
it takes show-stopping flavours and first-rate cooking to bring you back
to your plate. There are a handful of restaurants, though, that offer
both a feast for the eye and the palate.
WORDS CLAUDIA HILMBAUER
Photo: Christos Drazos Photography
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Lycabettus Restaurant:
With a view like this it takes a
culinary tour de force to draw
diners’ attention to the food.
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food / RESTAURANTS
PARIS/FRANCE
LE JULES VERNE
MICHELIN-STARRED COOKING AT THE HEART OF AN ICON
Frédéric Anton, awarded three stars by the Guide Michelin for his restaurant
Le Pré Catelan, has transferred his magic touch to the Le Jules Verne, where
impeccably crafted classics of modern French cuisine are presented with crisp
precision. Employing astonishing flavour pairings, he succeeds in drawing the
attention of diners to what’s on their plate – no easy feat, if you consider that
the restaurant is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower with stunning
panoramic views across Paris. The carefully curated wine list contains a wealth
of exceptional wines.
Restaurant Le Jules Verne, restaurants-toureiffel.com
5 Av. Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris, France, T: +33 1 45 55 61 44
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
Cod with olives, capers and
bouillabaisse consommé.
PRICES
Seven-course tasting menu
approx. £222 per person, three-course set
lunch approx. £122 per person
(wine pairing extra).
GOOD TO KNOW
One Michelin star; a stellar choice
of fine wines.
Photos: Richard Haughton, supplied
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BANGKOK/THAILAND
VERTIGO GRILL AND MOON BAR
ROOFTOP DINING WITH A VIEW ACROSS THE GLITTERING CITYSCAPE
Dining really doesn’t get more urbane than this: as you enjoy dinner or drinks on the 61st
floor of the Banyan Tree hotel, you can feast your eyes on the glittering lights of Bangkok.
The menu focuses on international dishes, including pasta, burgers and steaks, as well as
choice cuts of Australian sirloin steak and Japanese Miyazaki tenderloin. The Vertigo Grill
and Moon Bar serves a deconstructed caramel apple tarte tatin – a thing of joy that looks
almost too good to eat. But the star of the evening is undoubtedly the view of the city’s
skyline, which is best enjoyed as you sip a cocktail at the bar.
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
Spicy seafood linguine
with crab, tiger prawns, chorizo
and Thai herbs.
PRICES
Four-course menu approx.
£74 per person (wine pairing extra),
à-la-carte mains from £17.
Vertigo, Banyan Tree Bangkok, banyantree.com
21/100 S Sathon Rd, Khwaeng Thung Maha Mek, Sathon,
10120 Bangkok, Thailand, T: +66 2 679 1200
GOOD TO KNOW
Vegetarian four-course set menus are
also available.
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food / RESTAURANTS
SÖLDEN/AUSTRIA
ICE Q
FUTURISTIC DESIGN AND UPDATED CLASSICS
Perched 3,048 metres above sea level and surrounded by over 250 superb 3,000-metre
peaks, ice Q – which featured in James Bond’s Spectre – is Austria’s highest gourmet
restaurant. Chef Klaus Holzer creates sophisticated multi-course set menus and a wide
choice of à-la-carte specialities that elevate Austrian cuisine to new heights. The highlight is
a Summit Dinner, available every Wednesday from the end of December to mid-March,
where you’ll be torn between savouring the toque-winning gastronomy and admiring the
mountain panorama painted luminous pink and orange in the sunset. The Wine & Tapas
Lounge is perfect for an exclusive refreshment.
ice Q, iceq.at
Dorfstraße 115, 6450 Sölden, Austria, T: +43 664 960 9368
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
The ice Q Brioche, a delicious
upmarket burger.
PRICES
A four-course Chef’s Table Menu with
a glass of champagne and non-alcoholic
drinks is £122 per person.
GOOD TO KNOW
Good to know: Pino 3000,
a rare Pinot Noir, matures here in
barrique oak casks.
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Photos: Rudi Wyhlidal, supplied
BIG SUR/USA
SIERRA MAR
CALIFORNIA FARM-DRIVEN DINING BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE SEA
Curiosity and a generous pinch of pragmatism are the driving forces in executive chef Il Hoon
Kang’s culinary approach at Sierra Mar in California. Sustainability is the magic third ingredient:
most of the produce comes from the neighbouring communities, and much from the
restaurant’s own farm. Sierra Mar is part of the Post Ranch Inn, and is open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. To enjoy the unparallel views of the ocean, come for dinner and drink in the
spectacular view as the sun gradually dips into the Pacific. Just like the Sierra Mar restaurant
that seems to hover on the clifftop, the kitchen strikes a balance between the bounty of the
land and the sea. A four-course vegan menu is available on request.
Sierra Mar, Post Ranch Inn, postranchinn.com
47900 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920, USA, T: +1 831 672 800
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
Ranch cut served with highlights
from the restaurant’s farm and
local growers.
PRICES
The four-course set menu is £122 per
person (wine pairing extra).
GOOD TO KNOW
The wine list offers 3,200 fine
vintages with a fantastic choice of
local wines.
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food / RESTAURANTS
AL MIRAYR/ABU DHABI
SUHAIL
THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE LIWA OASIS
All it takes is a 90-minute drive from the bustling metropolis of Abu Dhabi to whisk you to a
completely different world: the Liwa Oasis, also called the Empty Quarter. Despite the name,
the quarter is anything but deserted: the luxurious Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
welcomes its discerning guests here. At the highest point of the oasis lies the Suhail restaurant,
named after a star used by Bedouins to navigate the desert. Against the stunning backdrop of
the dunes, guests dine on fish and seafood, grilled meats and international dishes such as
risotto or short ribs, impeccably served by the attentive team. The desert desserts are a dream
come true, as is the carefully selected wine list.
Suhail, Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, anantara.com
Al Mirayr, Abu Dhabi, T: +971 288 620 88
Photo: Victor Romero
168 falstaff winter 2022/23

IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
Prime rib Tomahawk steak, 30-day dry
aged Australian Wagyu beef marinated
in black truffles.
PRICES
Starters from £15, mains from £26, signature
dish (Tomahawk steak) around £225.
GOOD TO KNOW
Received the Wine Spectator Award of
Excellence 2022.
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food / RESTAURANTS
BAROS/MALDIVES
BAROS MALDIVES PIANO DECK
TANTALISING TASTES, SURROUNDED BY INFINITY
Dine with a view of the myriad blues of the Indian Ocean and underneath a sky that
kaleidoscopes through a breathtaking palette of colours as the sun sets; marvel as thousands
of stars come out to form a magical canopy. The Piano Deck at Baros Maldives is a
strong contender for the title of the world’s most romantic spot to dine. A private chef
prepares the meal of your choice, from freshly grilled reef fish, champagne breakfast or a
lavish afternoon seafood picnic. The Piano Deck, which sits in the beautiful lagoon, is only
a short boat trip from the shore.
Baros Maldives, baros.com
Maldives, T: +960 664 26 72
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
South American ceviche with Sevruga
caviar, reef fish, tuna and prawns.
PRICES
Six-course meal for two from £478.
GOOD TO KNOW
Apart from the fine dining,
guests can also book romantic spa
sessions and massage treatments
on the deck.
170 falstaff winter 2022/23

Photos: Sakis Papadopoulos, Ishan @seefromthesky, supplied
KUNFUNADHOO/MALEDIVES
FRESH IN THE GARDEN
GOURMET CUISINE IN THE LEAFY CANOPY
High up on stilts, a treetop table sits in the lush jungle that sprawls at the heart of the
Maldivian island of Kunfunadhoo: Fresh in the Garden, located high above the resort’s
organic gardens, offers leafy green views all round. To get to the open-air restaurant, you
cross a suspended rope bridge and find yourself surrounded by the glossy leaves of a
banana grove. As you listen to the tropical soundtrack, you enjoy the best the garden and
ocean have to offer. Freshly-caught fish sizzle appetizingly, flanked by exotic vegetables
cooked to perfection. After you’ve dined, cross a second hanging bridge to reach the
Observatory, where you round off a perfect evening by counting the glittering stars.
Fresh in the Garden, Soneva Fushi, soneva.com
Kunfunadhoo Island, Eydhafushi, Maldives, T: +960 660 0304
IN THE KNOW
MUST-TRY
Flame-grilled rainbow runner
with sautéed wok vegetables;
to-die-for deserts.
PRICES
Three-course dinner from
around £174 per person.
GOOD TO KNOW
Dinner is included for guests
with half and full-board and Soneva
Unlimited members.
winter 2022/23
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food / RECIPES
LUXURIOUS
FEASTS
Christmas and New Year call for the finer things in life.
Three top chefs share their creative ideas for a festive
and delicious meal.
PHOTOS KONRAD LIMBECK FOODSTYLING BENNI WILLKE CONCEPT & PRODUCTION FLORENCE WIBOWO
TABLEWARE PORZELLANMANUFAKTUR FÜRSTENBERG, LOBMEYER.AT
172 falstaff winter 2022/23

winter 2022/23
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food / RECIPES
BRAISED GOOSE WITH CARAMELISED RED
CABBAGE AND GLAZED CHESTNUTS
Recipe by Stefan Hermann, bean&beluga restaurant, Dresden, Germany
(serves 4)
FOR THE GOOSE
1 goose with giblets (approx. 6kg)
400g onions, peeled
4 apples, peeled and cored
100g butter
400g shallots
100ml red wine vinegar
marjoram, thyme, mugwort
salt, white pepper
METHOD
– Chop the onions and apples finely and sauté in a
little butter.
– Season with salt and pepper. Add the marjoram
and thyme.
– Salt and pepper the goose well inside and out.
Stuff the goose with the apple and onion stuffing
and the mugwort and close with a toothpick or
kitchen string.
– Pour some water into a suitable roasting tin, add
the finely chopped wings and neck bones and place
the goose on top of the chopped meat, breast-side
down
– Braise at 120°C (250°F) for three to four hours.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool and cut into
serving portions.
– Also chill the gravy and gently skim off the fat
once cool enough
– Pour the degreased gravy onto a baking tray, place
the goose pieces on top and add more salt if necessary.
Now roast at 200°C (400°F) top heat until
the skin is golden brown and crispy.
– Brush with a little goose fat.
– Sweat the finely chopped shallots and marjoram in
a little butter, deglaze with some of the goose
stock and simmer to reduce.
FOR THE RED CABBAGE
1 red cabbage
25g brown sugar
250ml orange juice
250ml red Port wine
50g goose fat/fat rendered from the roast goose during
cooking
salt, white peppercorns,
bay leaf, clove, juniper berries (combine all the spices
in a small muslin bag)
METHOD
– Caramelise the sugar in a saucepan, deglaze with
orange juice and Port wine, add the spice bag and
simmer.
– Remove the red cabbage from the stalk, chop, put
into a bowl and pour over the hot marinade, salt a
little and leave to marinate for 24 hours.
174 falstaff winter 2022/23

– Drain the red cabbage well in a sieve.
– Put the goose fat in a saucepan and sauté the red
cabbage in it.
– Pour in the marinade and braise in a preheated
oven at 200°C (400°F) for about an hour until tender.
– Season with a little salt and, if necessary, thicken
with a grated potato.
FOR THE GLAZED CHESTNUTS
50g butter
250g chestnuts, peeled and cooked
25g sugar
METHOD
– In a small sauté pan, caramelise the butter, sugar
and a little water. Add the peeled, cooked chestnuts
and glaze, stirring constantly.
STEFAN HERMANN
A true highflyer: in 2007 Stefan Hermann opened the
restaurant bean&beluga in Dresden and immediately
received a Michelin star for his balanced, unfussy
cooking. In his adopted home of Dresden, the top
chef has also built up a small "gourmet empire" in
recent years. This includes sharing his professional
tricks and kitchen hacks in his cookery school or
offering homemade specialities in his own delicatessen.
He also caters at the famous Semperoper where
opera lovers can enjoy his exquisite finger food
alongside the musical delights. Hermann made a
seamless transition from top chef to entrepreneur –
and his success did not come by chance. In the
course of his career, the Swabian-born chef has
worked in the best establishments across the world
– including Harald Wohlfahrt's Schwarzwaldstube in
Germany’s Black Forest, the Sonnora restaurant, the
Caroussel restaurant at the Bülow-Residenz hotel
in Dresden and the Regent Hotel London.
additional photo: FOTOGRAFISCH Juliane Mostertz & Sven Claus
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food / RECIPES
WHOLE WILD CHAR WITH CARROTS, WILD BROCCOLI
AND WILD HERBS
Recipe by Sascha Hoffmann, Fuhrmann restaurant, Vienna, Austria
(serves 4)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BRAISED CARROTS
2 orange carrots
2 red carrots
2 white carrots
4 shallots
rapeseed oil
salt, pepper
1 tsp caster sugar
150ml vegetable stock
METHOD
– Peel the carrots and halve or quarter lengthwise,
depending on size. Peel the shallots and cut them
into wedges.
– Lightly sauté the carrots and shallots in a pot with
some rapeseed oil and sprinkle with the sugar until
it caramelises. Immediately deglaze with vegetable
stock, season and braise in the oven, covered, at
160°C (320°F) until soft.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE WILD BROCCOLI
(CIMA DI RAPA)
200g wild broccoli
brown butter
salt
METHOD
– Trim the wild broccoli by pulling the strings from
the stalk.
– Glaze briefly in a pan with the brown butter and
season with salt.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHAR WITH WILD
HERBS
2 wild-caught char, gutted and cleaned
150g wild herbs like garden orache, chickweed yarrow,
tree spinach, winter purslane
METHOD
– Salt the char well in the abdominal cavity and on
the skin and fill with 2/3 of the herbs.
– Line a baking dish with baking paper and brush
with oil. Place the fish on it and cook in the oven at
180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.
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INGREDIENTS FOR SERVING
remaining herbs
white balsamic vinegar
rapeseed oil
METHOD
– Carefully remove the fish fillets from the bones
and arrange them on the braised carrots with the
wild broccoli.
– Dress the remaining herbs with white balsamic
vinegar and rapeseed oil and sprinkle over the top.
SASCHA HOFFMANN
Hermann Botolen has long made a name for himself
as a profound connoisseur of the Austrian wine and
sommelier scene. In his role as top sommelier, he
shared his brilliant wine knowledge at Meinl am
Graben in Vienna for several years and at other highend
restaurants. Since spring 2016, Botolen has had
his own restaurant in Vienna – the Fuhrmann, formerly
the Hohensinn. But what would the best wine
be without good cuisine? In the young Sascha Hoffmann,
Botolen has managed to hire a chef who not
only has a solid education but also enormous potential.
No wonder, as he has gained experience with
the best in the country, such as at Steirereck, Tian at
Döllerer's and most recently with Josef Floh in Langenlebarn.
The young chef creates Austrian-style
dishes with modern accents. Hoffmann also does an
excellent job of bringing out the best in the wines
selected by Botolen.
additional photo: provided
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food / RECIPES
DUCK LIVER PAVÉ WITH FIGS
Recipe by Peter Knogl, Cheval Blanc restaurant, Basel, Switzerland (serves 4)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DUCK LIVER
400g duck liver, raw
400ml white Port wine
salt, pepper
METHOD
– Bring the port wine to the boil with salt and pepper
and reduce to a third
– Then marinate the duck liver in one piece for three
hours.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FIG MIXTURE
200ml red wine
40g dried figs
10g sugar
1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise
peel of 1 orange slice
peel of 1 lemon slice
METHOD
– Heat the red wine to 80°C (175°F) and add the other
ingredients. Allow to cool.
– Leave to rest in the fridge for three days. Remove
the figs and blend with a teaspoon of the liquid in a
blender
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FIG JELLY
200ml water
1 Earl Grey tea bag
40g dried figs
4 tsp fruit vinegar
2 tsp cassis liqueur
2 leaves of gelatine
salt
METHOD
– Heat the water to 85°C (185°F) and steep the tea
bag for three minutes.
– Add the dried figs and leave the mixture in the fridge
for a day.
– Strain the liquid through a sieve (discard the figs),
add the vinegar, cassis liqueur and the gelatine that
has been soaked and dissolved in a little warm water.
Season to taste with salt.
GARNISH
brik pastry, pine nuts, chervil leaves
ASSEMBLY AND SERVING
– Place a 5 mm thin slice of duck liver in a mould, cover
with a 1 mm thick layer of fig mixture and place
another thin slice of duck liver on top.
– Cover with the fig jelly and place in the fridge.
– As soon as the gelatine is firm, remove the pavé
from the mould and cut into desired portions.
– Arrange and decorate with fig purée, pine nuts,
chervil leaves and brik pastry as desired.
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PETER KNOGL
In his three-star restaurant Cheval Blanc in Basel's
Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, Peter Knogl delights
guests with fresh interpretations of French cuisine.
He consistently follows his own style yet is always
open to innovation. The German-born chef learned
his trade at the Tristan restaurant in Mallorca under
Gerhard Schwaiger, at the Chantecler restaurant in
Nice under Dominique Le Stanc and at the Residenz
under Heinz Winkler. In his cuisine, Knogl concentrates
on the essentials: he uses only the best ingredients
and produce and focuses on bringing out their
intrinsic taste. "The greatest art in cooking is to combine
the ingredients ideally and at the same time to
preserve their own flavour," says the star chef.
additional photo : provided
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food / ESSAY
HOME SWEET
HOME –
THE PLEASURE
COCOON
The pandemic forced us into our own four walls, the ongoing geopolitical
instability ensures that we continue to stay in. Now is not the
time for wild experiments and distant adventures.
Let’s start with a little natural
history: Certain insect species,
wasps for instance, undergo a
remarkable metamorphosis during
their lives. First, the egg
hatches into a larva, a small blob protected
only by thin skin, defenceless against all
predators. This is a most dangerous phase.
That is why the larva begins to spin itself
up and pupate as quickly as possible. Now
the insect is well protected in its cocoon,
shielded from danger in its gradually
forming protective chitin armour that
allows it to develop into a fully fledged
creature. The cocoons hang on leaves,
branches or in the woodwork. In wasps,
this period usually lasts 15 days, as the
famous natural scientist Jean-Henri Fabre,
also known as the “Virgil of insect
research,”observed at the end of the 19th
century. Then the process of becoming a
wasp is complete, the insect breaks
through the protective shell with the help
of its feeding tools and buzzes out into its
full life phase. As with so many phenomena,
nature also serves as a model for us
here. In the 1980s, an American trend
researcher with the beautiful name Faith
Popcorn coined the term “cocooning” to
describe the retreat of larger social segments
into the private sphere. Like insects,
humans retreat into the social cocoon of
their immediate and visible environment.
This is not an exclusively contemporary
development of course. In the Biedemeier
era that emerged after the revolutionary
turmoil and the devastation of the Napoleonic
Wars in the first half of the 19th
century, broad swathes of society
rehearsed the retreat into the private
sphere. Well protected by a surveillance
state, they escaped into the cosy comfort
of their own homes, turned their backs to
the outside world and enjoyed their
self-imposed isolation to the full. It was
also the heyday of domestic music in
which the large auditorium was replaced
by a tiny audience, listening reverently.
Photo: Everett Collection / picturedesk.com
180 falstaff winter 2022/23

JOACHIM RIEDL
is a journalist, writer
and exhibition designer.
Until 2020, he headed
the Vienna office and
the Austria pages of
the German weekly
newspaper DIE ZEIT.
appeared to be a discontinued model. Yet,
humans are a resilient species. Gradually
society adapted to the new reality. What is
more, it began to recognise the advantages
of the changed reality and many discovered
that this “splendid isolation” was
actually enjoyable. Widespread tele-working
quickly developed into a new form of
working from home, which also has its
advantages. Even though the pandemic has
weakened in the meantime and life has
returned to an apparent normality, many
citizens no longer want to do without this
retreat into their private sphere, supported
by numerous forms of digital communication.
They have come to know and love
the joys of preparing their own food on
their own stove.
A NEW BIEDERMEIER
It is for this reason that Biedermeier has
repeatedly served as a point of reference
for social developments that are analogous
to the historical model: Every neo-Biedermeier
era is a reaction to particularly turbulent
and crisis-ridden time. This was the
case in the 1990s, for example, which
brought society to a standstill after the
violent upheavals of the previous decade
and the end of the Cold War. Most recently
it was the outbreak of the coronavirus
pandemic, when frequent quarantines and
lockdowns alone forced a social transformation.
This powerful blow hit societies
across the world out of the blue, shattering
at once the social behaviour to which
we had become accustomed. Cocooning
by a higher power, so to speak. Restaurants,
cinemas, theatres, museums, even
some parks had to close down by decree.
Let’s remember: it was strictly regulated
who was allowed to visit whom and who
was allowed to move around in public
EVERY NEO-
BIEDERMEIER
ERA IS A REACTION
TO CRISIS-
RIDDEN TIMES.
A TIME OF QUIET ENJOYMENT
New, but actually ancient and time-honoured
forms of enjoyment have emerged in
this neo-Biedermeier age. They are reactions
to the uncertainties and crises of the
present. Cocooning feeds on the virtues of
bourgeois values. While progressive forces
must always strive to mobilise the masses,
bourgeois tranquillity thrives in the New
Biedermeier. And why not? Life is good in
the cocoon of a manageably small group –
which does not necessarily have to be a
family. This is not the time for ostentation
and splendour, which in order to be perceived
as such must be displayed as publicly
as possible. No, it is a time of quiet
enjoyment that unfolds its power in a
small, self-contented world. This time
round, this new social ideal could be
around for some time. The pressure for
change has subsided, the strife of upheaval
and revolution has been stilled for now.
And the world situation drives us to
retreat to familiar terrain – into our own
homes, our small towns, our own countries.
Consolidation is the order of the day.
People now prefer to keep to themselves
and enjoy what life has to offer.
space and for what reason. Police forces
patrolled streets and recreation areas and
handed out notices for any infringement
or violation of the rules. The widespread
obligation to wear a protective mask reinforced
this effect of isolation. Many measures
also overshot the mark and encouraged
civil disobedience. Despite all that,
pandemic policy remained relentless and
the desired goal of “life as it was then”
moved further and further into the distance.
We as social beings suddenly <
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food / ESSAY
FOOD FOR
Eating is a basic need that provides the
body with energy and nutrients. Some
foods, however, do much more than
fuel our bodies and still our hunger: they
nourish our souls and contribute to our
emotional wellbeing.
WORDS JULIA NITTMANN
ILLUSTRATIONS GINA MÜLLER / CAROLINESEIDLER.COM
Photos: Shutterstock
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THE SOUL
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food / ESSAY
Grandma’s apple pie, a whole
tub of ice cream or a bowl of
pasta – indulging in these foods
warms our hearts and floods us
with an immediate sense of
happiness. They comfort us in sad
moments, cheer us up on grey, rainy days
and relax us on a cosy evening spent in
front of the television. But not all foods are
capable of inducing this happy state. Few
people would deem a pale chicken fillet
with steamed broccoli as comfort or soul
food, even though that dish would also
satiate our physical needs. To explain this
difference in perception, it helps to take a
look at our own past. In the life of a Stone
Age person, food was always a rare commodity.
Survival depended on food that
provided nutrients and a lot of energy. Fat
in particular provided the required energy
density: while carbohydrates and proteins
only provide four calories per gram, fat
provides nine calories per gram – more
than twice as much energy for the same
weight. As far as nutrient density is concerned,
very ripe fruit in particular was and
is excellent at providing us with the necessary
vitamins and minerals. The riper the
fruit, the more nutrients it contains. At the
same time, ripe fruit also has a high fructose
content. This is converted into fat in
our liver and builds up the winter fat that
our ancestors were able to sustain themselves
on during the cold months. In short,
we got the high levels of nutrients and energy
we needed for survival primarily from
fatty and sweet foods. Because this has
been genetically programmed into us for
thousands of years we still like fatty and
sweet foods today, even though we no
longer have to hunt mammoths or live
through an ice age.
Photos: Shutterstock
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WE PERCEIVE SWEET AND FATTY FOODS PRIMARILY
TO BE SOUL FOOD. SINCE THE STONE AGE,
THESE ENERGY-DENSE FOODS HAVE RAPIDLY
AND RELIABLY PROVIDED US WITH VITAL ENERGY
AND IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS, AND TRIGGER
THE RELEASE OF “HAPPY HORMONES”.
HAPPY HORMONES IN THE BRAIN
But back to the present day: we have long
been able to unite fatty and sweet (or even
salty) foods in countless dishes. This creates
combinations that feel like a jackpot for our
Stone Age brain, which is still stuck in that
ancient survival mode. Whether apple pie,
ice cream or pasta – all these dishes are a
combination of fat, sweet or salty. The
warm, fuzzy feeling we experience when eating
such dishes is due to the fact that our
brain reacts in a very special way to these
so-called “hyper-palatable foods” – calorieladen
favourites such as pizza, creamy pasta,
fried foods, chocolate or doughnuts. On a
neurobiological level, three hormones are
primarily responsible for the feel-good effect
of certain foods: serotonin, dopamine and
endorphins. Our serotonin level, which stabilises
our mood and makes us happy, is
mainly raised by sugar and other carbohydrates.
Eating food containing cocoa or caffeine
also leads to a release of dopamine and
its attendant reward response in our brains.
What is more, chocolate – and anything that
combines sugar and fat – also causes an endorphin
release, which acts as a natural analgesic
and helps us to relax.
LEARNED PREFERENCES
In addition to these general biological mechanisms
that work similarly in all of us, psychological
learning mechanisms also play an
important role. Foods we ate in childhood
take on a special meaning as they remind us
of the feeling of warmth, security and
comfort we experienced in the past. Among
all sensory perceptions, taste and smell are
predestined to evoke certain memories and
the feelings associated with them, because
impressions that are close together in time
are stored in close proximity in our brains.
If one of these sensory perceptions is
“nudged,” the associated feelings and memories
are also recalled. Seen in this way, even
the most sober and healthy meal could become
a comfort food for us.
EARLY EXPERIENCES
Last but not least, a decisive factor that influences
the development of our preferences
is mother‘s milk. It could be called the first
and ultimate soul food, since it combines
all the mechanisms mentioned above. On
the one hand, breast milk tastes sweet, on
the other hand it can also take on the taste
of what the mother eats. At the same time,
breastfeeding forms an intimate bond between
mother and infant, which provides
the child with a feeling of safety and security.
In this way, the mother’s taste preferences
in general, but also in particular, are
stored in the child’s brain alongside positive
feelings of comfort and safety. When
we long for a feeling of love and warmth in
adulthood we can recall these feelings with
these early taste experiences. One thing is
clear: whatever it is that our soul wants to
eat, there is always a complex interplay of
chemical, biological and psychological
mechanisms that makes this experience
possible. <
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food / DUBAI
CULINARY
MELTING POT
Bigger, higher, more luxurious – Dubai is known for its spectacular buildings, fantastic
weather and staggering sights. The city on the Persian Gulf is rapidly becoming famous
for its unique culinary offerings too.
WORDS BENJAMIN HERZOG
In Dubai guests can
immerse themselves
in culinary worlds
like underwater
restaurant Ossiano.
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Dubai’s Michelin chefs take
diners on a gourmet journey –
whether it’s beneath the sea
(top right) at Ossiano or off to
India in Trèsind Studio (centre
and bottom right).
Photos: Victor Romero, P. Lattes, supplied
Since the middle of 2022 it’s been
official: Dubai’s restaurants are
first class. At the end of June, the
Michelin Guide honoured 66 of
the city’s establishments – nine
of them received one star, two were
even awarded two stars. The Chef of
the Year title went to French-born
Grégoire Berger, whose workplace
is one of the most spectacular
locations in the city, if not the
world. He works his magic at
Ossiano, the underwater restaurant
in Atlantis, The Palm, where
every table comes with a view into
the vast aquarium. The 36-year-old
chef started working here in 2014 –
long enough for him to be considered
an old hand in this dynamic city.
The set menu Grégoire Berger serves at
Ossiano in autumn 2022 is inspired by his
native Brittany. It’s a surprisingly personal,
playful succession of courses, although
there are certainly serious elements to
it as well – he incorporates issues like
sustainability and marine pollution in his
menu too. Although that might seem like
something of a paradox on an artificial
island with huge aquariums and the biggest
waterpark on the planet, Berger’s approach
becomes clear when he comes over to the
table. His brother is a marine biologist and
Berger is aware that, at most, his input
might provide food for thought. Just a few
years ago, the topic likely wouldn’t have
made it onto the tables at Ossiano at all.
THE RETURNEE
The exceptional chef left Atlantis and the
city in early 2021, ready to move on. When
the hotel set about winning its top chef
back a short time later, he made it a
condition that, in future, he would only
cook the way he saw fit – with a personal
signature. “A lot of people consider Dubai
fake,” he says in his interview with Falstaff.
“I got tired of hearing it over and over
again – but I could understand it too,
because at the end of the day everything
GRÉGOIRE BERGER’S
SET MENUS ARE
BOTH PLAYFUL AND
SERIOUS,
INCORPORATING
ISSUES LIKE MARINE
POLLUTION.
here is relatively new. Dubai isn’t Paris!” A
lot of the top names from the international
gastronomy scene had come here only to
close their restaurants down again shortly
afterwards, he says, because for a long time
the mentality for authentic things was
lacking. What remained largely consisted of
major chains and interchangeable concepts
that had nothing to do with the place itself.
In his view, it was the pandemic that paved
the way for genuine values. “Today we
feel a certain pride,” says Berger, who
engages in a lively exchange with many of
his fellow chefs in the city. “Dubai is the
perfect place for what we do.”
<
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food/ DUBAI
are homemade. It’s a gourmet experience
that you won’t forget in a hurry. More than
half of Dubai’s population comes from
India, the other half is made up of people
from other parts of Asia and the rest of the
world. Very few of Dubai’s residents are
actually native to the region. It’s precisely
this mix and the abundance of different
influences that gives the city its unique
culinary diversity and dynamism. What’s
more, the necessary spending power is here
too – a prerequisite in order for top-notch
gastronomy to thrive. It often comes as a
surprise to outsiders that this dynamism is
homegrown and that the best restaurants
aren’t based on imported concepts. The
story of Trèsind Studio began in Dubai too,
with the simpler but no less superb Trèsind.
And since the team opened its third location
in Mumbai in 2019, the latter now has
a branch in India as well.
<
Berger’s aforementioned friends
include Himanshu Saini, head chef at
celebrated Michelin-starred Indian
restaurant Trèsind Studio. Each of
the tables scattered throughout the
minimalistic, exclusively appointed
dining room has a clear view of the
open kitchen. The 16-course menu is
subdivided into four regions of India,
each represented by contemporary interpretations
of its respective specialities. The
dishes are bold and stimulating in the best
possible sense – and not afraid of spiciness,
either. Most of the accompanying drinks
Chef duo Kate Christou and
Jesse Blake have made
Lowe a Dubai hotspot for
sustainable creative cuisine.
FIRST CLASS FOOD FROM
AROUND THE WORLD
Stories like Trèsind’s are becoming more
common. Some gastronomers have even
taken to testing their concepts in Dubai
first before expanding to other cities. And it
goes without saying that Dubai has
countless eateries offering first-class food
from around the globe. The best example is
Zuma, which serves informal and topquality
Japanese cuisine and today has 21
locations all over the world. German chef
Rainer Becker opened his first Zuma in
London in 2002. The Dubai branch opened
in 2009. Foodies will find Zuma in the
International Finance Center DIFC, which
PEOPLE FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD
LIVE IN DUBAI. THAT’S
WHAT GIVES THE CITY
ITS UNIQUE DIVERSITY
AND DYNAMISM.
Photos: Ali Albader, supplied
188 falstaff winter 2022/23

Located in the heart of
Dubai, Zuma is a must
for fans of sophisticated
Japanese dining.
locals jokingly refer to as Dubai
International Food Court. There
are many other restaurants close
by where people gather for a
business lunch or dinner, or for
partying at night.
Dubai’s growth is unstoppable and
the demand for unique gastronomy is far
from being met. Another restaurant that’s
causing a buzz in the city’s food scene is
Lowe. It’s located slightly away from the
centre in the KOA Canvas, a new luxury
residential development surrounded
by trees and a pool complex. The chef at
Lowe’s is Australian-born Kate Christou. In
summer 2022, hers was the only restaurant
in the city to be awarded a Green Michelin
Star. Her cuisine is modern in the best
possible sense and greatly influenced by her
experience in various parts of the world,
including Germany – and the same goes
for the underlying sustainability concept.
Christou was originally an environmental
journalist and started cooking professionally
in Berlin. It was there that she came
to realise what sustainability can mean as
well. “For me, separating rubbish or having
to pay for a shopping bag at the supermarket
was totally new – and it inspired me.”
Kate Christou is under no illusions that
it’s difficult to cook or live sustainably in a
place like Dubai. But that doesn’t stop her
working towards that goal with her restaurant.
For instance, she’s devised a tasting
menu based entirely on leftovers and kitchen
scraps: she conjures up sophisticated
dishes for her guests out of things like spare
sourdough bread or meat and vegetable
offcuts. The event is booked out for weeks
in advance. It would seem that Dubai’s residents
and visitors are hungry for unique,
authentic culinary experiences – and the
gastro scene on the Persian Gulf has never
been so dynamic.
<
ADDRESSES
TRÈSIND STUDIO
Himanshu Saini is elevating Indian cuisine to a
whole new sphere at the minimalistic eatery,
which seats just 20 guests. Saini was awarded
his first Michelin star in summer 2022. It’s
unlikely to be his last. tresindstudio.com
OSSIANO
The Michelin-starred cuisine Grégoire Berger
serves at Ossiano is personal, ocean-inspired
and very definitely French. With views into
the huge aquarium, the ambience is definitely
unique. atlantis.com
LOWE
The modern interior of this contemporary
eatery is defined by a combination of cool
concrete and warm wood elements. The dishes
are top calibre, but never pretentious. Chef
Kate Christou’s concept is based on her ample
international experience and the avoidance of
unnecessary waste. lowe-dubai.com
ZUMA DUBAI
Located in Dubai International Financial
Centre since 2009, Zuma Dubai has been a
gourmet hotspot since 2009 and serves Japanese-inspired
dishes. In the evenings, superb
cocktails turn Zuma into one of the best bars
in the city. zumarestaurant.com
ORFALI BROS
The bistro was founded by the three brothers
Mohammad, Wassim and Oma Orfali, who are
originally from Syria. Located in Jumeirah, the
eatery combines the traditions of many different
cultures. Typical Dubai! orfalibros.com
TIME OUT MARKET DUBAI
The Portuguese-inspired food hall is not far
from Dubai Mall. It’s home to 18 of the city’s
restaurants, who serve their specialities here
streetfood-style. A must for every foodie in
town! timeoutmarket.com
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food / SEAFOOD
Fish, shellfish, caviar and
crustaceans: the culinary
offerings from the world’s oceans
could hardly be more diverse in
terms of taste and texture. But
not everything that looks good
tastes good. Let Falstaff take
you into the world of maritime
delicacies.
The quality and diversity of fine
fish and seafood on the world’s fish
markets has rarely been greater
than it is today. But where should
you shop and what should you look
out for? Falstaff lifts the lid on the
best and most exciting buys.
WORDS HERBERT HACKER
DELICACIES
Foto: Lukas Ilgner
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FROM THE SEA
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food /SEAFOOD
Answering the most
important questions
from Falstaff: Norbert
Schuster from
Austria’s most
renowned fish
importer Eishken
Estate.
Eishken Estate of Vienna’s
Großgrünmarkt, Austria’s
largest wholesale food market,
is considered the best seafood
supplier in the country. One of
the importer’s recognised experts is
Norbert Schuster, a man who has his finger
on the pulse of the world’s fish markets and
oceans, who knows where to get his hands
on the best turbot, where the plumpest
oysters come from and what to look out
for when buying salmon or tuna. Norbert
Schuster answers the most important
questions about fish and seafood for
Falstaff:
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC
AFFECTED THE FISH MARKET?
Even if it sounds strange at first, the
pandemic has noticeably improved the
availability of high-quality seafood for
home cooks. Schuster: “The reason for this
is simple: because the catering industry has
been impacted so much, and at times was
completely shut down, more fine fish and
seafood that would otherwise have been
destined for restaurant kitchens became
available to consumers. This has shifted
some of the market.” According to Schuster,
the supply of excellent sea fish and shellfish
is currently greater than it has been for a
long time. “What is available is enthusiastically
being snapped up, people are still
cooking much more at home and we sell to
more private clients than ever before.” In
general, the world is eating more and more
EVER SINCE THE
PANDEMIC, MORE
FINE FISH AND
SEAFOOD HAS BEEN
AVAILABLE TO HOME
COOKS TOO.
fish. As the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) states in its fisheries
report, the global annual per capita
consumption of fish rose to a record 20.5
kilograms last year. According to the FAO
the growing share of fish farming in
so-called aquacultures in oceans and lakes
is a particular contributor to this growth.
What is more, according to the FAO’s
estimates, global fish consumption will continue
to rise. In 2018, total production was
still 179 million tonnes. By 2030, according
to the organisation, this figure could rise to
over 200 million tonnes.
Photos: Severin Wurnig, Lukas Ilgner, Shutterstock, StockFood / Lehmann, Joerg
192 falstaff winter 2022/23

IS FARMED FISH JUST AS GOOD
AS WILD-CAUGHT FISH?
Norbert Schuster from Eishken Estate
answers this question with a clear no. One
of the main reasons for this is that fish
swimming in the sea have to constantly
fight currents, which makes them more
muscular. This affects the quality of the
fish, because firmer flesh results in better
flavour. Schuster: “You’ll never achieve the
same in farming.” Nevertheless, Schuster
says, the quality of farmed and aquaculture
fish has improved significantly in recent
years. Of course, this does little to change
the fact that these animals move less.
Turbot: Wild-caught
turbot has a much
better flavour but is also
twice as expensive. The
best fish are caught by
fishermen with small
boats.
TURBOT IS AMONG
THE FINEST
FLATFISH IN THE
WORLD’S OCEANS,
PRIZED BY STAR CHEFS
AND GOURMETS ALIKE.
The northwest coast of
France has ideal fishing
grounds, for turbot,
sole and sea
bass.
WHERE DO THE BEST SOLE
AND TURBOT COME FROM?
Turbot is arguably one of the finest flatfish
in the world’s oceans, prized by top chefs
and home cooks alike. The same applies to
sole, which is also extremely popular. In
both cases, Eishken Estate sources wildcaught
turbot and sole from France’s west
coast as far north as Brittany where
conditions are ideal for these species.
Schuster: “The currents are strong and the
fish are constantly on the move, which
makes their meat more flavourful.” There
is enough supply at the moment, says
the expert. The best fish are caught
by fishermen with small boats,
whether turbot or sole. Schuster
says: “With turbot as with sole,
the following applies: wild-caught
fish has a much better flavour
than farmed fish. However,
wild-caught turbot is also twice as
expensive as farmed, while the price
difference is less for sole.”
HOW GOOD IS JOHN DORY?
John Dory, also known as St Pierre or
Peter’s fish, can be recognised by its
discus-like head and a black dot on its
flanks, which according to legend is a
thumbprint of the apostle St Peter. John
Dory is not as popular as turbot but its
meat is similarly firm and rich in flavour. In
any case, it is yet another delicacy from the
realm of flatfish. However, there is also a
lot of fakery in the case of John Dory. So it
is better to buy this distinctive looking fish
whole rather than as pre-prepared fillet.
The best quality, as with sole and turbot,
comes from France.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
WITH TUNA
Tuna has been a problematic fish for some
time now. Hunted by gigantic offshore
fishing fleets and pursued by pirate
fishermen, many tuna stocks are overfished.
The World Conservation Union IUCN lists
tuna species such as bluefin tuna and
southern bluefin tuna as threatened by
extinction. Tuna is particularly popular in
Japan, where it is used for sushi and
sashimi. Japanese fishing fleets are repeatedly
accused by conservation organisations
of paying top prices for endangered tuna
<
winter 2022/23
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food / SEAFOOD
TTHE GLOBAL CATCH
OF TUNA HAS
INCREASED IN RECENT
YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS
BECOME SO POPULAR.
Yellowfin tuna: A now rare
delicacy from the sea.
Photo: Getty Images/ Giordano Cipriani
194 falstaff winter 2022/23

species. According to a study by the
International Seafood Sustainability
Foundation (ISSF), only about 60 percent of
tuna stocks are currently in good condition.
According to the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO), global tuna catches
have risen continuously over the past
decades – from less than 0.6 million tonnes
in 1950 to more than six million tonnes
today. The situation is particularly problematic
for bluefin tuna. Schuster: “There is
hardly any bluefin left, southern Italy, for
example, is largely fished out. You can only
get it at horrendous prices.” But there is
another problem: the red colour of tuna
meat is often a sign of freshness. However,
due to oxidation on the surface, tuna changes
colour. Older tuna that was once red
becomes brownish or greyish. The problem
is that dubious suppliers take advantage of
the striking red colour: they simply dye the
fish to make it look fresh. “We buy tuna
almost exclusively from the seas near Sri
Lanka and Indonesia,” explains Schuster,
“and get the best pieces from there flash
frozen. We only want to buy from fishermen
with small boats. They usually have
excellent quality.”
<
winter 2022/23
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food / SEAFOOD
Salmon farming in Norway: The
environmental impact of certain
practices has tarnished the
image of farmed salmon.
SALMON: IS IT BETTER THAN
ITS REPUTATION?
Salmon is one of the most popular fish –
for a long time it was considered a delicacy.
But its reputation has been badly tarnished.
Due to overfishing and questionable fishing
methods, the world’s stocks of wild salmon
dwindled decades ago. For this reason, 90
percent of what is on offer in supermarkets
comes from aquaculture. But conventional
aquaculture has not proven to be a good
alternative: Farmed salmon, especially from
Norway, is often contaminated with
antibiotics and controversial preservatives
or infested with salmon lice. And there are
hardly any wild salmon left. According to
the Bergen Marine Institute, there are only
500,000 wild salmon left in Norway,
compared with 400 million farmed salmon.
Schuster: “Norwegian salmon has a huge
image problem due to all the difficulties at
the farms, and it is considered a cheap
product. That’s why we get our salmon
THE WWF
RECOMMENDS MSC
CERTIFIED SALMON
FROM ALASKA. STOCKS
ARE WELL MANAGED
THERE.
from Scotland, where the quality is
excellent. Irish products are also getting
better and better.” The WWF, on the other
hand, recommends MSC-certified wild
salmon from Alaska, because “the stocks
there are managed very well.” Farmed
salmon should in any case be ASC or
certified organic.
<
Photos: Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock, Chanonry/Shutterstock
196 falstaff winter 2022/23

food / SEAFOOD
WHICH OYSTERS ARE
BEST?
Oysters are the king of shellfish. But
which are the best? Basically, France
is the world leader in this field, but
oyster producers from other countries
also claim to deliver exceptional quality.
The French, the fourth largest oyster
producers in the world after China, Japan
and South Korea, like to claim that the best
oysters are those of the Bélon variety or
those of the well-known French oyster
breeder Gérard Gillardeau, who has so far
been the only one to bring oysters to market
under his own name. For a long time,
especially among top chefs, these fine
bivalves were valued as the ultimate, and the
name Gillardeau was seen as a designation
of origin akin to a fine wine appellation. But
that has changed. Norbert Schuster:
“Unfortunately, Gillardeau oysters have also
become a mass product. We now stock
oysters from David Hervé, for example, a
much smaller producer who provides
excellent quality.” Among gourmets,
Kumamoto oysters, which enjoy enormous
popularity, particularly in North America,
are also considered top products. They
originate from the Japanese prefecture of
Kumamoto and reached North America as
early as the 1920s. In Japan, they were
almost wiped out later due to overfishing.
Kumamoto oysters have a very characteristic
taste with a hint of melon and cucumber on
the finish. But Limfjord oysters from
Denmark and Irish oysters are also considered
top quality.
According to legend, the best
oysters are either those of
the Bélon variety or those
of the famous French oyster
breeder Gérard Gillardeau.
Views have changed, so trust
your local fishmonger.
<
WHERE TO BUY
GOOD FISH
A guide to the best European
fishmongers –where the incrowd
shops for fine fish and
seafood.
DAVID HERVÉ
In autumn, the boats leave for the oyster
beds at sunrise. Not everyone’s stomach can
tolerate the intense taste of a raw oyster
at this time of day, but you can’t get them
fresher. There are thousands of oyster farmers
in France, but David Hervé, a family-run
business, is one of the best and most famous.
They have offered oysters of various varieties
and sizes for three generations.
davidherve.com
LISA ELMQVIST
Market halls and fresh food markets are a
great place for traditional food and fresh
local produce. One of the traditional shops
at Östermalms Saluhall in Stockholm is Lisa
Elmqvist: in the early 1920s, the daughter of a
fisherman sold her wares at a street market.
Today the shop is run by the fourth generation
of the same family. You can eat there, but you
can also buy fish and seafood to take home.
lisaelmqvist.se
GLEN DOUGLAS SALMON
Glen Douglas Scottish salmon is the first
non-French product to carry the Label Rouge,
which is awarded for sustainable farming and
first-class quality. The fish is farmed under
natural conditions, free from genetic engineering
and antibiotics. On the Isle of Mull, there
are numerous spots to catch salmon yourself.
visitscotland.com/see-do/active/fishing
IRENA FONDA’S BRANZIONO
Marine biologist Irena Fonda farms the
world’s best best sea bass (branzino) in Piran
Bay, a nature reserve, where she offers boat
tours to her facilities. Fonda supplies top
restaurants on the upper Adriatic.
fonda.si
MANTEIGARIA SILVA
Portugal is famous for its stockfish, but you
have to get used to the strong smell (so be
sure to have it shrink-wrapped for transport).
Bacalhau, as the locals call it, can be found in
every supermarket in Lisbon, but it is better
to go to the small delicatessen Manteigaria
Silva, where you can also find delicious wine,
cheese, sausages and other local products
manteigariasilva.pt
Photos: zarzamora/Shutterstock, Natalia Lisovskaya/Shutterstock
winter 2022/23
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food / SEAFOOD
WHAT ON EARTH ARE GOOSE
BARNACLES?
Goose barnacles are not really shellfish at
all, but crustaceans that live on hard
surfaces near the coast, and on flotsam.
Although unfamiliar to many people, they
are known and loved as percebes in Spain
and Portugal. On the Spanish Atlantic
coast, in Galicia, there is even a percebes
festival once a year. Harvesting these
delicacies is not without risk because they
cling to steep rocks in the heavy surf and
are difficult to loosen. “We have now
added these delicious sea creatures to our
range,” says Norbert Schuster of Eishken
Estate, “because demand has risen sharply
in recent months. A few years ago, these
creatures were completely unknown, but
people are becoming more eager to
experiment.”
<
THE NEW POWER OF CAVIAR
Caviar from wild-caught sturgeon has been illegal for a
number of years and the fish are strictly protected. However,
the quality of farmed caviar is now better than ever.
Rampant poaching, pollution and the construction
of watercourses and channelling
of rivers have made it almost impossible for
sturgeon to survive. That’s why it is almost
extinct and strictly protected. At the same
time, the number of sturgeon breeders
is growing. For a long time, the quality of
farmed caviar was eyed with some suspicion
by connoisseurs, but breeders have been
supplying outstanding products that satisfy
even the most discerning palates. “The quality
of farmed caviar has generally increased,”
says Bernd Schreiner of the Austrian delicatessen
importer Schenkel. The well-known
wholesaler now also imports more and more
goods from China, which for a long time was
regarded as a questionable supplier. “Things
have improved noticeably,” says Schreiner,
“we are now able to offer excellent quality
from the region.”
SOME OF EUROPE’S BEST SOURCES FOR CAVIAR:
Goose barnacles are not actually shellfish at
all, but a delicious maritime speciality popular
in Spain’s Galicia and northern Portugal.
THERE IS HARDLY
ANY WILD CAVIAR
LEFT. HOWEVER,
FARMED CAVIAR IS
NOW MUCH BETTER
THAN ITS REPUTATION.
ALPENKAVIAR
Michelin-starred restaurateurs such as Mraz
& Sohn in Vienna rely on the Siberian sturgeon
and sterlet sturgeon that Helmut Schlader
farms on the edge of the Kalkalpen National
Park in Upper Austria. Now popular across
Europe, his Alpine caviar is mildly salted.
alpenkaviar.at
SIBERIAN STURGEON CAVIAR
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword
when it comes to this Siberian sturgeon, which
is farmed in Sweden and milked rather than
killed in order to obtain the caviar. Live-harvested
roe is larger than that from fish that
have been killed. Each tin is marked with the
name of the sturgeon that supplied the caviar.
arcticroe.se
STURIA CAVIAR D’AQUITAINE
Sturia is a pioneer in the field of farmed caviar.
When Sturia first cultivated Siberian sturgeon
in Bordeaux, it was ridiculed, but the brand is
now one of the best caviar producers in
France. It has a satisfying, slightly nutty taste.
sturia.com
CALVASIUS
A classic: Calvasius has been farming fish for
caviar in a small town in the Italian province of
Brescia for over 40 years. The pure water of
the surrounding area is ideal and the caviar is
processed according to the classic Russian
malossol or “little salt” method to preserve
the taste of the different varieties.
calvisius.com
ZWYER CAVIAR
Switzerland has also made a name for itself in
caviar. But instead of farming its sturgeons in
Appenzellerland, where the farm is located,
the Zwyer family does so in Uruguay. The family
also runs a game farm in Veneto, Italy.
zwyercaviar.com
CAVIAR NACARII
Siberian sturgeon is also farmed in Spain, in
the Pyrenees and Granada. Caviar Nacarii,
which follows the traditional Iranian method
of producing caviar, also has a shop in Barcelona
where you can try before you buy.
caviarnacarii.com
Photo: Oleg Samoylov/Shutterstock, VicPhotoria/Shutterstock
198 falstaff winter 2022/23

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winter 2022/23
falstaff
199

SIXPACK
1
PRIMEUR
116 Petherton Rd
London N5 2RT
2
A. WONG
70 Wilton Rd, Pimlico
London, SW1V 1DE
3
4
5
6
F.K.A.B.A.M.
56 Canonbury Rd
London N1 2UP
JAN
Luisenstraße 27
80333 Munich
ENJA
Sihlstrasse 9
8001 Zurich
AREA 10
Hohe Bleichen 10
20354 Hamburg
At his London restaurant, Andrew Wong puts his own twist
on excellent Chinese fare. His cheung fun comes with Isle of
Mull seared scallops and honey glazed Ibérico pork.
WHAT’S HOT?
With a growing number of international influences – from
Cantonese creations and fine Japanese dining to Ukrainian
excellence and elevated regional fare from around Europe –
these restaurants herald a culinary renaissance.
Photos: James Gillies, David Cotsworth, supplied, Words: Daniel Böniger, Philipp Elsbrock, Brigitte Jurczyk, Zeren Wilson
200 falstaff winter 2022/23

PRIMEUR
London
1A great local restaurant is a joy to
return to again and again – that’s
Primeur. In a quiet and tree-lined
street, the location is as unassuming as it is
special, set in a former garage, with the
original “Barnes Motors” sign adorning the
frontage. Opened by chef David Gingell and
front-of-house supremo Jeremie Cometto-
Lingenheim, those garage doors slide back
on warmer days to allow light and breeze to
flood into the room, one of the most charming
settings in London. Since opening in
2014, they have added seafood restaurant
Westerns Laundry and their Jolene bakeries
to the family, working with Wildfarmed’s
heritage grains. Menus are written in impeccable
handwriting on the chalkboard each
day, always a tempting procession of dishes
that make it reassuringly difficult to order:
wild boar ragù, polenta and gremolata, or
hake, spinach and smoked roe? Barnsley
chop, lentils and salsa verde or cavatelli pasta,
cime di rapa and tomato? Raw pollock,
hispi and bottarga? But look, there is pollock,
bouillabaisse and aïoli winking from
the board. Ever-present Jamón de Teruel is
exceptional, and the carefully sourced
low-intervention wine list is a treasure
trove, with the entire list of wines available
by the glass or carafe: Lambrusco from
Quarticello, Riesling by Leon Boesch, or
Nero d’Avola from Valdibella. Desserts are
equally masterful, with homely cakes and
tarts, chocolate mousse, baked rice pudding,
hazelnut meringue with roasted apple, treacle
tart. Red vermouth on ice, homemade
kombucha, Fernet… It’s all here, all the elements
of a local restaurant to draw you
here time and again. A place like this within
walking distance? Utter gold dust.
Don’t let the rustic exterior
fool you – the old garage
doors reveal a culinary gem.
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
50 of 50
18 of 20
20 of 20
10 of 10
98 of 100
PRIMEUR
116 Petherton Rd
London N5 2RT
United Kingdom
+44 20 7226 5271
primeurn5.co.uk
A. WONG
London
2Andrew Wong has created one the
most exciting destinations in the
UK for top-drawer Chinese cuisine.
He now rightly holds two Michelin stars for
his electrifying cooking, the first Chinese
restaurant outside of Asia to achieve this
accolade. The inventive and playful dim
sum lunch menu is a thing of beauty, where
you are encouraged to order by the single
piece, offering plenty of scope to try a cornucopia
of dumplings, a unique take on the
Cantonese lunch tradition.Wong’s version
of har gau sees a shrimp dumpling served
with sweet chilli sauce and topped with an
airy “rice vinegar cloud,” while almost
impossibly diaphanous Shanghai soup
dumplings contain the ginger-infused vinegar
within, the pork broth and vinegar combining
for a perfectly balanced mouthful.
“999 layered scallop puff with XO oil” is
anotherscintillating bite, a riot of textural
interplay between crisp pastry and silky
scallop – masterful stuff. Evenings see the
focus shift towards larger dishes for sharing,
along with tasting menus, taking diners
on a culinary journey, with the “Menu of 5
Movements” paying homage to historic
imperial banquets, which became famous
during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
“Memories of Peking Duck” with seared
foie gras and plum sauce is an exuberant,
celebratory expression of a classic, while
“Hong Kong’s Bamboo Pole” noodles are
made in-house, acknowledging the rarely
seen and dying art technique of bouncing
on the pastry to flatten. The steamed duck
yolk custard bun finishes proceedings with
a sensuous flourish, oozing yolk encased in
a cloud-like bun. Scoring a table here has
now become a genuine coup.
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
50 of 50
19 of 20
18 of 20
10 of 10
97 of 100
A. WONG
70 Wilton Rd, Pimlico
London SW1V 1DE
United Kingdom
+44 20 7828 8931
awong.co.uk
To get up close to the action,
request bar seat 8 to be seated
by the kitchen, where you can
watch Wong work his magic.
95–100 points 90–94 points 85–89 points 80–84 points
winter 2022/23
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food / SIXPACK
F.K.A.B.A.M.
London
3
The rollicking rollercoaster of flavours
going on at Lee Tiernan’s
tiny joint – formerly known as
Black Axe Mangal – in North London is
nothing short of a riot. From the moment
he opened it with his wife Kate, the former
head chef of St. John Bread and Wine made
a huge impact with a wood-burning oven
daubed in the characters of rock band KISS,
devastatingly good lamb offal flatbreads,
and the kind of raucous atmosphere that
instantly become a unique and iconic London
hotspot. Where else will you find a
crumbed pork escalope, slathered with
mushroom mapo ragù, silken tofu, ramen
noodles and dusted with Mission spice?
This particular menu item is a supercharged
mash-up inspired by Danny Bowien’s
NYC hotspot Mission Chinese, and
Lee’s favourite local Italian restaurant
Pizzeria Bel-Sit in Woodford Green – a
unique marriage of Essex and NYC. Then
there’s confit lamb tongues, green beans,
black bean sauce and crushed salted peanuts,
on the same menu that features shrimp
toast and flame grilled ox-heart with anchovy
salad and dripping flatbread. High voltage
cooking, sparking with vim and vigour.
The menus read like a wild-eyed acid trip,
flavours jiving against each other in gleeful
combinations: hot smoked rabbit, tonnato,
bitter leaves, bottarga and pickled jalapeños;
flame grilled poussin, shrimp sambal,
rice and lime dressing; raw beef royal, trout
roe and dragon-skin crackers. Or how
about bone marrow, oxtail, coconut and
coriander crumb, shrimp & peanut sauce,
pickles, piled onto some thick cut chips? It’s
all about decadent excess, ramped-up flavour
bombs, and a cheeky stylish swagger.
The pandemic brought on a name
change for the cheeky joint, but the
food is as good as ever.
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
50 of 50
18 of 20
19 of 20
10 of 10
97 of 100
F. K. A. B. A. M.
156 Canonbury Rd
London N1 2UP
United Kingdom
info@blackaxemangal.com
blackaxemangal.com
JAN
Munich
4Jan Hartwig’s new restaurant has
turned out beautifully. Simply furnished
with oak tables, Douglas fir
wood and a striking coffered ceiling, it
evokes associations with Japanese sushi
bars. Hartwig has had works by his artist
friend Stefan Strumbel hung on the walls,
which makes for an effective contrast. The
stage is set for an outstanding gastronomic
experience. But will the experience do justice
to the sign above the kitchen door – the
Laboratory of Love? This question is best
answered by exploring the large menu,
which comprises eight courses and begins
with some elegant amuse-bouches. Hartwig
hides a delicately smoked creamed spinach
with a foam of Parmesan, onions and
almonds under a poached quail’s egg and
sprinkles crispy chicken crackling on top –
deliciously presented in a porcelain egg. The
Chantilly-flavoured foie gras with basil oil
and pecans, served on a mini tartelette, is
also divine. Hartwig has expanded one of
his previous amuse-bouches into a standalone
course that is impossible to forget:
Chawanmushi with dollops of miso mayonnaise,
raisins, Piedmont hazelnuts and an
N25 caviar gnocchi – a signature dish par
excellence, subtly balanced, highly complex
yet accessible. Another highlight of the
menu, which is certainly not lacking in
highlights, is the freshly caught river trout
(typical of the high-quality ingredients),
arranged with lentils and reduced whey and
enhanced with mushrooms. This is genuinely
great cuisine – and it’s likely to keep getting
better.
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
49 of 50
19 of 20
20 of 20
9 of 10
97 of 100
Great cuisine that’s
impossible to forget:
Jan in Munich
JAN
Luisenstraße 27
80333 Munich
Germany
+49 89 23708658
jan-hartwig.com
Photos: Jason Lowe-Phaidon Press, Sorell Hotels, supplied
202 falstaff winter 2022/23

ENJA
Zurich
5Something’s on fire in the middle of
Zurich’s city centre. But no one is
alarmed because the fire is coming
from a floor-to-ceiling grill at Enja. Chef
Jessica Maggetti is standing in front of the
source of the fire, preparing wonderful dishes
for the guests – such as the 300-gramme
cutlet that is beautifully roasted on the outside
and wonderfully juicy on the inside.
The impeccable pommes allumettes and the
(rather thick) béarnaise sauce provide a
wonderful complement to the meat. Another
option is the grilled cauliflower, which
arrives at the table whole and is accompanied
by lemon yogurt, hummus and cashews.
Some might find it off-putting to see a
knife stuck vertically into the vegetables,
but our main criticism would be that the
main dishes should be served a bit hotter.
Even some of the appetizers come from the
grill. The grilled lettuce with mustard seed
vinaigrette and poached egg, for example, is
delightful. Perhaps even better is the Vitello
trottata – thinly sliced veal slices with trout
cream. The fish, incidentally, comes from
Lake Zurich: regionalism is important in a
restaurant patronised by the Zurich Women’s
Association. This philosophy carries
through to the wine list, where we find not
only Swiss wines but also about twenty different
provenances, such as the wonderful
organic Coò chardonnay from Myra and
Christian Zündel from Ticino. This goes
particularly well with the beef tartare,
which has a meaty taste rarely experienced
in Zurich. In summary, Enja is a red-hot tip.
A hot tip in Zurich:
The Enja restaurant
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
46 of 50
17 of 20
19 of 20
8 of 10
90 of 100
RESTAURANT ENJA
Sihlstrasse 9
8001 Zürich
Switzerland
T: +41 44 2287517
restaurant-enja.ch
AREA 10
Hamburg
6How was your meal? That’s what
guests at Area 10 are asked in English
or Ukrainian, and perhaps
soon in German. Why is that? Chef Andrey
Dromov has built up a team of compatriots
– in the kitchen as well as in the restaurant.
Behind it lies a story. The personable chef
was until recently the Jamie Oliver of
Ukraine, a celebrity television chef who for
the past nine years had hosted his own
show called Cooking Together. On February
25, he fled his homeland with his wife and
three children. He got to know the restaurant’s
Latvian owner through the bartender
at Area 10 and quickly convinced him of
the benefits of his taste world. He has no
problem convincing his guests either,
because his dishes are modern and satisfy
the most discerning standards in both taste
and aesthetics. The appearance of the first
course takes you by surprise: it looks like a
Zen garden with sesame sand and a chicken
liver mousse shaped into a black pebble in a
cocoa butter shell – complemented by layers
of ham jam that effortlessly combine smoky
and sweet fruit flavours. The vegan version
of the starter – a celery salad with coconut
sauce – has a fruity, mango note and is
topped off with wafer-thin slices of mushroom
formed into a white, cloud-covered
mountain. For the main course, Andrey has
chosen New Zealand lamb, cooked to a tender
pink on the inside with distinctive roasted
notes on the outside, and accompanied
by a fresh green pistachio mint sauce. The
wine list is small at the moment but is being
expanded.
RANKING
Food
Service
Wine List
Ambience
TOTAL
43 of 50
18 of 20
17 of 20
8 of 10
86 of 100
AREA 10
Hohe Bleichen 10
20354 Hamburg
Germany
T: +49 173 344 555 9
restaurantarea10.com
A multi-layered
taste world:
Area 10 in Hamburg.
95–100 points 90–94 points 85–89 points 80–84 points
winter 2022/23
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food / PROFILE
LA FAMIGLIA
What began with a three-star restaurant in a boring suburb of Padua
is taking over the world – with new restaurant openings in Venice, Paris and
Marrakech. The family business led by chef Massimiliano Alajmo is now one
of the big players in Europe’s fine dining scene.
WORDS CORINNA VON BASSEWITZ
The Le Calandre restaurant in a
bleak suburb of Padua had
been in the Alajmo family for
generations when Massimiliano,
the youngest son of
Emilio and Rita Alajmo, took over as chef
in 1994. His older brother Raffaele, who
looks like a younger version of Bud Spencer,
became general manager at the same
time. The formation of this team spelled the
beginning of a success story that continues
to this day. In 1992, Rita Alajmo had
already raised the stakes for her two sons
when she received the first Michelin star
for the restaurant – so Massimiliano knew
what to aim for as head chef and Raffaele
as sommelier. The two young men took to
the challenge with aplomb: in 1997 Massimiliano
received a second Michelin star,
followed by a third in 2002 – and the rating
has not changed since. At the time,
Massimiliano was just 28 years old and the
youngest chef ever to hold three stars.
THE LE CALANDRE CULT
The secret behind Massimiliano Alajmo’s
success is twofold: the relationships he has
cultivated with numerous farmers and food
suppliers on the one hand and his profound
knowledge of regional and seasonal produce
on the other. He prepares these carefully
sourced ingredients as simply as possible
but in a highly creative fashion. His signature
dishes include almond mozzarella, a
taste explosion of almond milk and basil,
and “tiramisu in a pipe”, which comes to
the table in a pipe made of Murano glass
and has now reached cult status – just like
its creator Massimiliano. Le Calandre has
been included in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
ranking a total of twelve times.
Most recently in 2019, when the Michelin-starred
restaurant scored 31st place.
EXPANSION TO VENICE
When someone is ingenious enough to
cook profitably at the highest level for
years on a traffic-clogged arterial road
between dreary shopping centres and petrol
stations, expansion to a more welcoming
environment is virtually unavoidable. In
2011, the Alajmo siblings bought the legendary
Caffè Quadri on St Mark’s Square
in Venice, where the first thing they did was
dust off the crystal chandeliers made of
Murano glass. The interior of the threefloor
café-restaurant was subsequently
redesigned by the French star designer >
Always ready to strike a pose:
Massimiliano Alajmo is as
successful as a chef of creative
and unusual food combinations
as he is as a businessman.
Photos: Lido Vannucchi, marcoperuzzo.com
204 falstaff winter 2022/23

winter 2022/23
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food / PROFILE
>
Philippe Starck, now living in Venice,
into an almost surreal wonderland – only
the magnificent view of St Mark’s Square
remained. Massimiliano established a
kitchen on the first floor of the elegant
Quadri, which combines tradition and
modernity just as the revamped interior
design does. He reinterprets Italian home
cooking here while at the same time focusing
on La Serenissima’s gastronomic traditions:
fish and seafood come from the
Rialto market, the paccheri pasta is served
with pistachio sauce alongside raw fish and
shellfish from the lagoon. The purple artichokes
from Sant’Erasmo, Venice’s vegetable
island, have become a culinary highlight
within the four-course Quattro Atti
menu since Massimiliano Alajmo took over
the kitchen. The Grancaffè Quadri on the
ground floor and the Quadrino with its
large terrace directly on St Mark’s Square
have always served coffee, cakes, drinks
and nibbles for tourists and locals. In
2016, Massimiliano and Raffaele
opened another caffè,
the Amo, in Venice’s new
luxury department store
T Fondaco dei Tedeschi
on the Grand Canal.
Molto Massimo: The
almond mozzarella
(inset) is Massimiliano
Alajmo’s signature dish.
Bone marrow with herbs
(below) showcases the
master chef’s rustic
approach to his work.
MOZART OF THE KITCHEN
No less remarkable are the two Alajmo offshoots
outside Italy: the Caffè Stern near
the Opera in Paris, also designed by
Philippe Starck, and Sesamo, which only
opened in January in the magnificent fivestar
hotel Royal Mansour in Marrakech.
Here, the “Mozart of the kitchen” (as Alajmo
likes to be called by food critics) shines
with Venetian dishes created using regional
produce. Caffè Stern in Paris, on the other
hand, serves up perfectly executed simple
pasta classics such as spaghetti carbonara
alongside an eccentric take on Bolognese
pasta: instead of pasta, the ragù is served on
mashed potatoes. Massimiliano, a member
of the venerable Cavalieri della Cucina Italiana
(Knights of Italian Cuisine), has made
it his philosophy to enrich Italian gastronomy
via experimentation in order to preserve
it in the long term.
A RESTAURANT
FOR EVERY
GUSTO
alajmo.it
LE CALANDRE
Via Liguria 1 • 35030 Rubano (PD)
T: +39 049 630 303 • info@alajmo.it
The nucleus and starting point of the
Alajmo restaurant empire that has held
three Michelin stars since 2002.
IL CALANDRINO
Via Liguria 1 • 35030 Rubano (PD)
T: +39 049 630 303 • calandrino@alajmo.it
The “little sister” of the big Calandre, where
set menus start at £ 52.
QUADRI • GRANCAFFÈ QUADRI •
QUADRINO
Piazza San Marco 121, 30124 Venezia
T: +39 041 522 2105 • info@caffequadri.it
The Grancaffè is legendary and so are the
prices. The bistro Quadrino offers Italian
classics. The Quadri restaurant celebrates
haute cuisine and holds one Michelin star.
LA MONTECCHIA
Via Montecchia 12, 35030 Selvazzano
Dentro (PD) • T: +39 049 805 5323
montecchia@alajmo.it
This restaurant holds one Michelin star and
specialises in vegetarian cuisine and fish.
AMO
T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS
San Marco 5556, 30124 Venezia (VE)
T: +39 041 241 2823 • amo@alajmo.it
Cafè and restaurant in an old warehouse
beside the Rialto Bridge. Classics and
streetfood of the highest quality.
CAFFÈ STERN
47, passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris
T: +33 1 75 436 310
info@caffestern.fr
An Italian caffè in the heart of Paris. Alajmostyle
standards, plus lots of atmosphere.
SESAMO
HOTEL ROYAL MANSOUR MARRAKECH
T: +212 529 808 282
restauration@royalmansour.ma
Italo-chic meets North African opulence,
the cooking focuses on Alajmo classics.
206 falstaff winter 2022/23

The turbo twins of
Italian fine dining:
Massimiliano Alajmo
(photo, right) and
his older brother
Raffaele. The
restaurant Sesamo in
Marrakech (bottom)
serves classics like
spaghetti aglio e olio
(below) the Alajmo way.
Photos: Sergio Coimbra, RoyalMansourMarrakech
THE RICHEST CHEF IN ITALY
The Alajmo empire now comprises ten gastronomic
establishments in Italy, one in
France and one in Morocco. The Alajmo
group employs about 300 people, and the
online shop selling handmade glasses, food
processors, food and gifts also makes a tidy
profit. The Alajmo brothers have also published
two outstanding coffee-table cookbooks:
in.gredienti and Fluidità, which sell
for a neat £150 each. in.gredienti was
awarded the Gourmand International
World Cookbook Award in 2007. In 2010,
a private equity firm acquired a 25 percent
share of the company. Since then, turnover
has increased across the board. Seventy percent
of the revenues are still generated by
the restaurants, two million of which are
generated annually by the original Le
Calandre near Padua. The capital injection,
however, turned the name Alajmo into a
brand that is now successful in many business
sectors: publishing, design, catering,
cookery courses and food sales. The move
made Massimiliano the wealthiest star chef
in Italy.
>
winter 2022/23
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208 falstaff winter 2022/23

ADVERTORIAL
SEIBLISHOF
ISCHGL, AUSTRIA
Sporting highlights for families.
A
stone’s throw from the centre of Ischgl, Hotel
Seiblishof fuses sophisticated luxury with cosy Alpine
comfort. The magic of the mountains is close enough
to touch throughout this comfortably elegant
four-star superior hotel. There’s a fun-packed,
spacious Kids’ Club for different age groups: young guests can
romp to their heart’s content in the supervised adventure club
with an indoor climbing wall, while teens will love the dedicated
chill-out zone. In addition to great entertainment, such as the
cinema and theatre auditorium or a snooker table, Seiblishof offers
a great range of services for guests including ski, bob and toboggan
hire, and free ski hire and ski passes for under-tens. And while
the kids are enjoying fun adventures, their parents can take to the
slopes of the Silvretta Arena or relax in the adults-only spa. There’s
also RELAXATION for the entire family with a heated pool for
toddlers and a textile infrared sauna. Doubles from £338 per night
incl. breakfast.
Hotel Seiblishof, seiblishof.com
Pasnatschweg 1, 6561 Ischgl, Austria
T: +43 054445425
ADVERTORIAL Photos: Die Fotografen/Charly Lair Meinhardstrasse 16/6020 Innsbruck, iStock
With fine cuisine
and a vast spa area,
Seiblishof is a true
gem for a family
getaway.
winter 2022/23
falstaff
209

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WINE
CHAMPAGNE
BOLLINGER UNVEILS
VIEILLES VIGNES
FRANÇAISES 2013
Vielles Vignes Françaises is one of the
rarest vintage Champagnes. Sourced
from two miniscule vineyards of
ungrafted Pinot Noir in Aÿ, namely Clos St
Jacques and Chaudes Terres, this iconic
cuvée is Bollinger’s nod to the past. The
vines are grown and propagated to this day
by so-called layering or provignage. The
first vintage of Vieilles Vignes Françaises
was 1969, after Madame Lily Bollinger had
been persuaded to make a separate wine
from these unique old parcels. “In this cool
year 2013, we have the concentration of a
reduced yield,” said deputy cellar master
Denis Bunner.
champagne-bollinger.com
MENDOZA
SUSANA BALBO OPENS LUXURY WINE HOTEL
AND SPA IN MENDOZA
Susana Balbo, one of Argentina’s
most famous winemakers, has
opened the SB Winemaker’s House &
Spa Suites, a “bespoke estate and
luxury hotel,” together with her
daughter Ana Lovaglio Balbo. Guests
will be able to enjoy “unique wine
experiences, like luxury wine safaris
to the Andes or Patagonia via seaplane,
ultra-premium wine tastings,
dining at the chef’s table paired with
Susana Balbo’s and other rare wines,
vinotherapeutic spa treatments, custom
blending classes, and more.”
susanabalbohotels.com
GIFT IDEA
PUZZLE AND LEARN
Brainchild of wine writer Rebecca Gibb MW,
Puzzle CRU is the perfect present for wine and
whisky lovers. The 1,000-piece puzzles feature
hand-drawn wine maps of Italy, Spain and
France. A map of Scotland’s whiskies comes
as a 500-piece puzzle. Distributed by Ginger
Fox and available at amazon.co.uk
210 falstaff winter 2022/23

NEWS
“A refreshing yet sultry sensory
experience of citrus peel
and red and black berry jelly.”
FLORENT NYS, chief winemaker
Photos: supplied
BILLECART-SALMON PRESENTS
2009 VINTAGE OF FOUNDER’S
CUVÉE ELISABETH SALMON ROSÉ
This gastronomic and long-aged rosé Champagne was first
created in 1988 as a tribute to Elisabeth Salmon, “a woman of
great character who co-founded Maison Billecart-Salmon
back in 1818.” The 2009 vintage was crafted from grand cru
Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. champagne-billecart.com
COCKTAILS
FRANCE
BELMOND HOTELS
DEBUTS COQUELICOT
CHAMPAGNE CRUISE
Belmond have announced the launch of a
new boat called Coquelicot for May 2023.
Passengers are invited to “chart a novel
course from the luxury of the water and
see Champagne from a fresh perspective.”
The “floating villa” has three “generous
suites” and space for six guests. Belmond
partnered exclusively with Champange
Ruinart and will cruise from Sillery to
Epernay and offer top-deck dining.
belmond.com/boats
ZOE BURGESS PUBLISHES
COCKTAIL RECIPE BOOK
After 10 years’ experience co-founding East London’s
popular Untitled Bar and working with Michelin-starred
chefs such as Heston Blumenthal, author Zoe Burgess is
one of the UK’s foremost drinks experts. This is her first
foray into publishing and her book The Cocktail Cabinet
promises to teach readers all about the “art, science and
pleasure of mixing the perfect drink.”
atelier-pip.com, octopusbooks.co.uk
BRAD PITT & FAMILLE PERRIN
LAUNCH “TERROIR-DERIVED”
LE DOMAINE SKINCARE
The Hollywood star and the French
winemaking family have partnered to
launch a wine-inspired cosmetics brand.
LE DOMAINE skincare comprises a
serum, cream, fluid and a cleansing
emulsion designed to slow the signs of
skin ageing. Billed as derived from
“science and terroir,” the brand’s active
ingredients are sourced from Perrin’s
Château de Beaucastel vineyard in
France’s Rhône Valley. “It’s about imitating
nature’s organic cycles, its original
beauty. This is circularity,” Brad Pitt said.
le-domaine.com
FATTORIA SELVA-
PIANA’S FLAGSHIP
WINE BUCERCHIALE
CELEBRATES 40TH
ANNIVERSARY
Chianti Rufina Riserva
Vigneto Bucerchiale was
created in 1979 by then
winemaker Francesco
Giuntini as the best
expression of the estate’s
Sangiovese. Sourced
from Selvapiana’s prized
southwest facing Bucerchiale
vineyard, it is produced
only in the best
vintages. The release of
the 2019 vintage thus
represents its 40th anniversary.
The cool breezes
of the Chianti Rufina zone
ensure both “finesse and
definition” in this elegant
and ageworthy wine.
selvapiana.it
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wine / BEST OF ITALY
BEST OF
ITALY
The rolling, vine-clad hills of Tuscany with the
unmistakable silhouette of the small medieval town of San
Gimignano in the background evokes Italy in its purest form.
The first Falstaff Wine Guide Italy pays due tribute to the
country’s importance as a wine producer.
Photo: Shutterstock
212 falstaff winter 2022/23

Nowhere in the world is life quite as sweet as in Italy, a
country famous for its tremendous cultural and culinary
output. Among Italy’s greatest achievements is its
fabulous wine. From red and white to sparkling and rosé,
these are the very best ones.
WORDS OTHMAR KIEM
winter 2022/23
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wine / BEST OF ITALY
Italy is by far the largest wine
producer in the world and, along
with France, the leading wine-growing
country in Europe. Top Italian
wines are highly coveted by wine
lovers and collectors worldwide. This
applies first and foremost to wines from
Tuscany and Piedmont, but many other
Italian wine-growing regions are increasingly
positioning themselves among the
world‘s best. Along its entire length, the
Italian boot offers a wide range of
well-made, authentic wines at
extremely consumer-friendly prices.
In short: Italy is one of the most
important wine-producing countries
in the world – and Falstaff
has put them to the test. We’ve
rated wines from over 400 of
Italy’s finest wineries and assembled
an indispensable list of the best
wines the country has to offer.
Past and present: Grapes
thrive all around the octagonal
Castel del Monte in Puglia,
built under Emperor Frederick
II almost 800 years ago.
NEW TRENDS
Gone are the days when Italian red wines
could only impress with sheer power and
richness. In Italy, one of the most important
characteristics of wine has been
rediscovered: drinkability. Wine should of
course be matured and collected, but first
and foremost it should be drunk, it should
accompany food as well as the most
diverse occasions. Another big trend is the
meteoric rise of sparkling wine, which is
not restricted to Prosecco. There is hardly a
wine-growing region left that does not
produce fine sparkling wines. The new
Falstaff Wine Guide Italy offers a profound
overview of the current range of Italian
wines and is a reliable guide to the
country’s various wine-growing regions.
<
GREAT DIVERSITY:
FROM ALTO ADIGE
TO PANTELLERIA,
WINE IS GROWN
ACROSS ITALY.
Photos: supplied
214 falstaff winter 2022/23

BEST OF
ROSÉ WINES
94 PUNGIROSA BOMBINO NERO CASTEL
DEL MONTE DOCG 2021
Rivera, Puglia
94 AUREA GRAN ROSÉ TOSCANA IGT 2020
Frescobaldi, Tuscany
94 LA BISBETICA ROSÉ UMBRIA ROSATO
IGP 2021
Madrevite, Umbria
93 FIVE ROSES 78° ANNIVERSARIO
ROSATO SALENTO IGT 2021
Leone de Castris, Puglia
93 PRIMAVERA ROSATO DI SANGIOVESE
TOSCANA IGT 2021
Poggio al Sole, Tuscany
93 ROSAMATI TOSCANA ROSATO IGT 2021
Fattoria Le Pupille, Tuscany
93 VILLA GEMMA CERASUOLO
D’ABRUZZO SUPERIORE DOC 2021
Masciarelli, Abruzzo
93 WILDBACHER METODO CLASSICO
ROSÉ EXTRA BRUT 2016
Col Sandago, Veneto
BEST OF
DESSERT WINES
95 VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI
CLASSICO DOC 2011
Rocca di Montegrossi, Tuscany
95 EPOKALE GEWÜRZTRAMINER
SPÄTLESE SÜDTIROL DOC 2015
Cantina Tramin, Alto Adige
95 LA ROGGIA RECIOTO DELLA
VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOCG 2019
Speri, Veneto
95 LE PETIT PETIT MANSENG 2018
Manincor, Alto Adige
95 TERMINUM GEWÜRZTRAMINER VEN-
DEMMIA TARDIVA SÜDTIROL DOC 2020
Cantina Tramin, Alto Adige
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215

wine / BEST OF ITALY
Fine bubbles: Tenuta Ca’ del Bosco
and Maurizio Zanella have made
Franciacorta and its fine sparkling
wines known outside Italy. Modern
works of art are on display at the
winery, such as the sculpture “Eroi
di Luce” by Igor Mitoraj (inset).
BEST OF
SPARKLING WINES
97 VINTAGE COLLECTION FRANCIACORTA
DOCG 2013 DOSAGE ZÉRO NOIR
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
96 ’61 NATURE FRANCIACORTA DOCG
2015 DOSAGGIO ZERO
Berlucchi, Lombardy
96 ANNAMARIA CLEMENTI ROSÉ
FRANCIACORTA DOCG 2013
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
96 VINTAGE COLLECTION FRANCIACORTA
DOCG 2017 EXTRA BRUT
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
95 ANNAMARIA CLEMENTI FRANCIACORTA
RISERVA DOCG 2013 DOSAGE ZÉRO
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
95 PALAZZO LANA EXTRÊME
FRANCIACORTA RISERVA DOCG 2011
EXTRA BRUT
Berlucchi, Lombardy
95 VINTAGE COLLECTION FRANCIACORTA
DOCG 2017 DOSAGE ZÉRO
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
95 VINTAGE COLLECTION SATÈN
FRANCIACORTA DOCG 2017 BRUT
Ca’ del Bosco, Lombardy
Photos: Mattia Aquila, Massimo Listri, Cantina Terlan
216 falstaff winter 2022/23

BEST OF WHITE WINES
100 PRIMO GRANDE CUVÉE TERLANER
SÜDTIROL DOC 2019
Kellerei Terlan, Alto Adige
98 RARITY WEISSBURGUNDER TERLANER
SÜDTIROL DOC 2009
Kellerei Terlan, Alto Adige
97 DUT’ UN BIANCO VENEZIA GIULIA IGT
2019
Vie di Romans, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
97 GLESIE CLIMAT CHARDONNAY FRIULI
ISONZO DOC 2016
Vie di Romans, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
97 KREUZWEG FAMILY RESERVE CHAR-
DONNAY RISERVA SÜDTIROL DOC 2018
Castelfeder, Alto Adige
97 VIGNA RACHTL SAUVIGNON BLANC
RISERVA SÜDTIROL DOC 2019
Tiefenbrunner – Schlosskellerei Turmhof
Alto Adige
96 APPIUS WEISS SÜDTIROL DOC 2017
Kellerei St. Michael-Eppan, Alto Adige
96 CUVÉE NOVA DOMUS TERLANER
RISERVA SÜDTIROL DOC 2019
Kellerei Terlan, Alto Adige
96 DREAMS CHARDONNAY VENEZIA
GIULIA IGT 2020
Jermann, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
96 FURORE BIANCO FIORDUVA COSTA
D’AMALFI DOC 2020
Marisa Cuomo, Campania
96 NAMA CUVÉE WEISS SÜDTIROL DOC
2018
Nals Margreid, Alto Adige
96 VIGNETO RUNCATA SOAVE SUPERIORE
DOCG 2015
Tenuta Corte Giacobbe, Veneto
Scented and complex – this
is how Italy’s white wines
present themselves. The
leading regions are Alto
Adige, Friuli and Veneto.
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wine / BEST OF ITALY
Clear and linear without
excessive pomp – this
is the cellar in which
Sassicaia is made.
BEST RED WINES OF
NORTHERN ITALY
100
100
SASSICAIA BOLGHERI
SASSICAIA DOC 2019
Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia, Tuscany
CERRETALTO BRUNELLO DI
MONTALCINO DOCG 2016
Casanova di Neri, Tuscany
99 FLACCIANELLO DELLA PIEVE COLLI
DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE IGT 2019
Fontodi, Tuscany
99 GIORGIO PRIMO TOSCANA IGT 2019
Tenuta La Massa, Tuscany
99 MASSETO TOSCANA ROSSO IGT 2019
Masseto, Tuscany
98 ARGENTIERA BOLGHERI SUPERIORE
DOC 2019
Argentiera, Tuscany
98 BISERNO TOSCANA ROSSO IGT 2019
Tenuta di Biserno, Tuscany
98 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA
DOCG 2015
Biondi Santi, Tuscany
98 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA
DOCG 2016
Capanna, Tuscany
98 DUEMANI COSTA TOSCANA ROSSO IGT
2019
Duemani, Tuscany
98 GALATRONA MERLOT VIGNA
GALATRONA VAL D’ARNO DI SOPRA
DOC 2020
Petrolo, Tuscany
BEST RED WINES OF
CENTRAL ITALY
98 GUADO DE’ GEMOLI BOLGHERI
SUPERIORE DOC 2019
Chiappini, Tuscany
98 I SODI DI SAN NICCOLÒ TOSCANA
ROSSO IGT 2018
Castellare di Castellina, Tuscany
98 IPSUS CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN
SELEZIONE DOCG 2015
Il Caggio, Tuscany
98 IPSUS CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN
SELEZIONE DOCG 2016
Il Caggio, Tuscany
98 KURNI ROSSO MARCHE IGT 2019
Oasi degli Angeli, Marche
98 LUPI E SIRENE BRUNELLO DI
MONTALCINO RISERVA DOCG 2016
Podere Le Ripi, Tuscany
98 MADONNA DELLE GRAZIE BRUNELLO
DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2017
Il Marroneto, Tuscany
98 MESSORIO TOSCANA ROSSO IGT 2019
Le Macchiole, Tuscany
98 ORNELLAIA BOLGHERI SUPERIORE
DOC 2019
Ornellaia, Tuscany
98 PALAZZI TOSCANA ROSSO IGT 2020
Tenuta di Trinoro, Tuscany
98 VIGNA DI PIANROSSO SANTA CATERINA
D’ORO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
RISERVA DOCG 2016
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, Tuscany
100
100
BAROLO DOCG BRUNATE 2018
Giuseppe Rinaldi, Piedmont
BAROLO DOCG ROMIRASCO 2018
Poderi Aldo Conterno, Piedmont
99 BAROLO RISERVA DOCG VIGNA
RIONDA 2016
Massolino, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG 2018
Bartolo Mascarello, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG CANNUBI 2018
Paolo Scavino, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG CANNUBI 2018
Comm. G.B. Burlotto, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG CANNUBI 2018
Elio Altare, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG CERRETTA 2018
Conterno Giacomo, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG CICALA 2018
Poderi Aldo Conterno, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG COLONNELLO 2018
Poderi Aldo Conterno, Piedmont
98 BAROLO DOCG VITE TALIN 2016
Luciano Sandrone, Piedmont
98 BAROLO RISERVA DOCG CERRETTA
VIGNA BRICCO 2016
Elio Altare, Piedmont
98 FIERAMONTE AMARONE DELLA
VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA
DOCG 2015
Allegrini, Veneto
Enchanting landscape, enchanting wines: The
vineyards around Barolo and La Morra produce
some of Italy’s greatest red wines.
Photos: Etienne Hunyady, Shutterstock, provided, Jeff Bramwell
218 falstaff winter 2022/23

A castle in the Langhe:
The impressive
headquarters of Poderi
Aldo Conterno.
RESPECT WHERE
RESPECT IS DUE
Outstanding achievements deserve special recognition. In
addition to the wines and wineries, Falstaff also recognises
outstanding personalities of the year.
CATEGORY
WINE RANGE
OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY
NEWCOMER
OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY
LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT
PODERI ALDO CONTERNO
Monforte d’Alba (Piedmont)
Poderi Aldo Conterno is run today by Aldo
Conterno’s sons Franco, Stefano and Giacomo.
Subtle restraint characterises the style of the
house. This does not apply to the wines, which
are expressive and complex. In addition to wine
from Bussia, Aldo Conterno produces three
outstanding Barolos from small vineyards:
Colonnello, Cicala and Romirasco. In the 2018
vintage, we were completely thrilled by all
three. poderialdoconterno.com
TENUTA DI CARLEONE
Radda in Chianti (Tuscany)
It was a memorable meeting between
oenologist Sean O’Callaghan who defies
the mainstream and has rich experience in
Chianti Classico, and Karl Egger, a wineloving
entrepreneur from Linz with a love
for Chianti Classico. Together they founded
Tenuta di Carleone in Radda. After a
brilliant debut, the two still have many
ambitious goals.
tenutadicarleone.com
ELIO ALTARE
La Morra (Piedmont)
Elio Altare is the great innovator of Barolo.
He made wines more approachable and
supple, ensured that Barolo is also drunk
and not just collected in expensive cellars.
He has nothing against tradition but simply
believes that it is nothing more than
successful innovation. Despite his great
successes, he shows himself to be without
pretension. A totally successful lifetime
achievement! elioaltare.com
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wine / VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
¡VIVA
LA
REVOLUCIÓN!
Never before has the diversity of Rioja wines been greater. The region
still brings forth excellent Reservas and Gran Reservas according to
the traditional classification. Now, however, single-vineyard bottlings
and cult wines made from the most stringent selections set new
accents. The new focus on terroir is tantamount to a small revolution.
WORDS DOMINIK VOMBACH AND BENJAMIN HERZOG
Madrid
RIOJA
Spain
Photo: Shutterstock
220 falstaff winter 2022/23

The Osborne bull is a wellknown
emblem in Spain.
Two of them can be found in
the Rioja region.
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wine / VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
Only when we arrive at an
incredibly steep slope do we
realise why Juan Carlos
Sancha drives a Hummer.
Only an off-road behemoth
like this can get us up to the Peña el Gato
plateau, the single vineyard that the
professor of oenology at the Rioja University
of Viticulture and owner of Bodegas
Juan Carlos Sancha wants to show us this
afternoon. Sancha explains that this site is
characterised by limestone as well as iron.
The ancient, gnarled Garnacha vines that
stand in terraces below us were planted by
his ancestors back in 1906. Sancha’s Peña
el Gato, located at the extreme tip of the
Rioja Oriental subregion, was among the
first sites to be certified as Viñedo Singular.
This new designation was introduced in
2017 by the board of the Denominacion de
Origen of Rioja and can only be used for
wines made from a clearly defined and
delineated single vineyard. To achieve this
single-vineyard status, various requirements
have to be fulfilled: vines must be at
least 35 years old, yields are more stringently
restricted, grapes must be harvested
by hand and wines must pass through two
tasting panels and tests to assert quality
and uniqueness before they can be released
FOR THE FIRST TIME
IT’S NOW POSSIBLE
TO REALLY TASTE
RIOJA AND ALL ITS
FACETS.
to market. Only once all criteria are met
can they be marketed as Viñedo Singular.
Currently, there are 121 such plots from 74
bodegas throughout the region. Wines
made from about one third of them are
already available in the market. With this
geographic classification, Rioja is moving
in a new direction. In addition to the old
classification influenced by that of Bordeaux,
a Burgundian concept is being
established, following the global trend. The
classic quality levels of Rioja, above all
Reserva and Gran Reserva, are based
purely on the maturation period; these new,
additional regulations move site and terroir
centre stage, which is ground-breaking for
the wine region. For the first time, it’s now
possible to really taste Rioja and all its
facets.
Machinery does not stand
a chance at Juan Carlos
Sancha’s Peña el Gato.
The plot is one of the
first certified Viñedos
Singulares of Rioja.
Photos: beigestellt, Digital Vision / Getty Images, iStockphoto / Getty Images
222 falstaff winter 2022/23

The human
element is not to
be underestimated
in the concept of
terroir. It is what
determines what the
wine tastes like in
the end.
THE CLASSIC RIOJA CATEGORIES
COSECHA OR GENÉRICO
This designation was previously used only for
wines that were either not aged at all or only
briefly in oak barrels. Today it is also used to
identify wines that do not fit into the traditional
quality classification system.
CRIANZA
These wines are released after at least two
years of ageing. They must be aged in wooden
barrels for at least twelve months and then
continue to age in the bottle. For white Crianzas,
the aging period is at least six months in oak
barrels.
RESERVA
Reservas are released for sale three years after
harvest. They must mature in wooden barrels
for at least one year. White Reservas may be
sold after two years, whereby the ageing time in
wood is at least six months..
GRAN RESERVA
For this highest quality level, the wines are aged
for at least five years before they are released
to market. Two of these years must be spent
maturing in oak barrels. For white wines, the
minimum maturation period is four years, at least
six months of which must be in barrels.
BACK TO THE BEGINNING
The roots of the traditional Rioja quality
classification can be traced to the middle of
the 19th century. At the time, the prestigious
French region of Bordeaux was
plagued by mildew and phylloxera, so
many of their wine merchants came across
the Pyrenees to Rioja in search of wine.
With them came the winemaking techniques
of the Bordelais – above all, ageing
wine in small oak barrels. Due to the
relaxation of French customs duties at the
time, Rioja experienced an unprecedented
boom that lasted almost four decades. At
this time, many legendary bodegas such as
CVNE, López Heredia or La Rioja Alta
were founded, all of which are located in
Haro, just a a short distance from each
other near the railway station. From here,
about 50,000 hectolitres of wine went to
France each month in the late 19th century.
Even today, the region is still dominated by
large wineries. Around 16 of these account
for about half of the production volume of
the entire Rioja region. There are 66,000
hectares under vine in Rioja, distributed
over a total of 120,000 parcels. Only about
ten percent of these meet the requirements
for a Viñedo Singular in terms of vine age.
Most of the plots in the region belong to
small grape producers who sell their
harvest to the big ones in an industry
structure that is not dissimilar from
Champagne. The same goes for the steady
development of more and more smaller
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wine / VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
<
wineries no longer selling their grapes to
big estates but making wine themselves
under their own label. At Luis Cañas, this
took place as early as 1970. Since then, the
family-run winery located in Villabuena in
the Rioja Alavesa subzone has become one
of the most progressive in the region. Those
in charge at Luis Cañas are actively
committed to preserving the region’s old
vineyards. This can be a cumbersome and
tough undertaking since family-owned
vineyards often require negotiations with
countless family members. We are standing
in Prodenero, a plot of only 0.4 hectares,
the first certified Viñedo Singular of a total
of two in Luis Cañas’ portfolio. It’s a
vineyard with up to 80-year-old vines that
combines red varieties like Tempranillo and
Garnacha and white varieties like Viura.
“This here is our soul, our tradition. That’s
what we want to tell wine lovers, and we
are happy that we can finally do this with
the Viñedos Singulares,” says Iñaki Cámara,
About ten percent of the approximately
120,000 parcels in Rioja are planted
with over 40-year-old vines.
FOR BODEGAS LUIS
CAÑAS, THE
VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
DESIGNATION MARKS A
RETURN TO THE
ORIGINS OF THE RIOJA
REGION.
the CEO of the bodega. For him, the new
geographical designations of origin mark
the beginning of a return to the region‘s
roots. A return to the wines that have
always been produced and consumed here
and that are more reminiscent of Beaujolais
than of Bordeaux. Why this different style?
Because the wines, just like the Gamays
from Beaujolais, are sometimes produced
by means of carbonic maceration, a
technique that results in very fresh, fruity
wines. Sometimes red and white grapes are
co-fermented this way. “This is the tradition
of our region and this is the direction
we are moving in. Albeit in a somewhat
more complex and intense way,” says
Cámara.
A REGION ON THE MOVE
Of course, terroir has always played an
important role in Rioja, but it was marketed
differently. The winemakers who
perfected blending have always known
NEW
GEOGRAPHICAL
DESIGNATIONS
VINOS DE ZONA
This new designation is reserved for wines
made from at least 85 percent of grapes
grown in one of the three defined zones of
Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa or Rioja Oriental.
VINOS DE MUNICIPIO
In order to use this designation, at least 85
percent of grapes in the wine must come from
the village in which the winery is located.
The remaining 15 percent may be grown in a
neighbouring village.
Hand harvesting is just
one of the criteria that
must be met in the
production of a Viñedo
Singular.
VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
This additional designation introduced in
2017 applies exclusively to wines from clearly
defined single-vineyard sites with vines that
are at least 35 years old. The yield is limited
to 5,000kg/ha for red wines and 6,922kg/ha
for white wines. Grapes must be harvested
by hand. Viñedos Singulares have to pass
two tasting panel tests before they can be
released for sale.
Photos: DOCa Rioja, peizais / Shutterstock, provided
224 falstaff winter 2022/23

More and more small
winemaking projects in
Rioja are focusing less
on the aging process
in barrels and more on
expressing site and terroir.
about the characteristics of the various
zones and localities. They knew where to
find grapes that provided generosity, power
or freshness in the wine and how to
combine them into a harmonious whole.
This, too, is reminiscent of the work of the
renowned Champagne houses. “Outside of
Spain, most people immediately think of
long-aged wines, Reservas and Gran
Reservas, when they think of Rioja. Of
course, that’s what made our region
successful and great, but there’s just so
much more,” explains Antonio Orte Vellé,
winemaker at Bodegas Valdemar, when we
visit the bodega in Oyón-Oion. Valdemar
also produces a Viñedo Singular wine. The
Finca Alto Cantabria is a single-vineyard
Viura, one of a few white crus in the
category. The vines on the eleven-hectare
plot on a high limestone plateau were
planted in 1975. It was a visionary act that
was viewed with suspicion by many at the
time, but in retrospect it paid off. For Orte
THERE ARE
CURRENTLY
PLOTS FROM
BODEGAS THAT MEET
THE VIÑEDO SINGULAR
CRITERIA.
The single vineyards of the Artuke estate are
located directly on the River Ebro.
Vellé, it also proves how important the
human aspect is in the terroir construct:
with its constant, cooling winds, the site is
predestined for Viura grapes. It it had not
been for this decision, it would have been
planted to Tempranillo like so many other
vineyards. “With wines like the Finca Alto
Cantabrio, it’s all about the grapes that are
produced in this unique location and no
longer just about ageing in wooden barrels.
This development can be felt throughout
the region, I think. More and more smaller
projects are being created by younger
people who put the site centre stage. And
that is important for Rioja,” says Orte
Vellé.
GRAND CRU INSTEAD OF
GRAN RESERVA
Bodegas Lanzaga is certainly one of the
pioneers of the terroir movement in Rioja.
It is a project run by jack-of-all-trades
Telmo Rodriguez and his partner Pablo
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wine / VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
Before winemaking
techniques from Bordeaux
took root in Rioja, Rioja wines
were traditionally made using
carbonic maceration.
THE MOST IMPORTANT
GRAPE VARIETIES
TEMPRANILLO
Tempranillo is probably the most typical grape
variety in Rioja. It accounts for more than 75
percent of the total area under cultivation. With
its dark colour, intense fruit and smooth character,
it is characteristic of many of the wines
produced here.
GARNACHA
Probably originating from Spain, this grape variety
is also known as Grenache. It is characterised
by its sensory intensity and warm nature. It is
also a variety that wonderfully conveys its terroir
and produces very interesting wines, especially
in cooler sites.
GRACIANO
Graciano is an indigenous grape variety of the
Rioja region. In the past, it was mainly used as
a blending partner for Tempranillo thanks to its
fine acidity and bold tannins. Today, it is increasingly
being vinified individually and produces
extremely exciting wines.
VIURA
This variety accounts for around 67 percent of
the area planted with white grape varieties in Rioja.
Thanks to its acidity, the variety also known
as Macabeo is suitable for long-aged white
wines. It is also an integral part of the wines
made for home consumption.
<
Eguzkiza who met while studying
oenology in Bordeaux. For 20 years, they
tracked down forgotten, old but first-class
sites around Lanciego and Labastida and
produced local and single-vineyard wines
from them. Among these is the now
legendary wine from the Las Beatas
vineyard, which was awarded the highest
score of 100 points by the Wine Advocate
for the 2015 vintage. Rodriguez and
Eguzkiza are by no means the only ones
who caused an international stir with such
wines before the introduction of the new
single-vineyard designation. Bodegas such
as Alegre Valgañon, run by the talented
oenologist couple Oscar Alegre and Eva
Vagañon, or Artuke, run by brothers Kike
and Arturo de Miguel, have also caused a
global sensation with their single-vineyard
and village wines. Contrary to expectation,
however, none of their vineyards are
certified according to the new Rioja
geographical designations of origin. “I
think it’s great that something is being set
in motion with the Viñedos Singulares. But
I don’t completely agree with the criteria
that are applied here, for example the
minimum vine age of 35. For me, the
quality of a vineyard cannot be measured
by numbers, but only by the quality of the
wine,” says Telmo Rodriguez in an interview
with Falstaff. For wine consumers,
discovering Rioja has never been more
exciting. It is a historic moment for the
region and the wine world. “We want to
study the villages, find out how they taste,
what they express. And for this, I think we
need maps that distinguish the sites in
terms of their quality, as is the case in
Burgundy and Barolo,” says Oscar Alegre.
The wine revolution in Rioja is still in its
infancy. But the single-vineyard wines, rare
as they still are on the market, are more
than promising.
<
Photo: Carlos Glera
226 falstaff winter 2022/23

BEST OF
RIOJA VIÑEDOS SINGULARES
97
2020 LA CONDENADA
Artuke, Mañueta
Cool, clear fruit aromas on the nose.
Notes of raspberry, red currant and
cherry. Some chocolate and herbal
savouriness. Fleshy red fruit, sage and
rosemary on the palate. Seems elegant,
with wonderfully fresh acidity that carries
through to the long finish. Finegrained,
ripe tannins.
••••
95
2020 CARRA STO DOMINGO
Bodega Alegre Valgañon, Sajazarra
Notes of ripe raspberry and cherry on
the nose. Bright and filigree. Herbal-spicy
hints harmonise wonderfully
with the fruit. The palate presents juicy
acidity, aromas of plum, cherry and
grapefruit; firm, fine tannins and a long,
mineral-like finish. Beautiful juiciness.
•••
94
2018 RIBAGAITAS VIÑEDO
SINGULAR
Bodegas Luis Cañas, Villabuena
Fruity and spicy on the nose with notes
of sour cherry and dried red berries.
Also hints of dried kitchen herbs. Spicy
and powerful on the palate with fresh,
straightforward acidity, dark berry fruit,
firm tannin. Long finish.
••••
95
2016 GAMINDE
Finca Allende, Briones
Fresh fruit on the nose with notes of
raspberry, strawberry, cassis and cherry.
Also hints of clove and black pepper as
well as herbal savouriness. Elegant on
the palate, with juicy, fresh acidity and
lots of fruit. Aroma of cherry and red
berries, some cinnamon. Fine tannin
and long finish.
•••
95
2020 LA ESCALERUELA VIÑEDO
SINGULAR, Bodegas Ondarre, Viana
Spiced, fruity aromas with fresh wild
berry notes. Very clear. Notes of cherry
and citrus as well as spicy hints of dried
herbs and some cold smoke. Fresh palate
with just as much acidity. Nice, clear
raspberry fruit and cherry. Some dark
chocolate. Ripe, slightly noticeable tannin,
long finish. Carbonic maceration
style.
Price on request.
94
2020 FINCA ALTO CANTABRIA
BLANCO VIÑEDO SINGULAR
Bodegas Valdemar, Oyón
Ripe fruit on the nose with notes of
apple, Mirabelle plum and citrus as well
as peach. Full-bodied on the palate with
taut acidity and ripe fruit. Notes of
apple and candied citrus fruits. Creamy
impression, well-integrated toastiness.
The long finish is defined by caramelised
apple aromas.
•
Up to EUR / GBP 15 and USD 20
•
EUR •••• ••
95
2019 FINCA LA EMPERATRIZ
BLANCO VIÑEDO SINGULAR
Viñedos Hermanos Hernaiz,
Baños de Rioja
Initially reductive on the nose. With
more air notes of grapefruit, fresh apple
and peach appear alongside spicy and
nutty hints. Taut acidity on the palate,
full-bodied with notes of citrus, green
apple and herbal savouriness. Long,
mineral finish with a slight phenolic
grip.
••
94
2018 LA ESTRADA BODEGAS
LANZAGA
Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez,
S.L., Lanciego
Plump fruit on the nose with notes of
sour cherry, raspberry and wild plum.
Floral hints and a discreet herbal savouriness.
Juicy, elegant acidity on the palate,
pleasantly powerful and grippy.
Beautiful red fruit paired with spicy
components. Fine-grained tannin, long
finish.
••••
94
2020 CERRO LA ISA VIÑEDO
SINGULAR
Bodegas Navajas, Navarrete
Intense nose with vivid but well-integrated
aromas of toast. Notes of caramel
and vanilla, as well as smoky hints.
Behind that, notes of citrus and apple
as well as peach. Full-bodied on the palate
with taut acidity and austere citrus
aromas. Lots of wood, long finish.
Price on request.
EUR / GBP 15 – 30 and USD 20 – 35 EUR / GBP 31 – 50 and USD 36 – 60
/ GBP 51 – 100 and USD
••
61 – 110 Above EUR / GBP ••••• •••
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wine / AUSTRIA
AUSTRIA’S
BEST SINGLE
VINEYARDS
The beautiful contours of the Achleiten
vineyard in the Wachau region are
outlined by the vine rows.
Photo: OeWM/Robert Herbst
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Austria may be a small wine country, but it is immensely diverse.
While Grüner Veltliner, its most-planted white grape variety, has
become its international calling card, there are single vineyards
in each region that are synonymous with different grape varieties –
all of them expressing a sense of history and place.
Here are five of the best.
WORDS PETER MOSER
AUSTRIA
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wine / AUSTRIA
In all of Austria, there are just 48,000
hectares of vines – and wine country
begins where the Alps have already
eased themselves into the much
flatter scenery of Lower Austria
along the Danube and to the eastern border
with Hungary. Then there is the southern
outpost of Steiermark, or Styria, in the
south of the country on the border to
Slovenia. Vines have been cultivated in
Austria since at least Roman times, and
there are historic vineyards across the wine
regions – which are synonymous with
certain grape varieties that define these
regions. The following is an overview of the
most iconic vinyards.
Another shot of Achleiten vineyard. It drops
right down to the shores of the Danube.
Inset: Grüner Veltliner grapes.
ACHLEITEN – WACHAU
Situated about 100 kilometres (62 miles)
west of Austria’s capital Vienna, this
vineyard is one of the most famous in the
Wachau region, facing the Danube River. It
is planted to both Riesling and Grüner
Veltliner and the wines produced are as
complex as the vineyard itself. Achleiten
measures 21.5 hectares, faces west to
southeast and rises to 361 metres. The
steepest part of the slope reaches a gradient
of 83 percent. The soils vary: while
weathered paragneiss is classic for the
Wachau region, within the Achleiten
vineyard it is the occurrence of
migmatite and amphibolite
that gives the wines a
special savouriness.
The upper part of the vineyard is dominated
by Gföhler gneiss. The name Achleiten
was first documented in 1340. Ach refers
to a flowing body of water, derived from
the Latin aqua for water, presumably the
Danube, while leiten is an old designation
for a steeply sloping terrain. There is one
famous parcel in the upper part of the
vineyard of just 2.3hectares – just below
the forest line – called Himmelreich, or
heaven, which was first documented in
1348. Winemakers from the local and
surrounding villages have always endeavoured
to cultivate a few terraces in this
top spot. Achleiten wines,
whether Riesling or Grüner
Veltliner age effortlessly
for decades.
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Photos: OeWM/Robert Herbst, Picturedesk, Herbert Lehrmann
HEILIGENSTEIN – KAMPTAL
The Heiligenstein vineyard is one of
Austria’s best sites for fine Riesling. With
an area of 36.7 hectares, this impressive
vineyard is the result of a unique geological
formation of Zöbing Perm, a Permian
rhyolite of volcanic origin formed 250-270
million years ago. The Heiligenstein faces
south and southwest, rising from 220-350
metres above sea level. The topsoils are of
feldspar, sandstone, coarse conglomerates
and silt – there is hardly any loess cover,
just on the southeastern edge of the
vineyard. The vines thus root in rock. The
imposing Heiligenstein, partly divided by
terraces, rises northeast of Langenlois in the
village of Zöbing, and on the left bank of
the River Kamp, which gives its name to
the region. The vineyard was first documented
in 1240 and its name is derived
from the Middle High German term helle,
meaning bright, and stein, meaning stone.
Over the years this morphed into Heiligenstein,
meaning holy or saint’s stone – and
the vineyard was indeed the site of ancient
rites and rituals. Today it is Riesling that
NO VINEYARD IS EASY
TO CULTIVATE BUT THE
HEILIGENSTEIN MAKES
ALL THE EFFORT
WORTHWHILE .
WILLI BRÜNDLMAYER, WINEMAKER
Above: relaxing in
the Heiligenstein
vineyard with a
glass of wine. Inset:
Willi Bründlmayer
(second from left)
with his team.
grows here, which has cult status and
comes with enormous ageing potential.
Willi Bründlmayer grows his world-famous
Rieslings here. He says: “No vineyard is
easy to cultivate but the Heiligenstein
makes all the effort worthwhile in the most
wonderful fashion. The wines are incomparable
– only a unique terroir makes that
possible.”
NUSSBERG – VIENNA
The Austrian capital Vienna has a centuryold
wine-growing tradition and still boasts
around 700 hectares of vineyard within its
city limits. The suburb of Nussdorf is
considered the centre of winegrowing while
the district of Grinzing is famed for its
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wine / AUSTRIA
The Nussberg with a view of
Vienna, the only state capital
in Europe with a sizeable
wine industry.
<
traditional Heurigen taverns.
Between Grinzing and Nussdorf,
directly on the Danube, the 342-metre
Nussberg rises to the north of the city,
on the eastern edge of the Vienna
Woods. It soils are composed of sandstone,
marl and mudstone. Its oldest
documented mention dates to 1226 as
Nuzperc, and it was referred to as monte
nucum in subsequent centuries, another
reference to nuts. Indeed, there are many
indications that both hazeluts and walnuts
grew there before being cleared to make
way for vineyards. Today, the Nussberg is
Vienna’s foremost vineyard and its
appearance quite naturally separates it into
a lower, middle and upper part.The
individual vineyard parcels, the jewels in
Vienna’s wine crown, are located across the
slope. The best vineyards in the middle
portion, with a mixed soil profile, are home
to Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc
but above all the so-called Wiener
Gemischter Satz, the historic field blend of
local grape varieties that has been
THERE ARE FEW
VINEYARDS THAT
TRACE THE TRAN-
SITION FROM CITY TO
VITICULTURAL LAND.
GERHARD J. LOBNER, WINEMAKER
enshrined in law since 2013. Particular
parcels are the chalky Ried Langteufel,
first documented in 1384, in the east; in
the west there is Ried Preussen, of
calcareous sandstone, perhaps the best
vineyard in Vienna. In addition to Wiener
Gemischter Satz, Rieslings of outstanding
quality have been produced here for
centuries. Then there is the Rosengartl
parcel, another top vineyard first documented
in 1365 and just covering 1.6
hectares, where Riesling for the Habsburg
monarchs was grown. The eastern boundary
towards the Danube is formed in the
middle part by Ried Ulm, an old sea terrace
of calcareous sandstone. “There are few
vineyards that trace the transition from city
to viticultural land as fluidly as the
Nussberg,” says Gerhard J. Lobner of the
Mayer am Pfarrplatz estate. “The wines are
shaped by the thermals of the city to the
south, the influence of the Vienna Woods
to the north and west, the Danube to the
east and the limestone soils, a relic from a
primordial sea.”
Photos: Herbert Lehmann, supplied
232 falstaff winter 2022/23

RIED MARIENTAL –
BURGENLAND
Today, wines made from the Blaufränkisch
grape are considered the most characterful
reds in Austria. The variety is well-suited to
the deeply continental climate of Burgenland,
Austria’s easternmost wine region
bordering Hungary. Across Burgenland,
from Leithaberg on Lake Neusiedl in the
north to Eisenberg in the south, the grape
brings forth characterful, peppery, elegant
wines. But one vineyard, on the western
shore of Lake Neusiedl between Oggau
and Rust, is of central importance to the
reputation of Blaufränkisch. It was the
10.3-hectare Ried Mariental from which
the Ernst Triebaumer family produced a
Blaufränkisch in 1986: a key moment that
is now seen as the birth of serious red wine
production in Austria. The site was first
documented in 1476, its poor soils are
composed of calcareous sand with limestone
rocks over limestone bedrock. The
Oggau part slopes steeply from 180 metres
above sea level to about 140 metres, but
towards the lake the terrain becomes
somewhat flatter. The warm air from the
Hungarian Plain in the east meets cool soil
on this slope. This tension gives rise to
wines that are characterised by opposing
forces: immense power is tempered by
lively acidity, fine tannins by linear texture
and intense fruit. The combination of site
and grape variety brings forth expressive
and long-lived Blaufränkisch wines.
RIED ZIEREGG –
SÜDSTEIERMARK
Ried Zieregg in Austria’s southernmost
wine region of Südsteiermark, or South
Styria, straddles the border between
Austria and Slovenia. It faces south
and southwest and rises steeply from
330 to 490 metres. The site, in fact, is
an ancient coral reef formed by a
primordial sea that submerged the
region some 15 million years ago. The
soils are therefore composed of
limestone and lend a deep elegance to
the Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays
– known as Morillon in Styria
– that thrive here. It is the combination
of altitude, marginal climate, soil
and south-facing slope that turns these
into some of the most compelling
THE SITE, IN FACT, IS
AN ANCIENT CORAL
REEF FORMED BY A
PRIMORDIAL SEA THAT
SUBMERGED THE
REGION MILLIONS OF
YEARS AGO.
Above: The Mariental
vineyard with a view of
Lake Neusiedl. Below: the
Zieregg vineyard in Styria.
white wines in the world – with immense
ageing potential. On the Slovenian side of
the border Zieregg is known as Ciringa and
just as famous. What is astonishing is that
well into the 1980s, Styrian wines were
virtually unknown outside the region.
Talented winemakers like Manfred Tement
were largely instrumental in changing
that. His son Armin says: “Ried Zieregg is
much more than just a vineyard for us.
It represents the symbiosis of old vines –
grown on an ancient coral reef – with a
unique climate. Then there is our family
history: there is this personal connection
with the typicity, elegance and potential
of this vineyard.”
<
winter 2022/23
falstaff
233

wine / AUSTRIA
234 falstaff winter 2022/23
100
2019 RIESLING RIED ZÖBINGER
HEILIGENSTEIN ALTE REBEN
Weingut Bründlmayer, Kamptal
Medium yellow-green colour with
silver reflections. Attractive floral
bouquet, delicate aromas of yellow
tropical fruits, nuances of passion
fruit, ripe vine peach, blood oranges,
multi-faceted nose. Juicy, elegant
and fruit-driven, very fine acidity,
perfect balance, mineral, delicately
salty, silky finish, yellow fruit on the
aftertaste, lingers very long, great
ageing potential. bruendlmayer.at
•••
97
2019 RIESLING RIED ZÖBINGER
HEILIGENSTEIN
Weingut Hirsch, Kamptal
Medium greenish yellow colour, silver
reflections. Delicate blossom
honey, yellow tropical fruit nuances,
delicate floral nuances, lemon balm
and lime: a multi-faceted, inviting
bouquet. On the palate complex,
juicy, fine mango and peach fruit,
well integrated, taut acidity, full of
finesse with a lasting, salty touch on
the finish, very good length, great
ageing potential. weingut-hirsch.at
••
97
2020 RIESLING RIED
ACHLEITHEN SMARAGD Weingut
Rudi Pichler, Wachau
Medium greenish yellow colour with
silver reflections. Fine spicy underlay
of ripe, yellow tropical fruit, a hint of
tangerine, peach and pineapple, like
an exotic fruit basket, multi-faceted
and inviting. On the palate, full-bodied,
complex, white fruit nuances,
ripe, well-integrated acidity, mineral-salty
finish, very good length,
great ageing potential.
rudipichler.at
•••
BEST OF
AUSTRIA
97
2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC RIED
ZIEREGG
Weingut Tement, Südsteiermark
Medium yellow-green colour with
silver reflections. Attractive bouquet,
fresh tropical fruit, delicate
notes of guava and mango, ripe
gooseberries, a hint of orange zest,
nuances of meadow herbs. On the
palate this is juicy, elegant, white
peach, fine acidity structure, crystal
clear, mineral-salty finish, very animating,
precise style, a multi-faceted
wine. tement.at
•••
97
2019 MORILLON RIED ZIEREGG
Weingut Tement, Südsteiermark
Light yellow-green colour, silver
reflections. Subtle wood spice,
white tropical fruit, nutty-herbal
notes underlie peach nuances, there
also is a smoky touch on the inviting
nose. Full-bodied, fine fruit expression,
a hint of spice, finessed structure,
yellow fruit on the finish, balanced,
shows great length, an
extremely elegant wine at the table,
certain ageing potential.
tement.at
•••
97
2017 BLAUFRÄNKISCH RIED
MARIENTHAL
Weingut Prieler, Burgenland
Deep ruby colour, purple reflections,
subtle brightening on rim. Delicate
notes of tobacco, black cherries,
nuances of wild berries, liquorice,
tangerine zest, dark minerality. On
the palate this is juicy, with good
complexity, fine fruit expression,
hints of nougat, silky tannins, salty
and lingering with certain ageing
potential, mineral finish, will benefit
from bottle age. prieler.at
•••
Up to EUR / GBP 15 and USD 20 EUR
• ••
EUR ••••
95
2020 GRÜNER VELTLINER RIED
ACHLEITEN SMARAGD
Domäne Wachau, Wachau
Light greenish yellow colour with
silver reflections. Delicate
smoky-mineral underlay against
yellow orchard fruit nuances, a hint
of reine claude plum and mango in
the background, fine tobacco spice,
delicate fresh orange zest. On the
palate complex, juicy, fine white
melon fruit, finessed structure,
salty-lemon finish, already
approachable, with great future
potential. domaene-wachau.at
•••
/ GBP 15 – 30 and USD 20 – 35
/ GBP 51 – 100 and USD 61 – 110
••••• •••
95
2019 WIENER GEMISCHTER SATZ
RIED ROSENGARTEL –
NUSSBERG
Weingut Wieninger, Vienna
Medium yellow-green colour. Fine
apple scent, delicate fresh meadow
herbs, a hint of apricot in the background,
somewhat restrained with
hints of blossom honey. On the palate
good complexity, juicy, well-integrated
acid structure, vivid expression
of peach, close-meshed, mineral
finish, a complex wine with ageing
potential. wieninger.at
•••
95
2019 WIENER GEMISCHTER SATZ
RIED LANGTEUFEL NUSSBERG
Weingut Rotes Haus, Vienna
Light golden yellow colour, silver
reflections. Fine yellow tropical fruit
nuances, delicate mango and blossom
honey, mineral touch, multifaceted,
inviting bouquet. Powerful,
tightly meshed, fine apple fruit, mineral
and fresh, appears relatively
light-footed thanks to the precise
acidity, very good length, great
development potential.
rotes-haus.at
•••
EUR / GBP 31 – 50 and USD 36 – 60
••••• •••
Above EUR / GBP 100 and USD 110
Photos: supplied

ADVERTORIAL
A LITTLE BIT MAD
SINCE
MAD. A family name that says it all. And they’re mad in the most literal sense – mad about
tradition, that is. Since 1786, they’ve been making wine. Rooted in a big family that’s been
bringing joy to the people for generations.
ADVERTORIAL Photos: provided
Big. Yes, they certainly are, that
Mad-Siess-Händler family. The
word joint family couldn’t ring
more true: the three families
aren’t just joined by their work, but
also by their passion to continue their
esteemed legacy. With their variety
management, the MADs have always
been ahead of the curve: since as far
back as 1982, they have been growing
international varieties like Cabernet Franc
and Cabernet Sauvignon – rare at the time –
and aging them in small barrels. Some might have
called the MADs crazy at the time, but they’re still
harvesting them today, resulting in stellar quality wines. It
just goes to show that good quality, hard work and
passionate dedication will always prove popular. Moreover,
the MADs realised early on how important preeminent
locations are for the production of outstanding wines.
A part of the historical and world-famous Marienthal
has been owned by the family ever since. It’s where the most
important vines have their provenance – and where the
vineyard’s best Blaufränkisch comes from, cultivated with
loving care for decades now. Imagine if you like a seemingly
endless body of water, glistening in the sun. A gentle breeze.
Lake Neusiedl and the Leitha Mountains, on the border to
Hungary, in Burgenland, the easternmost state of Austria.
That’s where the municipality of Oggau and the
vineyard MAD are located. Here in the Leitha
Mountains, pure white limestone can be
found next to shiny brown slate. These
are the “gems” that provide the MADs
with the best conditions for outstanding
mineral wines. Needless to say, the cultivation
is all natural and takes the vintage,
weather and specific needs of the vineyard
into account. The region’s best locations
are part of the MADs’ family heritage. They
have allowed them to produce great wines for
generations. And they’re poised to carry on for generations
to come With their line-up, including the Seestern,
Leithaberg DAC and Meisterwerke collections, the MADs
are offering the right wine at the right time. You can even
find certified vegan wines here. The family is also prone to
constantly come up with fresh ideas: Madini® by MAD offers
a fun wine for every occasion – as a cocktail, a spritzer
or neat. Wine and fruit, crazy good. Cheers to that! Regarding
distributors and supply-sources check weingut-mad.at
Mad & Wine GmbH, weingut-mad.at
Antonigasse 1, 7063 Oggau am Neusiedler See, Austria
+43 2685 7207
winter 2022/23
falstaff
235

wine / STYRIA SAUVIGNON BLANC TROPHY 2022
With vineyards on gentle
hillsides as well as steep
slopes, the Styrian wine
landscape is home to great
wines.
REFINES PROVENANCE
A sublime entrance for Styria's most successful white wine variety:
in a total of five categories, 72 Styrian vineyards submitted 169 Sauvignon
Blancs for blind tasting. WORDS AND TASTING NOTES PETER MOSER
Over the past few years, Sauvignon
Blanc has firmly established itself
as a flagship in Styria’s wide range
of varieties. The semi-sweet
properly structured wines have even made
the leap beyond their Austrian borders and
are raking in accolades on the international
stage. This success is in part due to its clear
and transparent provenance, which holds
true for all three regions – Steirisches Vulkanland,
South Styria and West Styria – and
which has created a solid foundation for the
Sauvignon Blanc in every sense of the word.
As a basis, regional wine (“Gebietswein”)
serves as an introduction to the multifaceted
world of Styrian Sauvignon Blancs; as a next
step, we speak of local wine (“Ortswein”) to
distinguish the variety based on climatic
conditions and geological characteristics on
an even smaller scale; at the top of the
pyramid are so-called “Riedenweine” – vintage
wines – that clearly showcase the
vintner’s individual signature as well as the
special conditions of a precise location. The
wines presented here were judged by a panel
of experts, invited by Wein Steiermark, in a
blind tasting at Fachschule Silberberg, a
technical college for agriculture and forestry.
The wines with the highest scores went on to
a final tasting round. The panel consisted of
Johannes Fiala, Boris Penkoff, Wolfgang
Pfanner, Helmut Gramer and René Kollegger,
as well as Falstaff editor-in-chief Peter Moser.
The theme for this year’s retrospective on
Sauvignon Blanc varieties was local wines
from 2021 and 2020; the top vintage
category featured wines from 2020, 2019
and 2018. All wines evaluated at this tasting
can be found at falstaff.com.
All winegrowers and wines
steiermark.wine
236 falstaff winter 2022/23

Ortsweine 2021
1.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Leutschach
Sieme 2021, Familienweingut Oberer Germuth
Leutschach
Delicate floral aspects with hints of apple, lychee and guava,
spice and citrus, white fruit, elegant acidity.
oberergermuth.com, £ 10
2.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Kitzeck-
Sausal 2021, Weingut Felberjörgl, Kitzeck
Mango, yellow tropical fruit, delicate grapefruit zest, hints
of blossom honey. Juicy, elegant apple, fresh structure,
mineral with a strong finish. A multi-faceted dinner companion.
felberjoergl.at, £ 10
3. (ex aequo)
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Kitzeck-
Sausal Sieme 2021, Weingut Assigal, Leibnitz
assigal.at, £ 10
•
Sauvignon Blanc Vulkanland DAC St. Anna 2021
Weingut Daniel , Pfeifer, Sankt Anna am Aigen
weinhof-pfeifer.at, £ 11
Ortsweine 2020
1.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Weststeiermark DAC Eibiswald
2020, Weingut und Buschenschank Haring vlg.
Pichlippi, Eibiswald
Flavours of fresh yellow tropical fruit, delicate white floral
notes, grapefruit zest. Juicy, elegant, white fruit,
fresh, mineral with hints of citrus. pichlippi.at, £ 10.80
2.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC
Kitzeck-Sausal 2020, Weingut Schauer, Kitzeck
Light hints of smoke with a reductive bouquet, fresh meadow
herbs, nuances of tobacco, blackberry leaves. Juicy, elegant,
with hints of white stone fruit, delicate acidity, mineral,
with excellent length. weingut-schauer.at, £ 13
3.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Gamlitz
2020, Weinbau Fritz und Karl Menhart, Leibnitz
Delicate white fruit, lemon, a hint of gooseberry and bell
pepper. Tense, tightly knit, acidity rich in finesse, youthful,
white currant, lively. weinbau-menhart.at, £ 11.60
Riedenweine 2020
1.
•
BIO Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried
Steinbach 1STK 2020
Weingut Lackner-Tinnacher, Gamlitz
Smoky, hints of tobacco, yellow tropical fruit, slight spicy
bouquet. Medium- bodied, white apple, delicate sweetness,
delicate herbal notes. tinnacher.at, £ 22
2.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried Welles
2020, Weingut Riegelnegg - Olwitschhof, Gamlitz
Fresh guava, tarragon, white currant, multi-faceted, fine-aromatic
bouquet. Medium complexity, white apple, fresh
acidity, lightly salty, hints of citrus. Lively dinner companion.
riegelnegg.at, £ 28
3. (ex aequo)
•
Sauvignon Blanc Weststeiermark DAC Ried
Kehlberg Falter EGO 2020, Weingut Falter Ego, Graz
falterego.at, £ 17.70
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried Sulz
Joseph 2020, Weingut Stefan Potzinger, Gabersdorf
potzinger.at, £ 25.80
Riedenweine 2019
1.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried
Sernauberg Exzellenz 2019
Weingut Riegelnegg – Olwitschhof, Gamlitz
Blossom honey, yellow tropical fruit, candied orange zest,
with undertones of pineapple and mango. Complex, fullbodied,
delicate fruity sweetness. riegelnegg.at, £ 36
2.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Vulkanland DAC Ried Kirchenegg
2019, Weinbau Gölles, Fehring
Delicate woody nuances, vanilla and nougat, yellow tropical
fruit, fresh lime zest. Juicy, white fruit, green apple, fresh
acidity, citrus and mineral finish, rich in finesse.
weinbau-goelles.at, £ 12.70
3.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried Gamlitzberg
Reserve 2019, Weingut Strauss Gamlitz, Gamlitz
Floral, nuances of fresh white pipfruit, hints of gooseberry
and guava, fresh grapefruit zest. Medium-bodied, pipfruit,
light acidity, with a mineral citrus finish.
weingut-strauss.at, £ 21.60
Riedenweine 2018 and older
ADVERTORIAL Photos: WSNA, supplied
1.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Ried Kranachberg Reserve 2017
Weingut Hannes Sabathi, Gamlitz
Delicate smoky-toasty nuances, yellow tropical fruit, light
touch of guava, ripe gooseberry and cassis, stellar bouquet.
Juicy and silky, light notes of flintstone, acidity rich in finesse,
strong finish. hannessabathi.at, £ 42.70
2.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark DAC Ried
Kranachberg Reserve 2018, Weingut Peter Skoff –
Domäne Kranachberg, Gamlitz
Fresh yellow tropical fruit, mango, blossom honey, grapefruit
zest, herbal notes. Full-bodied, elegant, white fruit,
light sweetness, integrated acidity.. peter-skoff.at, £ 23.75
3.
•
Sauvignon Blanc Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben
2015, Weingut Erwin Sabathi, Leutschach
Inviting yellow tropical fruit, delicate hints of mango, guava
and pineapple, delicate blossom honey and tarragon. Juicy,
elegant, harmonious, white fruit, rich in finesse, mineral.
sabathi.com, £ 52.50
winter 2022/23
falstaff
237

wine / PINOT NOIR TROPHY
Pinot Noir grapes
are known for their
thin skin, resulting
in a wine that’s low
in tannins, which
makes it smooth
and easy to drink.
BEST
VALUE
PINOT
NOIR
TROPHY
Photos: Shutterstock, supplied
238 falstaff winter 2022/23

Pinot Noir is one of the
world’s most-loved grape
varieties. It is made into
fine wines that reach
stratospheric prices –
which is why we wanted to
highlight great value Pinot
Noirs that are as affordable
as they are delicious.
WORDS ANNE KREBIEHL MW
Blind tastings are an integral part of
every magazine that covers wine. At
Falstaff, both in our quarterly print editions
and online at falstaff.com, we feature
themed wine competitions – which
we call “Trophies” – to pitch wines
against each other under a common
theme, be it varietal, regional or stylistic.
WWhat a joy it was to
taste this Best Value
Pinot Noir Trophy!
Why? Because Pinotphiles
have an ample
choice of elegant wines that will not break
the bank. The wines featured here cost no
more than £25 a bottle. There were Pinot
Noirs from far and wide. Admittedly, the
focus lay very much in Europe, with
numerous entries predominantly from Germany
and Italy – completed by entries from
Alsace, Sancerre, Languedoc and Australia.
There were firsts for me here: we had an
entry from the Principality of Liechtenstein
and a Pinot Noir grown around the beautiful
town of San Gimignano in Tuscany –
and in the soft hills of the Langhe in Piedmont.
The other Italian entries, predictably,
were from Alto Adige (Südtirol), where
Pinot enjoys both brilliant Alpine sunshine
and cool, cool nights that bring forth the
exceptional aromas. In Germany – where
Pinot Noir is known under its local name
Spätburgunder and has been one of the
enduring success stories over the past two
decades, we had entries from across the
regions: Franken, Baden, Pfalz, Rheinhessen
and Rheingau. Quite a number of our
entries were from the 2020 vintage that
brought heatwaves and drought and I can
whole-heartedly applaud the winemakers
here: the fruit they tended, harvested and
then made into wine is beautifully ripe but
all of the wines were captured with much
freshness – there was nothing here that was
overripe or overblown, on the contrary,
most wines were extracted carefully and
are as translucent in colour as they are
nuanced in flavour. Our winners are the
deserved representatives of their regions
and represent simply excellent value.
<
PLACE
CASTELFEDER PINOT NERO
MAZON 2019
SÜDTIROL, ITALY
winter 2022/23
falstaff
239

wine / PINOT NOIR TROPHY
KEY TO SYMBOLS
92
•
white wine, dry
red wine, dry
• dessert wine
• rosé
95 – 100 absolute classic
93 – 94 outstanding
91 – 92 excellent
88 – 90 very good
85 – 87 commended
International
Entries
1. Place
Castelfeder Pinot Nero Mazon
2019
Südtirol, Italy
Subtle woodsmoke, red cherry and more
distant notes of Amarena characterise
the nose of this pale wine. The palate immediately
strikes with fine freshness and
wonderfully pure, ripe but tart berry
fruit. There is lovely aromatic depth,
ripeness and freshness. Simply lovely
and most evocative.
www.castelfeder.it • •
2. Place
•
AdamsWein Heerweg
Spätburgunder 2020
Rheinhessen, Germany
Very subtle notes of tart, red berry and
subtle cherry come with a gentle cloud
of woodsmoke. The palate takes up
these aromatic notions and adds finest
freshness that allows us to glimpse the
very depth of fruit and the aromatic nuance.
There is concentration and structure,
expressed by a frame of fine tannin,
elegant and poised. This strikes a most
lovely balance and echoes long with purest
red fruit.
www.adamswein.de • •
3. Place
•
Stodden Pegel 735 2020
Ahr, Germany
Fulsome, aromatic, ripe cherry on the
nose shines with lovely ripeness. The
palate is concentrated and there is ripeness
and warmth in the glowing fruit.
Fine tannins provide structure while
240 falstaff winter 2022/23
freshness counters. This is bold, smooth,
rich and aromatic and has beautiful
length.
www.stodden.de • •
•
Castelfeder Pinot Nero Glen 2020
Südtirol, Italy
The nose on this pale wine is subtle and
shy and nonetheless highly aromatic: tart
red berries come with the slightest hint of
smoke. The translucent palate is light in
body but concentrated, there is lovely
depth of fruit, much suppleness, real
freshness and a smoky berry aftertaste
that is really lasting. Unusual and lovely.
www.castelfeder.it
•
Weingut Steintal Großheubach
•
Alte Reben 2020
Franken, Germany
Reduction, cassis and flint play intriguingly
on the nose. The palate is wonderfully
translucent and shimmers with red
berry and cherry notes alongside subtle
spice. Despite the lightness and freshness,
tannins are firm and come with a
lovely, youthful crunch. It is the aromatic,
red-fruited freshness that lingers. Lovely.
weingut-steintal.de
•
•
GP Winery STEPP Pinot Noir
vom Buntsandstein 2020
Pfalz, Germany
Pure notes of ripe, red cherry on the nose
blend with hints of woodsmoke. The pale
palate is translucent but shows plenty of
well-captured ripeness: luscious but still
fresh. Aromatic purity is key, as is freshness
and a rather fine, graceful tannin
structure. Lovely, aromatic and most seductive,
if light.
no website
•
Castello di Neive LANGHE Doc
•
Pinot Nero iCortini 2019
Langhe, Italy
Very subtle aromatics streak the nose: a
touch of redcurrant, a floral note, oak
leaves, strawberry candy. The palate,
lithe and translucent, crunches pleasantly
with very fine tannin while vivid freshness
is utterly mouth-watering. This is elegant,
unusual and refreshing.
www.castellodineive.it • •
•
Cantina Tramin Maglen 2020
Südtirol, Italy
Creaminess, subtle oak notes, cherry and
a floral overtone characterise the nose.
The palate has ample, aromatic fruit and
lovely depth and strikes a wonderful balance
between aromatic, vivid ripeness
and freshness. This is expressive, there is
no shyness, much ripeness, yet there is
nuance. Lovely length, suppleness and
balance.
www.cantinatramin.it • •
Up to EUR / GBP 15 and USD 20
• •••• ••
EUR
PLACE
ADAMSWEIN HEERWEG
SPÄTBURGUNDER 2020
RHEINHESSEN, GERMANY
91
•
Shelter Winery Spätburgunder
2020
Baden, Germany
An initially shy nose takes quite some
swirling to wake up but rewards with a
beautifully ripe, pure cherry note. The
palate is light and translucent but comes
with a fine web of supple tannins that
only help to underscore the fruit and the
freshness. Lovely balance and a real
sense of Pinotness.
www.shelterwinery.de
•
GP Winery STEPP Pinot Noir 2021
•
Pfalz, Germany
A lovely and pure note of juicy Morello
cherry immediately appears on the open
nose, edged with white pepper. The palate
has that same pure, translucent peppery
nature that is light in body but high
on aromatics. Wonderfully fresh, almost
tender, and also beguiling.
no website
•
•
Weingut Hanewald-Schwerdt
Kalkriff Spätburgunder 2019
Pfalz, Germany
Smoke and toasty oak envelope aromatic,
tart, red cherry on the open nose. The
palate then moves that pure, bright and
aromatic cherry fruit centre stage on a
concentrated but translucent body. The
toasty oak is also felt as fine tannin. This
makes for a bold but elegant Pinot Noir.
www.hanewald-schwerdt.de
•
•
Weingut Otto und Martin Frey
Spätburgunder Gneis ** 2020
Baden, Germany
Lovely, ripe cherry fruit on the nose still
shimmers with flinty, promising reduction.
On the palate, the purity of the fruit,
its elegance and poise becomes fully apparent.
There is a fine web of sulky tannin
and a lovely, unforced lightness of
touch that allows the wine’s depth to
shine through. Beautifully balanced, lithe
and elegant.
www.frey-weine.de
•
•
Domaine Boeckel Pinot Noir
Oberpfoeller 2020
Elsass, France
Lusciously ripe cherry notes on the nose
have a hint of cinnamon spice. The palate
is as supple and generous as the nose
suggests but fine freshness lends silhouette.
A lovely, generous and full-fruited
Pinot Noir with just enough tannins to
counter all of this aromatic, wonderful
fruit.
www.boeckel-alsace.com
•
EUR / GBP 15 – 30 and USD 20 – 35 EUR / GBP 31 – 50 and USD 36 – 60
•• / GBP 51 – 100 and USD 61 – 110 above EUR / GBP 100 and USD 110
•••••
Photos: Marco Rothbrust Fotografie, IDM Südtirol-Alto Adige/andreas Mierswa, supplied

Jean Stodden labeled his
2020 Spätburgunder “Flood
Edition” in a nod to the extreme
rainfall that flooded his
wine cellar in summer 2021.
PLACE
STODDEN PEGEL 735 2020
AHR, GERMANY
•
Weingut Braunewell Essenheim
Pinot Noir 2018
Rheinhesse, Germany
There is so much fruit on the nose that
shines with freshness and aroma – imagine
ripe Morello with overtones of raspberry.
The palate has the same purity and
fullness of fruit on a sinuous, smooth
body that has ample freshness. Finely
woven, elastic tannins show themselves
at on the smooth, long finish.
braunewell-wein.de • •
•
Fournier Père et Fils – AOP
Sancerre Rouge “L‘Ancienne Vigne”
2019
Sancerre, France
Toasty nuances of oak play on the
red-fruited nose. The palate is similarly
red-fruited in character, very slight tannins
lend a little crunch but there is
deeper, riper, subtle fruit. The finish is
juicy and long.
www.fournier-pere-fils.com • •
•
Masùt da Rive Pinot Nero 2019
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
A gently volatile lift carries hints of dried
cherry to the nose, with air the fruit becomes
fuller and fuller. The palate has
lightness but also gentle concentration.
There is flow and structure and even finesse.
Red cherry is held by fine tannins
and framed by freshness that allows the
evolving cherry fruit to shine.
www.masutdarive.com • •
•
Kellerei Bozen Alto Adige DOC Pinot
Nero Riserva Thalman 2019
Südtirol, Italy
Aromatic notes of Amarena cherry blend
with toasty hints of oak and vanilla on
the sonorous nose, signalling both ripeness
and generosity. The palate follows
suit, delivering supple, smooth and
toasty cherry fruit. Fine freshness counters
the ripeness and teases out lively nuances
of red fruit. A bold and ripe wine,
but with fine balance.
www.kellereibozen.com • •
•
Weingut Blankenhorn
Schliegener Ölacker Pinot Noir 2018
Baden, Germany
A very smoky nose almost has a cherry-in-dark-chocolate
vibe. The palate is
juicy and presents that cherry fruit in a
frame of fine, slightly crunchy tannin on
a body that is fresh, juicy, appetising and
bright. That aromatic smokiness returns
on the aromatic finish.
www.weingut-blankenhorn.de • •
•
Klosterkellerei Muri-Gries
Südtirol DOC Blauburgunder Riserva
Abtei Muri 2019
Südtirol, Italy
A flicker of flint and some smoke join aromatic
red cherry on the nose. The juicy,
smooth and supple palate also shows off
beautifully captured red cherry fruit. This
is slender, refreshing, spicy and balanced
with a lovely smoky echo.
www.muri-gries.com • •
•
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
2021 Victoria, Australia
A lovely note of eucalypt immediately
hits the nose, followed closely by tart but
ripe berry. The palate is lithe, translucent,
easy but also full of shimmering aromatics.
This is supple, scented and wonderfully
spicy on the finish.
www.giantstepswine.com.au • •
•
Weingut Fritz Waßmer
Spätburgunder Alte Reben 2019
Baden, Germany
Smoke and cherry unite beautifully on
the nose, showing overtones of charcoal
and autumn leaves. The palate shows off
the fine but firm weave of tannins that
give graceful structure to pure, ripe but
fresh red cherry fruit. There is a well
<
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wine / PINOT NOIR TROPHY
The microclimate of Lake
Caldaro in South Tyrol’s
Oltradige wine growing area
creates optimal conditions for
a variety of grapes.
<
of freshness at the core which is
mouthwatering and underlines the beauty
of the fruit.
www.weingutfritzwassmer.de • •
•
Schloss Johannisberg
Pinot Noir 2019
Rheingau, Germany
A touch of toast and vanilla inform the
fresh red cherry fruit on the nose. This
theme of oak wrapping around fruit is
also played out on the smooth palate. Vanilla
and smoke shimmer alongside the
tart, ripe red cherry fruit and leave a
toasty echo of the medium body.
www.schloss-johannisberg.de • •
•
AdamsWein Ingelheim
Spätburgunder 2020
Rheinhessen, Germany
Gentle notes of red cherry take a while to
emerge on the shy nose but more air displays
their aromatic nature, verging onto
black cherry. The palate shows beautiful
freshness and a tender tartness of fruit,
alongside a graceful tannic structure.
There is real elegance here, and the most
delicious crunch. The red-fruited aromas
last.
www.adamswein.de • •
242 falstaff winter 2022/23
90
•
Weingut Landerer Oberrotweiler
Pinot Noir – Schwarze Erde – 2020
Baden, Germany
Both smoke and flint appear immediately
on the nose before red, ripe cherry shines
through. The palate shows that same
fruit in its freshness and glory, pure and
bright. A lovely sense of freshness pervades
the ripe juiciness on a translucent
but concentrated body. Wonderfully captured
and really balanced.
www.weingut-landerer.de
•
Weingut Fritz Waßmer
•
Spätburgunder M 2019
Baden, Germany
Woodsmoke subtly wraps itself around
ripe, red, aromatic cherry. The palate
comes in with both freshness and definition:
there is gentle extraction that
shows off fine, still wonderfully crunchy
tannins. The supple body is full of freshness,
yet beautifully juicy and generous.
www.weingutfritzwassmer.de
•
Weingut Baumann Vogelweide
•
Spätburgunder 2019
Franken, Germany
Super-juicy cherry fruit, both sweet and
tart is ample on the nose. The palate is
equally fruit-driven on a body that shows
some concentration and much depth of
fruit. Fine tannins add a lovely, smooth
texture while bright freshness lends
brightness and balance. A cherry bomb.
weingut-baumann.de
•
•
Weingut Graf Adelmann
Pinot Noir 2019
Württemberg, Germany
The merest touch of cassis perfumes the
intense, bright red berry fruit on the
nose. The palate then adds and almost
swinging juiciness that lends much elan
to this beautifully captured Pinot that
has balance, litheness and elegance.
Lovely and very juicy.
www.graf-adelmann.com • •
•
Weingut Axel Bauer Pinot Noir
Alte Reben 2020
Baden, Germany
Flinty reduction flickers for a moment
before aromatic, smoky cherry breaks
through on the nose. The palate has purity
and concentration – even poise. Beautifully
fine tannins provide a fitting frame
for this fresh, bright fruit that strikes
Up to EUR / GBP 15 and USD 20
• •••• ••
EUR
EUR / GBP 15 – 30 and USD 20 – 35 EUR / GBP 31 – 50 and USD 36 – 60
•• / GBP 51 – 100 and USD 61 – 110 above EUR / GBP 100 and USD 110
•••••
such a balance.
www.weingut-axel-bauer.de • •
•
Kellerei Girlan Flora Pinot Noir
Riserva 2020
Südtirol, Italy
Toast and hints of Amarena cherry combine
with some smokiness into a sultry
nose. The palate shows oak both in flavour
and texture, there is toastiness as
well as tannin, along with a lick of vanilla.
The fruit underneath, however, is pure
and bright, with quite some concentration.
www.girlan.it • •
89
•
Domaine Boeckel Pinot Noir
Oberpfoeller 2021
Elsass, France
A touch of reduction still plays on the
nose but allows glimpses of toasty oak
and smoky red cherry. The body is taut
and fresh with fruit that does not quite
fill the palate but nonetheless presents
lovely red-fruited purity. A fine web of
tannins supports with structure.
www.boeckel-alsace.com
Photos: IDM/Südtirol Wein/Benjamin Pfitscher

•
Weingut Fritz Waßmer
Spätburgunder 2020
Baden, Germany
A lifted note of aromatic, ripe cherry rises
from the glass. The palate is vivid with
juicy and ripe cherry, both red and black. A
wonderfully fruit-driven wine whose structure
becomes apparent on the finish.
www.weingutfritzwassmer.de
•
Weingut Burg Ravensburg Sulzfeld
•
Pinot Noir VDP.Ortswein 2020
Baden, Germany
Ripe cherry on the nose signals much juiciness.
That cherry vibe also pervades the
palate which brims with juiciness and fruit
that was captured at just the right moment
of both ripeness and freshness. This
is far too easy to drink.
www.weingut-burg-ravensburg.de
•
•
Fournier Père et Fils – AOP
Menetou-Salon Rouge “Côtes de
Morogues” 2021
Menetou Salon, France
This pale beauty comes with both floral
and smoky overtones. The lithe and translucent
palate opens up into charming red
berry notes that come with nettle-like
overtones. The finish holds just a touch of
pepperiness. This is light but aromatic.
www.fournier-pere-fils.com
•
•
Weingut Braunewell Pinot Noir 2019
Rheinhessen, Germany
Very juicy, ripe red cherry comes with the
merest lick of vanilla on the nose. That fragrant
nature carries right over onto the
palate where that fruit attains even more
lovely, juicy purity. This is fresh, fruity and
briming with Morello and red cherry notes.
Delicious, spicy and disarming in its lovely
fragrant but utterly fresh fruitiness.
braunewell-wein.de
•
•
Castelfeder Pinot Nero
Buchholz 2020
Südtirol, Italy
Super pale and rather smoky on the nose,
this comes with alluring cherry aromas.
On the palate there are beautifully nuanced
hints of red berries – think cranberry
and raspberry. This is evocative, elegant
and comes with a wonderful, inherent
freshness. Bravo.
www.castelfeder.it
•
•
Kellerei Girlan Patricia
Pinot Noir 2020
Südtirol, Italy
Initially there is a hint of lenti-like earthiness,
with air, hints of ripe red cherry appear.
The palate is fresh, light yet really
ripe, presenting juicy, bright cherry with
fresh-faced honesty. This is wonderfully
unpretentious and appetising.
www.girlan.it
•
•
Kellerei St. Michael-Eppan
Pinot Noir Riserva Fallwind 2019
Südtirol, Italy
Ripeness of fleshy black cherries and subtle
smoke characterise the nose. The
same fleshy fruit is evident on the rounded
palate that is nonetheless rather supple.
Tannins have a slight grip and are reminiscent
of apple pip, there is generosity here
but also freshness.
www.stmichael.it
•
•
Weingut Burg Ravensburg
Heitlinger Pinot Noir Reserve 2019
Baden, Germany
Gentle smoke and ripe, red cherry on the
nose come with hints of iron oxide. The
palate has a lovely, serene note of tart red
cherry and a lovely concentration and purity
at it core. Very fine tannins and fine
freshness add structure.
www.weingut-burg-ravensburg.de
•
•
J. de Villebois – AOP Sancerre
Rouge 2020
Sancerre, France
Ripeness is immediately apparent on the
nose that brims with cherry aromas that
have top notes of toast, cinnamon and just
a hint of blueberry. The palate is juicy and
smooth, also touched by that aromatic
cinnamon, toast and blueberry notion.
Lovely freshness counters this relative
generosity on the finish.
www.jdevillebois.com
•
88
•
Fournier Père et Fils – Vin de France
Pinot Noir Rouge “F de Fournier” 2021
Vin de France, France
The red-fruited charm of tart cranberry is
immediate on the nose and has overtones
of conifer. The palate is lithe and beautifully
translucent, light but fruity. Supple
tannins and fine freshness complement
the fruit.
www.fournier-pere-fils.com
•
Weingut Baumann Vogelweide
•
Spätburgunder 2021
Franken, Germany
The open and intense nose is a picture of
Morello cherry juice – almost uncannily so.
The palate carries on in the same, juicy,
pure-fruited vein and adds freshness on a
body that has the slightest fizz. Very vivid,
very youthful, juicy and fruity.
weingut-baumann.de
•
•
Weingut Hanewald-Schwerdt
Spätburgunder 2019
Pfalz, Germany
The shy nose only reveals hints of red
cherry ant wet pebble. The palate is juicy
with darker cherry and has slightly diffuse
tannins that lend both mouthfeel and a
very slight touch of bitterness. The finish
is fresh and mouth-watering.
www.hanewald-schwerdt.de
•
•
Clauß Pinot Noir Urbanus 2019
Baden, Germany
Smoke and peat on the nose give a real
sense of autumnal earthiness. There also
is a sense of smoked, cured meat that suggests
evolution. The palate comes across
much fresher and presents pure, beautiful
cherry fruit but also oaky tannin. This is
slender, aromatic and rather autumnal
with a mouth-watering hint of bitterness.
www.weingutclauss.de
•
•
Domaine Garrabou Le Salsous 2021
Languedoc, France
A touch of toasty oak envelopes the ripe
red cherry notes on the nose. The palate,
likewise, is characterised by oaky tannin
that lend grip to this fruity, fresh and
cherry-scented wine.
•
•
Panizzi Pinot Nero
San Gimignano DOC 2020
San Gimignano, Italy
An almost lifted sense of wild raspberry –
with a perfumed overtone of raspberry
leaf – makes for a most aromatic nose. An
ultra-light body also holds this red-fruited
charm and presents a juicy, light-bodied
and refreshing wine that would work really
well when slightly chilled. A fruity, light
and aromatic little number.
www.panizzi.it
•
Hofkellerei Domäne Vaduz –
•
Stiftung Fürst Liechtenstein Pinot Noir
AOC 2019
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
A rather shy nose hints coyly at red cherry.
The palate bolsters this lovely fruit, almost
lending a note of Amarena. The palate
is lithe, translucent and vivid with
freshness, a touch of oak rounds it all out.
www.hofkellerei.li • •
87
•
Weingut Burg Ravensburg
Heitlinger Pinot Noir VDP.Gutswein
2019
Baden, Germany
Just slight notes of smoky cherry appear
on the nose. The palate immediately
shows freshness that manages to corral
that lovely cherry fruit. This is light-bodied
and will work well when chilled, too.
www.weingut-burg-ravensburg.de
•
86
•
Clauß Nacker Spätburgunder
Réserve trocken 2019
Baden, Germany
High-toned, bright cherry notes come with
a sense of earthiness on the nose. The
pale palate is juicy, fresh and has herbal
overtones that sometimes verge into oak
leaf. The finish is fresh and earthy.
www.weingutclauss.de
•
VignAlta Pinot Nero Veneto IGT 2017
•
Veneto, Italy
A distinct brick colour and a touch of
leather and earth on the nose signal some
bottle age. The palate also shows signs
of evolution with meaty overtones and
earthy red fruit. Acidity still lends a certain
sprightliness but this is at its peak
now.
www.vignalta.it • •
•
J. de Villebois – Vin de France Pinot
Noir Rouge 2021
Vin de France, France
A distant hint of cherry appears on the
nose but gains in intensity with more air.
The palate is light and comes with easy,
ripe cherry charm. The body is smooth,
balanced and fresh.
www.jdevillebois.com
•
More tasting notes
online at falstaff.com
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spirits / GIN
Photo: Shutterstock
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Gin has taken the world by
storm. Sales have risen
dramatically over the past 20
years and the diversity of
gins continues to grow.
HYPE
WITHOUT
END
The gin hype continues unabated. Sales figures and innovation in juniper spirits
have been growing for years – nothing can stop this trend.
WORDS BENJAMIN HERZOG
winter 2022/23 falstaff 245

spirits / GIN
EXPERTS HAVE
LONG PREDICTED
THE END OF THE GIN
HYPE. CONSUMERS
ARE PROVING THEM
WRONG.
Gin is on trend – and has
been for many years. The
category is still growing
year on year, not even the
pandemic was able to
change that – on the contrary.
The market research from IWSR
Drinks Market Analysis predicted before
the pandemic that gin consumption
would reach a peak in 2019 in its most
important market, Great Britain.
However, the fact that a gin and tonic is
also quickly mixed at home ensured that
this peak was only reached during the
2020 pandemic. IWSR also reported that
it could be assumed that growth would
not stop in the next few years. The only
segment where stagnation or a slight
decline is expected is standard gin; the
premium sector, on the other hand, looks
likely to continue growing across the
world – at least until 2023.
Photos: Shutterstock, BOAR Distillery im Schwarzwald, Roku Gin, Stin Gin / Stiefkind Fotografie
246 falstaff
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Regional in their very own fashion: The Stin gin by Reinhard Jagerhofer (left) and Johannes Firmenich
captures the flavours of southern Styria. The Roku Gin (below) is absolutely Japanese with botanicals
like cherry blossom and yuzu.
According to market research by Nielsen,
gin sales also rose year on year in other key
markets. Various other market researchers
predict further annual growth rates of four
to seven percent until 2023. Any other spirits
category can only dream of such figures.
It is difficult to say how long the gin hype
will last. Bar people and spirits experts
have repeatedly predicted the end of the
trend but have been proven wrong time
and again. Innovation is still possible, as
the category of rosé and pink gins, which
have become increasingly popular in recent
years, proves. And there may be a clear reason
for this: the quality of all those premium
gins is remarkable.
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR
SOLDIERS
Juniper spirit started its conquest of Europe
during the Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to
1648, one of the most devastating conflicts
to play out on the European continent.
English soldiers were fighting in Holland at
the time and noticed how the juniper spirit
called genever helped the Dutch troops to
summon courage on the battlefield.
So-called “Dutch courage” also became
increasingly popular with the English. The
development into a mass drink in Great
Britain was further fuelled by the accession
of William III to the English throne in 1689
– he hailed from Holland. William lowered
taxes on the distilling of spirits and raised
them on the brewing of beer and the
import of foreign goods. A most >
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spirits / GIN
Mixing gin-based cocktails and long drinks – especially gin and tonic – can easily be accomplished at home.
This simple fact created yet another boost to the category during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
>
advantageous move for all the gin distillers.
But it took a few more years for the
Dutch genever to become the quintessentially
British dry gin. Many well-known
English gin brands of our time have their
origins in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Gordon’s distillery was founded in 1769
and is considered the first to launch a London
Dry Gin. To this day, juniper berries,
coriander seeds, angelica, orange and lemon
peel and other secret ingredients are
used as botanicals. In contrast to the gin
varieties known until then, Gordon’s omitted
the sugar originally added to the gin.
London Dry Gin was born. The Tanqueray
company, founded in 1830, followed Gordon’s
example and used dry gin, as did the
Beefeater brand launched 30 years later.
Beefeater was quite elaborate by the standards
of the time and always used nine
botanicals: juniper berries, coriander, angelica
root and seeds, almond, liquorice root,
lily seeds and lemon and orange peel. For
many years, Gordon’s, Tanqueray and Beefeater
were the top dogs. The first sparks of
gin diversity as we know it today did not
emerge until the 1980s at the earliest, if at
all. The Bombay Sapphire brand was introduced
in 1987 and is now considered one
of the earliest references for a premium gin.
2000 – THE KEY YEAR FOR GIN
The current gin hype developed from the
turn of the millennium onwards. The year
2000 saw the launch of Tanqueray No. Ten,
as well as the now classic Hendrick’s Gin,
There are hardly any
limits to the distillers’
imagination when it
comes to gin botanicals:
How about a willowherb?
Photos: Shutterstock, Steiner Bros, Young Salt
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Rowanberry is no longer
restricted to high-end
eaux-de-vie; today it is
also popular as a gin
botanical.
Martin and Johannes Steiner
with their Steinhorn Gin, one
of the best gins made in
Austria.
which dazzled drinkers with its cucumber
flavour and started a new wave of gin
enjoyment when cucumber and pepper
were added to the gin and tonic. These new
brands were more refined in taste, unique
and, thanks to the use of new botanicals,
they exemplified the diversity and versatility
of the spirit. To a large extent, of course,
it was also clever marketing that ensured
that gin began to take off at the turn of the
millennium. Within a short time, it became
popular in England and the USA, soon also
in Spain and across continental Europe. It
had finally reached the mainstream. Gin’s
versatility, the rather simple, quick production
process and last but not least its success
ensured that new distillers and brands
sprang up across the world. The big brands
drove the hype with their marketing money,
while small craft brewers took advantage
of the existing trends that stressed both
craftsmanship and regionality.
A MONKEY ON THE ROAD TO
SUCCESS
In this context, a brand from Germany –
Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin – was
right at the forefront of the continental
trend. The inventors launched the gin in
2010 with a production of just 2,000 bottles;
by 2013, 150,000 bottles had already been
sold. An unparalleled success story – the distillery
is now fully owned by the spirits
group Pernod Ricard. The much-predicted
consolidation of brands has only happened
partially. New suppliers are still entering the
market. And surprisingly often they are successful.
Classic fruit distillers are in the gin
business, as are start-ups and young craft
distillers. The regionality of gin brands is
particularly pronounced in German-speaking
countries; almost every city now has its own
local gin brand. A certain tendency towards
larger or supra-regional brands can currently
be observed but it remains to be seen how
many of the small distilleries will survive. A
certain cut-throat competition has set in for
gin, but the hype is far from over. <
Tanqueray No. ten was
launched in 2000 – a key year
for premium gin worldwide.
NEW GINS CONTINUE TO
SURPRISE US WITH NEW
BOTANICALS AND DEMON-
STRATE THE SHEER ENDLESS
DIVERSITY OF GIN.
winter 2022/23 falstaff 249

wine/ CHAMPAGNE BARS
TOP
10
CHAMPAGNE
BARS
Photos: Lars Gundersen, Balthazaar
TIME TO CELE
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1
BALTHAZAR
COPENHAGEN
The term Balthazar refers to a
12-litre Champagne bottle. So
it made sense to name the first
champagne bar in the heart of
Copenhagen and Denmark after
the giant bottle. The Balthazar
Champagne bar in the Hotel
d’Angleterre is naturally all about
Champagne – fom more than 42
different producers.
BRATE
It’s
a special feeling. And a bit of luxury.
Champagne should be enjoyed in the right
ambience – preferably in a Champagne bar.
WORDS HERTA SCHEIDINGER
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wine / CHAMPAGNE BARS
2
THE BAR
VENDÔME
PARIS
Where better to enjoy Champagne
than in an intimate setting surrounded
by red velvet at the Bar
Vendôme in the Hôtel Ritz, where
the atmosphere is lively, elegant
and at the same time relaxed.
Don’t forget to take note of the
famous Belle Époque glass roof.
3
FLÛTE BAR
NEW YORK CITY
Flûte Midtown is New York City’s
premier address for Champagne
and the original Champagne
speakeasy. This is where French
lifestyle meets New York City
nightlife. The Flûte Bar & Lounge
welcomes Champagne lovers
as well as those who are simply
looking for the ideal place to have
a drink with friends.
Foto: Photos: xxxxxxxxxxx Vincent Leroux, Tina Hillier, Park Hyatt Tokyo, provided
252 falstaff winter 2022/23

4
LE BAR AT
THE PLAZA
ATHÉNÉE
PARIS
This is a place to sip either
cocktails or Champagne.
Every aspect of the design is a
delightful surprise. A bar with
style and modern sophistication
that stands out from the rest.
An exceptional place for
Parisian moments.
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wine / CHAMPAGNE BARS
5
NEW YORK
BAR
TOKYO
High in the Tokyo sky, the New
York Bar effortlessly reflects the
spirit of its namesake: the city
that never sleeps. The cosmopolitan
atmosphere is complemented
by a drinks menu that delights
Champagne and cocktail lovers
alike and invites you to while the
night away.
6
ST. PANCRAS
BY SEARCYS
LONDON
Searcys Champagne Bar is
inspired by the bygone golden era
of rail travel. The bar features
plush velvet, brass details, deep
blue tones and Searcys’ signature
geometric patterns. It‘s a great
place to enjoy Champagne from
an extensive menu.
Foto: Photos: xxxxxxxxxxx Aimee Gouk/Searcys, Arnaud Laplanche/marriott, © Fred Laurès, Vincent Leroux
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7
CAFÉ DU
PALAIS
REIMS
Underneath an Art Deco glass
roof designed by Jacques
Simon you can explore the large
Champagne menu in colourful
surroundings that very much
match the Art Deco style. The
Café du Palais is currently being
run by the fifth generation of the
Vogt family.
8
BAR LE
DOKHAN’S
CHICAGO
Time seems to stand still when
you take a seat in the plush green
velvet armchairs here. After dark,
the intimate atmosphere is lit only
by candles. There are 240 Champagnes
on the menu: well-known
brands as well as so-called
Grower Champagnes.
winter 2022/23 falstaff
255

wine / CHAMPAGNE BARS
9
BAR
HEMINGWAY
PARIS
Sink into one of the comfortable,
characterful leather armchairs
and order a legendary Champagne
cocktail. With only 25 seats
and no distracting music, this
unique bar feels like an exclusive
members’ club – and a pilgrimage
site. Every visitor immediately
understands why.
10
BIBO BAR
HONG KONG
The Bibo is an incredibly stylish
place. The art is a big draw and
it actually feels more like a contemporary
art gallery than a bar.
Artworks by prominent artists are
almost everywhere you look and
the rooms leave a lasting impression.
The Champagne, wine and
cocktail menu is well curated.
Photos: Nathaniel McMahon, Getty Images
256 falstaff
winter 2022/23

travel / INTERVIEW
MY BEST
TRIP
The visionary French chef travels the world
and returns to her culinary empire with an
abundance of inspiration.
INTERVIEW ANNE KREBIEHL MW
FALSTAFF What is your earliest travel memory?
ANNE-SOPHIE PIC I have been travelling abroad since I was a
teenager, starting with summer camp in Pennsylvania when
I was 16. I loved it!
Who is your favourite travel companion?
My family! David, my husband and Nathan, my son.
Where will you always return to?
Asia. I’m very fond of this continent, which I discovered
when I was 20.
I never leave for a trip without ...
... my Hermes notebook. It is very precious because I write
all my ideas in it. I’m always afraid to lose one! The size is
great, super-convenient to carry in the bag and comes in different
colors.
My in-flight essentials:
Tea: Genmaicha Geranium Rosat from my tea selection.
Perfume by Francis Kurkdjian, Baccarat Rouge or Aqua Celestia,
a Hermes notebook.
Do you plan every detail of your trip or just let things flow?
I would say both! I like to be organised so that I have time to let
things flow and can enjoy my free time.
The famed chef is a
huge fan of Asia and
prefers to travel with
genmaicha tea from
her own selection
and a book by
Japanese poet Ryoko
Sekiguchi.
ANNE-SOPHIE PIC
Born into the prestigious Pic family,
the French chef is carrying on her
father Jacque’s remarkable legacy.
The only female cuisinière in
France to hold three Michelin stars,
Anne-Sophie Pic is expanding
the family empire with international
establishments in places like
London, Lausanne and Singapore.
Pic is married to David Sinapian,
with whom she has a son, Nathan.
French essentials: Pic never boards a plane without her
favourite Francis Kurkdjian perfume and Hermès notebook.
Which criteria lead you to book a hotel, B&B or holiday home?
The company I’m travelling with and the place I’m visiting. For a
long stay I prefer a holiday home, for a short stay a B&B or hotel.
What is your favourite means of travel?
The train, because it allows me to work efficiently.
Your most memorable destination?
Venice! My husband and I took the Orient Express for our
anniversary.
Your favourite travel book?
Ryoko Sekiguchi’s books and the Air France magazine.
Photos: AnneEmmanuelle Thion, Maison Pic, Unsplash, supplied
258 falstaff winter 2022/23

SOME PEOPLE CALL IT A HOTEL.
WE CALL IT A HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME IN VIENNA.
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