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LIFE
THE AUSTRALIAN, TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 theaustralian.com.au/life
GR APE VINE NICK RYAN
A masterclass on Bordeaux secrets This column spent last week diving deep into cabernet sauvignon and has come out the other side a good deal wiser. Some would argue that’s coming off a low base. Every couple of years I work with Negociants Australia, one of the leading importers of the world’s finest wines, to put on a trade education program called the Working With Wine Fellowship. More than 500 sommeliers and wine retailers sit an entrance exam to secure one of 50 seats at a masterclass series conducted around the country in two stages. The first of them took place last week — an exploration of the red wines of Bordeaux, how they differ through the various sub-regions of the famed Left and Right banks, and how Bordeaux’s influence, and its key varieties have spread throughout the wine world. For the participants it’s a rare chance to see some of the best wines in the world within a carefully structured framework. For me it’s a rare chance that gets repeated. And repeated. And repeated. Tasting the same 25 wines every day for a week presents opportunities for uncommon insights. Insights I wouldn’t get if trying to replicate the tastings on my own time or my own coin. The bill for the wines presented at each seminar would get close to $10,000 each day. And it’s that partly the point of the fellowship, to expose the next generation of sommeliers and wine merchants to the kind of vinous greatness that would otherwise break the bank. Each day began with a bracket of five 2015 wines from the Left bank, vineyards that lie west of the Garonne River and the Gironde estuary into which it flows. It highlighted the subtle, yet distinct, differences as you work your way north to south through the Medoc, from St Estephe at one end, through the power of Pauillac, the grandeur of St Julien, the grace of Margaux and the detail of Pessac-Leognan south of the city of Bordeaux. A second bracket focused on five vintages of PessacLeognan producer Chateau Haut-Bailly, guided by the estate’s technical director, Gabriel Vialard. At the beginning of the 20th century, Haut-Bailly attracted prices on par with the likes of Lafite, Latour and Cheval Blanc. The tasting suggested contemporary critics may well be right when they predicate Haut-Bailly is on its way to return to such rarefied air. A third bracket focused on the expressive, occasionally hedonistic, merlot-driven wines from the Right bank communes, Pommerol and Saint-Emilion, and a fourth bracket focused on five wines from highly regarded Saint-Emilion producer Troplong-Mondot. The final bracket was a celebration of migration, highlighting the spread of cabernet sauvignon around the winemaking world with wines from Argentina, Coonawarra, Margaret River, Tuscany and California. A tasting like this delivers many lessons. Repeating it for a week etches them deep. The key points: The 2015 vintage in Bordeaux is one of the greats, in many cases the equal of the hyped pair of 2009 and 2010. Highlights from last week’s tasting include a profound Pichon-Lalande, a plush and expansive Chateau Palmer, a sublimely detailed Chateau Figeac and an utterly decadent Chateau Angelus. Under Viallard Chateau Haut-Bailly is on a rapid ascent back to top rank of Bordeaux. The prices charged now will not be the prices charged in five years. Bordeaux is woefully under-represented on Australian wine lists. Eye-watering prices are partly to blame for that, but an inherited prejudice against the region seems to be built into the current crop of local sommeliers. Hopefully the events of last week may have helped break that down a bit. And finally, while there’s no denying that cabernet sauvignon will always feel most at home with its roots in the gravelly undulations of the Medoc. There’s a patch of this big brown country, over in the southwest corner, where it is capable of very special things.
Vasse Felix Tom Cullity 2015, Margaret River $180 The third vintage of a blend built on cabernet sauvignon and malbec devised by owner Paul Holmes a Court and winemaker Virginia Willcock to honour Vasse Felix founder Tom Cullity and the original vineyards he planted in 1967. This wine more than held its own alongside some of the big names of Bordeaux. Its fine etching, elegant detail and beautifully long lines force it into any conversation about Australia’s best cabernet blend.
Families on the run, prostitutes renting by the hour, adulterous couples, dirty cops, drug deals — American motels generally have sordid associations, perpetuated on screen with horror films like Psycho and Mountaintop Motel Massacre. The modern sets are even grimmer in Breaking Bad’s depressing Crossroads Motel (otherwise known as the Crystal Palace) and 2017’s Florida Project, where the action takes place around the ironically titled Magic Castle Motel. Originally, US motels were sunny “mum and dad’’ enterprises. They peaked in the 1950s as a response to post-war optimism and the building boom. In California especially, they were ubiquitous roadside pit-stops, brick U-shaped buildings surrounding a swimming pool perfect for socialising. Says Palm Springs resident and mid-century architectural historian and preservationist Robert Imber: “America was growing an increasingly mobile middle and upper-middle class, prone to travelling across the country on the allnew interstate system, as well as people moving to cities far away from home for jobs.’’ By the mid-70s, though, these neon-lit low rises became outdated, a hotbed of crime and lowrent halfway houses. Then, larger hotels and resorts began to expand. “They had amenities a small motel couldn’t offer. Likewise, while there were always foreign visitors and travelling Americans, more people began flying to vacations and travelling abroad,” says Imber. All hail the hipsters who are taking this untapped resource and reimagining dated motels around the US into affordable and trendy accommodation while retaining the simple, low-lying format. Many have become destinations themselves. Avalon Hotel, Los Angeles Unlike its Beverly Hills neighbours, the Avalon is a discreet residential treasure where the ghosts of guests Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball hover around the boomerang-shaped pool. The multi-million-dollar renovation by LA design darling Kelly Wearstler is a curated mash-up of “old Hollywood meets midcentury” and “retro meets deco” with some marine-green glam thrown in. Think Knoll’s Platner chairs, Italian gilt columns, stacks of marble and a cocktail in the cabana. The architectural map hasn’t changed but it’s now at the more sophisticated (and pricier) end of the old-meets-new motel spectrum. ● avalon-hotel.com The Goodland, Santa Barbara What the millennials say goes, so you can’t blame the big hoteliers for wanting to get in on the action. A former Holiday Inn, the 158room Kimpton Goodland does a nice job of creating a laid-back sunny 70s surfer vibe with communal hangout areas, pool tables, live music and an outdoor firepit. It may seem like a motel in the middle of nowhere — and it is easy to miss — but it’s only 15 minutes from chi-chi Santa Barbara, just off the 101. Keep your eyes peeled for the Airstream in the driveway. Guests can park right outside their room. The best bit is VNYL, a lobby record booth and listening library of 1960s to 1990s classics that you can spin on record players in your room. ● thegoodland.com Alamo Motel, Los Alamos Surrounded by idyllic farmland and perched in the underrated but very cool town of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Alamo has a “New Mexico meets sum-
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BACK TO THE 50s
TRAVEL
At The Drifter motel in New Orleans the carpark is now a tropical courtyard; the Surfrider, a Malibu beach house, below left; Texas’s Austin Motel kept its no-frills rooms
Hipsters are taking dated motels and creating affordable, trendy accommodation CARLI PHILIPS mer-camp” flavour. This very different sort of motel sports interiors inspired by artist Georgia O’Keefe and features heavy use of plywood, whitewash, serape blankets and saguaro cacti motifs. Ranch-style rooms open on to a fairy lightstrewn yard with oak trees, communal fire pits and a tiny but tempting bar. An excellent base for exploring wine country. ● rememberthealamomotel.com Skyview, Los Alamos Nearby is the newly refashioned Skyview, a former late 1950s motel given a well-needed rustic-chic upgrade in keeping with the spirit of the surrounding frontier town. Off highway 101, it was a convenient stopover on the way from LA to San Francisco but now, with a working vineyard set on 2ha, it is
a worthy destination in itself . The boutique bolthole will set you up with a proper room key (no slot cards here) and in the ultimate ode to the motel, the restaurant has been christened Norman. As in, Bates. ● skyviewlosalamos.com Surfrider, Malibu Byron Bay-born Emma Goodwin and her husband, Matt, an architect, have brought Malibu’s 1950sera Surfrider back to life after it fell into disrepair in the 1980s. It’s slow-paced and stylish — a Californian beach house with all the trimmings. “While originally a motel, we did everything possible to design a boutique hotel, albeit keeping the footprint. We wanted to design something timeless as opposed to trendy,” says Goodwin,
Surfer vibe altogether more chic Next-level motel? I give you the welcome drink at Halcyon House alongside Cabarita Beach in northern NSW. It’s a mauve concoction made with gin from Australia’s Ink distillery, featuring at least a dozen botanicals and butterfly pea flowers. It’s an arrival tipple worthy of any hipster bolthole in, say, New York or Hong Kong. This award-winning 21-room property, which sits on Conde
Halcyon House alongside Cabarita Beach Nast Traveller’s Gold List, has elevated the notion of a seaside motor inn to something altogether more chic and stylish.
who outfitted the interiors with Picasso prints, Belgian linen sofas and custom pantone surfboards. In-house drinks and dining is local, sustainable and organic but there’s also a shout-out to home with amenities from Australia’s The Grown Alchemist. With new soundproof windows, you’ll barely notice the Pacific Coast Highway just outside. Perfect for the Surfrider’s new clientele: roadtrippers, LA folk, celebrities and surfers coming in for the lastminute swell. ● thesurfridermalibu.com L’Horizon Hotel, Palm Springs Illustrious architect William F. Cody designed the 1952 Horizon in Palm Springs as a private retreat with 20 guesthouses for his clients and their A-list friends. Like most The Brisbane owners, who reopened in 2015, were clever to retain the breeze blocks, Spanish arches, arcades and surfer vibe of an unlovely 1960s property. The architect worked with elements of the original building and interiors were transformed by designer Anna Spiro with rich fabrics, eclectic treasures and patterned tiles. She has achieved an individual look for every guestroom and suite and splashed the main areas in blue and white with a sunny yellow twist that looks more Capri than Cabarita. The poolside Paper Daisy restaurant, as popular with locals and passing travellers as
popular post-war styles, the lowslung property features expanses of glass, sparse planters, brick and stone with simple — yet smart — unadorned features. In 2015 Californian designer Steve Hermann transformed the 1.2ha property, preserving its bones but giving it a new desert chic look with some long-forgotten old-school glamour. “Motels have almost always been part of the desert history,” says Imber, referencing the resort town where Hollywood stars could vacation as it was within the driving limits contracted by the movie studios (in case of urgent call-backs). Today’s Main Street is California Highway 111, formerly the thoroughfare coming from Arizona and heading into Los Angeles. ● lhorizonpalmsprings.com with guests, was named for the wildflowers on nearby Norrie’s Headland. Opening chef Ben Devlin has recently handed over the reins to Jason Barratt, formerly of Rae’s on Wategos at nearby Byron Bay. Move over fish and chips and hello rice-crumbed prawns with chilli and ginger pickle salad. Those who find it difficult to believe in such an Aussie motel renaissance should be further assured of the absence of hatches for breakfast trays, tiny packets of Cornflakes, slivers of soap and chenille bedspreads. ■ halcyonhouse.com.au SUSAN KUROSAWA
Brentwood Hotel, Saratoga Springs Formerly a run-down motor lodge, the Brentwood is unrecognisable as a new 12-room singlestorey hotel overlooking the famous Saratoga Springs racecourse in the heart of New York’s thoroughbred racing territory. Designers Studio Tack have refurbished the stable-style property with subtle equine motifs complemented by gentlemanly navy and brass finishes, porch lamps, shiplap joinery, gilt frames and painted plywood floors. The handsome hotel has held on to its motel must haves: a fire pit and parking to your door. ● brentwood-hotel.com The Anvil, Wyoming In the heart of rugged cowboy country, The Anvil has kept its old rodeo signage. Everything else has been touched though: designers Studio Tack have created a modern interpretation of the classic western lodge, boasting a workwear-cum-heritage feel with cast iron beds, pala kilim rugs, board and batten walls and Woolrich wool blankets for keeping cosy. Surrounded by dramatic natural terrain, there’s more outdoor activities than you can poke a fishing rod at but fireside board games and mountain treats beckon. An ode to the American West, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone adventurers can grab a map and woollen socks from the lobby shop. ● anvilhotel.com The Drifter, New Orleans Architect Joel Ross has retained the quintessential 1950s layout of this two-storey motel, with the exception of the original parking lot, which is now a tropical courtyard. Inspired by the “drifters’’ of America’s post-war beat generation, there’s a playful good-vibes atmosphere with a solid music calendar and rotation of food trucks serving up Haitian, Colombian and Mexican dishes under a big disco ball. Rooms are modest but there’s a hip nostalgia to the public spaces that will seem cool to Generation Z and wistful to the baby boomers. Just the right amount of modern amenity without sacrificing its mid-century appeal. ● thedrifterhotel.com Austin Motel, Texas The Austin, which opened in the 1930s, has retained its no-frills accommodation. The original enclosed carports now house the largest guest suites. Hospitality group Bunkhouse has accessorised it to the max with funky push-button phones, tufted vinyl beds, kitschy laminated desks and 80s pop art. The in-house 24-hour bodega will sort you out with suncatchers, Polaroid cameras and ashtrays. The bare bones have been maintained and the original kidney-shaped pool is flanked with red-string loungers for people-watching. As for directions, you won’t miss it: the iconic neon vacancy is sign so suggestive it has been nicknamed the Phallus Palace. ● austinmotel.com Haven, Montauk Formerly the Blue Haven Motel, the super chill remodelled Haven in the fishing village of Montauk couldn’t be more at odds with its prim and posh Hamptons neighbours. The bed-and-breakfaststyle property, open from May until October (when Manhattanites escape the big city), is right on the harbour. The wraparound deck is a shared space, as is the garden with its bright picnic tables. Rooms are beach-basic and accessories err on the indie side of things, but it’s perfectly suited to Montauk’s salt-of-the-earth energy. ● havenmontauk.com
Device addiction, career pressure, cluelessness in the #MeToo age add up to mass celibacy A discussion with US uni students reveals a lot about changing attitudes THE ECONOMIST
To underline his theory that sexuality is a construct of human discourse, the philosopher Michel Foucault noted that people talk about sex a lot. “We convince ourselves that we have never said enough on the subject,” he wrote in his (four-volume) The History of Sexuality. “It is possible that where sex is concerned, the most long-winded, the most impatient of societies is our own.” After a three-hour discussion of sex and dating with 30 students at Northwestern University, on the rainy shore of Lake Michigan, your columnist felt he knew why. Few fields of human behaviour — and none more important — are so hard to explain. The visit was spurred by the latest evidence that young people in
the US — as in Japan and some They were, despite their shared other rich countries — are having interest in studying sex at an elite much less sex. The portion of university, a diverse crowd: Americans aged 18 to 29 who claim straight and gay, black and white, to have had no sex for 12 months outgoing and reserved. About half has more than doubled in a decwere from religious families; a ade, to 23 per cent last year. couple from migrant ones. That is, counterintuitively, Yet all seemed willing despite removal of many to discuss their sexual WELL impediments to sex. likes, dislikes and anxieBEING Young Americans are ties, including body shyless religious and more reness and the use of porn, laxed about sexual orienand the possible role of both tation than they have ever been. in fuelling a millennial obsession They are also readier to exper- with pubic grooming. iment, in part owing to the deluge To the extent that they repreof free porn they receive on smart- sented their generation, diffidence phones. about sex is not the problem. “You have access to the entire The biggest reasons for the “sex body of porn in your rucksacks!” recession” are probably straightmarvelled Alexandra Solomon, a forward. Married couples have clinical psychologist who runs more sex than singletons and Northwestern’s renowned “Mar- Americans are marrying later. riage 101” course, in a subsequent Economic duress is another lecture. dampener: it is no coincidence the Her comment elicited hardly slowdown in young Americans’ any amusement. Indeed, the most sex lives began during the great restriking thing about the students cession. Partly as a result of it, to your columnist — in effect, a many of them still live with their visitor from the 1990s — was how parents. And the low esteem that frank and unembarrassable they poor prospects engender, as the seemed. experience of many Japanese
tragically attests, can also cause mass celibacy. The recent vigour of America’s economy might make this seem less relevant — especially among high-achievers like the Northwestern students. Yet it was striking how many mentioned the 2008 recession, including their memories of the distress it caused their parents, as a reason to prioritise their careers, even to the extent of forgoing romance entirely. “We’re not looking to get married any more, so what are we doing?” asked one woman. But that still does not seem to explain the persistence of America’s sex recession, or its most extreme feature: how concentrated it is among men. Since 2008 there has been almost a threefold rise in the share of men under the age of 30 who claim to be having no sex. At the same time, the portion of sexless women increased by only 8 per cent. A range of possible explanations for the disparity has been suggested, and the students seemed to corroborate several of them. Many felt men’s social skills
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Stylish women take selfies at the Kentucky Oaks meeting had been especially eroded by over-reliance on technology. Overindulgence in porn, meanwhile, offered them an escape from reality. Yet the most compelling answer, because it contains elements of all that and more, may be signalled by young people’s increasing reluctance to date. This is often blamed on the “hook-up culture” of college cam-
puses. Yet casual sex and dating coexisted in the 1990s. It is also easy to exaggerate — now as then — how many people are hooking up. Half the Northwestern students said they rarely or never did. Yet they also rattled off reasons not to date, which, among the men, who would traditionally take the lead in such encounters, included uncertainty about how they were even managed. Many
considered the prospect of chatting someone up in a bar not merely daunting but possibly offensive. “Revealing that your intention in talking to someone is sexual? That’s hairy,” shuddered one man. The problem seems to be a profound anxiety about what the other party to a potential coupling might want and expect. The heavy stress all the students placed on the importance of mutually agreeing the basis of any relationship, at every stage of its development, is probably both a cause and effect of this. Dating apps, which around half the students had used, can mitigate it at best. It is probably a response to increased female empowerment, the major change in sexual politics, and therefore further exacerbated by men’s dread of a #MeToo-style harassment charge. In short, young American men with rather poor interpersonal skills currently face a historically confusing mating game, even as they worry a lot about their careers. No wonder many are opting to stick to their video games. This is painful. But it does at
least suggest sexual relations are not so much hitting the skids in America as in flux. The forces that govern sexual behaviour are dynamic. Who could have predicted a little over a decade ago, when George W. Bush was splurging on abstinence schemes, that America would soon see a spike in celibacy fuelled by economics, technology, female empowerment and perhaps even casual sex? And that cocktail of circumstances will not last. The economy is strong. The currents in popular culture will shift. And once young Americans become more used to their more equal gender relations, they might re-embrace the degree of ambiguity and risk that romance entails. That is the hope, at least. Meanwhile, they might try putting down their phones, talking face to face a bit more, and even flirting.