it went by fast. yes, we said the same last year, and the year beforebut still, 2022 has gone by very quickly. while i’m writing these lines, we are almost halfway through january and we can only guess what this year will bring. we managed to fill the past 12 months with a lot of fun activities and events, and also continued our travel adventures, which finally brought us to argentina.
a trip that had been planned for a long time, we were excited to experience both the cosmopolitan capital city of buenos aires and mendoza, the country’s famous wine-growing region. it was an amazing trip, and if we would have stayed a bit longer, we would have joined the world’s biggest party of 2022 after argentina’s world cup victory.
now, let’s look ahead to the 2026 world cup of which vancouver is an official host city. the sport is gaining in popularity, and so we thought it is about time to introduce vanni sartini, the head coach of our very own vancouver whitecaps fc. there will be 16 home matches this coming season, so mark your calendars.
vancouver has long been a place of culinary mastery and innovation, and now the prestigious michelin guide officially launched in the city. congratulations to our 8 michelin-starred restaurants, the special awards recipients, 12 bib gourmands and 40 ‘recommended’ restaurants joining the inaugural michelin guide vancouver.
i hope you enjoy this issue, showcasing everything we crave and enjoy, mixed with some great interviews and other feature articles.
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There was a lot to celebrate, and it all happened in ... Argentina! First, a big congratulations to our Luxury Events editor, who tied the knot in Buenos Aires. All the best, Craig and Nadia!
Next was our Automotive Editor, who had to blow out quite a few candles during our trip to Argentina.
The big birthday bash actually moved from Buenos Aires to Mendoza the very next day, and the champagne and wine was flowing. Finally, there was the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In late 2021 we went to Doha for the unveiling of the HUBLOT countdown clock, and just a year later and after we visited Argentina for the feature article in this edition, they won the World Cup for the first time in 36 years. Congratulations!
olaf robrecht publisher olaf@iconic-concierge.com
Fastest. Most powerful. Best handling. Three accolades the DBX707 was born to claim. Not by blindly chasing benchmarks, but each one achieved as part of our legendary pursuit of performance. As British Columbia’s only certified Aston Martin dealership, we offer unmatched client experiences and a variety of manufacturer approved services. Our Brand Ambassadors look forward to showcasing our prestige collection of vehicles and guiding you according to your unique needs.
Aston Martin Vancouver
1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 3G7 www.astonmartinvancouver.ca | 604-734-2905
ICONIC CONCIERGE vol. 26 [2023]
www.iconic-concierge.com
OLAF ROBRECHT olaf@iconic-concierge.com
ROBBIE DICKSON
JASON SARAI
NATALIE LANGSTON
DR. OLIVER FINLAY
DR. OLIVER FINLAY, JULIE-ANNA VOGEL, JIM GORDON
KEVIN UY, LAURA HARVEY BILL ROBERTS
YADA-YADA MEDIA please contact iconicconciergemagazine@gmail.com
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An entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for new projects he is passionate about, Olaf has run several businesses since he came to Canada 20 years ago. These days you will find lifestyle and car magazines as well as a design & marketing company connected to his name, although he might be better known for his little collection of spirited automobiles.
ROBBIE DICKSON chief gear headBorn in England, Robbie is a selfstyled entrepreneur with a passion for exotic cars, boats and watches. He owned pretty much every car you can imagine although he still calls a Lotus Elise he once owned his favourite. Tracked extensively, Robbie claims it was “the most affordable fun you can have with your clothes on ...”
When Jason found the world of bespoke suiting and styling, he had little choice but to turn it from a passion project into his life’s work with Style by Sarai. He has gone from being fashion advisor for family and friends, to the trusted bespoke stylist for professionals and grooms-to-be, by enhancing their confidence and helping them become their own style icon.
A true entrepreneur since a young age, Oakley is the president of the OCHK Group of Companies, with offices in Richmond and Hong Kong. He has a penchant for identifying the needs of businesses and individuals and providing innovative solutions that challenge the norm. He is at the forefront of new developments, products, and technologies and does not shy away from putting ideas into reality.
Craig is recognized as Vancouver’s #1 creator and producer luxury events bringing together affluent buyers and sellers of luxury brands in an engaging business social setting. He is the Founder and President of Luxury Alliance Group, Luxury & Supercar Weekend, Hublot Diamond Rally, PorscheRally, TennisLoveChampagne and Global Spirits Festival.
Natalie is an accomplished Canadian TV Host and Lifestyle Expert for Global BC, Breakfast Television + JRfm. Fitness & Health Reporter for BC Living. Freelance journalist and Emcee with a passion for all things Fitness, Fashion and Fun. Volunteer and Spokesperson for Dress for Success Vancouver, member of Ladies Who Lunch Global Network for female entrepreneurs and Style Ambassador for the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards.
Prior to working with some of the most highly regarded luxury spirits in the world, Gez operated some of the world’s best drinking establishments from Melbourne to Los Angeles & Vancouver. He is a WSET level 3, Gold Certified BNIC Cognac educator, Multiple time global cocktail competition finalist, and most importantly truly passionate about spreading the word of premium spirits.
Proudly serving Vancouver’s luxury housing market, Amir is known as an expert negotiator with a firm commitment to customer service. His global connections with high-net-worth and ultra high-networth individuals and families give him an edge and set him apart in the highend real estate market. Amir has been in the Top 1% of Realtor’s in Greater Vancouver since 2020 and #1 Realtor at Royal Pacific Realty Corp. since 2020.
KEITH TRUSLER dean of fine foods & spiritsCo-founder of Modern Whisky, a curator of rare Single Malts and luxury tasting experiences. Keith was a Brand Ambassador for numerous Luxury Brands. A veteran of the restaurant industry in Vancouver, he has extensive experience as a bartender, mixologist and chef. As a connoisseur of spirits and wine, he tirelessly pursues the finest dining and imbibing experiences the city has to offer.
Having traveled the globe, working with pro teams & athletes in sports environments as diverse as F1, EPL soccer, NHL & ATP tennis, to attain peak performance, Oliver arrived in Vancouver for his PhD, exploring how the World’s best sports teams manage change initiatives. Passionate about human performance & sport’s impact on community, he highlights the industry’s latest & greatest developments.
As the founder of VELA Wealth, Jason is fuelled by watching clients fulfill their vision of life success for their family, community and legacy. Focusing on inter-generational wealth transfer, life insurance, legacy and estate planning, he advises successful entrepreneurial families on how to make meaningful choices at the intersection of their life and their wealth.
JULIE-ANNA VOGEL travel consultant
Always on the road, Julie inspires others to explore on and off the beaten path. Having traveled to more than 100 countries, she shares her experiences on www.julieabroad.com and uses her skills as a travel advisor to help create dream getaways. Follow her in uncovering the ‘must-dos’ of the world’s coolest cities in her column “A Gentleman Abroad”.
JIM GORDON LEETA LIEPINS city expertsThey are the Hosts & Producers of the weekly, national TV show, “Our City Tonight”, which can been seen Sundays at 10:30pm on CHEK TV. Each week they showcase Vancouver’s entertainment, nightlife, music, fashion, business, automotive, food & wine. You can also see past episodes on the “Our City Tonight” YouTube channel.
CLU
Joining the now sprawling list of track-only hypercars is the new De Tomaso P900.
Over 4 years have passed since the revival of the notable De Tomaso hallmark by the same team that brought us the Apollo IE hypercar. Now a luxury hypercar manufacturer based at the Nürburgring in Germany, the company has since become known for its elegant styling and analogue focus, starting with the P72. The newest addition to the lineup, an ultra-high performance track-focused hypercar, is paying tribute to Alejandro De Tomaso’s love and passion for motor racing. Its name - the P900.
The P900 features the same elegant, swooping curves that can be found on the P72, albeit with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency and performance. Equipped with an all-new naturally aspirated bespoke V12 engine, developed with engineering partner Capricorn, this new project aims to spotlight synthetic fuel technology and “provides the ultimate driving experience for discerning collectors.” Capricorn was a partner with Porsche on the Le Mans-winning 919 LMP1 car, so the stakes are high.
De Tomaso even plans a Competizione racing series where owners can join a scheduled race calendar each year, suited towards gentleman drivers looking to get their racing fix.
Only 18 cars will be produced, and at US$3 million, it will cost more than double the US$1.35 million
P72.
Engine block tables are a great addition to any diehard automotive enthusiast’s office or living room. It is a functional piece of art, made from a breathtaking piece of engineering.
You can create your own, or buy one from companies such as www.supercarstore.co.uk, starting at around $2,500. The pictured table with a Ferrari V12 engine, however, will need some serious investment. It was recently offered at an RM Sotheby’s auction with an estimated price of US$30,000 to US$60,000.
It sold for US$246,000.
It’s a motion simulator that tilts and rotates to simulate the experience of being in a car, plane, or pretty much any other vehicle. It can be configured as a driving simulator or racing simulator, a flight simulator, or customized to match your requirements and comes ready-torun, with monitors, a 900-watt surround sound system, and a force feedback wheel.
US$100,000+ www.force-dynamics.com
Launched in 2012, the London-based brand embraces sustain able materials, rejects seasonal collections, provides supply-chain transparency and gives a 100-day trial pro gramme and a lifetime guarantee.
Palissy 25-hour bag, C$854. Bowen allleather backpack, C$792. Available in several colours. www.carlfriedrik.com
Inspired by race cars from the 1950s, each clock is crafted in aluminum with Tiffany Blue automotive paint. On the car’s left side, a brushed stainless steel aperture displays the hours and minutes. A helmet-shaped dome of glass over the driver’s seat showcases the escapement and balance wheel. The time is set by rotating the three-spoke steering wheel counterclockwise and the movement is wound by pulling the car back on a flat surface. C$54,000. Diamond Editon C$272,000. www.tiffany.ca
Back from the dead, or maybe better ‘resurrected’ comes to mind when discussing the stunning Vector hyperbike.
After the British company ran into funding trouble and went bankrupt, its founder and lead designer managed to buy the company back from administration and is now delivering the first bikes.
The fully electric motorcycle accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds, has a top speed of 200km/h and a range of 436km.
GBP90,000 (appr. US$108,000).
www.arcvehicle.com
Iconic numbers and a charismatic shape make Franck Muller watches instantly recognizable, and now the famous independent watchmaker has started a new endeavour, a High Jewellery collection “dedicated to distinguished and ambitious women.”
Combining gold with diamonds and enamel, it features a wide range of exceptional bracelets, necklaces, pendants, rings and earrings, which perfectly complement the different timepiece collections, for feminine and glamorous compositions.
Separating the watch and jewellery collections, the brand has created a brand new dedicated website.
www.franckmullerjewellery.com
Promoted as “the world’s first hypercar that will be able to use fuel made out of plastic waste”, the GB110 is not only commemorating the famous Italian coachbuilder’s 110th anniversary, it is also the first project from the marque’s new owners Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci. Limited to just 33 units, the company says the combustion engine develops 1,085hp (1,100PS) and 811lb-ft (1,100Nm) and the car will do the 0-100km/h sprint in 2.79 seconds and hit 300km/h from rest in 14 seconds. The top speed is capped at 380km/h. As for the ‘fuel’, Bertone has partnered with Select Fuel, a company that has reportedly patented a technology capable of converting polycarbonate materials into renewable fuel. Price: tba. www.bertone.it
The thing about courage is it’s something that we have to learn and relearn our whole lives. It’s not just in you, it’s in every choice we make every day.”
PRODUCER |
Gerard Butler arrives for the “Geostorm” World Premiere on October 16, 2017 in Hollywood, CA.
GERARD JAMES BUTLER was born on November 13, 1969, in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, to Margaret and Edward Butler. His family is of Irish origin and moved to Montreal, Quebec when he was six months old. When his parents’ marriage broke down, his mother left Canada and returned to Scotland with Gerard, where she would raise him, his older brother and his sister in his hometown of Paisley.
Butler did not see his father again until he was 16 but became close after. When Gerard was 22, his father got diagnosed with cancer and when he passed away just a few years later, the actor is quoted to have said that he “had gone from a 16-year-old who couldn’t wait to grasp life to a 22-yearold who didn’t care if he died in his sleep.”
Butler went on to study law at Glasgow University, and became president of the school’s law society, mainly because of his personality and social skills. He took a year off to live in California, working in different jobs and describing himself as “a bit out of control”, before returning to Scotland to finish his final year at law school. He took a position as a trainee lawyer at an Edinburgh law firm but would miss work frequently due to staying out late. Butler got fired and at age 25, he moved to London to “become famous.”
Working as a waiter, telemarketer and even a toy demonstrator, his first step into an acting career was a role in a stage production of Coriolanus
At age 27, it was Butler’s first professional acting job and would be followed by the part of Renton in a theatre adaptation of Trainspotting at
the Edinburgh Festival.
Gerard Butler’s film debut started in 1997 in Mrs Brown but he received honours for something very different: While at location in Scotland, he saw a young boy in a river in some trouble, jumped in and saved him from drowning. He received a Certificate of Bravery from the Royal Humane Society.
His film career continued with small roles, including the James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy (1998). The new millennium then brought the breakthrough roles with Attila the Hun in the American TV miniseries, Attila (2001) and after seeing a clip of his portrayal of “Attila”, producers decided to cast him as Dracula in Dracula 2000 (2000). Both roles put Butler on the map and gave him a first and growing fan base.
Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), alongside Angelina Jolie, followed by the portrayal of Andre Marek in the bigscreen adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, Timeline (2003), which gave him the next attention.
The year after, in 2004, Gerard Butler was surprised when director Joel Schumacher thought of him as the title character in the movie adaption of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Phantom of the Opera. Butler had no musical experience other than singing in a rock band while he was studying but immediately began taking singing lessons with a coach. The movie received mixed reviews but brought Gerard Butler much international attention and a nomination for a Satellite Award for Best Actor.
Other projects followed, including Dear Frankie (2005), The Game of Their Lives (2005) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005).
In 2006, Butler starred in the lead role of what is often described as his true breakthrough film, 300 (2006). Butler trained every day for four months in the most intense workout regimen of his life, giving him an incredible physique prior to the film’s shooting. The same year, he added Shattered (2007), costarring Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello, and the romantic comedy P.S. I Love You (2007), with Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank, to his portfolio. Other noteworthy productions included
Nim’s Island and RocknRolla, both in 2008, as well as 2009’s Gamer, The Ugly Truth, and Law Abiding Citizen, which he also co-produced.
A household name in Hollywood by now, Gerard Butler appeared on many “world’s hottest men” lists but concentrated on his movie career and added several well-received films in the coming years, including the actioncomedy The Bounty Hunter (2010) with Jennifer Aniston, Playing for Keeps (2011), Chasing Mavericks (2012) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013). He lend his voice for a second time to the animated film How to Train Your Dragon (The Hidden World) and starred in the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen (opposite Morgan Freeman), both in 2017. He reprised the role of United States Secret Service agent Mike Banning a third time in the Has Fallen film series in 2019 with Angel Has Fallen, before the pandemic only saw one film getting released in each 2020 (Greenland) and 2021 (Copshop). Last Seen Alive, which he also produced, was Butler’s only movie in 2022 and streamed on Netflix. It was received rather poorly. In 2023, Butler will be seen in the action-thriller Plane, the sports comedy-drama film All-Star Weekend, directed by Jamie Foxx, and Kandahar.
Concerned that he had become too reliant on prescribed pain medication after a surfing accident, Gerard Butler completed a course of treatment for substance abuse of painkillers at a rehabilitation facility in 2012 and no longer drinks alcohol.
Since late 2011, he has divided his time between Los Angeles and Glasgow. As of this writing, Butler seems to be in a relationship with his longtime off-andon girlfriend, Morgan Brown.
“I love to spend a lot of time on my own. I can seriously go into my own head and often love to let myself travel where I don’t know where I’m going.”
CSL - “Coupé Sport Lightweight”. Three iconic letters. The BMW 3.0 CSL is one of the most legendary vehicles in BMW’s history. In 1972, Bob Lutz, a passionate motorsport enthusiast, took over sales at BMW and pushed ahead with the return of BMW works teams to touring car sport. The birth of BMW M. The intention of uniting all of BMW’s motorsport engagements under one roof ultimately led to the founding of BMW Motorsport GmbH in the same year. Just one year later, the final version of the 3.0 CSL appeared. It should become a legend, winning six European championships, setting a sensational lap record on the Nürburgring and starting the BMW Art Car series. Back then, the BMW 3.0 CSL was the most powerful street version of the series and wherever it turned up, it stood out from the crowd. In 2022, BMW M’s anniversary year, the ‘Batmobile’ has been reborn. The new BMW 3.0 CSL is a reincarnation of a legendary sports car both for the racetrack and the road.
Developed with the intention of combining the best of five decades of racing expertise from BMW M GmbH, the BMW 3.0 CSL is produced in a strictly limited edition of only 50 consecutively numbered units. It features the most powerful straight six-cylinder engine ever used in a road-legal BMW M automobile, mobilising a maximum output of 412 kW/560 hp and 406lb-ft of torque. To transfer the drive power to the road via the rear wheels, the developers of the BMW 3.0 CSL coupled the engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox whose spread and transmission ratios are ideally matched to the performance characteristics. Obviously, there is a lot more, including an active M differential, a traction control with ten stages of intervention, massive M carbon ceramic brakes hiding under 20in/21in alloys and carbon fibre reinforced plastic for “virtually all bodywork sections”.
Each Car will take 30 specially trained M technicians three months to finish, passing through eight assembly and production cycles, making the BMW 3.0 CSL the most exclusive automobile BMW M has ever produced. The legend lives on... www.bmw-m.com
VAFF (Vancouver Asian Film Festival) is the longest-running Asian film festival in Canada. It was founded in 1995 and debuted in September 1997. Since then, tens of thousands of film lovers have experienced a diverse selection of North American, Asian and international films.
Dedicated to promoting and celebrating the diversity and depth of Asian culture and identity in film and media, the 2022 festival finally hosted live events again after a 2-year hiatus.
The Opening Night on November 3 started with a screening of ‘Stay the Night’ by Toronto director Renuka Jeyapalan before guests headed to the Opening Night Gala at Parq Vancouver’s D/6 Lounge. Here, complimentary hors-d’oeuvres, special cocktails, a photo booth and entertainment were waiting. The organizers also introduced their special guest for the event, Netflix’s Bling Empire Kevin Kreider.
One of the stars of the reality TV hit show, Kevin, who was born in South Korea, was accompanied by his girlfriend Devon and promoted SANS, a non-alcoholic beverage he created.
The four-day festival, which is entirely organized and produced by a group of dedicated volunteers with support from corporate sponsors, public funders and private donors, saw packed theatres, 14 screened programs and heard inspiring words from filmmakers, special guests and audience members alike.
It all started in 1978 when the small Dutch automaker Donkervoort modified one of Colin Chapman’s iconic Lotus Seven sports cars. Over the years, each successive model became more powerful, with chassis mods to match. Now, for 2023, the company unveils their very first car entirely designed in-house - the F22.
Weighing just 750 kilos, the successor to the D8 - a car the company built for more than a decade - has a power-to-weight ratio of more than 600hp per tonne, which is better than the original Bugatti Veyron. It comes from an Audi-sourced 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder, tuned to almost 500 horsepower and connected to a five-speed gearbox sending power to the rear wheels through a Torsen limited-slip differential and a
switchable Bosch rev-matching system.
This, combined with an advanced active suspension system, results in a car that can pull 2.15 lateral G’s through corners. The little road missile catapults from zero to 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds, the 200km/h mark is reached in 7.5 seconds, and the top speed is a touch more than 290km/h. An AP Racing brake system with four-piston callipers bolted over steel discs makes sure you get safely back to zero.
By the way: the initial planned run of 50 cars sold out immediately, and all the Donkervoort clients were shown was just a sketch! Since then, production has been upped to 75 units, so if you want one, you better act fast: +31 (0) 320 267 050 www.donkervoort.com
Seven years ago, at the 2015 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance, Italian coachbuilding company, Zagato introduced the automotive world to their Zagato Maserati Mostro Coupé. A limited edition car inspired by the race cars of the 1950s, it was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maserati. Five cars were produced. Recently, Zagato unveiled the Mostro Barchetta, a beautiful roadster version of the aforementioned coupé.
The Mostro takes its name from the 1957 Maserati 450S Coupe Zagato, a car Sir Stirling Moss called a “beautiful monster” when he first saw it.
There are many nods to vintage racing design throughout the car, from the long-hood-short-deck proportions, and the sloping wraparound windshield to the lack of electronic traction control and a frontal block-mounted gearbox.
The buyer can choose from either a 414bhp 4.2-litre
naturally aspirated Maserati V8, or the 3.0-litre 621bhp Maserati V6 that is found in the current Maserati flagship, the MC20. It is mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox, double-wishbone front and rear suspensions, adjustable shock absorbers and a combined weight of just 1,200kg thanks to a carbon fiber chassis with a steel rear subframe. Needless to say, the Mostro Barchetta has a perfectly balanced 50-50 weight distribution.
As with the coupé, only five cars are being built, and nearly all of them have already been assigned to Zagato’s collector clients list. So better hurry or you will have to wait for another seven years for the next body style.
On June 23, 2022, the federal government approved legislation on a tax on the sale of luxury vehicles, aircraft, and boats. On September 1, 2022, Canada’s new Select Luxury Items Tax Act came into effect.
But what exactly falls under the new Luxury Sales Tax (LST)? Is it based on the selling price or a manufacturer’s suggested retail price, and are there exemptions? And what about demos? We have talked to Jeremy Schaab, Regional General Manager for Dilawri Group’s Ultra Luxury Portfolio of Vehicles who will walk you through the biggest misconceptions that are out there, answering some of the questions we hear the most...
But before we let Jeremy dive into how the LST may affect the purchase of your next car, here’s some more general information: The luxury tax will apply to new cars and aircraft with a retail sales price of over $100,000 and to vessels over $250,000. It will be calculated at the lesser of 20% of the value above a set threshold ($100,000 for cars and personal aircraft, and $250,000 for vessels) and 10% of the full value of the item subjected to tax.
For example...
You are going to buy a new car for $120,000. The luxury tax can now be either $12,000 (10% of the retail price) or $4,000 (20% of the $20,000 spread over the threshold). As the lesser of these two calculations applies, $4,000 is the taxation amount to be paid.
Now over to you, Jeremy, let’s talk vehicles. Which cars are affected by the new Luxury Sales Tax?
The new tax applies to what is defined as a “subject item”, exceeding a retail sale of $100,000, before GST/HST. It is calculated on the total price for the sale of the vehicle, including improvements or additions (such as a vehicle wrap or remote starter), levies, duties, charges, fees and amounts in
respect of delivery or importation. A subject item (or vehicle), according to the Select Luxury Items Tax Act, has a date of manufacture after 2018, has four or more wheels in contact with the ground, and carries individuals on streets and highways. The seating capacity is 10 or less and the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is 3,856kg or less. This includes coupes, sedans, station wagons, sports cars, passenger vans, minivans, SUVs, and passenger pick-up trucks.
Recreation vehicles that meet certain established criteria are exempt, as well as vehicles clearly marked for policing and military activities, ambulances, hearses and fire trucks. Used vehicles that have been previously registered with the Government of Canada or a province and vehicles with a GVWR greater than 3,856 kilograms are also exempt.
Let me give you two examples, one for a car that is sold for less than the $125,000 taxable value, and one for a car that exceeds the $125,000 taxable value:
Interview: O. RobrechtLess than $125,000 (before GST/ HST)
Vehicle Price: $110,000 (A)
BC PST (10%) = $110,000 x 10% = $11,000 (B)
LST, lesser of:
a) 10% of $110,000 = $11,000, or b) 20% of $10,000 (110,000-100,000) = $2,000
In this example, the LST is $2,000 (C) and the total price to pay from the customer calculates (A + C) x (1 + 5%) + B = $128,600
More than $125,000 ( before GST / HST)
Vehicle Price: $180,000 (A)
BC PST (10%) = $180,000 x 20% = $36,000 (B) LST, lesser of:
a) 10% of $180,000 = $18,000, or b) 20% of $(180,000 – 100,000) = $16,000
In this example, the LST is $16,000 (C) and the total price to pay from the customer calculates (A + C) x (1 + 5%) + B = $243,600
Good news! If you are buying a pre-owned car over $100,000, the LST doesn’t apply.
This depends if the Demo (over the $100,000 threshold) is plated or not. The luxury tax applies to vehicles that have previously not been registered.
There is no reduction for a trade-in. The luxury tax is calculated on the gross selling price of the vehicle. The trade-in will reduce the GST / HST calculation, though.
For leases, the LST is applied on full capitalized cost, not lease payment. If we use the above example ($180,000 vehicle price) as the lease deal (with no trade-in or deposit), it calculates as follows:
Vehicle Price: $180,000 (A)
GST Luxury Tax, lesser of: a) 10% of 180,000 = $18,000, or b) 20% of $(180,000 – 100,000) = $16,000
GST Luxury Tax is $16,000 (C)
Capitalized Cost: A + C = $196,000
Thank you, Jeremy!
For more information, please visit any of the Dilawri BC stores.
This article should be seen as broad guidance only.
On October 15, 2022, parking for private jets at Vancouver International Airport got a bit tight. Guests from across Canada, the US and even Europe had arrived to be part of what was already nicknamed the ‘wedding of the decade’. Brian Jessel Managing Partner and CEO Jim Murray and Linda Mah were about to exchange vows at a private wedding ceremony at the Pacific Rim Hotel, followed by a cocktail reception and a lavish gala dinner and party.
An event meticulously planned for months by Abdel Karim Awwad, it was actually a weeklong celebration that also included a traditional Chinese reception but culminated in the nuptials on October 15th.
After the ceremony, guests walked through a candle-lit tunnel made of roses and crystals to a cocktail and champagne reception with piano music, which would later be joined by the newlyweds.
Soon after, the almost 400 guests filled the ballroom which had been transformed into a glamorous and bespoke dining venue, including a dancefloor (with the initials of the married couple) which would soon see them for their first dance.
Other highlights of the evening included a live orchestra (joined by Jim Murray at the drums), and several performances by Vancouver’s GOH Ballet Academy.
The timeless, lavish wedding featured an extravagant orchestra, VIP guests, elegant dinner, and the unmistakable Brian Jessel BMW luxury vehicles. The stunning bride and groom had a weeklong celebration, with highlights from their Traditional Chinese Reception which honored the bride’s family and heritage, to the glamorous ceremony held at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.
We wish the newlyweds all the love and happiness their future will surely bring. Cheers!
Combining some eclectic neoclassical architecture, European charm and South American flair, a rich cultural life, fantastic dining choices and a thriving and thrilling nightlife, the ‘Paris of South America’ is a wonderful city to explore. Which is exactly what we wanted to do for quite some time, and so we finally embarked on a journey to the birthplace of tango, on a mission to find the mustsee places, the best restaurants and bars, shopping experiences and places to stay.
A city of more than 15 million people in its metropolitan area and more than 3 million in its urban core, Buenos Aires is Argentina’s big, cosmopolitan capital city. Consisting of 48 barrios (neighbourhoods), one can group the city into four major zones:
Centro
The actual city centre with most of the major tourist attractions, such as Casa Rosada and Teatro Colón.
A hip residential neighbourhood packed with restaurants, bars, and boutiques.
A very colourful neighbourhood with a rich history, many art galleries and shops.
The Outskirts
Mostly residential but with some historic architecture.
We picked the middle of November for the trip, as this is the transition from spring to summer and hands down, the best month to visit Buenos Aires. The temperature of the late-spring air will be in the mid-20s and reach the 30s by the end of the month, and then there is the
blossom of the jacaranda trees: Reaching 12-15 meters in height, Buenos Aires boasts about 15,000 blooming trees scattered all around the city. Every November, the beautiful trees paint the streets in a spectacular and striking lavender blue.
The Argentine capital pretty much offers any accommodation you are looking for, from the cool Philippe Starck-designed hotel in Puerto Madero, speakeasy-style boutique hotels in Palermo, all the way to some grand Belle Epoque palaces in posh Recoleta.
After some research, we opted for the 5-star Palacio Duhau (Park Hyatt Buenos Aires), completed in 1934 and modeled after the Chateau du Marais near Paris.
Situated right on prestigious Avenida Alvear in Recoleta, we loved the more private and personal approach with no tourists posing for selfies in the lobby, the beautiful tiered gardens on the terrace and the rooms, ranging from spacious and functional to sumptuous and palatial with butler service and private terraces.
The best (and sometimes the fastest) way to explore the city’s neighbourhoods is - on foot. And to connect to adjacent
areas, we would opt for an Uber or the local taxis. Rates are generally low, and if a cab is available, the word ‘libre’ will show in red on the windshield. A rental car? You don’t need it, and you don’t want it.
Argentina is all about the empanada. The ‘stuffed bread’ is a coveted handheld pocket of love and can be a quick snack or lunch, an entrée at any restaurant or a complete meal. There are countless types, some baked, some deep-fried, but mostly filled with cheese, onions, beef and sometimes braised ossobuco.
Mate is the national beverage of Argentina, served in a strangely shaped container (the ‘gourd’) with a straw (the ‘bombilla’) that people are holding, sipping out of and even sharing it. It is a caffeine-rich infused drink, made from dried leaves (called yerba mate) mixed with hot water.
You definitely have to try a true Argentinian steak, there’s just something about the tenderness and the taste.
There are countless steakhouses in the city, from the very touristy ones to those secret places, the real original ‘parrilla’ of Argentina. There, you can even try organs such as kidneys, and intestines, or select your piece of meat separately on the menu card.
Some of our favourite steakhouses in the city are Fogón Asado, where you can see the chef at work, Don Julio, which received first place in the list of “The World’s 50 Best” as the best restaurant in Latin America, and a locals’ favourite, Solomía Parrilla.
But then again, Buenos Aires offers some excellent fine-dining options.
Take for example Aramburu Relais & Châteaux. We enjoyed a 19 (!) course menu, an amazing experience from beginning to end that would receive Michelin stars if located in a Michelinrated country. Or Chila, a fantastic restaurant in a former grain warehouse in the Puerto Madero neighbourhood. The seven-course tasting menu comes highly recommended!
And if you are looking for something truly special, try Bagatelle, a French Mediterranean restaurant at the Hipódromo, where the lights dim at 11pm, the music turns up and people dance next to and even on their tables.
Too touristy? C’mon, Argentina is the birthplace of the tango, so it kinda is a must-do when you visit Buenos Aires. Most tango shows start at around 10pm, and your hotel concierge will have some great recommendations. Easy to reach and close to the famous Obelisco and Teatro Colon, Tango Porteño is one of the most famous tango shows in Buenos Aires and even offers a 3-course dinner.
San Telmo, Buenos Aires’ oldest neighbourhood, has some fantastic bars such as Napoles Bar with its unique storage-like decor, or Doppelganger.
However, the undisputed nightlife epicentre of the city is Palermo! Start joining locals for a beer at Plaza Serrano
with its big Palermo sign, and then indulge in a night of incredible cocktails and some great atmosphere.
Let’s not forget the Speakeasies. Just head over to our article on page 96.
You are in the right city! Let’s start with Teatro Colón. Until the building of the Sydney Opera house in the late 1970s, the Teatro Colón was the largest and most impressive opera house and theatre in the Southern Hemisphere.
Casa Rosada, the pink home of the president in sitting and Plaza de Mayo - probably the most important political and historical spot in Argentina.
Walk down Avenue de Mayo, and you will get to Congreso de la Nación Argentina, the Congress of the Argentine Nation.
And don’t forget the must-see-tobelieve Recoletta cemetery. An eerily beautiful place on 5.5 hectares, it is the final resting place of Eva ‘Evita’ Peron and holds the remains of many of Argentina’s most famous and most powerful people.
Finally – did you know that Buenos Aires has more bookstores per person than any other city in the world? Make sure to visit the stunning El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore which opened as a theatre in 1919. It boasts beautiful ceiling frescoes painted by an Italian artist a century ago, and more than 120,000 books on 22,000 sq. ft.
Travel light, Argentina’s capital is a fashionable city (it is called the Paris of South America for a reason). From highquality leather goods, antique treasures and some funky designer pieces found in Palermo’s boutiques and outdoor markets, to the posh luxury brands in Recoleta and at Galerías Pacífico,
an impressive structure with a muralcovered dome ceiling (and most likely the only Buenos Aires shopping mall worth visiting), Buenos Aires does not disappoint!
Well, it is a thing. So here we go...
The murals in Palermo, including the 30 feet tall ‘Frida Kahlo’ painting. Casa Rosada, one of the most iconic buildings in Buenos Aires. Floralis Genérica, an imposing 20 meters high flower sculpture. The Obelisco and the large plant-covered BA sign, one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city. Teatro Colón, both as a backdrop and inside. The painted houses and sidewalk cafes in Caminito Boca Café Tortoni Established in 1858, it is the oldest café is Buenos Aires.
And so many more ...
There is another good reason to visit the city in November - the month-long Argentine Polo Open, held every year at Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo. It is the most important polo tournament in the world and usually starts in early November with its thrilling final to be played about a month later. Tickets are available at the stadium’s box office, or online.
We ran into some fellow Vancouverites ...
Recoletta cemetery
Teatro Colón
presented by
Close to the Chilean border and east of Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, Mendoza is famous for producing most of Argentina’s wine. A bustling cosmopolitan city of wide, tree-lined avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes, Mendoza offers some incredible outdoor adventures, including white water rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding into the Andes, biking through the vineyards for casual wine tastings, and for the more ambitious, mountain climbing. Most visitors, however, come for touring some of the more than 1200 wineries, world-class restaurants and resorts with award-winning spas.
nightly temperatures, crisp, clear and pure meltwater from the thawing Andes Mountains and the minerals from the sandy, gravelly and clay-rich soil, you will not only find the world’s best Malbec but Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc of the red varietals and Torrontes, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc of the white varietals. You can find out more about this fascinating region in our Catena Zapata article.
Going to Mendoza, you will usually come from either Buenos Aires or Santiago, Chile. Should you come from Buenos Aires, which is about 1000km away, you can reach Mendoza in less than 2 hours by plane, or - for those who seek more of an adventure – you can take a long-distance bus that makes the trip every day and takes approximately 14 hours. Should you come from Santiago, you can reach Argentina’s wine region in just 30 minutes by plane, or opt for what is often described as one of the best bus rides in the world. On board one of the many luxurious buses, the 600km journey through the Andes will offer some breathtaking views and will take around 6 to 7 hours.
One of the eleven Great Wine Capitals, Mendoza vineyards are planted at some of the highest altitudes in the world. The wine region is divided into three main growing regions: Maipú, Uco Valley, and Luján de Cuyo.
Maipu is the sub-region closest to the city of Mendoza and can be reached in just 20 minutes. It is more compact than other wine regions and bikes are the most popular way to get around. Maipu has the warmest climate and produces full-bodied wines with high levels of alcohol, fruity flavours, and powerful tannins. The altitude ranges from 650m to 1000m above sea level. Luján de Cuyo, located about 30 minutes from Mendoza, was the first region in Argentina to be officially recognized as an appellation in 1993. Most vineyards are found to be planted at an altitude of about 1000m and the most prominent grape varietals grown are Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Torrontes.
The Uco Valley, Mendoza’s newest and smallest growing region, lies about 120km from Mendoza city and can be reached in about 90 minutes. Here, visitors will find some of the most spectacular views of the region. Situated in the foothills of the Andes and among the highest of elevations, ranging from 850–1200m, this wine-growing area is dotted with blue lakes and rolling vineyards. On average, there are over 300 days of sunshine per year and paired with frigid
The most popular way to discover Mendoza’s vineyards is on an organized tour. Guided by a local wine expert, you’ll have the chance to visit some of the best wineries and learn about making and tasting different varieties. You can also book a private tour and pick the wineries of your choice and create your own itinerary.
Hotels/ Resorts Park Hyatt Mendoza Cavas Wine Lodge Vines Resort and Spa Alpasión Lodge
The choice is yours: If you want to wake up to sunrise over rows and rows of beautiful vineyards, you have to stay at one of the many winery hotels and resorts. However, if you like to head out for a walk in the evening, exploring interesting shops, cafes and amazing restaurants in walking distance, stay in the center of downtown Mendoza.
Our recommendation - the Park Hyatt Mendoza.
Casa Vigil/ El Enemigo (Maipú) Azafran (Mendoza City) Siete Fuegos (Uco Valley) Piedra Infinita/Zuccardi (Uco Valley)
Helicopter Tours: helitronador.com Horseback Riding Tour Aconcagua Park Paragliding River Rafting
[top left, clockwise]: A vineyard at the foot of the Andes Tupungato, one of the highest mountains in the Americas a private wine tasting at El Mirador at the Adrianna Vineyard 12-course fine-dining experience at Casa Vigil/ El Enemigo (Maipú) [bottom left and top] the cellars below the new Angélica Cocina Maestra restaurant at the Catena Zapata winery
“The Best Vineyard in the World.”
In 2021 - and for the third year in a rowSebastián Zuccardi received this prestigious award from ‘World’s Best Vineyards’. His family has been planting vineyards and making wine in Maipú, a town just outside Mendoza, since 1963. It was Sebastián’s grandfather Alberto ‘Tito’ Zuccardi, an engineer who came to Mendoza a few years before 1950, who planted the first vineyard to demonstrate to the farmers in the region how his new irrigation system would help their businesses.
It should become the beginning of his life’s passion.
A third-generation family member to lead the winery, Sebastián began the construction of a new majestic 95,000-square-foot winery in 2013 in Paraje Altamire, 125 km south of Mendoza, in the shadow of the Andes Mountains. Designed by architects Tom Hughes, Fernando Raganato and Eugenia Mora using only natural and local materials both inside and outside, the state-of-the-art facility opened in 2016.
Visiting the winery, guests can book a tour which will not only show the amazing architecture of the facility with its shining metal dome, but will also include the fermentation room with its amphorae-like concrete eggs and the barrel room with its stunning tasting room.
An in-depth introduction to the diverse terroirs will also include a visit to the flagship ‘Piedra Infinita’ vineyard. Located on the
alluvial plains of the Tunuyán River in Altamira, it was named after the amount of rocks and stones that had to be removed in order to plant vines, and is now the source of the winery’s award-winning Malbec wine.
The vineyard also gave the name for the Piedra Infinita Cocina restaurant with its floorto-ceiling windows that allow an awe-inspiring view of the Andean landscape. The multicourse lunch, using only the finest regional produce, is reminiscent of Michelin-star restaurants and comes highly recommended.
FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A ROW, A
BY ZUCCARDI EARNS 100 PARKER POINTS.
“ ... DON’T STRIVE FOR PERFECT WINES, BUT WINES THAT EXPRESS THE PLACE, THE REGION.”
Sebastián Zuccardi is the third generation of one of the most prominent wine families in Mendoza. His grandfather, Alberto, planted the first hectares of vines in Maipú in 1963.
You will find the Alpasión Winery & Lodge in one of the most well-regarded and prestigious areas in Mendoza. At around 1250 meters above sea level in the district of Chacayes, 165 acres of organic vineyards have been planted right below the foot of the majestic Andes mountains.
A project of true passion - Alpasión is a combination of the Spanish words “alma” (soul) and “pasión” (passion), it all started with a few like-minded people who decided one day over a few bottles of wine to make a dream come true, creating their own honest and iconic wines. In 2011, the first vintage was bottled and in March 2012, the lodge celebrated its grand opening.
Today, Alpasión does not only produce more than 250,000 bottles of eight different wines in addition to their flagship Malbec per year, the project now includes a beautiful guest lodge with a restaurant, 6 luxurious suites, a reading and dining room, wine cellar and an outdoor pool with jacuzzi. Another very popular accommodation choice are the fully serviced
Camping in luxury!
Alpasión’s fully serviced glamping tents with their private decks and wood-fired hot tubs are very popular and have a waiting list.
glamping tents with their private decks and woodfired hot tubs.
However, it is yet another part of Alpasión that truly fascinated us – to become an owner in a vineyard, bottle your own wine and join a club of currently 70 investors from all parts of the world. A diverse group of people from different nationalities and backgrounds, they have plenty of things in common that have brought them together: the passion for wine, the value of friendship, and the dream of creating something meaningful that will endure for generations to come.
So if you want to see your own name in a vineyard, own a piece of heaven on earth and make iconic wines among friends, just get in touch with Gaby Soto at Alpasión: Gabriela Soto
Tel: +1 (305) 815 4896 g.soto@alpasion.com | Skype: gabysoto1802 www.alpasion.com
The perfect car to explore a wine-growing region!
The 2CV (“Deux-Chevaux” or “two horses”), produced between 1948 and 1990, had a 33bhp 602cc motor that would catapult it from 0-100km/h in .. a day or two.
The owner of Mendoza-based rental company Slowkar is very passionate about the little French cars and has a fleet of them, perfectly restored, including a ‘roadster’ version and a delivery truck. Contact them through their Instagram account @slowkar_mza
as any first-growth Bordeaux.
In the 1960s, however, the Argentine economy imploded and inflation rates soared. It got so bad one year that Domingo realized it would cost him more to harvest than to leave the fruit on the vines. His 22- year-old son Nicolás Catena Zapata, a recent PhD graduate in economics, advised him not to harvest but Domingo could not follow his son’s advice with a clear conscience. Years of turmoil followed and when it became Nicolás’s turn to take the reins of the family winery, he did so with a challenging backdrop of political and economic instability. He concentrated on expanding distribution throughout the country and followed an opportunity in the early 1980s to become a visiting scholar of economics at the world-renowned campus at Berkeley at the University of California.
The story of Argentine wine is also the story of the Catena Zapata family. Nicola Catena sailed from Italy to Argentina in 1898, leaving behind his famine-stricken European homeland for a land of opportunity. In the clear air and rolling hills of Mendoza, he firmly believed he had found the promised land and so in 1902, Nicola planted his first Malbec - a blending grape from Bordeaux, setting the foundation for what would become the most iconic and historic family winery in South America.
Domingo, Nicola’s eldest son, inherited his father’s dream and took the family winery to the next level, building the Catena business to become one of the largest vineyard holders in Mendoza. Like his father before him, Domingo Catena fiercely believed that Argentine Malbec could make a wine as worthy
Until that time, only the Californians had challenged France on the wine front, defying Europe by creating a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay that could rival the best French wines. A serendipitous inspiration to Nicolás and his wife, Elena, who spent weekends visiting the wineries with their youngest daughter Adrianna in a backpack. And when Nicolás Catena Zapata finally returned to Mendoza, it was with a vision. The vision for the “Catena Dream”!
At that time Argentina was perceived as a bulk wine producer. Going completely against the grain, Nicolás sold his table-wineproducing company, keeping only Bodegas Esmeralda, the finewine branch of the family’s winery. Told by fellow winemakers that he was “completamente loco” (completely crazy), Nicolás became the first to export fine wine from Argentina, laying
the groundwork for the country’s preeminence on the world´s wine map today.
Taking risks paid off, and in 1992 another milestone was set when Nicolás established the Adrianna vineyard, named after his youngest daughter. At 5,000 feet, more than 1,500 meters, it is the highest and westernmost spot in Tupungato. Every 100 meters increase in altitude, the temperature decreases by 1º C. And although the vineyard was protected from frost to some extent by the nearby Andes mountains, and with a slight slope and a small hill, even his own vineyard manager told him that Malbec would never ripen in the high-altitude elevations. But it did, and it did beautifully. The wines were completely different from wines sourced from lower altitudes, especially the Malbecs. They had a deep, inky colour, were extremely soft and velvety, had a wonderful complexity, and offered a lower pH and a very intense floral and red fruit flavour.
A huge success for Nicolás, and proof that Mendoza was indeed exceptional for vine growing and that the poor soils near the Andes, discarded by the original European immigrants because of their low fertility, were actually ideal for quality viticulture; they provided a terroir where vines had naturally low yields and ripened slowly over the summer, making wines of great balance, elegance and deliciously soft tannins.
With most of the wines admired by wine collectors around the world at that time made of either Cabernet Sauvignon blends or Chardonnay, Nicolás wondered if Malbec would ever be able to reach such heights to reach his goal of making Argentine wines that could stand with the best of the world. After his father Domingo died in 1985, Nicolás made it his mission to see if his father’s confidence in Malbec was right. It should take 5 years of working on the 85-yearold Angélica vineyard before Nicolás was satisfied enough to present the first
Catena Malbec in 1994. A historic year in winemaking history, changing Argentina’s preeminence on the world´s wine map forever. The family’s Adrianna Vineyard would now be called the Grand Cru of South America.
“Kudos to Nicolás Catena,” wrote the famed world critic Robert Parker Jr. about this first vintage. And then came the ranking as Argentina’s #1 Malbec in the Wall Street Journal’s first-ever feature on Malbec. Still, it would take a decade after that for Malbec to become a well-known wine varietal around the world. But with
it came yet another challenge: Which Malbec vine selections should he plant in the new vineyards? There was no existing Argentine Malbec selection available, and so he decided to bring cuttings from Cahors, France, but the cuttings were disappointing; the French Malbec grew large berries and bunches with rustic
Nicolas Catena Zapata & Laura Catena (top) and with Winemaking Director, Alejandro Vigil
aromas and flavours. Nicolás set out to develop his own selection of Argentine Malbec cuttings, planting 135 cuttings, one per row, in the La Pirámide vineyard. He then selected the best five and began to plant them in different terroirs and altitudes in the Uco Valley. To this day, the Catena cuttings, as this original selection is called, are an important part of the flavour profile, elegance and typicity of the Catena family’s Malbecs.
The “Parcelas” and the Catena Institute of Wine
Dr. Laura Catena, Nicolás’ daughter, is a biologist who graduated with honours from Harvard and Standford University and received the Woman of the year award in 2022 by Drinks Business Magazine –the same year that her father became the first South American to receive the lifetime achievement award from Wine Enthusiast. When the Catenas made the startling discovery that the alluvial soils from Mendoza are not homogenous but show both physical and chemical soil differences with unique characteristics, they realized that each vineyard lot would give origin to its own unique wine with very specific flavours and aromas. Laura decided it was time to instill in the winery team the method of research and study, what she calls “the science of understanding nature.”
studied vineyard in the world. The names were picked after analyzing the physical soil composition of the two lots.
All the hard work, passion and devotion of Laura and her team paid off and got international recognition when the World’s Most Admired Wine Brands 2020 was released, and Bodega Catena Zapata was named number one, topping the list of mega-brands from the Old World and the New. It was the first time a producer from South America had made the top 10, let alone come in first.
More than just Malbec!
The label of Catena Zapata’s Malbec Argentino pays tribute to the variety’s history in France and its rise in Argentina. On it, four female figures symbolize the different landmarks in the history of the grape: Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of Malbec. She is a strong, Old World presence, lingering at the bridge in Cahors, where Malbec came into its own.
The Immigrant symbolizes the process that brought Europeans and vines to the Americas. The third figure is Phylloxera who personifies the transition of Malbec from death in the Old World to rebirth in the new.
Finally, Bodega Catena Zapata depicts birth, earth, and motherhood, sharing the riches of the New World.
With the help of Catena’s Head Winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Fernando Buscema, Catena Institute of Wine Director, and Vineyard Manager Luis Reginato, she established the Catena Institute of Wine to better understand the Argentine terroir, the characteristics of Mendoza, and to study every aspect of their vineyards with the ultimate goal of making Argentine wines that can stand with the best of the world. The Catena’s first successful project using research as a guide was with Chardonnay, creating the “White Stones” and “White Bones”, sourced from nearby lots within the Adrianna Vineyard, perhaps the most
Yes, it is the flagship variety of Argentina, but Catena Zapata truly represents the full potential of what Argentine wines have to offer. From the mentioned White Stones and White Bones series of Chardonnays to amazing Cabernet blends such as the Nicolas Catena Zapata 2015, the DV Catena Pinot Noir and the magnificent Angélica Zapata Cabernet Franc Alta, we had the pleasure of sampling some of the finest wines that Catena Zapata and the Mendoza area has to offer – and we would like to encourage you to do the same! You will find most of the Catena Zapata wines in BC but, obviously, there is nothing better than to enjoy the wines of Mendoza in ... Mendoza!
“In 1997, I felt my country’s calling. Our Argentine wines were unknown around the World. I learned about the 500-year-old history of Argentine wine and realized that in my country there was everything to discover. I set out to challenge and break rules to make Argentine wines that could shine. In 1999, I made the first vintage of my Luca Wines. Choosing the name was easy; it was my newborn son’s.”
Luca Winery was the first Argentinean winery to bottle old vine Malbec and organically farmed high-altitude Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Uco Valley. It also offers the oldest massal Syrah selection in Argentina, brought from the Rhone Valley in 1955 and was listed three times in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List (2008, 2014 and 2021) and twice in the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 List (2018 and 2020).
FFred is the fourth generation of a pioneering family that has played a significant role in building the province of Alberta. His father, Calgary-based businessman and philanthropist Frederick Philip Mannix, was introduced to the business world at an early age and witnessed his own dad create an international empire. However, he also inherited another passion from both his grandfather and father, a sport rooted deep in the early days of Alberta. Polo.
FRED MANNIX JR became a member of Team Canada when he was only sixteen years old, making him one of the youngest polo players to compete in the 2001 Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Championship in Australia. He is also the first Canadian in nearly 80 years to have competed in the coveted Argentine Triple Crown (2012-until now) – the sport’s most exclusive and respected tournaments and is only the second in 124 years to have competed in the prestigious Argentine Open.
But how did someone who was born and raised in Calgary, where pretty much every kid plays hockey, find not only the passion for such a very different sport, but make it to the best in the world?
To better understand this, we have to dig a bit into the history of the Mannix family...
Passionate about sharing the long history of polo in Alberta, Frederick has not only fostered the resurgence of Canadian players at the sport’s elite international ranks, he also became the founder and former Chair of the Polo Training Foundation Canada and is the Past Director and President of the Canadian Polo Association. He was an avid player himself, too, and has even played several matches with King Charles under the watchful eyes of the late Queen Elizabeth and is a member of the Canadian Polo Hall of Fame.
Frederick taught his children how to ride on their family ranch in Calgary, and took them to many equestrian events and polo games, planting the seed and encouraging them to take on the sport. And when the harsh winter in Calgary wouldn’t allow playing the game, the family would even relocate to sunny California to follow the passion. It worked, and whilst Fred’s sister Vanessa climbed the ranks to become one of Canada’s top equestrians, competing internationally for Team Canada, Fred and his younger brother Julian followed in their dad’s footsteps playing polo.
We joined Fred at his Alegria Farm, located around 80km outside Buenos Aires, where we watched a training session for the upcoming prestigious Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo competition.
IC: So it was your father who introduced you to polo, and we guess that growing up on a ranch surrounded by horses had a bit of an influence, too?
FM: Yes, of course, my whole life has been around horses and yes, it was my dad who got me hooked. He was a polo player, too, and used to play at the El Dorado Polo Club in California, which had a peewee league and so when I started playing when I was eight years old I was fortunate enough to have some pretty high-ranked players
Many people don’t know that Calgary has one of North America’s largest and finest polo facilities with nine full-sized playing fields, an outdoor arena and school, and viewing for thousands of spectators on over 300 acres.
to advise me and to become my mentors. It is the speed of the game and the whole lifestyle around it that got me fascinated.
IC: Yes, we have to admit that we had never seen a real polo game before we came here, to Buenos Aires. It is so fast and the control of the players over the horses is just amazing. But still, it is quite different from loving a sport, to competing in it, making it a career and ultimately becoming the country’s highest-ranked player...
FM: Well, it needed a lot of work and a little bit of luck, too, hahaha. But seriously, it was not just my dad but also the fact that polo has such importance in Alberta. Many people don’t know that Calgary has one of North America’s largest and finest polo facilities with nine full-sized playing fields, an outdoor arena and school, and viewing for thousands of spectators on over 300 acres. It is also one of the oldest clubs in North America with a strong heritage of producing great polo and some of the country’s best competitors, and I spent a
lot of time there in the summer and honed my riding skills. I have always loved sports, played basketball while at school in Vancouver, and did my fair bit of skating but in the end, it was my love for horses and the fascination of the polo game, and that includes this very positive, electric atmosphere at the tournaments, that made me want to pursue it as a career.
IC: It is always said that you are the “second” Canadian to have competed in the Argentine Open. However, when we did our research, we saw that Lewis Lacey, the “other” Canadian, is actually British/ Argentine?
FM: He was born in Montreal, but his parents moved to Buenos Aires when he was around 3 years old. He also served for England in World War I before returning to Argentina to pursue his polo career and then captained the English team in 1924 and 1930, and also played for Argentina in 1928 in the Cup of the Americas. So I guess I will leave it up to you to decide who is more Canadian here, hahaha....
IC: You are not just a polo player, but as the captain of your own team in Argentina, Alegria, which you established in 2005, you are also very much involved in breeding horses and then training them.
FM: Absolutely! I really love this farm here, and it really is so much more than just a training centre. The location is truly a dream for a polo player. The area we are in is the epicentre, the frontier of polo, with around 100 full-size polo fields in just a 10mile radius. And to answer your question, Alegria breeds and then trains between 50 to 60 horses, with an auction once a year.
IC: Maybe tell us a bit about how long it takes for a horse to become a good polo horse.
FM: Gladly. So the first time we put a saddle on a horse it is around 2 years old. Over the next 5 years, we then slowly build them up so they are about 7 years old when we can take them to the first game. Obviously, they all have their own little personalities, just like us. Some are calm, some very eager and it is now up to a player to find the horse best suited for him or her. You have to know the character of the horse, and you have to become one to compete on the field.
IC: Very fascinating! So now that we have heard so much about you as an accomplished player on the field, we should also point out that there is more than just polo in your professional life. You are a businessman off the field, too. More connected to polo, you started your own line of athletic wear and then associated it with British luxury brand Hurlingham Polo 1875, which you now represent as a global brand ambassador. But you graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Business Administration and hold the Chartered Investment Managers (CIM) designation.
FM: That is correct. And yes, although I try to spend as much time as possible on the polo field, I am also the Executive VP at Accelerate Financial Technologies Inc., one of Canada’s most innovative and fastestgrowing alternative investment solution providers, as well as a director at Chinook Valley Inc. and Gryphon Corp.
IC: Fred, it almost seems impossible that between polo and your business endeavours you also find some time to spend with your own family...
FM: I know, but my family is always my priority and I am blessed that they share my passion. My wife Kelsea actually plays polo herself, and our three kids Brooklyn, Freddie, and the youngest one, Jackson, love horses. I love to watch them, see their interaction with the horses, hear them laugh and see big smiles on their faces. Such positive energy, it makes me very happy.
IC: So can you see one of them follow in your footsteps?
FM: Maybe a bit early to say, but who knows? I will gladly support whatever they are passionate about.
IC: Fred, thank you and Team Alegria very much for such a warm welcome and all the best for the upcoming tournaments. Go, Alegria!
When it comes to watches, people are usually attracted to established brands for a good reason. They have a proven track record and years of history and experience in the industry. However, over the past several years there has been a rising level of interest in smaller companies that appeal to a niche but passionate audience.
The so-called microbrands are small shops producing watches in a variety of price ranges, competing for the attention of the watch enthusiast. They often don’t have the resources to produce their own in-house movements or other proprietary parts, and cut out the middleman by selling their watches online, straight to consumers. They try to reach those aficionados who collect established brands but are open to purchasing interesting valuepriced watches as well as individuals who are looking
into timepieces because they are different, maybe trendy and can often be found on Kickstarter, trying to get the funding for their creations. Atowak is one of those companies.
Established in 2017, Atowak may be a very young company, but the international team around its founder and CEO Johnny Deng has been engaged in watch research and development for more than 20 years.
According to the founders of the company, ATOWAK is “dedicated to creating high-quality mechanical watches with a unique and bold design philosophy.” It “redefines the
aesthetics on your wrist and makes your time more unique than others.”
What looks and sounds a bit strange as the name for a watch company is actually an interesting story in itself. Have you heard of the Caesar Cipher? Named after Julius Caesar, who apparently used it to communicate with his officials, it is one of the earliest and simplest methods of encryption technique. It is a type of substitution cipher in which each letter of a given text is replaced by a letter with a fixed number of positions down the alphabet. Have another look at the ‘Mission statement’ of the company and then take the word Atowak and move each letter by 20. UNIQUE! Or, take Unique and move it by 6 letters and you will get Atowak. Simple as that.
The Watches...
Yes, we have to mention Urwerk. The Swiss watch company with its amazing visionary creations was definitely an inspiration for Atowak, but the young company managed to create their own fascinating timepieces at a very affordable price point with modified Japanese Miyota movements and a production set up in China. However, with Atowak’s parent company, Peacock Watch Group, having experience in movement production for decades, Atowak is currently investing in the development of their own in-house calibers.
The Cobra is Atowak’s new flagship watch. It has an angular multi-faceted 316L stainless steel case with carbon fibre inlays and three sapphire crystals to view the movement and dial. The shape of the case is reminiscent of the profile of a cobra head with the front crystal being the mouth. The carbon fibre inlays act as a scale pattern of a snake. The front and top openings show the unique timekeeping mechanism and yes, as previously mentioned, the movement is not an in-house development but a highly modified Miyota 9039.
It is quite fascinating how Atowak modified the caliber to feature a unique revolving satellite hour wheel. Instead of a pair of hands, a carousel moves three pointers, sitting 120 degrees apart. Each pointer has a rectangular block with a number written on each of its four sides and as the carousel moves, the block rotates. The rotating block shows the hour, while the pointer depicts the minutes. At 38 hours the power reserve is slightly less than an un-modified Miyota 9039, but this is easily explained with the movement of the pointers.
Currently, three different colour combinations are available:
Carbon black with orange-red highlights and dial markings, desert brown with brown highlights and steel silver with silver textured side panels and highlights. The Cobra comes with both a leather and a stainless steel strap.
This “supercar-inspired” timepiece has a wandering hour complication that gives a totally different experience of reading the time on a watch. First seen in pocket watches in the 17th century, the first wristwatch using the complication seems to have been the Audemars Piguet Star Wheel in the early 1990s, before Urwerk took full advantage of the idea with their first UR-101 watches in 1997.
The Atowak Ettore is built on a Miyota 9015 movement and their watchmaker found a rather simple way to ‘do the magic’: under the covered area on the left side of the watch, a little rod and a semi-circular cutout make the satellite move and the numbers switch over. The power reserve is 36 hours and several colour combinations are available.
The Windows Pro is the entrance level to Atowak watches. Inspired by a vintage 1970s FM radio dial, with the hours organized much the same as on the old radios, it utilizes a highly modified Miyota 8S20 movement with around 42 hours of power reserve.
The Windows Pro comes in several variations and colour combinations
For more information and to see some great videos of how these watches work, please visit the official Atowak website www.atowak.com. Scan the QR code for Atowak’s YouTube page with many interesting videos showing the Cobra and their other watch models.
www.Atowak.com
DEEPSEA CHALLENGE TITANIUM 126067
Recently, Rolex revealed their most advanced dive watch ever, the Deepsea Challenge. Described as the ultimate watch of the deep it is the direct successor of multiple experimental watches, starting in the late 1950s with the original Deep Sea Special, which made the trip down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (10,916 metres).
Paying homage, the Deepsea Challenge is engraved with the words “Mariana Trench” as well as the dates “23-01-1960” and “26-03-2012” on the case back, in tribute to the dive of Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh aboard the Trieste, in 1960, and James Cameron’s solo descent in DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, in 2012. Both expeditions took experimental Rolex watches with them.
To test the waterproofness of each Deepsea Challenge, Rolex specially developed an ultra-high-pressure tank capable of reproducing a test pressure equivalent to that exerted by water at a depth of 13,750 metres.
Like all Rolex watches, the Deepsea Challenge carries the Superlative Chronometer certification and boasts chronometric precision of the order of –2 /+2 seconds per day.
C$30,800. LUGARO Jewellers.
“Translating high horology into everyday luxury, four new additions to Ralph Lauren’s 867 timepiece collection reinterpret the elegance of the Art Deco era into polished, pragmatic designs for how men live today.”
The watch features classical proportions with symmetrical square cases of 28 mm and 32 mm in sterling silver or 18K rose gold, lacquered white dials comprised of concentric squares with Arabic and Roman numerals and sleek Breguet-style hands.
Powered by an “extra-flat” mechanical manual winding Swiss movement, hand finished with vertical Côtes de Genève stripes and circular graining, known as Perlage. Prices start from US$8,250 for the 28mm Sterling Silver / White Dial.
A collaboration with French painter of Vietnamese origin, Hom Nguyen, this version of the Cintrée Curvex combines two complications: Double Mystery and Tourbillon. Without hands, the dial depicts time using two rotating discs.
A collaboration with French painter of Vietnamese origin, Hom Nguyen, this version of the Cintrée Curvex combines two complications: Double Mystery and Tourbillon. Without hands, the dial depicts time using two rotating discs. The full face of the child in the artwork takes full shape when the discs are perfectly aligned at 12 o’clock. Price: Upon Request.
The full face of the child in the artwork takes full shape when the discs are perfectly aligned at 12 o’clock. Price: Upon Request.
Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co. have teamed up for a new line of watches, starting with two stunning timepieces.
Based on the Epic X, the ‘Flight of CR7’ and ‘Heart of CR7’ show all the typical hallmarks: a 44 mm case with X-shaped lugs, a smooth and polished or diamondset bezel and a coloured crown and flange. The watches are powered by the handwound Jacob & Co JCAM45 caliber with a skeletonized movement and a striking architecture: its two vertical pillars not only form the central part of the X-shape initiated by the lugs, they are also designed to represent Cristiano Ronaldo and his CR7 brand. The left pillar takes on the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo himself, while the right one bears his logo and his signature, both engraved in bold. The skeleton barrel cover is shaped like a football.
There will be 99 pieces of each model.
Heart of CR7 - US$28,000 in stainless steel and US$117,000 in stainless steel with baguette diamonds.
Flight of CR7 - US$56,000 in 18-karat rose gold and US$145,000 in 18-karat rose gold with baguette diamonds)
This Boutique Exclusive timepiece by Roger Dubuis in partnership with Lamborghini was created to mark the launch of the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. Limited to 28 pieces, the Monobalancier (MB) watch houses a self-winding mechanical in-house RD630 caliber with a 12° tilted balance, two barrels and a rotor inspired by the Lamborghini wheel rim. The whole movement resembles the structure of the supercar engine with strut-bars, and clean-cut lines of the Sterrato’s roof rack. The crown is inspired by racing nuts.
45mm diameter carbon case with black DLC titanium bezel, fitted on an interchangeable rubber strap with cameo pattern. US$72,000
In 2009, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the ZEITWERK, the first mechanical wristwatch that displays hours and minutes with jumping numerals. Finally, the second generation with an all-new movement (the caliber L043.6) with a 72-hour power reserve and an updated design with the addition of a pusher at four o’clock for adjustment of the jumping-hour display, has been introduced. Available in either 18-karat rose gold with a black dial and a time bridge made of untreated German silver, or in 950 platinum with a rhodié dial made of solid silver. Price: upon request.
A world first, exclusively unveiled during the Hublot Loves Art in Miami event, the ‘MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5-Day Power Reserve’ takes the iconic rainbow design and thrusts it into the 21st century.
The famous gemstone pattern has been reproduced using hundreds of coloured composites inserted into the mass of a 3D carbon case. Each insert is imperceptibly cropped with carbon, and polished and adjusted to the nearest micron.
As for the movement, the MP-09 once more uses the HUB9009.H1.RA.B movement with manual winding and a 5-day power reserve.
It comes with a bi-axial tourbillon with one complete rotation per minute for the first axis and a second rotation every 30 seconds for the second axis. Limited to 8 pieces.
C$264,000. HUBLOT Vancouver.
Limited to 150 pieces, the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Polychrome retains the signature case, bezel and strap design combined with a new multicoloured dial that serves as a subtle nod to the rainbow trend. Made of lightweight, fine-brushed black PVD grade 5 titanium, the exhibition caseback of the all-black 45mm case shows the caliber Heuer 02T COSC chronograph tourbillon movement. US$24,050.
NAUTILUS REF. 5811/1G-001
It looks a lot like its famous 5711 predecessor but there are big differences. Instead of stainless steel, white gold and a slightly bigger 41mm (height 8.2mm) case are used, and the dial is graduated from blue to darker blue at the edges. Other modifications are a pull-out piecelever system for the crown and improvements to the bracelet. Self-winding caliber 26-330S with 45 hours power reserve. US$69,785
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, AP released a white gold version of the iconic model with an eye-catching Grande Tapisserie dial in a rich, warm shade of purple and a bezel set with baguette-cut diamonds. The perpetual calendar has week indication, day, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hours and minutes. The 41mm case is 9.5mm thick and houses AP’s inhouse caliber 5134. Price on Request.
HYT is back! Under the new leadership of Davide Cerrato, HYT CEO and creative director, the HYT Supernova Moon Runner is made from grey and blue titanium, topped with an anti-reflective coating sapphire crystal glass dome.
Driven by a manual winding mechanical movement, the 601-MO calibre designed by Eric Coudray, the 3D display represents the lunar phases and satellite day and month indications. With fluidic hours, rotating lunar cycles and calendar functions, the HYT offers a kinetic view of time and space.
The mecafluidic technology uses two flexible reservoirs (called “bellows”) that are attached to each end of a capillary. The thickness of the walls of this reservoir is of an extraordinary fineness of hardly a quarter of a human hair.
There are two immiscible fluids inside the capillarythe active, coloured fluid is in the first reservoir; the passive fluid is in the other reservoir. The convergence of the two fluids marks the current time.
Only 27 copies of the HYT Supernova Blue Moon Runner will be produced. CHF 120,000.
MONTECRISTO - www.montecristo1978.com
CHATEAU D’IVOIRE - www.chateaudivoire.com Montreal, QB - 514.845.4651
The first watch brand to embrace the world of sailing, the Corum Admiral collection celebrates its nautical origins. With its unique 12-sided case and nautical pennants as hour markers, it is instantly recognized the world over.
LA MINE D’OR - www.laminedor.ca Moncton, NB - 506.857.1980 CORUM-WATCHES.COM • @CORUMUSA (954) 279-1220 • info@cwjbrands.com
ADMIRAL 45 CHRONOGRAPH • ADMIRAL 38
Equipped with the brand’s most advanced chronograph to date, the El Primero 9020. Since its inception in 1969, Zenith has continued to improve the first automatic chronograph ever created and with the 9020, a new star is born. A combination of two independent tourbillon mechanisms that complete rotations in 60 seconds for the timekeeping tourbillon and five seconds for the chronograph’s tourbillon makes it one of the fastest tourbillons ever made. Housed within an oversized 45mm Defy case, it is available in either lightweight titanium with a mix of satin brushed, polished and matte surfaces, or a carbon fiber model with a sandblasted matte rose gold bezel and a black textured rubber strap.
Titanium: US$69,600. Carbon/ rose gold: US$79,700.
First launched in 2019 to showcase the brand’s horological and artistic craftsmanship, the GirardPerregaux Cosmos is coming to an end.
The three last models ever to be produced are made using different gems of the earth: A black aventurine dial and black aventurine celestial and terrestrial globes with gold micro-painting, a spectrolite dial and black aventurine globes with silver micro-painting and an obsidian dial and onyx globes with gold micro-painting.
The watches are powered by the in-house GP09320 hand-wound movement that consists of 368 individual and meticulously finished parts.
Each Cosmos comes with an alligator strap and is water resistant to 30 meters.
Just one of each version will be made, with each retailing for US$364,000.
Swiss independent brand H. Moser - yes, the company without a logo on the dial - just introduced its most ambitious project to date, combining the physical, the digital, and the virtual world.
Available in an edition of 50 pieces, the Endeavour Centre Seconds Genesis or, if you want to embrace the digital world, the 01100111 01100101 01101110 01100101 01110011 01101001 01110011, has a pixelated, 3D-printed titanium bezel and crown and a QR code engraved onto the sapphire crystal.
The dial is treated with Vantablack—the darkest artificial substance on Earth capable of absorbing up to 99.975% of ambient light.
Utilizing the HMC 200 automatic calibre with an openworked 18k gold rotor, the movement delivers a robust 3-day power reserve.
Retailing for CHF 27,000, Moser is also open to payments in cryptocurrency.
OMEGA has hosted a black-tie celebration in London, with guest of honour Daniel Craig, to mark 60 years of James Bond. The spy-inspired night featured a dramatic live experience, complete with movie props and gadgets from Q’s Lab, and a full line-up of 007’s OMEGA watches. It included two new Seamaster Diver 300M timepieces, both paying homage to the spy through innovation and impressive materials – with a touch of film magic infused within the design. Stainless steel: C$10,300. Canopus Gold: CHF 135,000 (no Canadian price as of yet).
A limited series of only 300 timepieces with COSC-certified caliber, the SUB 300 Aqua Lung US Divers marks a first with a forged carbon case and black rubber strap. A limited series of only 300 timepieces with COSCcertified caliber, in partnership with Aqua Lung. US$4,790.
ELEKTRON HR 2.2
Converting motion into electricity through gravity, this smartwatch is powered by an inhouse automatic caliber. Once fully charged it has a standby time of more than a year. The HR 2.2 is capable of recording steps, heart rate, workout, sleep and Blood Oxygen Levels. US$961.
The final release of 2022, Formex has unveiled two meteorite dial watches. The Essence 39mm and Essence Leggera 41mm Space Rock watches will each be limited to 88 pieces and feature the COSC chronometer-certified Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. US$1,650/ US$1,850.
One watch, three emoji variations, each one produced in a limited edition of 33 pieces. Swiss neoretro brand Nivada Grenchen shows a vibrant-unconventional twist on vintage dials, paired with a Sellita SW510 BH B movement, which is both manual and selfwinding. US$1,995.
One of the main advantages of choosing an Exel fabric for your next suit is that you will be one of the few people in the world to actually own one. Dormeuil makes approximately 300 yards of these premium fabrics, which allows for the creation of about 100 suits worldwide. Yes… it is that limited.
A wise decision for those who like to stand out from the crowd.
The Exel collection plays on two fronts: the dynamism of modernity and the conformism of tradition. The fabrics are characterized by nuances and distinguished by the vitality of the plain and semi-plains weaves that bring out light effects, adding a lot of personality to any piece. This collection of 100% wool fabrics with natural stretch without elastane will seduce the most discerning of you who remain sensitive to the sensory pleasure of a quality fabric.
Every important step in our life is better to take with the proper shoes. Many people underestimate them, but a man’s elegance is really determined by what he wears on his feet. Choosing the right shoes is crucial; never forget that!
Our custom handmade shoes are available in our Vancouver showroom.
BY THOMAS MASON
Thomas Mason makes fabrics of the highest quality, flaunting a bold style and timeless elegance. Produced in Italy since 1796 with the most precious materials and avant-garde technology, their fabrics tell stories of pure excellence, combining tradition, elegance and artisanal care.
A new era in Bentley well being.
To celebrate the arrival of the New Bentayga EWB, a stunning First Edition is available. Subject to a limited production run, it combines many of the most desirable options available for the car with a package of eye-catching details found only on Bentley First Editions.
On the outside, exterior First Edition badging identifies the car – a theme that extends inside, with First Edition badging on the veneered fascia, as well as First Edition embroidery on the seats. Unique First Edition Contrast Stitching adorns the seats and, depending on your choice of veneers, gleaming metal overlays can be applied to the fascia and waistrails in the front and the rear.
As well as all the standard features of the New Bentayga EWB Azure, the First Edition includes premium features such as LED Welcome Lights, the Bentley Diamond Illumination and Naim for Bentley – arguably the world’s best in-car sound system.
Contact Bentley Vancouver for more information.
During the 1960s, a certain scent was changing the world: patchouli. It conveyed a sense of freedom and spirituality that was closer to nature, and the hopes of a generation that was reinventing the future. Tempo is a tribute to this olfactory icon. Elegant and woody.
AZZARO WANTED Bold. Powerful. Irresistible. This woody citrus and spicy fragrance, composed of explosive lemon, energizing cardamom and vetiver, is for the man who dares to live life to the fullest.
A new intensity in the shadow of the moon. When the sensuality of leather and saffron meets the magnetism of the patchouli heart. Woody and spicy, a sophisticated scent with an opening of grapefruit that dries down to leather, patchouli and myrrh.
MANCERA TONKA COLA
Based on a documented transoceanic voyage in 1618 uniting East and West, NANBAN is a woody and smoky oriental fragrance evoking the dark hull of a galleon full of exotic cargo. With notes of: Malabar black pepper, Persian saffron, Chinese osmanthus, coffee absolute, Spanish leather, myrrh, frankincense, sandalwood and cade.
Feuilles de Tabac opens with a spark of fiery pimento berries and Cuban cascarilla oil - imparting a spectrum of smouldering spice.
Welcome to the winter issue of Creating Impact. Happy New Year and warmest wishes and a healthy and happy 2023 to you and yours. In late 2022, I had the pleasure of sitting down for a deep conversation with Som Seif, Founder & CEO of Purpose Unlimited. I’ve known Som for many years through the industry, with VELA being a partner company of Purpose. Over the years, Som and I have spent most of our time talking business and so it was wonderful to spend some time on the topics of family and philanthropy and to learn more about his family history. It’s always inspiring to speak with people like Som and hear about what drives them to be their best, push through adversity and truly create something great. I hope you enjoy this first candid conversation of 2023 with one of Canada’s leading financial services entrepreneurs, Som Seif.
Som’s background plays a huge role in who he is today, and we began the conversation about how it all began. His family immigrated to Canada from Iran around the time of the Iranian revolution. His father was working toward his master’s degree in England where Som was born. It was the 1970s and his father originally wanted to stay in England, but a professor suggested he move to a more progressive society, a country that might be more welcoming, like Canada. It was this advice that led his father to Toronto, ON, where he applied to continue working toward his Ph.D. at York University. His family immigrated a year later in 1980.
“It was one of the greatest decisions my family ever made, but most importantly, one of the most important decisions in my life that I didn’t make. That single decision changed the probability of success for me, and my family, 100-fold”.
Growing up Som dreamed about being an architect as he loved the idea of building and designing. However, in speaking with a couple of well-known architects in the Toronto Area, he changed his mind and decided to pursue engineering at the University of Toronto. Very shortly thereafter, he went to work with RBC Investment banking, just in time for the tech bubble.
“I worked at RBC for six years but then, I just started to really ask myself whether this was what I wanted to do. I remember the big moment. I was 25 years old and starting to make very good money for a young kid, and I remember coming home one night at two in the morning (pretty typical of the hours I was working). I sat on my bed and said to myself
‘I’m not happy’. It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing. I wasn’t happy because I had pursued all of this with the singular goal of making money. Now that I was making some money and was on a path to making lots more, I didn’t feel like I had the right goal. I had to step back and figure out what I really enjoyed.“
Som wanted to apply himself to see his ideas flourish and he realized he wanted to build something. So, he decided to leave, giving himself an ultimatum. “If I reach my 30th birthday and I’m still sitting in this seat, I’m going to resign,” he said to himself. That day came, and it was before Som turned 30. At the age of 28, he established his first company called Claymore; an ETF company built on a strong philosophical model and a vision to build a better asset management firm.
Over the following seven years, Claymore became one of the most important asset management firms in Canada and changed the way the industry looked at investing and investment product design. Then, Som’s business partner in the company wanted to exit, so in 2012, the company was sold to the world’s largest investment management firm, BlackRock.
decision we make in the moment, right or wrong, has been for reasons that were in the moment. I also believe it’s important to go back and reflect on our decisions with the benefit of hindsight and apply those insights going forward.”
As with many other entrepreneurs, the pandemic had an impact on Som’s priorities and exposed him to what is most important in his life. Having dinner every night with his wife and four children during the pandemic was amazing after years of building Purpose. “I have made it a rule that I want to be home four weeknights and the weekends to have dinner with my children. It is important not to be absent for what I think is the most relevant period of their lives - the family time of being around the table together.”
A year later, Som started Purpose Investments and co-founded a firm called Wealthsimple. Both companies have been growing over the last nine years in multiple areas of financial services, driving successful industry innovation for Canadians.
“If I went back in time, I wouldn’t do anything differently. One of my fundamental beliefs is that we shouldn’t have regrets in life and that every
Som’s childhood was very different to the one of his children. He wants to be certain to lead by example in everything that he does. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have lots of material things. All I had were my dreams. In many cases, our lifestyle has taken away some of those things from my children because they have grown up in a different life setting. We have to find different ways to inspire them to dream, to be something greater than what they are today, in many ways.” Continuous development and learning are important things that Som wants to instill in his children. He believes that people should not be worrying about how they are relative to somebody else, but they should focus on how they progress as an individual. “If you as an individual think that way, you’re just going to get stronger. You’re going to get better. You’re going to do more. You’re going to feel more accomplished. You’re going to attack your goals, and I think that’s the most important thing I want to teach my kids. I think it’s a really powerful way to think in life.”
Giving back is another big part of Som’s life that he wants to pass on to his children. He has been involved with his time, energy, and money in different organizations to give back to society.
Being grateful to his parents for coming to Canada and for the opportunity this country has given him, Som has a sense of duty to give back to his country, and community. This passion brought him to the organization “Big Brothers” while he was in his second year of university. Even though he was busy with his studies and a very busy social life, he signed up and became a Big Brother.
“It taught me so much about the joy of giving and the invaluable personal returns. It has been an important part of my life ever since.”
Today, Som has a deep engagement in several organizations that he is passionate about. He applies himself to them wholeheartedly and plans to do so for the rest of his life.
“I aspire to give with impact. I believe it is the most important project of my life. Today I try to add value and all the rest of it, but I’m talking about really giving with impact. I want to apply the same rigour and entrepreneurial spirit that I dedicated to building businesses and helping to change the financial services industry for the benefit of Canadians, to how I can support causes to drive positive outcomes that matter and change society in meaningful ways. I’m really energized and excited at the prospect of getting there.”
Knowing what we know about Som Seif, it’s only a matter of when…
JASON BOUDREAU CFP, CLU WEALTH ADVISOR Principal & - VELA Wealth www.velawealth.com“
we have to find different ways to inspire our children to dream, to be something greater than what they are today, in many ways.”
Founder
“ I aspire to give with impact. I believe it is the most important project of my life.
IC: In fifteen words or less, who are you and what do you do?
VS: My name is Vanni Sartini. I am the Head Coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps.
IC: How did you get into coaching and how have your experiences in the sport shaped your perspectives on coaching that may be different from many others you face on the touchline?
VS: I always knew that I would be a coach. When I was playing (and probably because I was not a good player), in addition to my own game, I was very interested in building an understanding of everything, including the tactics, the work methodology, the relationship between players and coach, etc.
As soon as I stopped playing, I started coaching. At the same time, thanks to my educational background, I also had the opportunity to start working as a coach instructor Coaching them from youth level through to the professional level for ten years, deeply shaped my way of doing things. Fundamentally, I always needed an awareness of innovations related to the understanding of the game from a holistic perspective (tactics, methodology, leadership, communication etc.). This ensured I was prepared to provide students with the best feedback possible, but it also served to remind me that there are hundreds of ways of doing this job successfully. Yet, for each person, the only way that works is the one that allows you to stay true to yourself, your convictions (in football and life) and your values.
Being a coaches’ instructor made me a much better coach and whilst I hope they learned something from me, I certainly learned a lot from my students.
VS: I always had a better eye for the collective than the individual, so consequently, I think I am very good when it comes to the tactical part of the game, and I feel very confident devising or teaching strategy and movements. In contrast, my footballing strengths lie away from developing players one on one.
Additionally, I have a clear work methodology and a vision for how things should be done. However, practically, I am not the best with the day-to-day organizational or administrative tasks, and so I am grateful to be surrounded by a team of organized staff.
IC: How would you describe your leadership style and what has influenced that?
VS: First of all, I believe that everyone is a leader in some aspects of life and, in an organization there a lot of leaders. For example,
in matters related to equipment, I follow the lead of the kit manager, on the field the players follow the lead of the best players and in the locker room they follow the most charismatic individuals. Consequently, the head coach is not the leader but a leader between leaders and as such, it is important that every leader is also a good follower. We must all follow the team culture and the team pillars, as we work towards achieving the team’s objectives. For this reason, I believe the team is the leader!
Personally, my leadership role is that of the Educational Leader and I think that in my role, I must mostly be an educator. I must first teach both staff and players what my vision is, and then educate them on the process that I want them to implement in order to reach the team’s objective.
An important part of this education is to give responsibility to every staff member and player. I must delegate tasks and avoid micro-managing every situation, whilst constantly giving accurate feedback, even if that can be difficult when things are not going well. Conflict is an important part of the education process, and a coach should embrace conflict when the situation arises, to avoid facing a much bigger problem further down the road.
At the same time, a good leader must listen and observe everything that happens around them, in order to improve. Another important attribute of a strong leader is openness.
IC: How do you go about creating a high-performance culture when you arrive in a new team?
VS: In my opinion, a high-performance culture is built on three pillars: the process, the content and the people.
IC: As a coach, what are your strongest attributes? And your weakest? How have you learnt to play to your strengths and manage your weaknesses?
In a results-driven business, you must have a strong view about what to do (the content) and how to do it (the process). You must be intentional and orientate every aspect of your working time to these two aspects. For a soccer team the content is the tactical principle and the way that you want your team to play, whilst the process is the methodology that players and staff will follow both on and off the field. The content and the process are pillars that you must follow even if results don’t always go well. Consistency is the key to creating a highperformance culture, and every action must be intentional, in following the process and towards achieving the content.
The third pillar is the people. The content must be adopted and the process followed in an environment within which every person in the working group experiences respect and empathy. Respect requires the clear communication of the standards that we need to reach in terms of the content and for the promotion of growth through the process by being very clear when these standards are not met. Empathy basically means that we each try to create a connection with everyone else in the group.
In our environment, you often spend more time with your teammates than with your family and so it is natural that some relationships are stronger than others. However, in caring about the person next to us, it is easier to be honest and straightforward with each other, which is critical when nurturing relationships and growing the special connections that can be instrumental in helping teams go that extra mile when challenges arise.
IC: Who has inspired you on your journey and how have they influenced you?
VS: I have been inspired by a lot of people. Countless coaches, thought leaders, public figures, friends, and family members. I am a people person and, where I can, I derive energy and inspiration from every interaction. Professionally, the most important person throughout my journey has been Renzo Ulivieri, Head of Coaching at the Italian FA. The things Renzo taught me and the chance he gave me in appointing me as his assistant in 2010 are just the start of what he has contributed to my journey. The biggest lesson that I learned from him is that in order to reach the utopia of knowing everything about football and life, you must always have a “hunger” for knowledge. Whilst reaching utopia is unattainable, the quest is what drives you to get better every day.
IC: After leaving Italy, you spent time living and working in Chicago before arriving in Vancouver. What do you miss about Italy and what have you enjoyed most about living in Chicago and Vancouver?
VS: Of course, I miss the people I love in Florence, as I am very close to my family and with two group of friends there. Thankfully we live in an era where technology helps us to stay connected, although a WhatsApp group or a Facetime call is not the same as seeing each other in person.
For me and Chicago, it was love at first sight. I really liked the architecture, and I enjoyed how lively the city was, with so many cultural, social, and sporting events to follow. I love the attitude of Chicagoans, who like people from Florence, are very proud of their city and this helped my wife and me connect with Chicago very quickly.
With Vancouver, feeling part of the city has been a bit of a slow burn. You immediately realize how beautiful the city is, with the water, the mountains, and green spaces creating a paradise akin to living outdoors. However, I struggled initially as Vancouver seems to prefer to focus on being beautiful rather than alive. Once I got to know the city better, I started to love how completely different East Van is to Yaletown, Olympic Village or Kitsilano. I also think this city has one of the best restaurant cultures in the world.
IC: Have you spent time familiarizing yourself with other sports since living in North America? If so, which other sports do you enjoy watching?
VS: I love watching basketball and, because my wife was a basketball player, we watch a lot of games together - so it’s our family time. It’s sad that Vancouver doesn’t have an NBA team anymore. When we lived in Chicago, we went to a Bulls game at least once a month. However, since living in Canada for the last 4 years, ice hockey has grown on me; it’s a fast-paced sport where, like soccer, it’s hard to score, and so I often get excited during Canucks games.
IC: Which other countries or cities would you like to live and work in?
VS: I love Vancouver and want to stay here to help the team reach the next level, but I don’t see myself staying 10 years in the same job. I am in this business for the life experience that it affords me. Living in the US and Canada has been an incredible journey for my wife and me, but Europe and, of course Italy, is home, so I’ll probably want to go back at some point.
I am currently learning Japanese, so why not work in Japan in the future? I also love Australia. But, if I have learned one thing during my career, it is that you never know where you will end up, so I am open to all possibilities.
IC: How do you relax away from work?
VS: I have a lot of interests, but the easiest ways I like to relax are by reading a book (I am an avid reader), taking a long walk on the Seawall while listening to a podcast (I love true crime and history), enjoying a night out for dinner with my wife, or a night at home watching something on one of the hundreds of streaming services that I subscribe to (I am a television junkie).
The famous Curva Fiesole in the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy, where Vanni has been “hundreds of times in my life.”“I started early,” Vanni laughs, looking at some of his childhood pictures.
IC: How important is legacy to you and what indelible mark would you like to leave on the soccer world by the time you retire?
VS: It is very important. Being in professional sport one would expect that the legacy that I aspire to leave is related to wins and trophies, but I work and live every day to create evidence of the culture that I’ve tried to establish. A culture of respect, quality, and empathy. Respect for everything around me, doing the highest quality of work possible, and connecting with the people around me: players, colleagues, and fans.
IC: What 3 words would your closest friends use to describe you?
VS: Generous. Funny. Clumsy.
IC: Thank you Vanni, it’s been a real pleasure chatting with you and learning a bit about your interests, passions and influences.
VS: It was a great pleasure for me too. I hope it was interesting.
IC: Before you go, here are our ‘Completely Unrelated, but Nevertheless Entertaining Standard 10 Questions’…you ready?
VS: Sure. Shoot.
IC: You lose everything you own. How do you rise like a phoenix from the ashes?
VS: I write a book or film a documentary on how I lost everything. Nothing sells quicker than stories about people who became successful and then lost everything.
IC: As you step outside, you find a lottery ticket that ends up winning you $20 million. What do you do?
VS: I immediately register the win, allowing the Government to collect my taxes and appease my winner’s guilt thanks to my contribution to the common good. Then, I spend 50% on enjoying life with the people I love and use 50% to set up a fund helping young entrepreneurs fund their startup costs.
IC: You can invite 5 people for a dinner party…and the guest list isn’t restricted by the confines of time and mortality. Who joins you for dinner and why?
VS: Leonardo Da Vinci, Antonio Gramsci (an important Italian politician, who died in jail opposing the Fascist dictatorships in 1937), George Orwell, Frida Kahlo and my wife.
I would love to talk with a genius like Leonardo. I’d talk about politics, philosophy, writing and art with Gramsci, Orwell and Frida Kahlo. My wife would never forgive me if I didn’t invite her to dinner with Frida Kahlo.
IC: What was your first car, what do you drive now and what is your dream car?
VS: My first car was a very used Renault Clio. I don’t like to drive, so if in future they perfect the self-driving car, that would be my dream one.
IC: What one piece of advice would you give to your 16-year old self?
VS: Be ready and patient. Your chances (plural!) will arrive, maybe not today, maybe not in a few years but keep working on yourself because you need to be ready when they do. And don’t wait until you’re 39 to become a vegetarian.
IC: Who would play you in a movie about your life?
VS: Will Arnett. He’s a really funny actor and a sport lover. Apparently, during the broadcast of our game vs LAFC, Will said that I look like Mr. Bean - so Rowan Atkinson can be a stand in.
IC: Where is your favourite travel destination and why?
VS: I like to go home to Italy to see friends and family. If I travel elsewhere, the destination must make me grow. At the moment, I am learning Japanese and so I want to test my language skills and improve them in Japan.
IC: Tell me your favourite joke…
VS: A magician, performing on stage, has a baseball bat and is asking volunteers in the crowd to come up and take their best shot to hit him in the head, proving his magic will protect him.
A young guy from the audience volunteers but is very reluctant to hit him. The magician persists, performs a sort of ritual, and finally the volunteer takes a swing and hits him square in the forehead. The magi-
cian collapses and is transported to the hospital, where he remains in a coma.
After 3 months he eventually wakes up in his hospital bed. Flamboyantly, he rises, arms aloft and says “Et Voila! This is magic ladies and gentlemen!”
IC: Where is your favourite Vancouver restaurant?
VS: For an intimate dinner with my wife, I like Mangia in Olympic Village. To kick off a night with friends, I like Per Se Social Corner in Yaletown. For a quick, quality lunch break, Casereccio on Broadway and Vine. Given they are all Italian/ Mediterranean places I recognize that I am a little biased!
IC: Complete the sentence: “Vancouver is a great place to live because…”
VS: …every neighbourhood has a different soul, so you can experience many different small towns inside one city”.
IC: Grazie mille, Vanni. I’d like to wish you and the Whitecaps the best of luck for the new season, and look forward to following your journey, wherever that may take you.
For more information about the Vancouver Whitecaps, the 2023 season and ticket sales, please visit the official website at: www.whitecapsfc.com
Cryptocurrencies are a compelling opportunity for the discerning investor. Digital assets are arguably the fastest, most efficient, and most secure way to move capital and exchange value locally or around the world.
The goal of Bitcoin Central, a British Columbia-based Bitcoin ATM company, is “to offer the most smoothly paved and shortest bridge between the traditional cash economy and the digital economy of cryptocurrencies in a non-custodial capacity.”
Iconic Concierge caught up with Ben Glickman, Founder and CEO of Bitcoin Central, to find out more about his company which is putting up machines all over the province.
IC: Ben, we have heard from several people that they are still uncomfortable working with cryptocurrencies. One of the key messages seems to be the concern of not having something physical, and especially older people don’t like to do everything online. So is this something where a real ATM machine can help?
Ben: Absolutely! It definitely takes away the anxiety some have, as this now is very much like your typical ATM machine in the foyer of your local bank. You can buy and sell cryptocurrencies, check your wallet balance and donate directly to the government of Ukraine at any of our locations. It gives confidence and trust, having a physical machine rather than just a website.
In the months of January and February use the discount code ‘ICONIC’ - for 12% off commissions at all Bitcoin Central ATMs. For high net worth individuals interested in larger transactions, call 250-825-1902 or email support@bitcoincentralatm.com for bespoke service.
IC: No doubt. So what is needed to use the machines?
Ben: All that is needed to buy or sell crypto at any of our ATMs is cash and a QR code for a Bitcoin, Ethereum or Litecoin wallet. That’s it. The transactions are instant, anonymous and secure and our clients are not required to enter a phone number, submit an ID or register.
IC: So what about the notorious ‘key’? As investors in insolvent exchanges like FTX have learned painfully - if you don’t have the keys to your cryptocurrency wallets, you don’t control your assets.
Ben: Bitcoin Central puts you in control when you are buying or selling crypto - you always have access to your assets. Individuals seeking to convert cash to cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrencies to cash have a multitude of options. Our mission is to offer our customers an array of compelling add-value propositions when converting cash to crypto or vice versa.
When you purchase crypto from Bitcoin Central, your coins are sent immediately and reach your wallet as fast as possible. When selling crypto for cash, your cash is typically available for withdrawal within minutes.
IC: And should your machine break, or some online problem occurs...?
Ben: Yes, machines break occasionally and algorithms can go awry. So when such problems arise you want resolution in real-time, and we make sure that if our customers have an issue or a question, they can reach us anytime via phone, text, WhatsApp or Telegram. I personally resolve every query. Complete customer satisfaction all the time is our expectation.
IC: Do the ATMs accept both US and Canadian Dollars?
Ben: Correct. And our ATMs offer interfaces in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), English, French, Korean, Japanese and Spanish. It really is a simple, intuitive user interface so you can complete your transactions in as few steps as possible. And by the way - we don’t charge transaction fees. And never will!
IC: We will try it out, now that we will have one of the ATMs just a block away from our office!
Ben: We will have several new locations over the next few months. The best way to find out where they are is to check our website.
VANCOUVER
My Convenience Store
450 W Hastings St (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
City Park Express
700 Denman St (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Easy Day Store
892 Beach Ave (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Victory Food Market 166 W Hastings St (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Granville Food Market
1090 Granville St (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Stationary 2000 3552 W 41st Ave (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
GVA
Westwood Mixer and Smokes 2748 Lougheed Hwy. Suite 101, Port Coquitlam, BC (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Hornby Smoke and Convenience 435 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Moonlight Smoke and Convenience 9179 148 St, Surrey, BC (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC)
Centre Point Post Office & Print Express
Centrepoint Mall, 9-2949 Main St, Vancouver, BC (Buy BTC, ETH and LTC with CAD and USD; Sell BTC, LTC and ETH for CAD)
Visit www.bitcoincentralatm.com for a complete list of all Bitcoin Central ATM locations in British Columbia.
Celebrating the best and most engaging people in hospitality since 2004, the Golden Owl Awards has grown to become the most anticipated industry event in Vancouver.
The awards are unique in bringing many of Vancouver’s hospitality owners, managers and staff together for an amazing evening of entertainment and camaraderie.
On Monday, November 21, and after taking a 3-year pandemic pause, attendees were eager to return for an amazing evening of entertainment and camaraderie with old friends, new friends, and Zoom friends. Stories were told, drinks were passed, and the resiliency of Vancouver’s hospitality industry was on full display.
Held at D/6 Bar & Lounge, Vancouver’s premier rooftop lounge, the evening opened with an invitation-only Nominee Soirée celebration and the Golden Owls’ ten innovative ‘Experience Award’ categories. Following that, the Awards continued with the main event, presenting five ‘Best of the Year Awards’ for best Covid Innovation, Nightclub, Festival, New Venue, and Manager of the year. With their Golden Owl in hand, award recipients flocked to the red carpet for a celebratory toast of Moët & Chandon.
In keeping with tradition, the evening continued at Mansion Nightclub for the Golden Owl After-Party, establishing again that Vancouver is the best city for Night Owls.
Congratulations to all the Nominees & Winners who came out to celebrate the relentless pursuit of hospitality excellence with Vancouver’s finest.
Faster than the police allow - that of course applies to the concept vehicles of the TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative as much as any other vehicle. With the Police BMW i4 by AC Schnitzer as a concept car, the German tuning company has played a major role in the initiative. Every year for the past 17 years, a vehicle in the original police design has been presented that complies with the traffic safety regulations of the law enforcers. The campaign, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Germany, uses the nationwide campaign to draw attention to safe tuning and to show what is possible in tuning when the road traffic licensing regulations are complied with.
This time, the all-electric BMW i4 by AC Schnitzer fulfils all the requirements for a dynamic, powerful and sporty appearance while at the same time complying with regulations and taking sustainability aspects into account. The fact that AC Schnitzer is also a competent partner for increased driving dynamics and fun with electric vehicles is not only shown by the now extensive programs for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Tesla officially unveiled its production electric Semi and started deliveries not long ago, with PepsiCo and its subsidiary Frito Lay being the first to take delivery.
At its top configuration, the Semi Class 8 has a range of 805 km and an energy consumption of less than 2 kWh/mile (1.24 kWh/km). As for the battery capacity, Tesla is reluctant to reveal a number but it is estimated at around 850 kWh. The Tesla Semi will be able to fast charge up to 70% of its battery capacity in just 30 minutes.
As for when the trucks will be offered in Canada, it appears that Tesla has already submitted specific proposals related to Canada’s federal budget for 2023. www.tesla.com
Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania has unveiled a new line of battery-electric trucks designed for regional operations, boasting 624kWh battery packs with a range of up to 350 kilometers and charging at up to 375 kW.
The company says that range will vary based on weight, configuration, and the topography of the driving route, but that a 4×2 tractor or 6×2*4 rigid with 624kWh of battery capacity will provide up to 350 km of range – or, more specifically, up to 320 km at 40 tons load and 230 km range at the 64 tons max GTW. www.scania.com
Nikola Corporation has begun the commercial serial truck production of the Nikola Tre BEV, producing 125 units (by mid-November 2022) at its plant in Arizona. It also delivered the first semi-trucks to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), making it the first government entity to take delivery of a Tre BEV. It will be used to move paving equipment, transport construction materials and pull other heavy equipment at LAX worksites.
The Nikola Tre BEV offers a range of up to 530 kilometers on a single charge of its 733 kWh battery pack and will use a new 75 kW DC charging station being installed at LAX. www.nikolamotor.com
Please, Opel, just built it! Unfortunately, this is not even an official concept by the German automaker but an independently designed study by industrial design student, Lukas Wenzhöfer. We still wanted to show it ... just look at it! Wenzhöfer, who is currently studying at the School of Design of Pforzheim University in Germany, said: “The new Opel Rocks-e is quite polarizing and enables young people to be mobile and to enjoy an unfiltered driving experience, but why not have some fun and go completely mad?”
The Rocks-e is Opel’s first electric heavy quadricycle, and whilst Wenzhöfer retained all of the original body panels, he added fender flares, off-road tires, a raised suspension with loads of travel, and a massive rear spoiler.
We also spot some great looking new LED headlights and taillights.
Check out the video (scan the QR code) to see more of this fun ride.
Fancy a ride in Hyundai’s Ioniq 5-based autonomous Robotaxi? Just head down to Vegas where you can have one pick you up via Uber or Lyft. They currently have safety drivers on board, but in the second half of 2023, the manufacturer plans to have these vehicles operate on their own. FYI - although based on the Ioniq 5, the Robotaxi is made by specialized autonomous vehicle company Motional.
Alpha Motor Corporation has unveiled another head-turning car. The limited edition electric Montage Coupe will reportedly be made available exclusively via private sale, sold as a custom-built electric vehicle. Without giving an output for the standard powertrain, Alpha says the Montage, which resembles a modern take on classic British sports cars from the 1950s, is available with an optional electric drive unit making 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts) and 2,640 pound-feet (3,335 Newton-meters) of torque. It also provides an estimated 402 kilometers of driving range.
The limited-production Montage Coupe is now open for applications at the Alpha Motor website. Prices start at $499,000 USD. www.alphamotorinc.com
Mercedes-Benz has shown off the electric Maybach EQS, an ultra-luxury concept car that shares its platform with the electric Benz-branded EQS and EQE sedans.
The EQS SUV’s electric powertrain will come standard with all-wheel drive and is said to offer around 600 km of driving range per charge.
As one can expect from a Maybach, the deluxe interior offers luxury travel at the highest level, including faux-fur carpeting, a flower vase, and rose-gold trim.
The EQS SUV is expected to reach production for the 2023 model year. www.mercedes-benz.ca
The Anthem is one of the most affordable highway-capable electric motorcycles on the market. At just US$7,800 this US-designed and US-assembled bike offers pretty much everything an urban rider needs to get around town and even use the highway to commute. Inspired by spacecraft design the chassis is ultra-lightweight; the stainless steel frame weighs just 5.44 kg.
The Anthem even offers an adjustable seat height, ranging from 30 to 34 inches, and a removable 4.3 kWh battery pack for easy charging. Thanks to its a powerful 13.5 kW BLDC electric motor, the Anthem can reach top speeds of 120 km/h with a max range of 120 km on one charge. www.ryvid.com
Kawasaki Motors is working on an engine that uses directly injected compressed hydrogen gas. It will be mounted in the Ninja H2 platform, with the hydrogen stored in canisters in the rear. These canisters will be swappable like batteries and the intention is to make them available at vending stations to power small hydrogen fuel cells for electric devices and vehicles. The hydrogen powerplant is also being considered for use in Kawasaki’s side-by-side vehicles such as the Teryx KRX 1000. www.kawasaki.com
Taiwanese firm Kymco (who have major manufacturing agreements with other motorcycle companies such as BMW, Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki), have unveiled their latest RevoNEX and SuperNEX electric concepts. The SuperNEX electric superbike was first unveiled in 2018, followed a year later by the naked RevoNEX.
Featuring a cool-looking honeycomb bodywork which apparently acts as an air intake for motor and battery cooling, the bikes also got new Brembo brakes and TFT displays.
Unfortunately, there are no additional specs and the company has not announced a release date as of yet. www.kymco.com
You can now pre-order the commuterclass electric motorcycle with a top speed of 137 km/h and a city range of 240 km. For a $200 deposit (toward a target price of US$11,995 for the base version), you will get a $2,000 discount, and a “luxury carbon helmet”. www.fuell.us
Based out of Louisiana, Curtiss Motorcycles has taken the wraps off of its stunning electric bike, which has now entered production.
The 120-Year Anniversary Collection of “The 1” comes in limited edition colours and materials, making the hand-built bike even more of a bespoke piece of rolling sculpture.
Limited to 120 examples, “The 1” is capable of up to 168 kW (217 hp) of power but comes with an initial peak power of 82 kW (110 hp) and a range of up to 195 km. US$120,000. www.curtissmotorcycle.com
No, you can’t buy this from Tesla. It is made by Netherlandsbased hearse maker, Derks. Hearses are actually perfect for electrification: They cover relatively small distances, and they generally have plenty of time to charge between drives. According to Derks, the Tesla Hearse 3, built with a powered tailgate and a 100% composite, lightweight body, is equipped with small side doors with storage spaces behind them and an extendable box floor. It has electric curtains, LED lighting in the box area, and an optional starry headliner ceiling.
Chinese electric mobility startup NIU introduces the KQi3 MAX, touted as a long-distance electric scooter with up to 65 km on a single charge.
A rear hub motor with a peak power output of 450 watts and a 608.4 Wh (13A h) battery pack, combined with four riding modes, guarantees a climbing capability of up to 25 degrees of gradient, and a top speed limited to 25 km/h. www.niu.com
According to its manufacturer, the Drako Dragon is “the most powerful, quickest and fastest production hyper-luxury SUV in history.”
Like Drako’s Fisker-based GTE, the Dragon was designed by Drako Chief Designer Lowie Vermeersch and his Italian GranStudio team. As for the performance ... Drako claims a top speed of over 320 km/h, a sprint to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds, and a 9.0-second quarter-mile time.
The battery pack has a 500 kW fast-charging capability that allows for an 80% charge in 10 minutes with a maximum range of 540 km.
The Dragon will be built in America, with production and deliveries planned for 2026. US$290,000. www.drakomotors.com
Yes, you can now order an all-electric GranTurismo. The Folgore coupe has a 92.5 kWh battery with an 800V architecture that allows up to 270 kW charging. A tri-motor 760HP system offers plenty of power, beating its counterparts’ performance with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 2.7 seconds (versus 3.5 for the Trofeo and 3.9 for the Modena) and the same 320 km/h top speed as the Trofeo. Price: tba. www.maserati.com
Designed by Escend out of the UK, “The World’s First Electric Inline Skates” are powered by a 5.2Ah battery pack in each blade, connected to 400-watt hub motors, powering the rear wheels. www.escendblades.com
German brand e.go has launched its 3.36 metres long e.wave x, its second production model. A single electric motor produces 80 kW / 109 PS whilst the exchangeable battery with 11 kW charging promises a range of up to 250 km.
The EV is rear-wheel driven and offers three driving modes. Pricing starts from €24,990. www.e-go-mobile.com
Revealed at CES 2023, the close-to-production concept truck brings Ram design into the future.
No word on the power output but Ram says the vehicle runs on an 800-volt architecture for charging speeds of up to 350 kW, enough to add 160 km of range in 10 minutes.
It is rumoured that two battery pack sizes will be offered, with ranges up to 800 km.
The Ram 1500 BEV will be available in the 2024 model year. www.ramtruck.ca
Toyota has taken the cover off the new 2023 fifth-generation Prius.
The reworked hybrid system with its 2.0-liter inline-four gasoline engine produces 196 hp and delivers a 0-100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds. A 2.0-liter inlinefour gasoline engine replaces the old 1.8-liter unit. An Electronic On-Demand AWD system is standard. www.toyota.ca
Designed by the Silent-Yachts team and built to the same high standards as the mother ships, it is the first dedicated tender design from the successful electric yachting brand.
Measuring 4.0m from transom to bow, the sportylooking tender only weighs 90kg. Owners are able to choose between an inboard 20kW electric waterjet or an outboard 20kW or 30kW, depending on the package selected.
The tender comes with either a 16kWh lithium battery or an upgraded 20kWh unit for more range and a minimum 2 hours driving time.
www.silent-yachts.com
The Smart brand may have been pulled out of Canada and the United States, but it has lived on in Europe and other markets and went electric-only. Recently, it expanded its product lineup with the brand’s first SUV, called the #1 (“hashtag one”).
No longer a microcar at 4.25m, the powertrain consists of a 66-kWh battery connected to a single electric motor on the rear axle providing 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. Smart claims a top speed of 180 km/h and a range of up to 440 km on Europe’s WLTP test cycle. There will also be a Brabus performance variant.
We have a feeling it would do pretty well over here, too...
The press-release promises that “Performance has a new power.” The Abarth 500e, the first-ever Abarth electric car, doesn’t look as aggressive as the gas-powered model but the company claims it is the most responsive and exciting 500 ever in city driving and more responsive than the 695. It also beats the 695 by over a second on the ‘Misto Alfa Handling Track’ at Balocco.
The Abarth 500e uses a 37.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack like the Fiat 500e, but it sports an electric motor that produces 113.7 kW and 235 Nm of torque. Plus, there are three exclusive driving modes: Turismo, Scorpion Street, and Scorpion Track.
The sprint from 0-100 km/h takes seven seconds, 2.5 seconds quicker than the Fiat 500e, and thanks to the available sound generator, one can even hear the famous Abarth “roar”.
www.abarth.com
Jean-Paul Gravel is known worldwide for his almost supernatural ability to push the most successful people on the planet to access 100% of their genius, power and potentialtheir Omnipotence.
His results have doubled billion-dollar companies. He has revitalized broken marriages and healed failing relationships. He has melted away decades of stress in mere weeks. Make 2023 the year you join the legends and become Omnipotent. Download Jean-Paul’s guide to complete power today.
WELCOME BACK! Yes, Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is set to reintroduce its muchloved A380 fleet after a surge in demand from customers.
The Residence and The Apartment first class cabins.
The world’s only three-room suite in the sky, The Residence offers the ultimate flying experience with unparalleled exclusivity, privacy and comfort. Located on the top deck in the front of the aircraft, it features a dedicated bedroom, bathroom and living room, as well as service from a butler and a chef.
Etihad also announced a new collaboration with Armani/Casa, which introduces ‘The Constellation Collection’, a new dining service featuring ceramics, glassware, cutlery and serving ware, as well as premium textiles.
come a separate 80.5” long fully-flat bed, the First Apartment is one of the most spacious in its class and comes with a big 24” swiveling LCD TV and personal vanity unit.
The Lobby, available to guests in First and Business class, is a serviced lounge and bar area located between the two cabins, featuring leather sofas, refreshments and a large TV with a USB connection.
Four of the super-jumbos will start flying again in the summer of 2023, with initially announced flights to operate between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow.. And with it its famous
Should the airfare for The Residence be a bit too steep, First Class offers the same amazing service for its nine First Apartments directly behind it on the upper deck.
Set across a single aisle and offering a private living space with a large leather lounge chair and an ottoman which opens up to be-
Luxury at its finest and with more space than other yachts of this size, the Lazzara LSX 67 has been designed as the ultimate ‘sport express yacht’. A striking exterior profile and innovative arrangements such as a full-beam master suite with walk-around queen-size bed and direct access to an aft deck entertainment area and beach club, truly set the LSX apart. The ultimate feature, however, are the fold-down cockpit teak patios which can be lowered, providing easy access to the water and an expanded lounging area.
The Lazzara is powered by twin 1,000-horsepower Volvo IPS 1350 diesels with pod drives. Top speed is an estimated 35 knots, with 30 knots cruising speed. www.lazzarayachts.com
Monaco-based builder Wally has unveiled the first details of its new wallywhy100 yacht, which will join the wallywhy range alongside the larger wallywhy150 and wallywhy200. Created by the Wally-Ferretti Group Engineering team, with Studio A. Vallicelli & C. responsible for the interior design, the crossover yacht fulfils the need for a more voluminous cruiser in the sub-70ft range, combining all of the qualities of a 60-70 foot coupé boat with the benefits of the wallywhy volume.
A one-level, stern-to-bow approach results in a hybrid area on the main deck level which can either be enjoyed closed or fully open. The yacht has a 14m² beach area with a large hydraulic platform for launching and retrieving tenders and toys up to 3.6m in length. www.wally.com
Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar opened to quite the buzz. Named “The Most Important Whistler Restaurant Opening in a Decade” by Vancouver Magazine, it quickly proved that it was the place to be with Condé Nast Traveler saying shortly after opening that it was “the hot table to book”.
Set amongst the mountains in world-renowned Whistler, Wild Blue is a fine-dining destination that provides an exceptional guest experience, and offers a venue that exudes warmth and sensuality. It boasts seating for 150 guests indoors, a private dining room ideal for events, a raw bar, an open kitchen, expansive lounge and cocktail bar, plus two heated outdoor patios.
Wild Blue is the creation of a trifecta of talent, not often seen under one roof. Neil Henderson, a 30-year Whistler local, and the former restaurant director and sommelier of Araxi Restaurant. While at the helm, Neil was awarded with Vancouver Magazine’s prestigious Premier Crew award in 2012, and Araxi was voted Best Whistler Restaurant for over 10 years. Chef Alex Chen is currently executive chef at Boulevard Restaurant and adds this partnership to his existing role. Chen, with a long list of accolades to his name, is best known as the winner of Iron Chef, Bocuse D’or, and Gold Medal Plates. He was
also recognized as Chef of the Year by Vancouver Magazine in 2018. Jack Evrensel is the Founder and former operator of the award-winning Toptable Group, Evrensel is a veteran industry leader. He was inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of fame in 2007 and was awarded the Vancouver Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award by Vancouver Magazine in 2011. In addition to Toptable Group, Jack also founded and successfully operated several businesses in Whistler and Vancouver.
“Having lived and worked in this community for 30 years, I feel such a sense of pride to be opening Wild Blue here and
a real ownership over the entire experience when welcoming our guests through these doors,” Neil Henderson said. Jack Evrensel added, “My focus is creating an experience for our guests - the food, the sounds, the design, the atmospherehaving it all come together for a memorable experience.” Chef Alex Chen stated, “Putting together the menu was an excitingly creative endeavor and I can’t wait for our guests to enjoy each dish.”
The clientele is quite diverse and dynamic, with ‘locals’ who have lived in Whistler all their lives, and of course tens of thousands of visitors every year traveling from each corner of the globe to experience what Whistler has to offer. Perhaps they have dined in some of the world’s finest restaurants. Oftentimes, Wild Blue sees guests wanting to delve deeper... looking to try something new from all three menus: cocktail, wine and food. From sustainable ingredients, organic and biodynamic wines to a highly detailed level of service with personality, all of which the team proudly displays each evening.
“We want the menu and the restaurant to be an ambassador for our region and our local ingredients. From the tomatoes to the grapes, the morel mushrooms in the spring and chanterelle in autumn, by using local and seasonal ingredients, we can amplify the voices of local farmers” Chef Alex Chen said. “Through sourcing ingredients locally, including B.C.’s world class Dungeness crab, sablefish, or geoduck, along with local produce, we are able to offer guests and tourists a true Whistler experience, using our platform to represent what makes the West Coast so special.”
Known for his foundation in classic French technique and as one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs, Chef Alex Chen leads Wild Blue’s commitment to seasonal ingredients, both farm and wild. “Highlighting the best ingredients without much manipulation requires a lot of restraint. Simplicity is not just plain, simple and boring; it actually takes a lifetime to achieve. With Jack and Neil’s leadership and guidance, paired with our Executive Chef Derek Bendig’s amazing talent, the menu execution and dining experience will be unparalleled”, said Chef Alex Chen.
The focus on wine and food pairing versatility plays a vital role in the structure of the wine list and represents the values and ethos of Wild Blue. Experiencing Wild Blue’s wine list will allow guests to browse over 350 selections, with North America, France and Italy being the regions Wine Director, Chris Edens, is most excited about. Local B.C wineries, among other notable international regions, will also be highlighted throughout for Wild Blue patrons.
Wild Blue’s cocktail program, created by Bar Manager Zack Lavoie, will delight both adventurous and classic cocktail buffs. The outstanding cocktail line-up both creatively and expertly blends classic cocktails with ingredients from Japan, the French and Italian Riviera, and the Pacific Northwest. Each one complements the Wild Blue menu, yet is compelling enough to stand on its own.
On December 7th, 2022, and organized by the Chinese Restaurant Awards, the Chinese Master Chefs and DINING by the Awards 2022 MASTERS Finale took place at the Paradox Hotel in Vancouver.
The ground-breaking Chinese culinary experience saw six high-profile awardwinning chefs from prestigious hotels and upscale restaurants in Vancouver and Hong Kong curate a top-notch 9-course tasting menu with wine pairing, highlighting the delicacy and depth in both traditional and modern Chinese cuisine.
Representing Vancouver were host venue Paradox Hotel Vancouver’s Executive Chef Manpreet Sethi, and Iron Chef and creative powerhouse Chef Alex Chen from Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Wild Blue Restaurant Whistler.
Representing Hong Kong, Mott 32 Group Chinese Executive Chef Lee Man Sing, and Peninsula Hotels’ Chinese Culinary Advisor Chef Tang Chi Keung took on the challenge to create exquisite Chinese dishes with their roots of culinary influence. They were joined by Group pastry sous chef Jimmy Soo, and Chef Toby Chen from L’Abattoir.
Before the dinner, guests could enjoy a reception tasting by Chef Li Bo (The Fish Man) and some amazing cocktails by CASK Whisky Vault’s mixologist Howard Chen and Mott 32 wine director Robert Stelmachuk, using China’s top baijiu spirit Fen Chiew’s limited edition “Belt & Road”.
Inspired by the illegal pubs and drinking clubs of the 1920s Prohibition era in the United States, Buenos Aires has some of the coolest speakeasies to offer. So join us as we descend into disguised lower levels and past false walls, getting the secret codes and finding the hidden entrances to Buenos Aires’ cocktail haven.
A multi-award-winning speakeasy, this high-end clandestine bar is disguised as an upscale, modern sushi restaurant. Now that you know, find a member of the staff and they will lead you towards the back, through a wine room, entering some sort of steampunk-inspired time machine which will then open to an elegant waiting area. After a few minutes, you will then be brought to the actual bar.
Malabia 1764
Uptown
Don’t miss the train! An authentic reconstruction of a NYC subway station in Palermo, complete with metro station tiles, poster ads and, of course, graffiti, that takes you underground to an entire subway car that will ultimately open to a subterranean bar with leather booths, towering ceilings and live DJ music.
Arévalo 2030
It all starts with what looks like an antique store, with some fascinating goodies from the 1980s in the window. If you know the password (it’s on their Facebook page), provide it to the doorman and then enter the store. Here, you can indulge in even more 1980s memorabilia, before figuring out how to open the door, perfectly camouflaged as a wall. You will now find yourself in a cobblestoned backyard with a sex shop, an old car – and a phone booth. Do you know the number? If so, dial it - and then descend into what feels like a seemingly different era.
Arévalo 1443
Hop on the Orient Express to Strasbourg or Budapest to get to this bar inspired by a large dining car in an abandoned train station. The cocktail menu travels the same routes as the Orient Express, telling the stories of the stations and passengers.
Godoy Cruz 1875
Part of ‘the World’s 50 Best Bars’, Bar Presidente is based out of a stunning centenary mansion and perfectly recreates the ancient speakeasy environment – and you don’t need to find any secret doors or passwords! Be prepared for some great party vibes! Quintana 188
Themed around the writings of Jules Verne , this is one of Buenos Aires’ most elegant bars. Get ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and enjoy a great cocktail inspired by the travels of Phileas Fogg in a leather chesterfield.
Medrano 1475
Victoria Brown
Look carefully or you will miss it! An instant teleportation to the decadent Victorian era, the Victoria Brown Coffee & Bar in Palermo is an elegant café by day, and a fascinating steampunk-style bar by night. It is accessed though a moving brick wall and one of the city’s most popular spots.
Costa Rica 4827
Fronted as a flower and wine shop, you will get access to this underground bar (part of ‘the World’s 50 Best Bars’) through ... a refrigerator door! Florería Atlántico offers cocktails inspired by the flavours of countries that had and have a large immigrant presence in Argentina.
Arroyo 872
presented byIt is the cocktail most synonymous with Mexico, and one of the most beloved cocktails in the world –the Margarita. Part of the ‘sour’ cocktail family, it traditionally consists of tequila blanco, triple sec (orange-flavoured liqueur) and fresh lime juice. It is usually served on the rocks (shaken and served over ice) or frozen (blended with ice to create a frosty concoction), with a salted rim.
Today, the Margarita has evolved and is available in many delicious flavours like strawberry and mango. So far, we assume, you haven’t heard anything you didn’t know, right? Well, so how about the history of the Margarita? Do you know where and when it originated? No? You are in good company, as the history of the Margarita is a bit mysterious and varied, and several stories describe its origin. So let’s have a look at some of the numerous stories that claim to depict the true origin of the iconic drink. Interesting enough, many of them involve an enchanting woman...
... is that the owner of a restaurant situated between Tijuana and Rosarito, created the cocktail in 1938 for Marjorie King, a gorgeous Ziegfeld showgirl and patron of the restaurant. King was allergic to most types of alcohol but could drink tequila, and so only lime juice and salt were added.
However, the most likely origin is that the Margarita evolved from The Daisy!
The Daisy is a classic American cocktail that was popular during the Prohibition years. It combines alcohol, citrus juice and grenadine, and is served over shaved ice. As drinking was allowed (better: encouraged) in Mexico, and with tequila so prevalent, it was substituted for gin or brandy and mixed with orange-flavoured liquer, fresh lime juice and a splash of soda. As for the name – “margarita” is Spanish for “daisy”!
Hilton-powered?
A slightly different story, however, claims that Dallas, Texas socialite Margaret Sames, who was called Margarita by her friends, mixed the cocktail for her guests who were joining her at her vacation home in Acapulco in 1948. She wanted to create a good day time cocktail to enjoy by the pool, and combined her favourite spirits, tequila blanco and Cointreau, added fresh lime juice, and a salt rim. “The Drink” became an immediate success at the extravagant party and became its famous name when Sames used champagne glasses with her nickname “Margarita” etched on them, a gift from her husband Bill.
One of the high-profile guests that night, Tommy Hilton, took the recipe home and included it in the bar menu of his hotels as “the Margarita.”
We also found a version where a bartender by the name of Santos Cruz claims to have invented the drink in 1948 at the legendary Balinese Ballroom in Galveston, Texas for actress and singer Peggy Lee. He chose Margarita for the moniker, the Spanish pronunciation of Ms. Lee’s name, Margaret.
... or maybe Rita Hayworth?
Another story claims that the cocktail was first mixed in Tijuana in the 1940s, and for no other than actress Rita Hayworth, whose real name was Margarita Cansino!
So there you go. But no matter how the Margarita actually came to be, it is definitely one of the most beloved cocktails out there and inspired countless variations. So celebrate National Margarita Day and start your trip to ‘Margaritaville’ with one of the best recipes out there.
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AH... CHARLESTON… established as Charles Town (in honour of King Charles II of England) in 1670 and still nicknamed ‘Charlie’s Town’ or the Holy City (thanks to the many spires that dot its skyline). It is also the home of America’s first golf course, theatre, and museum. Charleston’s deep harbour made the city rich but also vulnerable to attack and pirates came in droves. It was the first bit of America most African slaves saw. Rice, cotton and the slaves who worked in the fields were the foundations of great fortunes. 5% of the pre-civil war population controlled 50% of the wealth. ‘The great fire’ of 1838 leveled more than one-fourth of the centre and destroyed almost 1,100 buildings. Most were rebuilt in the Greek Revival Style for which Charleston is now famous along with its gourmet food scene and legendary southern charm. Fictional scoundrel, but ultimate gentleman, Rhett Butler hailed from the old town. Real-life gents Steven Colbert, Bill Murray and Shepard Fairey have all called the city home. And should you wonder why may porches in Charleston have a light blue paint upon their ceilings, it is meant to ward off “haints” or evil spirits who might want to harm the house or the family inside...
KING STREET - The second most historically and architecturally significant street in downtown Charleston with a history of more than 300 years, the 3-mile-long commercial hub is divided into three sections: Lower King is the antique shops area, Middle King is the fashion district (avoid the national chains and shop local at Dumas & Sons or Ben Silver for men’s clothes) and Upper King is the design and dine district filled dominated by galleries, home furnishing shops, bars and great restaurants.
www.www.charlestonsfinest.com
BULLDOG TOURS - There is no better way to explore the city than on foot, and voted ‘Charleston’s Best Walking & Ghost Tours’ these guys offer a great range, from enchanting graveyards and cobblestone streets to the hidden gardens of antebellum mansions. My favourite is the ‘Scandal and Sordid Affair tour’ where naughtiness abounds beneath the genteel surface.
www.bulldogtours.com
THE ALLEY - Experience the ultimate American pastime in this oh-so cook
This retro-style bowling hotspot offers 8 lanes of retro amusement with a 40-foot-long bar made from recycled bowling lane wood. The pub menu has burgers, sandwiches and salads, alongside a changing menu of local and regional craft beers and there’s a selection of arcade games to keep you occupied while waiting for your turn at the lanes.
www.thealleycharleston.com
LITTLE JACK’S TAVERN - While it may not be the best reviewed restaurant in Charleston, this all-American tavern serves some fantastic She-crab soup, a must try local dish. A timeless neighbourhood spot, they also have arguably the city’s best burger and fries. Nothing fancy, a simple but delicious menu with a dose of nostalgia. www.littlejackstavern.com
SAIL THE HARBOUR - The gateway to the city, this inlet was a hub for pirates and one of Blackbeard’s favourite spots, where the Civil War started. Today, it is not only one of the most productive ports in the USA but also the deepest harbour on the East Coast, allowing it to handle the largest ships in the world. It is also stunningly beautiful. Sunset is the most magical time. Take a private boat with Charleston Sailing Adventure.
www.charlestonsailingadventures.com
HIGH WIRE DISTILLERY - You can take a tour and learn how their small batch premium spirits are made. My preference is just to sample them at the bar. The bourbon, made from rare Jimmy Red corn and aged for two years, is uniquely creamy and flavourful.
www.highwiredistilling.squarespace.com
reclaimed warehouse.
(top left, clockwise) KING STREET | BULLDOG TOURS | HARBOUR SUNSET SAILING TOURS | THE ALLEY | LITTLE JACK’S TAVERN
Love is in the air! When it’s chilly outside there’s nothing better than getting cozy with your special someone. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to spoil your loved one. I have some great suggestions for the perfect gift to make her look and feel amazing. I wanted to ensure all fashion pieces transitioned from winter into spring as we look ahead to the warmer weather, my favourite! Each of these items make a beautiful gift on their own or you can splurge with all of my picks for the woman in your life this Valentine’s Day. The dresses are not only perfect for a date night or day date with your significant other but they are also timeless investment pieces that will be in her (soon to be very organized) wardrobe as staples for years to come. This is a tough list to choose from so feel free to be generous!
Help her nourish her skin and make it even more kissable! An effective, luxurious serum is on every woman’s wish list. The Serum from Cle de Peau is amazing. This radiance-boosting serum comes in two stunning bottle colours to suit her style. This formula offers vital moisture to skin, while supporting absorption. In one bottle it strengthens skin from within giving her a softer, glowing, and smoother texture with increased suppleness, resilience, and hydration. The product is the perfect addition to any skincare routine, I promise she’ll love it!
Cle de Peau Le Serum retails for $395. Available at cledepeaubeaute.ca and Holt Renfrew.
This RW&CO. twill coat makes a statement in bubble gum pink, perfect for Valentine’s Day! It’s available in an assortment of the season’s hottest colours if pink isn’t your lady’s favourite but personally I love this pop of colour! This coat is a classic fit that slightly contours the body giving a little extra room to breathe or layer. The fully lined stretch twill blend and single button closure are perfect for any chilly night. The above-knee length of this piece will also transition easily into spring weather. The pockets and buttoned cuff are so classic, I love it and I think your special someone will too!
Retails for $219.90 Available at www.rw-co.com and in-store
“IF YOU THINK CHOCOLATE AND ROSES ARE GOOD ENOUGH, THINK AGAIN !”
Sophisticated and portable, Cartier Parfum cases are so beautiful for travel or to use at home. Les Nécessaires à Parfum Cartier offers an original yet modern design which stores the Maison’s fragrances in 30 ml glass refills. You can change the fragrance refill at any time making this great to pack for a romantic weekend away with your love. There’s nothing better than the delicate scent of a new Cartier parfum so what better than to include a gorgeous way to store the fragrance. They come in a variety of colours to suit both taste and decor.
Price $870 Available at Cartier.com
This satin beauty is the perfect dress for a date night with your special someone this Valentine’s Day, or any night out! This flattering wrap-style midi dress with delicate flutter sleeves adds an element of flowing movement and sophistication to your romantic look of the evening. The blush pink and luxurious satin fabric are right on point to bring all the loving feelings. Add some cute heels and statement earrings and the look is complete. Your love will be so pleased to open this beautiful gift from you this Valentine’s Day!!
Retails for $189.00 Available at www.evernew.ca.
This stunning watch is every woman’s dream. She’ll never be late again with Classic Worldtimer Manufacture Native Edition 2022. This piece is a beautiful 42mm stainless steel automatic watch featuring a light blue dial with globe decoration on a black alligator leather strap. For the international traveler, this watch allows her to track time in major cities all adjustable by one crown. Made with sapphire crystal this watch is limited to 100 pieces so you better move quickly.
Price: $5,750.00 Available at Rodeo Jewellers www.rodeojewellers.com.
Give the gift of organization! Nothing feels as calming as an organized, tidy home but when life gets busy it can be hard to find the time to do a deep dive. The team at NEAT Method takes care of everything. They begin by learning about your lifestyle and how you like to use your space in ways that are functional and beautiful. Every home and every household are unique. Their goal is to customize organizational solutions based on what makes sense for both the space and the people using it. This is particularly important after spending so much time at home over the last couple of years. NEAT Method transforms any space in your home from chaos to calm.
Projects typically start at $3,500.00 CAD NEAT Method, Luxury Home Organizing available at neatmethod.com
Let’s face it - if you need a reminder that there is ‘a special day’ coming up, a day when you cherish your partner, a day filled with romance and love, a day you buy flowers, tell your partner how much you love her or him ... if you need big posters at a store, TV and social media campaigns and a reminder in your phone ... then there is clearly something wrong in your relationship! Every day is Valentine’s Day! So, surprise your partner with something special when they least expect it!
The Oyster Perpetual Air-King pays tribute to the pioneers of flight and the Oyster’s roles in the epic story of aviation. 40mm. Oystersteel. LUGARO JEWELLERS. C$8,800.
Small leather goods. Handmade calfskin leather notebook. C$250,00. Crocodile leather keyring. C$1,000. Stefano Ricci Vancouver.
BENTLEY UNBREAKABLE
A new fragrance for men. Stone-plated bottle with glass. 100ml - C$82.00 shop.bentleymotors.com
OMEGA SEAMASTER 60 YEARS OF BOND
Celebrating six decades of 007 on screen, OMEGA’s Seamaster Diver 300M in stainless steel is replete with Bond movie tributes. LUGARO JEWELLERS. C$10,800.
A slim, vertical bi-fold wallet that holds 7 cards and bills in the internal card slots. C$142.00. www.carlfriedrik.com
SELF HEATING UI MUG
Maintains your coffee & tea at the perfect drinking temperature and charges your cell phone! US$98.00. www.ohom.com
Celebrate love with statement diamond jewellery. 1.55ct GIA Heart Shaped Diamond Engagement Ring in 18K White Gold. C$7,350. Sapphire and Diamond Heart Necklace in White Gold. C$3,300. LUGARO JEWELLERS.
Platinum with an ice-blue dial with 10 baguette-cut diamonds. Diamond-set bezel. Price on request. LUGARO JEWELLERS.
Fine Paisley decorative porcelain cup with a black base, decorated in 14k gold. Stefano Ricci Vancouver. $350.00
STEEL WHITE DIAMONDS
39mm, polished and satin-finished stainless steel case with 42 diamonds.
C$19,600. Hublot Boutique Vancouver.
Available in several colours. Holt Renfrew. C$3,190.
www.mascarenhasluxurycreations.com
A new statement bangle in Rose and White Gold with Half Pavé Diamonds. C$17,700. Tiffany & Co. Vancouver.
UGG SHEEPSKIN SLIPPERS
Suede with sheepskin and fluff fur collar. C$145.00. The Bay.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Italian fashion house Stefano Ricci truly created history. For the first time ever, Egypt opened its doors to an international fashion show, granting the use of its temples to the Florentine brand of Luxury Lifestyle.
Four hundred international guests from fifty countries followed the invitation to attend a fashion show unlike any other.
Opened by Andrea Bocelli to the notes of “Celeste Aida”, fortyfive models presented an exclusive collection designed by Stefano Ricci for this unique night full of emotions and style. It was a tribute to elegance with a clear vision for man, not a retrospective, but a look to the future. A celebration of ancient Egyptian luxury with a contemporary touch of rare elegance. Ninety bespoke looks starting from elegant evening wear; tuxedos made with jacquard
fabrics with hieroglyphic designs and guru jackets worthy of a modern pharaoh. An explosion of gold and blue inspired by the Valley of the Kings, the innovation of a desert safari looks.
Italy was also protagonist when guests witnessed moments of great emotion. Matteo Bocelli’s duet with his father, as well as the soprano Susanna Rigacci singing an aria by Ennio Morricone.
The grand finale saw Andrea Bocelli’s “Nessun dorma” performance during which Stefano Ricci and his son Filippo descended along the steps of the temple, greeted by a standing ovation!
“This is a once in a lifetime experience. We wish to thank the Ministry of Tourism, in particular Dr Mostafa Waziry. We gave our guests a timeless journey in the land that gave birth to luxury lifestyle,” said Filippo Ricci, creative director of the family brand.
A
IN THE LAND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO LUXURY LIFESTYLE.
After a two-year hiatus, Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker finally returned to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Since opening in 2009, the production has become a beloved annual holiday tradition for thousands of families around the Lower Mainland. During the pandemic, Goh Ballet kept the spirit alive with filmed adaptations of The Nutcracker, with a reimagined and pandemic-focused storyline, which was streamed online for free.
The 2022 production under the guidance of Executive Producer Chan Hon Goh and Emmy-winning choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes saw stars from New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and National Ballet of China with live accompaniment by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Emerging 11-year-old ballerina Theepika Sivananthan set another premiere as the first-ever South Asian Clara in Canada. Traditionally, the show also included some celebrity guests, Netflixstar Jacqueline Robbins, reprised her role as the Grandmother and popular Vancouver-based drag performer Christopher Hunte (aka Symone) played Mother Ginger.
Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker featured over two hundred local performers along side dance luminaries performing Tchaikovsky’s iconic holiday classic, transcending the audience on a spectacular journey to the magical kingdom with glittering snowflakes,waltzing flowers and the spellbinding Sugar Plum Fairy.
“A truly incomparable dynamic range.” – Rachel Chien
The Iconic Concierge Magazine version of the weekly TV show, “Our City Tonight”, which can be seen Sundays at 10:30pm on CHEK TV. You can follow them on Instagram, Facebook Twitter & YouTube @ourcitytonight
If you cannot jump on a plane and fly to warmer climes, how about a spectacular winter cocktail to take your mind off the winter weather?
For this, we checked in with one of our favourite cocktail creators, Andrew MacDonald, Bar Manager at Homer Street Café and Bar. MacDonald, who can create a delicious cocktail to match any season, offers the “Decadent Flip”, and trust us, it will help ease some of the angst left by all the snow we’ve experienced so far this winter.
“Decadent Flip”
1 ounce Angels Envy, .5ounce Creme de Cacao, 1 ounce Ruby Port, .5 ounce Pedro Ximenez Sherry, 1 whole egg, 1 ounce whole cream, .25 ounce 1-to-1 Simple Syrup
Dry shake then add ice and shake again, fine strain in a coupe glass, then garnish with grated dark chocolate. www.homerstreetcafebar.com
This is not your typical Hollywood story, and it certainly is stranger than fiction.
Surviving the Odd (New Haven Publishing) takes a look at an unusual childhood when a father leaves the entertainment industry in 1968 to run a halfway house. Fear turns to tolerance and eventually compassionate understanding as the whole family cares for these residents.
Actress, singer and voiceover artist, Candi Milo, describes her childhood journey growing up alongside her family’s business, Milo Arms, the first halfway house for developmentally disabled and emotionally disturbed adults.
“Not a childhood for the faint-hearted...” www.candimilo.com
Late in November of 2022, Westcoast travelers received some great news! Fiji Airways announced they would be flying from Vancouver nonstop to Nadi, Fiji, twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. For our TV show’s travel expert and founder/host of “Oh The People You Meet”, Michaela Guzy, this tropical paradise offers, in addition to the white sands and remote beaches, some great nature escapes.
“You can climb through caves while hiking, and even swim with sharks in crystal clear blue waters”, Guzy tells us, “and you can also immerse yourself in local culture with so many wonderful ways to experience Fijian traditions; drinking the traditional Cava, or eating out of the underground Lovo pit (Lovo means feast cooked in the earth) which is their buried traditional cooking method.” If you are looking for an exceptional getaway option this winter season, Fiji is only an 11 hour flight away! www.fijiairways.com
Hydra Estiatorio in the Exchange Hotel (Main Entrance: 825 West Pender St.) has been the “Our City Tonight” studio base for much of the last year. Now this popular downtown restaurant has something else to offer – a cozy, ground floor Wine Bar.
This inviting space – which is shaped around Hydra’s winding staircase - includes delicious snacks (their Grilled Octopus and Lamb Keftedes are among our favourites), and a “Happy Hour” from 4 to 6pm. The main attraction here is the wine offerings.
“We have carefully curated our wine list,” says Claire Greenfield, Partner and Director of Operations for Executive Table Group, “which includes more than 100 labels from Greece, Canada, the US, Europe, and beyond.” It is fast becoming the perfect spot for after-work relaxing or a special date night you’ve been planning. www.hydravancouver/winebar
#1 REALTOR AT ROYAL PACIFIC 2020-2021.
Coming from a family of real estate investors, architects, and interior designers, real estate runs in Amir’s blood giving him an intimate understanding of all sides of the real estate industry. He takes great pride in what he does and strives to uphold his long-established family reputation of integrity and quality in real estate. This pride leads him to continually update his skills and understanding of the marketplace, giving him a commitment and understanding rarely found in the industry.
Amir’s positivity and commitment to incomparable service are evident in his track record. He is known for making his clients his top priority. Taking the time to fully understand his clients’ needs, Amir utilizes his expert negotiation skills to broker the best deals possible for his clients. From first-time homebuyers to property investors, Amir will provide expert guidance and personalized solutions.
An expert in the Vancouver real estate market with a Dual Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Hotel Management and Tourism from Manchester Metropolitan University and IMI University in Switzerland, Amir has the education and experience to deal with the most elite global clientele. Working in management in the world’s most exclusive luxury hotels including the Four Season hotels and resorts, Kempinski hotel groups, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Starwood hotel group, Amir was loved by clients and admired by fellow employees. Working day and night to serve clients, Amir knows that a flexible schedule is necessary to serve global clients.
Vancouver ranks as one of the best places in the world to live; this means its real estate market is exclusive and you need to choose a representative with a competitive edge. Amir utilizes his intimate knowledge of this city and wide network of connections to ensure the best deals possible for his clients. Amir’s Persian background and language skills, as well as his experience in luxury service in Canada, China, Dubai, and Iran, will give you an edge in the exclusive luxury Vancouver real estate market.
An animal-lover and avid football fan, Amir’s commitment to honesty and integrity with clients and attention to detail in business dealings give him a competitive edge in the exclusive Vancouver real-estate market. Amir understands the sacrifices you make to get the home you want; that’s why he treats every deal as if it were his own and every client as if they were a member of his family.
TOP 1% OF REALTORS IN GREATER VANCOUVER IN 2020 & 2021. PRESIDENT CLUB MEMBER 2020-2021. www.AmirMiri.com
Maximum care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this newsletter, but we cannot guarantee it. Not intended to induce breach of an existing agency agreement. All measurements are approximate. Buyers to verify all details.
$5,298,000
5102-1480 HOWE STREET VANCOUVER, BC
3 Beds | 3 BATHS | 2,005 SQ.FT.
Known as one of the finest residential buildings, VANCOUVER HOUSE, represents sophisticated living in style & luxury. Exceptional views meet enviable amenities for a lifestyle of comfort, privacy, & security. Enjoy panoramic views of English Bay, Stanley Park, & Lions Gate Bridge. The unit is absolutely immaculate, w gorgeous hardwood floors, high ceilings, generous walls, beautiful wood cabinetry, & an open layout that invites congenial gatherings. Boffi chef’s kitchen featuring Miele appliances & a custom Corian Island. World-class amenities: concierge, security, gym & pool. Live in the heart of downtown, only moments from iconic landmarks & shops, restaurants & entertainment.
$7,998,000
735 SOUTHBOROUGH DRIVE WEST VANCOUVER, BC
6 Beds | 7.5 BATHS | 8,431 SQ.FT.
A stunning contemporary south-facing home with ultra-luxury meets everyone’s dream house expectations. 0.58 park-like private acres nestled in the prestigious lower British Properties. Over 8,400 sq ft of living space on 3 levels. Fully automated openconcept living with 6 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and a chef-inspired kitchen and wok kitchen with super thick granite countertops and Sub-Zero & Wolf appliances. High Vaulted ceiling with the extensive use of floor to ceiling glass. Have your summer activities on huge private patios and a swimming pool. Enjoy yourself in the spacious rec room with a full wet bar, wine room, home theater, private fitness studio, and spa.
Maximum care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this newsletter, but we cannot guarantee it. Not intended to induce breach of an existing agency agreement. All measurements are approximate. Buyers to verify all details.
