{Lexington’s Finest}
Sept/Oct 2016 five dollars
slmag.net
BELLA ROSE BIG CITY FASHION
SMALL TOWN CHARM 126 W MAXWELL ST. M•T•W•F 10-6 THURSDAY 10-7 SATURDAY 10-5
PARKING BEHIND BUILDING
859.255.2565
Local
1978 Visit www.turftown.com *Save Favorite Listings *Request Showings *View Weekly Open Houses
124 Kentucky Ave. Lexington, KY
859-268-4663
Download Turf Town’s Mobile Search App Text TTP124 to 87778 Use The “Properties Near Me” Feature On The Go
862 McMeekin Place $1,495,000 Outstanding 5 Bedroom renovation! Amazing chef’s kitchen & upgrades galore! Features with WOW factor! Close to UK/Hospitals/ Downtown! Becky Mobley 859-321-0819
866 McMeekin Place $1,390,000 Meticulous 4 bedroom with over 5000sq.ft. CW Warner built with recent upgrades. Rear gate to UK property (green space). Broker/agent Becky Mobley 859-321-0819
1920 Hart Road $899,000 Custom 5 bedroom & 4.5 bath home in Ashland Park. Featuring an exceptional 1st floor owner’s suite, family room w/theater, basement & more! Kevin Martin 859-619-3232
2012 Hart Road $749,500 Stunning Home in Chevy Chase! Beautiful 4 BR/3.5BA, spacious rooms, lovely custom kitchen, screened-in porch & private garden. Elizabeth Justice 859-312-0904
2929 Four Pines Drive $745,000 Classic 3 bedroom and 4.5 bath home with over 4000sq. ft. Hardwood floors, custom built-ins, custom cherry cabinets and owner’s suite! Rick Queen 859-221-3616
3 or 4 Bedroom, 1-2 Baths! Oversized fenced yard, brick patio,2 car garage. UK, restaurants & shopping! Rare 40502!
1108 Cooper Drive $699,900 Chevy Chase 5 bedroom remodel. Many New features, beautiful large kitchen, new hardwood, 3 car garage, fenced yard and gate on driveway. Kevin Martin 859-619-3232
277 Cassidy Avenue $519,000 Immaculate 3 bedroom & 3 bath in Chevy Chase! Renovated kitchen, 1st floor owner’s suite, spacious closets, unfinished basement & 2 car garage. Totally updated! You will love being so close to everything! Rick Queen 859-221-3616
700 Providence Road
Steven Wathen 859-621-3313
2440 Astarita Way $459,000 Outstanding 5 bedroom and 4.5 bath home in West Wind! Spacious kitchen, large owner’s suite, rec room, hardwood floors & covered porch. Rick Queen 859-221-3616
Now scheduling free, private, in-home consultations in Louisville. Call today to learn more. Always Inviting Quality Consignments • American & European Fine Art, Period Furniture & Decorative Arts • Asian Art
• 20th Century Design
selkirk
1830 AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS
selkirkauctions.com • 314.696.9041
• Fine & Vintage Jewelry
GARTH’S 1954
AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS
garths.com • 740.362.4771
ALL-NEW JAGUAR XE AND JAGUAR F-PACE
The Jaguar XE combines distinct British design and dynamic handling, with advanced aluminum architecture and an available 340 hp V6 engine. The F-PACE has the performance for every road and the capacity for every day. A Jaguar for the driver, a Jaguar for the active lifestyle.
Jaguar Louisville 4700 Bowling Blvd. Louisville, Kentucky 40207 502.895.2451 jaguarlouisville.net
Artistic Kitchens by Michael Smith 1205 E W a s h i n g to n s t r E E t L o u i s v i L L E , K E n t u c K y 40206 s h o W r o o m 502.639.3422 m s m i t h @ a rt i s c t i c K i t c h E n s . n E t
FinE custom cabinEtmaKing
FALL WINTER SHOW SEPTEMBER 9TH - OCTOBER 13TH
C AT H Y M I L L E R Personal Stylist & Fine Clothing Consultant m. 859-699-9181 h. 859-269-2790 | ccmiller821@gmail.com Please call to schedule an appointment
EXCLUSIVE
EVENTS September 8th Samuelsohn Fall Trunk Show September 27th & 28th Joeffer Caoc “Buy Now” Ready-to-Wear Show October 6th Fundraising Benefit for the National Stem Cell Foundation October 6th & 7th Clara Williams Company Jewelry Show October 6th, 7th & 8th Lourdes Chavez Fall Show October 7th & 8th Ermenegildo Zegna Fall Trunk Show October 13th, 14th & 15th Basler Spring 2017 Trunk Show Escada Spring 2017 Trunk Show October 21st & 22nd St. John Spring 2017 Trunk Show October 29th Eton Shirt Day November 9th & 10th Donna Degnan Spring 2017 Trunk Show Buchanan & Kang Spring 2017 Trunk Show November 17th, 18th & 19th Algo Spring 2017 Trunk Show December 3rd Customer Appreciation Day January 10th through 21st Lafayette 148 New York Spring 2017 Trunk Show VISIT RODES.COM FOR DETAILS! LOUISVILLE
4938 Brownsboro Rd 502.753.7633 rodes.com
1501 NICHOLASVILLE ROAD
859-276-1200
PADGETTCONSTRUCTION.COM
T H A N K YOU
For v o t i n g M a lone ’s you r f av or it e s t e a k hou s e !
The BHG family is continually grateful for the support Lexingtonians have shown Malone’s over the years, and look forward to sharing many more meals and milestones with you.
crittenden
Fine Gentlemen’s Clothing
141 East Main Street | Midway, Kentucky 40347 859.846.4228
ark, M.D. Erika N. Music, M.D. Kelli G. We W. Patrick Davey, M.D. Rachel H sthetician Sar sthetician
General, Surgic 2424 HARRODSBURG ROAD, SUITE 200, LEXINGTON, KY 40503 WWW.SKINSECRETSCENTER.COM
859.977.0141
before and after
Š2016 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated.
E
See their space before #CCBeforeAfter californiaclosets.com 5 0 2 . 8 9 5 . 0 5 0 5 LE X I N GTO N 136 Breckenridge Lane
Authentic Excellence DELIVERED!
A WORLD CLASS STEAKHOUSE
Lexington Can Be Proud To Call Its Own
Tony Ricci
RATED TOP FOOD AMONG STEAK HOUSES
BY ZAGAT
“Tony Ricci has brought his Cincinnati restaurant concept to the Bluegrass and sent Lexingtonians into beef bliss." –LEXINGTON HERALD
A Tony Ricci Steakhouse
“Steaking A Claim on Perfection.” –SOPHISTICATED LIVING MAGAZINE
TONY'S OF LEXINGTON • (859) 243-0210 • 401 WEST MAIN STREET Experience our superb food and friendly, attentive staff in a modern setting. We're a very special place intent on delivering an evening of dining excellence that puts you in the Winners Circle every time. ~Tony Ricci PRIVATE DINING SPACE AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES & SPECIAL OCCASIONS OVERLOOKING TRIANGLE PARK • CALL FOR DETAILS AND AVAILABILITY RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED • TONY'S OF LEXINGTON • 401 W. MAIN ST • LEXINGTON, KY 40507 | TONY'S OF CINCINNATI • 12110 MONTGOMERY RD • CINCINNATI, OH 45249
{Lexington’s Finest}
Sept/Oct 2016
Sept/Oct 2016 five dollars
78
slmag.net
on the cover: High Spirits Photo by Andrew Kung.
22
Gray Matters
33
Rock Star
38
Of Note‌ The Write Stuff
40
Behind the Music
46
Bibliotaph... Stargazing - Celebrating Celebrity in Portraiture
48
Curating a Lifestyle
50
A Brief Primer on Two Great Old World Wine Regions, Part II
52
Carpool Cool
58
Solitary Refinement
62
Tiny Baubles
66
High Spirits
72
Set in Stone(ware)
62
Tiny Baubles From Ruifier (ruifier.com): LOL pendant in 18k yellow gold with white diamond accents ($1,575); Carina necklace in 18k yellow gold with tsavorite, tanzanite and rubies ($3,400); Patch diamond chalcedony 18k yellow gold pendant necklace ($1,345); Friends bracelet ($135).
14 slmag.net
PURE FORM
Downtown Lexington Hilton 369 W. Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40507 859-254-1963
Sept/Oct 2016 77
Society Calendar
80
Cars & Cocktails
81
Bourbon Social
82
Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show
33
Rock Star St. Jean Beach. Photo by Bridget Williams.
16 slmag.net
84
Hangar Bash
86
Evening in the Gardens
87
Freedom Fest
88
Belles & Beaus Ball
RANGE ROVER
ONE COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR NOT GETTING OUT IN A HURRY
Land Rover Louisville 4700 Bowling Blvd. 502.895.2451 landrover.bluegrassauto.com
EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Bridget Williams ______________________________________________ ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kay Matton ART DIRECTOR Jason Yann CONTRIBUTORS Writers Patti Bailey Dr. Matthew Bessen Victoria Chase Scott Harper Andre James Amelia Jeffers Jeff Jeffers Madeline Michaels Arianne Nardo Photographers Tony Bailey Chad Henle Andrew Kung Bethaney Martin Anthony Tahlier COPY EDITOR Jennifer Newton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Claire Williams ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE 502.582.6563 ______________________________________________ CEO/PUBLISHER Eric Williams ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jamie Leveridge Sophisticated Living is published by Sophisticated Living, LLC, P.O. BOX 1229, Prospect, Kentucky 40059 USA. All Rights Reserved. Sophisticated Living is published six times a year. All images and editorial are the property of Sophisticated Living, LLC and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. Annual subscription fees are $25.00; please add $5 for subscriptions outside the US. Single copies may be purchased for $5 at select fine retail outlets. Address all subscription inquiries to: Sophisticated Living, PO Box 1229, Prospect, KY 40059. To order back issues or reprints of 100 or more, call 502.582.6563.
SLMAG.NET
From the Editor-In-Chief
A childhood dream come true–meeting Boy George g and Culturee Club–prior to their recent concert at Jack Casino Cincinnati. Photo by Tony Bailey.
Don’t ask Oregon winemaker Robert Brittan to cut the rug to “We Are Family”. As sure as his passion for Pinot Noir is his loathing of the 1979 tune by Sister Sledge. I learned this random kernel of information during a dinner this past January hosted by the owners of the Allison Inn & Spa in Oregon (see related story on pages 58-61) exclusively for Willamette Valley winemakers and vineyard owners. I was fortunate to be seated between Brittan, who made wines in the Napa Valley for Far Niente, Saint Andrews and Stags’ Leap Winery before opening his namesake winery in 2004, and David Adelsheim, a legend in the industry who has been making wine in Oregon for 45 years. Both men couldn’t have been nicer as I peppered them with novice questions to which they jovially responded with expert, but relateable answers. Later that evening, I was conjoled into taking a turn on the dance floor with Scott Flora of Native Flora winery. As I did my best not to step on his feet he said, “Look around, all of the people here are essentially competitiors and they’re having a great time. How could you not love this place?” He was right. Whereas I’d always associated the world of wine with a certain level of pomposity, here the dance floor was packed with people clad in everything from beat-up boots to Balenciaga. So, it was in Oregon and at that dinner specifically that I developed an appreciation for wine that I could finally relate to. I’d been to enough trade tastings and press events where I feigned my way through seeming like I could discern what the experts said I was supposed to be sensing, but my newfound interest went way deeper than sniffing and sipping. What made me tick and take the time to taste and smell with new aplomb was learning and understanding the trial-and-error, the verve and passion and the sacrifice and science that went into the liquid whose nuances have often left me perplexed. Fortuitousy coinciding with my newfound fervor is my daughter’s recent pronouncement of desiring to become a winemaker/Master Sommelier when she “grows up”. Finally convinced that hers is not a fleeting fancy, I reached out to Sophisticated Living’s esteemed wine writer, Master Sommelier Scott Harper, for guidance. The antithesis of pretentiousness and one of the most personable people I know, he was quick to offer advice, anecdotes, recommended reading and a spot in one of the continuing education courses he leads in conjunction with Bellarmine University. The upside for me as her chaperone was that during the three-part summer session, which focused on the wines of South Africa, she could only swirl and smell as I held each glass under her nose, and I got to do the fun tasting part! Harper’s next class, Advanced Wine Tasting, begins on October 3rd. To join in the fun visit bellarmine.edu/ce/enrichmentcoursespg/.
Bridget Williams Editor-In-Chief
bridget@slmag.net 20 slmag.net
Frances Lee Jasper Oriental Rugs established 1980
Win, Place, Show 502-459-1044 1330 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY www.francesleejasper.com Monday-Friday 9:30AM–5:30PM, Saturday 11:00AM–5:00PM, or by private appointment.
GRAY MATTERS
Smart design abounds in a chic, family-friendly home in Glenview Written by Bridget Williams Photography by Andrew Kung
Wallcovering from Schumacher in the foyer and a glimpse of the palette in the keeping room introduce the home's pervading color scheme.
A deeper connection to family and a better quality of life led Louisville native Katie Ryser, her husband Fred and their two young children to recently relocate from New York City to her hometown. The transition process and job search they anticipated would take two years happened in just a few months, forcing them to move at breakneck speed to find and establish a new home. Lucky for Katie, good taste runs in the family, so she called on her cousin Libby Rush, vice president at Bittners to house hunt with her. Her top choice was a diamond in the rough, in need of some contemporizing but ideally suited for the relaxed family life Katie envisioned. Trading in 2,000 square feet on the Upper East Side of New York for more than 6,000 square feet on five acres in
22 slmag.net
Glenview hardly seems like a chore until you consider the scale of the renovation and the three-month window to get everything accomplished. Always one to see the silver lining, Katie was not worried. “I saw the great work Libby did on my mother’s place in Florida, taking it down to the studs to a beautiful finished product in six months, and knew it wouldn’t be an issue,” she said. Katie loves to recall the reaction of her friends in New York City when she told them of her plans to move to Kentucky. “There is such a misperception about Louisville,” she said, recalling that they were shocked she was able to find highend accoutrements for the renovation locally. “The first time I walked into the Bittners showroom and saw the level of design there I never thought twice about it. This town is world-class.”
The family's dog Hazel is welcome to recline on the oversized sectional, upholstered in durable indoor/outdoor fabric. Also kid-friendly is the room's vinyl wallcovering.
slmag.net
23
A Fornasetti-print wallpaper from Cole & Son enlivens the wetbar adjacent to the famly room.
While some people prefer to see things in black and white, Katie favors the gray areas, as evidenced by their freshly renovated family-friendly home outfitted in varying shades of the hue. “There’s a crispness to it that makes other colors seem to pop,” she explained. Passionate about design, Katie called on inspiration garnered from daily walks in her New York City neighborhood where she’d push her children in a stroller through the showrooms in the Decoration and Design Building to give Libby direction for the project. Working with contractor Doug Amlung, there was nary a surface in the home that wasn’t touched. Katie was very hands-on throughout, using a combination of her acquired New York City gruffness with just enough Southern charm to keep the subcontractors on task and on time. In short order, the home went from a time capsule of traditional 1990s-era design to a chic environment that is 100 percent kid- and pet-friendly. “I want everything to look good but able to be beat on, dirtied and then cleaned up easily,” said Katie. 24 slmag.net
The heart of the home is the kitchen, which is open to the family and breakfast rooms. Completely renovated, the kitchen boasts a lively backsplash from Ann Sacks, Bosch appliances and new hardwood floors. Interesting and varied art found in every room reflects the family’s youthful exuberance. In the family room, the vaulted ceiling was stained, and rough-hewn beams from Longwood Antique Woods add visual interest. An oversized sectional is perfect for piling on and shakes off stains and spills courtesy of velvety soft indoor/outdoor upholstery. The ottoman was custom-sized to match the scale of the sectional and is a favorite springboard for when the children engage in a game that requires them to cross the room without touching the floor. Also kid-friendly is the vinyl wallcovering that replicates the look of grasscloth but is easy to clean. With the exception of weighing in as to where the television should be placed in the room, Katie joked that Fred “stayed out of my wheelhouse” and left the entirety of the project in her hands. A lively Fornasetti wallcovering for Cole & Son dresses up a nearby wet bar nook.
Interior designer Libby Rush of Bittners worked with Katie Reece of Century Entertainment and Furnishings to design the kitchen cabinetry. The tile backsplash is Ann Sacks.
slmag.net
25
The master bedroom is designed as a restful retreat.
Fit for a princess, the daughter's room sports "Melville," wallpaper from Cole & Son.
26 slmag.net
In the keeping room, box beams of the coffered ceiling, brick fireplace surround, bookcases and trim are painted in the same gray hue in varying degrees of luster For contrast, the ceiling is painted a refreshing shade of light blue.
French doors in the keeping room are centered with the pool and pool house. The box beams of the coffered ceiling, brick fireplace surround, bookcases and trim are painted in the same gray color with varying degrees of shininess. For contrast, the ceiling is painted a refreshing shade of light blue. A Stark carpet in an antelope print anchors the seating area that includes a Chesterfieldstyle sofa with gray upholstery. In this room, like the others, there is a discernible feeing of restraint that gives weight to the art and objects that remain. “Living in a smaller place with two young children taught me how to edit and organize,” explained Katie. Proof positive that good taste is timeless, a set of drapery panels that graced the windows in Katie’s grandparent’s house on Avish Lane and procured by the couple’s realtor Joanne Owen of Kentucky Select Properties when she sold the
residence several years ago served as the jumping off point for the design of the formal living room. A playful departure from the prevailing color palette found elsewhere, the room has a palpable chinoiserie vibe expressed most notably through a wall-mounted screen sourced from 1stdibs. A vibrant teal blue grasscloth from Schumacher is paired with varying shades of coral and gold accents to lend an air of femininity. A patterned runner in shades of gray and blue selected for the stairs leading to the second floor children’s bedrooms and reading nook are reflective of the overall design ethos: beautiful, durable and able to hide a multitude of sins. Fittingly feminine, the daughter’s bedroom is pretty in pink with “Melville,” a whale print wallpaper from Cole & Son in the bedroom and their classic “Woods” sketched tree wallpaper in the en suite bathroom.
slmag.net
27
28 slmag.net
Drapery panels that belonged to the wife's grandparents served as the impetus for the design of the formal living room. The walls are dressed in a Schumacher grasscloth. The coffee table was purchased from 1stDibs.
slmag.net
29
The design of the breakfast room reflects the home's overall ethos of family-friendly chic.
Not one to sit still for long, once phase one of the house project was move-in ready, Katie turned off her design brain and activated her business side, acquiring the rights to open a trio of Cycle Bar studios in Louisville in the next 18 months (the first is scheduled to open in the Shelbyville Road Plaza near Trader Joe’s in November). “I’m excited to raise the bar on fitness in Louisville,” she said, adding that the local exercise community has been fully supportive of her endeavor, something she couldn’t imagine happening in New York. 30 slmag.net
Now several months into Louisville life and with the opening of Katie’s new business on the horizon, the Reyser family could not be more pleased with their decision to move. “When I turn onto the street from River Road, a feeling of calm comes over me,” said Katie. “With the sun streaming through the trees and the creek, the barn and horses, I think it’s the essence of Kentucky. We really didn’t know life could be so relaxing until we moved here.” sl
ON-ROAD PERFORMANCE AND OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY ARE NO LONGER MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
LEVANTE. THE MASERATI OF SUVs. STARTING FROM $72,000* Only Maserati could combine the practicality and versatility of an SUV with the power and precision of an automobile bearing the Trident. The all-new 2017 Levante delivers both. Featuring a potent Ferrari-built, 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine with up to 424 hp, 8-speed ZF transmission,
beyond the limits of an ordinary SUV and arrive at Levante. By Maserati.
MASERATI OF LOUISVILLE 4710 Bowling Blvd., Louisville, KY 40207 / 502.894.3492 / www.MaseratiLouisville.com *Maserati Levante MY2017 base MSRP $72,000; Maserati Levante S MY2017 base MSRP $83,000. Not including dealer prep and transportation. Actual selling price may vary. Taxes, title, license and registration fees not included. Š2016 Maserati North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Maserati and the Trident logo are registered trademarks of Maserati SpA. Maserati urges you to obey all posted speed limits.
ROCK STAR The Eden Rock Hotel, St. Barths Written by Bridget Williams For those with the wherewithal, there are certainly an abundance of amazing resorts situated on insanely beautiful beaches around the world to choose from. While they are all a little slice of heaven in their own right, a select few have reached icon status, where checking in coalesces you as part of an enduring legacy. The Eden Rock Hotel on St. Barths in the French West Indies is one of those places. For the unitiated, to plainly relay its geographic location–wedged between another hotel and a glitterati party hotspot and under the flight path of the island’s tiny airport whose famously perilous runway terminates in the azure waters– belies its specialness. The heart of the property and one of the island’s most photographed landmarks–an assemblage of structures clinging like barnacles to a large rocky promontory in St. Jean Bay–was built 70 years ago as the first hotel on the island. The outcrop is enveloped by soft, white sand beaches, clear and calm turquoise sea, and a coral reef full of sea life. During Hollywood’s Golden
Era, the resort was frequented by the likes of Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, and the Rockefeller and Rothschild families. By the time David and Jane Matthews spied the property as they arrived on the island via yacht in 1994, the shining beacon that had once drawn luminaries from around the globe was more of a dying ember. A year later they purchased Eden Rock from its original owner, legendary island aviator and local adventurer Rémy de Haenen, uprooting their four children from London to embark on a new adventure. Their resolve was tested two days after setting up camp in the downtrodden buildings of the hotel when Hurricane Luis roared over the island. Undeterred, during the ensuing years the family lovingly returned the property to its heyday. Unique as the island itself, which is devoid of monolithic high-rises and nondescript mega resorts that plague other island paradises, Eden Rock is an original, luxurious but with an eccentric side that swipes away any hint of pretentiousness that might try to make its presence known in the rarefied oceanic air.
slmag.net
33
Bedroom in Villa Rockstar.
Bedroom in Villa Rockstar.
One-bedroom Contemporary Beach Room.
De Haenen Legacy Suite.
The embodiment of a boutique property, the interiors in each of the 34 highly individual accommodations located “on the rock,” dotted along the beach or set within lush green gardens, were conceptualized by Jane Matthews to be the antithesis of a corporate hotel experience. Rounding out the available accommodations and befitting the bevy of billionaires who can be spotted on the island in high season are Villa Nina and Villa Rockstar, the latter of which is a whopping 16,000 square feet and includes a recording studio featuring the legendary Neve mixing console used by John Lennon to record “Imagine.” Even if you’re not luxuriating in the Rockstar Villa, the celebrity treatment is doled out in equal proportion to all guests. In 2014 the Matthews family entered into a management agreement with the Oetker Collection, a collaboration that brings the number of “Masterpiece Hotels” under the Oetker umbrella to eight (other Oetker properties include Le Bristol Paris and Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany). “St. Barths is such an interesting and unique place in the world. There is so much more we can do together in St. Barths and for the good of the island, too,” remarked David Matthews at the time the partnership was announced. While guests benefit from stringent Oetker standards in guest services, long-time guests (70 percent are repeaters) will find that the little things they love that draw them back year after year remain unchanged. “True masterpiece hotels are like gold nuggets – nearly impossible to find,” said Frank Marrenbach, CEO of Oetker Collection. “Eden Rock was created by fine hard-working people and is a shining example of
34 slmag.net
true hospitality.” With 200 individuals on staff, Eden Rock is the largest employer on the island. Befitting a property much larger in size, high-touch guest amenities allow for a truly customized stay that provides as much (or as little) activity as your heart desires. My recent visit was a balanced mix of both as my more laid-back travel mate was a fitting foil to my Labrador puppy-like personality. While he was wholly content to spend a day settled into an oceanfront chaise engrossed in a book with a cool drink within arms reach, my high-spiritedness was amply accommodated each day beginning with a vigorous morning workout in the well-equipped onsite gym or at the nearby track in St. Jean Stadium (donated to the island by part-time inhabitant and Russian businessman Roman Abramovitch, who owns the English soccer club Chelsea FC), followed by strolls along St. Jean Beach and taking advantage of Eden Rock’s complementary on-site water sports program to kayak, paddleboard and snorkel. With larger waves contained offshore by a coral reef, my preferred moments of repose were spent soaking up the sun while gently bobbing in the calm and cooling waters, either on a thick raft or on a nearby floating dock. We enjoyed a moment of calm in unison during a relaxing couples massage on the spa deck at the base of the rock where whisper sheer drapery allowed the sounds of the water and the cool ocean breeze to provide the soundtrack for the indulgent treatment. Services for body and face, which incorporate artisanal, locally produced Ligne St. Barth products, are also available in-room or in an oceanfront cabana.
slmag.net
35
St. Jean beach at Sunset. Photo by Bridget Williams.
On The Rocks restaurant.
Haute but certainly not haughty cuisine adapted for the hot environment is offered under the direction of internationally renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who has served as Eden Rock’s consulting executive chef for the past four years. Open for dinner nightly, On the Rocks offers an exciting menu that masterfully showcases adaptations of Vongerichten’s personal favorite dishes. Lunch offerings at The Sand Bar provide a Caribbean-inspired riff on the menu at his ABC Kitchen in New York City. Masterfully executing Vongerichten’s vision is Chef Eric Desbordes, who transferred to Eden Rock from another Oetker Collection property, Michelin-starred Le Bristol Hotel in Paris. Ascending the wooden stairs to reach On the Rocks for dinner, it’s easy to spy giant tarpon gliding around the illuminated Eden Rock logo projected onto the water below. A large bar crowns the tiered space; beneath, tables abut the railing that outlines the rock’s perimeter. Patrons can choose a threecourse Chef ’s Menu or order à la carte. The promise of fresh burrata mozzarella, pancetta and heirloom tomatoes as a first 36 slmag.net
Sand Bar restaurant.
course steered me to the tasting menu, while my counterpart enjoyed an equally satiating culinary romp through multiple courses that included Artichoke Velouté, Seared Foie Gras and Black Truffle Emulsion; Octopus Salad, Tomato with Tarragon, Olives and Lemon; and Black Angus Ribeye Roll, Gnocchi with Seaweed and Lemon Confit. Synchronous with the hotel’s new wellness program are special menu items at the Sand Bar devised in concert by Vongerichten and Wellness Director Aminata Clason-Diop that are free of gluten, lactose and refined sugar. My favorite among the offerings, and my preferred lunch selection each day, was the Kale Salad with red pepper, sundried tomato, pine nuts and almond. Clason-Diop leads a variety of daily group and private activities, including yoga, stand-up paddle yoga and hiking. We embarked on a challenging morning group hike with Clason-Diop up and down the peaks surrounding Colombier Beach, during which the long-legged native of Sweden barely seemed to break a sweat. Along the journey I was enraptured with tales of her multi-cultural heritage, being part of a
Photo by Bridget Williams.
Photo by Bridget Williams.
fascinating lineage of headstrong women, and her personal journey to dedicating her life to helping others find balance and optimize their lives through wellness. Columbier is one of 14 white sand beaches on St. Barths. Even though all are open to the public, they are rarely overcrowded, even in peak season. I love the feeling of remoteness offered by Saline Beach, a long stretch of sand without a building in site that is reached by a five-minute walk up and over a steep dune. A caveat: while topless sunbathing is de rigueur in most places, Saline is known for those seeking beach time au naturel. Though it’s hard to leave the comfortable confines of the hotel, off-property beaches, high-end boutique shopping and restaurants are definitely worth exploring. Renting a car is the best way to get around the island, and Eden Rock provides convenient on-site car rentals lasting a few hours or the duration of your visit. For me, no trip to St. Barths is compete without consuming copious amounts of Roman-style pizza al fresco at L’Isoletta on Rue du Roi Oscar II in Gustavia and dancing the night away after dinner and a cabaret-style show at the legendary Le Ti St.
Barth (tistbarth.com). While out wandering around Gustavia one afternoon following lunch with our toes in the sand at Do Brazil on Shell Beach (dobrazil.com), we stumbled upon The Sea Memory boutique, a tiny spot with treasures culled from around the globe, including pieces of furniture, home accessories and jewelry fashioned from stingray skin (seamemorysbh.com). Grey skies on the morning of my departure mirrored my mood; the bright spot being that my departure was being handled by Tradewinds Aviation, whose Pilatus PC-12 aircraft is the among the most posh of any cleared for takeoff and landing on St. Barths. A representative whisked us through customs in record time before ushering us to a private departures lounge for Tradewinds passengers at the transfer point in Puerto Rico, which eased the inevitable transition back to reality (flytradewind.com). Rooms at Eden Rock St. Barths from $650 €/night, including V.I.P. airport transfers and daily breakfast buffet, among other amenities. For more information or reservations, visit (edenrockhotel.com). sl slmag.net
37
Of Note... The Write Stuff
Compiled by Victoria Chase
3
2
1
4
5
1) For messages that matter: custom hand-engraved onionskin stationery and envelopes from Nancy Sharon Collins (price upon request; nancysharoncollinsstationer.com). 2) The Lansdale Bouquet Journal from Dempsey & Carroll was designed in collaboration with fabric and wall covering company Schumacher ($30; dempseyandcarroll.com). 3) The Downing Desk from Kate Spade boasts hand-painted dots and polished brass hardware ($3,095; katespade.com). 4) Set of Love Notes from Dempsey & Carroll ($65/10 cards and 10 hand-lined envelopes; dempseyandcarroll.com). 5) The Paper Desk from Moooi is crafted of wood and cardboard finished with paper and polyurethane lacquer and topped with an Oak veneer work surface (price upon request; moooi.com). 6) The Racer rollerball pen from Chopard in red and black resin ($645; chopard.com). 7) The Cherry Blossom writing desk from Ambella Home is made of American white oak with a bone-color finish and a light grey wash. The base is hand-forged cast iron with antique gold metal leaf finish (price upon request; ambellahome.com).
38 slmag.net
7
6
9 8
10
11
8) With minimal lines that harken to design cues from the 1930s, The Jolie two-drawer desk from Armani Casa is crafted in Italy of wood with a leather top, it is equipped on each side with pockets and a pair of drawers with leather pulls and wood rails (price upon request; armanicasa.com). 9) This desk clock from Mondaine is both multifunctional and stylish. The clock itself is magnetic and can be removed from its case and attached to any metal surface. Slide the clock back into the case and it can be used as a paperweight. ($255; mondaine-usa.com). 10) Boulevard writing desk from Boca do Lobo is made from mahogany with a leather top and brass handles lacquered in black on each of the thee drawers (price upon request; bocadolobo.com). 11) Best known for his stunning textiles and furniture, William Morris, an influential arts-and-crafts designer, is also the author of the four quotes in this set of notecards from Princeton Architectural Press. Comes with coordinating Morris Morris-patterned patterned envelopes ($14.95 for 12 notecards/envelopes; papress.com).
slmag.net
39
BEHIND THE MUSIC Chicago artist Francine Turk brings her brand of cool to a collaboration with the late Prince of Darkness—jazz legend Miles Davis. By Arianne Nardo Photography by Anthony Tahlier with Chateau Marmot and The Golden Thread series photographs by Tom Van Eynde Hair and makeup by GLAM’D “Music is energy,” says Turk. “My paintings are energy. It’s all connected.”
Curiosity is a fiery impulse. It makes an innocent, 6-year-old girl sneak into her older sister’s room in search of an “off-limits” record collection. With a pounding heart and anxious little fingers, she meets friends Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and The Boss for the first time. Every rotation and hypnotic new sound is a risk—The school day is almost over, put everything back, she’ll be home soon. Still, she takes her chances again and again, exhilarated by the resonance of these vinyl masterpieces. Don’t all first acts of rebellion have a soundtrack? “That was my introduction to music,” says Chicago artist Francine Turk about her days growing up in Oak Lawn, Ill. “As a kid, I could go and have this escape with paper and pencils and music.” Leaving their indelible impression on her formative years and eventually her artwork, epic guitar solos and bass lines have become more than just muses for Turk. “Music is energy,” she says. “My paintings are energy. It’s all connected.” For her latest project, Turk found inspiration from one of music’s biggest icons: nine-time Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Miles Davis (aka the Prince of Darkness, a nickname bestowed upon him by his fellow musicians because of his cool stage presence). The exhibition, Next Level BadAss: Miles Davis & Francine Turk—opening this month for a pop-up exhibit at Chicago Illuminating Company (Sept. 21, 7-10PM; and Sept. 22, 10AM-6PM) before moving back to Turk's Prairie Avenue District studio for by-appointment viewings—is a deeply personal
40 slmag.net
body of work, featuring posthumous self-portraits, sketches and drawings created by Davis (who died in 1991) alongside largescale paintings by Turk. At her studio, Turk gives us a sneak peek of two of her seven-foot-tall canvases, each brushstroke pulsing like a supersonic hit of cooler-than-cool reverb that plays raucous and sweaty before retreating into a velvety hum. So how does a rock ’n’ roll-reared painter and a trumpeter nurtured by New York’s underground jazz scene in the ’40s and ’50s end up on such a soulful continuum? Ask Turk and she’ll swear it was architected by fate. “There is absolutely no doubt that this is a spiritual assignment,” says Turk, whose work has hung alongside masters like Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Joan Miró at the KM Fine Arts gallery in Los Angeles. Here’s how the stars aligned: In Oct. 2014, Turk caught wind of the fact that Bob Dylan was going to be honored by MusiCares—the Grammys’ charitable organization devoted to providing critical assistance for music people in times of need—at its annual Person of the Year gala. Knowing the organization was a fan of her 2011 BadAss series of paintings portraying rock gods and rule-breakers like Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash, Turk offered to donate a portrait of Dylan for the gala and ended up being asked to create 80 original drawings as gifts for the night’s performers, too. Fast forward to February 2015, and Turk was rubbing elbows with music’s elite at the Los Angeles Convention Center, enjoying a front-row seat for performances by Jack White, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt and more.
Fine artist Francine Turk standing in front of her Chateau Marmont stationary sketches, part of the Next Level BadAss: Miles Davis & Francine Turk series.
slmag.net
41
Turk was granted full access to Davis’ sketchbooks. “His drawings look like his music sounds—moody and intense," says Turk.
The buzz about Francine Turk was out—and had reached Darryl Porter, the director of the Miles Davis Estate. He arranged for a meeting with Turk’s business manager, Grace Lieberman, and explained that 2016 would mark Davis’ 90th birthday; that Don Cheadle was finalizing his decade-long passion project Miles Ahead, a biopic about the jazz legend; and that jazz pianist Robert Glasper had been granted the stems (a sub mix or partial mix of only some of the tracks of a song) to Davis’ original compositions and was conjuring up a new album. Then Porter referenced a trove of Davis’ original drawings and artwork that was tucked away for safekeeping at a fine art storage facility in California, and asked Turk if she would like to be involved somehow. And just like that, synchronicity stepped in. What happened over the next 16 months was, as Turk describes it, an artistic free fall. She had been invited into Davis’ world, granted unprecedented access to an immense archive of his personal sketchbooks, paintings, collages, loose drawings and notes. Pages upon pages lavished with figurative drawings, abstractions and explorations in love rendered in color, ink, marker and ballpoint pen awaited Turk’s translation. “Most people didn’t know he was a prolific drawer and artist,” says Turk. “His drawings look like his music sounds—moody and intense. [Although not formally trained] Miles was such a natural. His use of line is so instinctively and naturally beautiful, the way he could create tension with the weight of it. Yet he wasn’t even thinking about it. It’s one of the most incredible things I discovered in his sketchbooks.” Davis’ sketchbooks also had evidence of ordinary life— lists, notes, phone numbers and names. One name in particular
42 slmag.net
The Chateau Marmont series was created on the hotel’s signature stationery
stood out to Turk: Muddy Waters. She had just completed a commission for the Hyatt Centric hotel in the Loop. Its subject? Chicago blues—Chess Records, Maxwell Street and, of course, the “father of modern Chicago blues,” Mr. Muddy Waters. Turns out Miles, a big fan of Waters’ two-chord blues, never missed seeing Muddy play at the Checkerboard Lounge when he was in Chicago for a gig. On some level, Turk had needed a sign. For months she had been learning about Davis’ life through the storytelling of his family and his inner circle, and by listening to his music— working her way from Kind of Blue (1959) to Bitches Brew (1970) to Tutu (1986). His first wife Frances, his youngest son Erin, his daughter Cheryl and his nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr., all shared with Turk their stories about Davis (including some colorful tales about the time he spent at Chateau Marmont, the legendary Sunset Boulevard hotel where he and Frances would live when he was performing on the West Coast). Immersing herself in this information was invaluable to Turk, but it was secondhand. Seeing Muddy Waters’ name was like Miles was speaking directly to her, giving her his blessing. “Seeing that name solidified that I was meant to do this,” she says. “It’s Miles and me and that’s it.” It also gifted her a revelation about her own work. “I realized that my purpose is to preserve—that is the essence of who I am as an artist,” says Turk. “All of my bodies of work, from my charcoal nudes to the BadAss series, are connected. They all have this golden thread of preservation—preserving history and beauty, and honoring legacy. With Miles, I’m supposed to preserve these stories so that other generations know his importance, and how he was beyond influential.”
Turk’s The Joint painting is also the cover art for Robert Glasper’s recently released album, Everything’s Beautiful.
slmag.net
43
Turk totally in her element at her studio in Chicago’s historic Prairie Avenue District.
44 slmag.net
"Miles is the thread that ties everything together," says Turk of the inspiration behind her The Golden Thread series. Shown here: Four oil on raw canvas paintings from the Next Level BadAss: Miles Davis & Francine Turk exhibit
“Channeling Miles” has become shorthand for the creative groove that Turk has inhabited. It began with fragments. Working off photographs of his original drawings, Turk borrowed elements and stretched them, painting and layering, layering and painting. Her first piece, titled The Joint, was sent to the Davis family, who raved and passed it along to Glasper. It’s now the cover art for Glasper’s new album of remixes from the Davis archive, Everything’s Beautiful. Turk has since moved on to the large-scale paintings that will anchor the Chicago exhibit, as well as a series entitled Chateau Marmont. Created on the hotel’s signature stationery—an idea Turk had while on a pilgrimage to the hotel for this project—each piece is a vital narrative, capturing the scenes, moments, characters, musicians and loves that orbited Davis throughout his lifetime. “My uncle was a forward-thinker,” says Wilburn. “He was always evolving, never looking back.”
Back in her studio, Turk has become emboldened. “I’m hearing colors that I’ve never heard before,” she says, surrounded by the sketches and inky gestures made by her protagonist. “I hear contrast, I hear texture, I hear composition. If I’m listening to Kind of Blue, it’s about movement and energy—movement of the brush, movement of my body, the weight of the line. Miles was a master jazz composer. He was also so good at composing a page. The way he would place things. They say he was a genius because of the way he used space, the notes he didn’t play. It’s the same with the spaces on his drawings. I am learning so much from him.” sl The Next Level BadAss: Miles Davis & Francine Turk pop-up exhibit takes place Sept. 21 from 7-10PM and Sept. 22 from 10AM-6PM at the Chicago Illuminating Company, 2110 S. Wabash Ave., 312.326.9500. A panel discussion featuring Turk and members of the Davis family will kick things off Sept. 19 at Soho House Chicago (Soho House members only). Appointments for private viewings at Francine Turk’s studio can be made by calling 312.547.9000 or emailing grace@francineturk.com. francineturk.com
slmag.net
45
Bibliotaph... Stargazing - Celebrating Celebrity in Portraiture
Compiled by Victoria Chase
For nearly four decades, portraits of celebrities, politicians and sports stars by photojournalist Volker Hinz masterfully combined the candor of an in-the-moment snapshot with the composition of a fine artwork. Volder Hinz - Volker Hinz (Stern Fotografie Porfolios) - Hardcover, 96 pages, teNeues (teneues.com).
Before becoming a bonafide star in his own right, jazz trumpeter Till Brönner played with legends like Natalie Cole. His passion for photography revealed itself after he received his first Leica camera. This collection of his black-andwhite portraits of celebrities and musicians come across as candidly cool given his personal connection with each subject. Till Brönner - Till Brönner: Faces of Talent - Hardcover, 208 pages, teNeues (teneues.com). Photographer Marcel Sternberger pioneered the technique of the "psychological portrait," and redefined the boundaries of portrait iconography in the twentieth century while working with influential figures in art, science, and politics. Jacob Loewentheil - The Psychological Portrait: Marcel Steinberger's Revelations in Photography Hardcover, 210 pages, Rizzoli (rizzoliusa.com). Sternberger Photographs © Stephan Loewentheil, 2015. All rights reserved. Image rights courtesy of Frida Kahlo Corporation. Featuring previously unpublished photographs from commissions for The New Yorker, TIME, and GQ, among others, photographer Martin Schoeller's latest volume pushes the boundaries of photographic styling and composition in novel and audacious ways. Martin Schoeller - Martin Schoeller: Portraits Hardcover, 260 pages, teNeues (teneues.com).
46 slmag.net
bib 'li' o 'taph, [bib-lee-uhtaf, -tahf ]: a person who caches or hoards books Irish photographer Edward Quinn (1920-1997) made his debut as a professional photojournalist at an equestrian show jumping competition in Nice, France. This initiation established two constants of his work: the Côte d’Azur as a setting and animals as a subject. This book captures celebrities of the 1950s and 1960s with their beloved pets. Edward Quinn - Celebrity Pets: On the French Riviera in the 50s and 60s - Hardcover, 160 pages, teNeues (teneues.com).
Sante D'Orazio is regarded as one of the preeminent fashion and beauty photographers working today. This book is a compilation of Polaroids taken by D'Orazio while staging his shots. Sante D'Orazio and Glenn O'Brien - Sante D'Orazio: Polaroids Hardcover, 136 pages, Chronicle Books (chroniclebooks.com).
Hollywood Icons features approximately 200 photographs focusing on the screen idols that drew moviegoers around the world into theaters during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Hollywood Icons: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation - Robert Dance, with forewords by Terrence Pepper and Simon Crocker - Hardcover, 224 pages, ACC Editions (antiquecollectorsclub.com).
slmag.net
47
Curating a Lifestyle: Memoirs of an Interior Designer Written by Amelia and Jeff Jeffers
Across a career spanning nearly 70 years, it is fair to say that renowned interior designer and antiques dealer Jay Suiter has seen it all. When he transferred from the Art Institute of Chicago to UCLA to study interior design in the late 1940s, America was adjusting to a new normal after the end of World War II. A booming economy and a growing dominance in technology, business and the space race allowed Americans to return their focus to a more refined lifestyle. Not since the early 1920s had such an emphasis on luxury and comfort been possible. Now, as department stores across the country saw an increased interest in home furnishings, the budding profession of interior design took off. Window displays were styled in the latest fashions, encouraging passersby to not only stop in, but to avail themselves of store designers who helped to recreate the look of the model rooms at home. For the first time ever, mainstream Americans had the means to hire a professional to assemble their perfect rooms. For new graduate, Jay Suiter, the opportunities were endless. After a brief (but exciting) first job working with acclaimed Hollywood costume designers Irene Maud Lentz and Travis Banton, Jay returned home to Kansas City, Missouri to help his ailing grandmother and settle in at the local high-end department store as in-house designer. Networking with other
48 slmag.net
professionals throughout the Midwest, Jay met the owner of a large furniture store in Columbus, Ohio who offered a job Jay couldn’t refuse. With the move to Columbus, Jay pursued a passion cultivated by his grandmother’s taste for early European furnishings, opening an antiques business with a friend. Tending to the shop during hours away from his primary job, Jay found more and more opportunities to help buyers place the antique treasures purchased from his store in their homes. Soon, demand for his services outpaced his ability to keep up part-time, so Jay left his job to become an independent designer and fulltime shopkeeper. It was the late 1950s, and although most of America was enamored with the Bauhaus movement, Jay’s clients embraced his sophisticated, stately aesthetic. To meet the seemingly insatiable appetite of a growing audience, Jay sourced materials in the war-torn countries of eastern Europe, Russia and Denmark. Traveling alone, and with little more than a letter of credit from his local bank, Jay would check into a city’s toniest hotel and ask the concierge for the names of the best antique shops. After a purchase or two warmed the mood, he would then ask the shop owner for a referral to yet another dealer or two; going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole to maximize the visit. Behind the iron curtain, Jay had to purchase objects older than 120 years directly from
government offices. Communication home was non-existent on those trips; so Jay relied on an encyclopedic knowledge of construction and design and pure gut instincts to “buy right.” After each trip, Jay’s enthusiastic descriptions of his time away and the beautiful objects in transit preceded the delivery of a shipping container, filled to the brim with treasures and nearly all sold by the time it was unloaded. Buying trips became more frequent, and Jay’s shop grew to be the largest in Ohio. Having moved the prosperous business to an old barn in an upscale suburb, Jay outfitted the stalls with hardwood floors, maintaining an emphasis on staging. His strategy (and keen eye) was a huge success: women throughout Ohio visited the shop and regularly bought the contents of entire rooms. Initially he played to the majority of his clients’ tastes, displaying rooms of early American antiques, but slowly Jay influenced his customer base into an appreciation for good, early European things. Throughout his long career, he has seen design trends come and go, but his business was built solidly on the idea that good quality never goes out of style. Mostly retired now, Jay still advises close clients (more like close friends). His home is a reflection of decades of buying and collecting (as well as some of his grandmother’s things), placed with equal parts of a designer’s eye and a collector’s heart. With
a bank of memories like Jay’s, it’s easy to get lost with him in the stories. His favorite part of working with unique and beautiful objects day-in and day-out? “I just loved owning things for even just a short time, but,” he laments “you always remember the ones you sold and regret, or the things you didn’t buy, but know you should have.” One of his biggest regrets was when Garth Oberlander (the founder of Garth’s Auctioneers & Appraisers) called him to say, “Jay, you have got to buy this lamp!” (It was a Tiffany dragonfly lamp shade. And, no, he didn’t buy it.) Jay is also quick to remember innumerable successes, including a carved wooden charger with painted miniatures around the perimeter; purchased at a small auction in Cleveland for $250, it sold at Christie’s for more than $9,000. Over the decades, Jay bought and sold with the biggest names in the antiques and art business as well as private collectors at every level. Now, his name is considered one of the biggest in two industries. Humbly attributing his long ride to an old adage, at the end of our interview, Jay smiled and said “repetition is the mother of skill.” After a walk down memory lane with a legend, it is evident that his success should be attributed to something much more complex than that. sl Amelia & Jeff Jeffers are co-owners of two fine art, antique and bespoke collectibles companies: Garth's of Delaware, Ohio and Selkirk of St. Louis, Missouri.
slmag.net
49
A Brief Primer on Two Great Old World Wine Regions, Part II
Written by Scott Harper, Master Sommelier
Clos Ste. Hune
Château de Beaucastel
Old World wine regions are some of the most interesting on the planet. With an abundance of history and delectable wines, it is only the mystery of what type of wine you are getting that makes Old World wine somewhat difficult to discern. Here, I dispel some of the mystery with brief descriptions and two recommendations for each region to add to your collection or to get you started drinking the delicious wines of these venerable regions. Alsace Alsace is located on the northeastern border of France between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River of Germany, about 275 miles from Paris. The wines are crisp, fresh and vivacious, lending themselves to the lighter fare. Picturesque half-timbered houses with their flower boxes brimming with multicolored blooms are more prevalent than one would think; combine this with breathtaking views of vineyards from the Vosges Mountains and you have a mind’s eye picture of a perfect spring day. German heritage is strong in Alsace; after all, control of the region has been volleyed back-and-forth between France and Germany for hundreds of years. If you asked an Alsatian if they are French or German, they are likely to tell you they are Alsatian, although it has been part of France since World War II. The
50 slmag.net
German heritage is reflective in the wine in a number of ways. The bottles are tall and flute-shaped as in Germany and their labels denote the grape variety (although there are some blends), whereas in most of France the wine is named for the region. Many of the grape varieties originally hail from Germany, and Alsace is the only area in France where Riesling and Gewürztraminer are legally grown. As you can imagine, many of the wine producers and the language on the labels bear Germanic lineage. Alsace makes 90 percent white wine. Red wines grapes require a warmer and longer growing season, so the only red grape of note is Pinot Noir. The most important and highest quality grapes start with Riesling, one of the most misunderstood grapes. It is almost natural to think it is always sweet, as it makes some of the best dessert wines in the world, as well as some of the most mediocre sweet wines of limited character. But it also makes some of wine expert’s absolute favorite white wines on the planet, possessing an ethereal quality, tension, minerality and sense of place that many other grapes can only dream of. Other important grapes are Pinot Gris (same grape as Pinot Grigio), Muscat, and Gewürztraminer, with the secondary grapes being Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc. Alsace makes essentially three styles of
Vineyards in Alsace. Photo by Rémi Stosskopf.
wine: dry, sparkling and dessert. I tend to focus on the dry, but the others are worthwhile as well. For the taste of a vibrant spring day, a feel of refreshing renewing quality, elegance and complexity, for flavor without weight or oak, I look to Alsace and suggest you do as well. Suggested Alsatian Wines are Riesling Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune and Riesling Marc Tempé Saint-Hippolyte The Rhône Valley of France is geographically divided into north and south. While both areas make red and white wine, the Rhône is typically thought of as a red wine region. The north makes its red wines primarily from the Syrah grape, while southern Rhône is more noted for the Grenache grape. Both of these areas make top-notch, world-class wine, but the most famous and historical is southern Rhône’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape (which I touched on briefly in the previous issue). The Mediterranean climate and the presence of large, round quartz stones called galets in many of the vineyards’ soils help make Châteauneuf-du-Pape a warm wine that is full-bodied and can have an almost silky, velvety texture. In 1923, Châteauneuf-du-Pape created the prototype for other French wine regions by regulating their wine. While by law
Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines can be made with up to 13 grapes varietals, including white, they typically are made with a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvèdre, with Grenache being the majority grape. While there is a movement to use new oak, or at least judicious new oak, most Châteauneuf-du-Pape domains prefer to use no new oak in favor of large oak barrels called foudres. Using foudres emphasizes the flavor of the grapes and the place from whence they came as opposed to accentuating the flavors of new oak. Some of the other flavors you get from Châteauneuf-duPape are red fruits of cherry, kirshwasser, red licorice, raspberry, some black fruits, pepper and earthy flavors of forest floor, leather and what is called “garrigue,” which refers to the smell or taste of Provençal herbs and lowland shrubs. The papacy only lasted for 70 years in Avignon, but the wine still lives on as one of the greatest wines from the Rhône if not all of France! Try the wines with cassoulet or grilled or roasted meats seasoned with Provencal herbs. Suggested Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wines are Château de Beaucastel and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. sl A Certified Wine Educator, Harper is one of 147 professionals in North America and 230 worldwide who have earned the title Master Sommelier.
slmag.net
51
CARPOOL COOL Luxury SUVs for your most precious cargo Written by Andre James
52 slmag.net
Bentley Bentayga
The resumption of school means that most of us with children will spend some portion of our week sitting idly in an idling car waiting for said children to be dismissed from the classroom or a bevy of after-school activities. Educate yourself on upping your carpool cachet with our cheat sheet on the latest SUV’s and crossovers that promise top-in-class space, comfort, technology and performance. Bentayga – The Bentley of SUVs | A total of 130 hours are devoted to the crafting of each Bentayga, at the home of Bentley Motors in Crewe, England. The Bentayga is the company’s first foray into the luxury SUV segment and they have put forth a vehicle aimed at dominating the upper echelons of the market. The car’s sculptural presence is unmistakably Bentley; on the front, the familiar Bentley matrix grill is positioned upright and wide and flanked by four floating LED headlamps. Options for
personalization are seemingly endless (certainly more than can be outlined here) with two of the more unique being an “Event Seat” that deploys from the rear load space and allows up to two adults to enjoy outdoor activities while shaded by the tailgate or illuminated by the built-in “stage lighting”; and a bespoke threepiece picnic hamper set, developed in conjunction with Linley, complete with china, cutlery and crystal glassware. Supported by a highly advanced Bentley chassis that provides exceptional ride quality in all driving conditions, the all-new 6.0liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine makes the Bentayga the world’s most powerful and fastest SUV. The chassis set-up (ride height, damping, roll control, electronic stability and traction controls) as well as the settings for the engine and drivetrain are controlled via a single rotary with four on-road driving modes. With a top speed of 187mph, standstill to 60mph can be achieved in just 4.0 seconds. MSRP from $229,100 (bentleymotors.com). slmag.net
53
Jaguar F-Pace
BMW X5 xDrive40e – BMW’s first plug-in hybrid Sports Activity Vehicle | The first plug-in hybrid production model from the core BMW brand, the X5 xDrive40e combines the BMW’s award-winning 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery, integrated into its eight-speed automatic transmission. Able to travel approximately 14 miles on pure electric power, it’s ideally suited to short commutes and quick trips around town. The gasoline engine and electric motor churns out 308hp, enough to propel the X5 xDrive40e from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. BMW’s xDrive, an intelligent all-wheel drive system, provides optimal stability and traction under all circumstances and road conditions. Exclusive, bespoke design touches on the model’s exterior clearly identify the BMW X5 xDrive40e’s hybrid capabilities. Most noticeable is the charging connection for the high-voltage battery located in the left front fender. Blue light effects also appear here at the start of the charging process to indicate the flow of energy. The exhaust system has a twin-tailpipe design with trapezoidal tips. A host of BMW ConnectedDrive options are offered, including Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, BMW Head-Up Display, the BMW Night Vision system with pedestrian and animal recognition, Lane Active Blind Spot Detection, Parking Assistant, rear view camera, Surround View and Speed Limit Info. All driver assistance systems are also available when driving in all-electric mode. The Adaptive LED Headlights, Comfort Access, as well as the full selection of 19- and 20-inch light-alloy wheels, are available to order for the BMW X5 xDrive40e. MSRP from $63,095 (bmwusa.com). 2017 Cadillac Escalade – Powerful capability and sumptuous amenities | Cadillac’s first major entry into the SUV market, the Escalade was introduced in 1999 as a competitor to Ford’s Lincoln Navigator. Not without detractors in the early years, the Escalade is largely responsible for transforming the brand as the cushy ride preferred by your father (or grandfather) into something more youthful and relevant.
54 slmag.net
Updates to the Escalade for 2017 include availability of the award-winning Rear Camera Mirror and Automatic Parking Assist. Aesthetic additions encompass two new exterior paint colors and a new 22-inch wheel design. Escalade trim levels have also been renamed for better customer clarity: Escalade, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum. The product line includes the standard Escalade and the extended-length ESV edition, which offers a 14-inch longer wheelbase and approximately 20 inches more in overall length, maximizing space for third-row passengers and providing over 2.5 times the cargo space behind the third-row seat. All models are offered with 2WD and 4WD drivetrains, powered by a 6.2L V-8 engine backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission that is powerful enough to enable 0-to-60-mph performance in less than six seconds. MSRP from $72,790 (cadillac.com). Jaguar F-Pace – A performance crossover with unrivalled dynamics and everyday usability | Jaguar’s first performance crossover offering seating for five with class-leading rear kneeroom and ample stowage space, the Jaguar F-Pace amps up daily driving with outstanding dynamics including torque on-demand all-wheel drive system, Adaptive Surface Response for challenging driving conditions, All Surface Progress Control to make the most of the available grip and LowFriction Launch. An innovative feature for active families making its world debut on the F-PACE is Jaguar’s Activity Key. A waterproof, shockproof wristband with an integrated transponder, this segmentfirst, wearable technology supports active lifestyles because it allows the keyfob to be securely locked inside the vehicle. An all-aluminum supercharged V6 engine combined with the eight-speed automatic transmission deliver scintillating performance: a 380PS engine is exclusive to the all-new F-PACE First Edition and S models and can launch each from 0-60 mph in only 5.1 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. MSRP from $40,990 (jaguarusa.com).
BMW X5 xDrive40e
2017 Cadillac Escalade
slmag.net
55
Maserati Levante
Porsche Macan GTS
56 slmag.net
Mercedes GLS SUV
Maserati Levante – Embracing the aesthetic elements of Italian style | Levante, the name of Maserati’s first foray into the luxury SUV segment, was inspired by a warm, Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to gale force in an instant. The chassis has been specifically developed to offer unique on-road drivability and competitive off-road capability, with day-to-day comfort and practicality. Aesthetically it combines spaciousness and the lines of a coupé while achieving top marks in the market for aerodynamic efficiency. Innovative features of the 100 percent Italian-made car include: Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Forward Collision Warning and Brake Assist System, Lane Departure Warning, Surround View camera, and capacitive 8.4" Touch Screen display with brand new rotary control. There is a high level of customization within two cutting-edge packages: Sport and Luxury. The Maserati V6 engine with latest GDI and twin-turbo is available in two versions: 430hp and 350hp. The most powerful Levante makes it to 60mph in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 164mph. MSRP from $72,000 (maserati.com). Mercedes GLS SUV – Comfort, agile dynamics and best-in-class safety | Fresh from a 2017 model-year facelift encompassing exterior and interior enhancements, the new generation GLS SUV boasts improved efficiency, additional DYNAMIC SELECT transmission modes, an improved air suspension system with enhanced damping system, nine-speed 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission, state-ofthe-art assistance systems and the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz telematics, which includes internet access and remote-start capability. Notable enhancements to the exterior that bring the SUV in-line with the current Mercedes-Benz design idiom include a redesigned front end, and a contemporized rear with full LED tail lamps. Inside the cabin, the eye is drawn to a newly designed instrument panel with Media Display, a new three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and a modified center console with touchpad.
The powerful GLS550 4MATIC with V8 bi-turbo engine featuring direct injection generates 449hp, some 20hp more than the preceding model. A 3.0-liter V6 bi-turbo engine in the GLS450 4MATIC produces 362hp, and like all GLS models has an ECO start/stop function. The top-of-the-line Mercedes-AMG GLS63 boasts 577hp and clocks 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. MSRP from $68,700 (mbusa.com). Porsche Macan GTS – An enthusiastic driving experience that enhances the current Macan range | More power, a reengineered suspension, GTS-specific exterior and interior appointments and new connectivity are among the upgrades that set the GTS apart from its siblings in the Macan family. Notable GTS styling is manifested in a plethora of black exterior accents – window trim finished in high-gloss black, matte-black on the lower body and the Porsche Macan GTS designation on the rear hatch, and standard 20” RS Spyder Design wheels finished in satin black – to name a few. Inside, a leather package with GTS sport seats with Alcantara seat centers is standard. An optional GTS interior package features a Carmine Red tachometer and deviated stitching, seat belts and embroidered GTS logos on the headrests. The standard PCM (Porsche Communication Management system) includes Sound Package Plus, eight speakers, a USB and aux-in interface, SiriusXM and HD radio, and Bluetooth capability. An optional PCM with Navigation module includes a hard-drive based navigation system that supports 3D navigation display, satellite image overlays and dynamic route calculation. The engine is based on the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 in the Macan S, with hardware changes and a unique calibration that allow it to turn out 360hp at 6000 rpm and propel the GTS from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds in conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package and a top track speed of 159mph. MSRP from $67,200 (porsche.com). sl slmag.net
57
SOLITARY REFINEMENT Visiting Oregon’s wine country in the “quiet” season Written by Madeline Michaels An argument can certainly be made for partaking in the intensity of tourist high season in any given locale, but for me the downsides – bumper-to-bumper traffic, peak season rates and sharing every available piece of real estate with throngs of other vacationers ¬– do not add up to my idea of a relaxing sojourn. For a recent visit to Oregon’s Willamette Valley and its burgeoning wine industry, I strategically timed my arrival with the fleeting few weeks when the effervescence of spring is just becoming discernable in the air and the vineyards, along with the corresponding flurry of activity in the wineries, was just beginning to stir from winter hibernation. Just over a half-century on, what started out as a dream for David Lett, who planted the Willamette Valley’s first Pinot Noir vines in 1965, has exploded into a juggernaut of activity, spawning 647 vineyards across 17,237 acres. Anyone who has spent time in the Pacific Northwest is familiar with its laid-back ways and lack of pretense. In contrast to the more high-profile wine regions of California to the south, you’re more likely to encounter a Subaru than a supercar as you traverse the picturesque roads that connect the tapestry of vineyards. One vineyard owner aptly commented that the area was best described as “Napa clad in REI.” Until the fall of 2009, visitors to the Newberg area, a 45-minute drive from the Portland airport, faced a dearth of fullservice luxury lodging options. The opening of the Allison Inn & Spa seven years ago amply filled the void and subsequently 58 slmag.net
raised the profile of the region as a major destination rather than just a daytrip from Portland. The property is a labor of love for its owners, the Austin family, who have deep personal roots and business ties to the area. Their reverence for the project is palpable everywhere, from the private dining room where the hefty dining table was fashioned from a single slab of hand-hew black walnut by Ken Austin, Jr., to the more than 550 pieces of original and largely local artwork hand-picked by the late Joan Austin and her daughter Loni Parrish, an artist and gallery owner. “This place represents the family’s legacy,” explained Managing Director Pierre Zreik, who was hired following an interview process that included 11 members of the Austin family. In creating their heirloom, the family gave prominence to building with the environment in mind, resulting in the Inn being awarded LEED Gold Certification and thereby joining an elite group of properties around the world who have achieved this recognition for green construction practices and sustainable ongoing operations. Though situated on 35-undulating acres, planted with five-acres of Pinot Noir and two-acres of Pinto Gris vines, the hotel’s seemingly unorthodox site placement relatively close to the road was mandated by local zoning rules that prevent building multi-story structures in farmland. The 77 generously proportioned guest rooms (starting at 490 square feet) and eight suites (650-1,575 square feet) mirror the feeling of spaciousness found throughout the common areas.
Private dining room at Jory.
The tight color palette is guided by hues of nature – tree bark, fall leaves and the vineyards – that are omnipresent through the Inn’s dramatic glass-enclosed four-story circular staircase. Adding to this is an abundance of rich mahogany trim and ample use of pattern and texture expressed in velvet, chenille, metal, silk and glass. Each Deluxe guestroom boasts a gas fireplace, upholstered window seat, a deep soaking tub, a bespoke writing table made from Oregon walnut and a covered terrace that overlooks manicured gardens sprinkled with teal-colored seating and pieces of contemporary sculpture. Charged with carrying the banner of environmental and personal wellbeing throughout the 15,000-square-foot spa is Director Tara Calton. Having been brought on board before construction commenced, she has been intimately involved in the project and relays a deep sense of pride and connection to the spa program. Hotel guests are given complimentary access to the men’s, women’s and co-ed lounges (each with outdoor landscaped garden terraces and fire pits), fitness studio, indoor swimming pool with outdoor lounging terrace, sauna and steam rooms. Most notable among the many body and face treatments available is “pino-therapy," a pinot-inspired botanical and biological therapy produced by wine and grape seed extracts. Organic spa products are complemented by produce grown in the 1.5-acre chef’s onsite garden. Treatments are only as good as the person providing them, and The Allison has certainly perfected the art of securing
exceptional staff. “We are a happy staff,” commented Calton. “I feel like guests leave feeling like they’ve made real, genuine connections.” A state of relaxation carries over into The Allison’s “living room,” an airy space just outside the bar and Jory restaurant where overstuffed armchairs are situated around a large fireplace. Staff are extremely well-versed in local wines, and our first pours included a 2011 Matello Fool’s Journey Viognier from the Deux Vert vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton region and a 2012 estate-produced Pinot Noir from Austin Knoll. The latter, produced in collaboration with acclaimed Willamette Valley winemaker David Adelsheim (who founded his eponymous winery in 1971; adelsheim.com), makes The Allison Inn the first resort property in the region to produce its own wine. The hotel stocks 800 different labels and 40 by-theglass offerings, with 60-65 percent hailing from Washington and Oregon. Complimentary Thursday evening Celebrity Wine Tender tasting events bring together local vintners and oenophiles. If there’s one available for any meal of the day, snag a seat at the chef ’s counter at Jory to get a front row seat on the kitchen action and chat with the chefs while they work (which they are more than happy to do). I was fortunate enough to be seated there on more than one occasion and learned all about the local food economy, including the white truffle market, where the earthy gems can fetch as much as $120/lb. After complementing one sous chef on his expert garnishing skills, he smiled and remarked, “You eat with your eyes first.” slmag.net
59
Indoor/outdoor relaxation areas at the Allison Inn Spa.
Under the direction of Executive Chef Sunny Jin, refreshingly humble in spite of an impressive résumé that includes time in the kitchens at The French Laundry and El Bulli, the locavore menus at Jory for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch are the embodiment of the garden-to-table philosophy. A theme of collaboration weaves its way throughout the culinary program. Jin has been working with Spa Director Tara Calton, who raises Berkshire and Duroc pigs, to develop hybrid breeds, raised on a vegetarian diet, for in-house charcuterie program. Jin forages for locally grown plants and vegetables, such as nettles, miner's lettuce, morels and wild onions, to enhance the richness of his dishes and leads guests on foraging excursions. In similar fashion to his executive level colleagues Calton and Zreik, Jin can’t speak highly enough about the spirit of excellence the Austin family seeks to instill at every level of The Allison’s operations. Citing what he thought was a nonchalant lunch conversation with an Austin family member about the
60 slmag.net
success and potential of the then half-acre kitchen garden quickly turned into another acre being made available and the construction of a 30’x60’ greenhouse. “They truly want this to be a special place, and I am thrilled to be a part of it,” he added. Admittedly, I would say I am not by any means an expert in wine, but I do love a good story. And it seems that every winery we visited in the area was ripe with them, and being the off-season, the winemakers were happy to stop and chat awhile. The journey was made that much better with a custom picnic lunch created by Jory to nosh al fresco in-between stops. Alternately, a pit stop at Red Hills Market in Dundee (redhillsmarket.com) is certain not to disappoint. I give high marks to their Mortadella sandwich with truffled celery root remoulade, arugula and Mama Lil’s peppers. At Roco winery (rocowinery.com), a husband-and-wife collaboration founded in 2003, I learned about Rollin Sole’s unique take on the “stalker” style of winemaking, where he uses dried grape stalks instead of the conventional green ones to infuse his The
Vineyards at Domaine Drouhin Photo by Bridget Williams
Red Hill Market in Dundee Photo by Bridget Williams
Stalker Pinot Noir. The four-level gravity-fed winery at Domaine Drouhin is the first of its kind in Oregon and the centerpiece of the 225-acre estate. In McMinville’s charming historic granary district (granarydistrict.com), 10 tasting rooms, breweries, shops and restaurants are housed in historic repurposed buildings. My longest and most enjoyable tasting took place at the open-by-appointment-only Native Flora (nativeflora.com), owned by Scott and Denise Flora. More like an afternoon spent with friends, tastings take place in the airy combination kitchen / great room of their home, a California contemporary prominently positioned at the top of a hill with views that stretch for miles and miles. While pouring a glass of “The Jolly Rancher,” a delicious dry Rosé, Scott recounted that when he began looking at starting a winery on this piece of land he was told time and time again that it wasn’t suited for viticulture. After five years of research that involved identifying nine different soil types on the 33-acre estate, he remarked that he
McMinville's historic granary district. Photo by Bridget Williams
Vineyards at Native Flora Photo by Bridget Williams
could ignore the naysayers because, “I knew we had a whole bunch of science in our favor,” adding that he was drawn to the area after retiring from a high-profile corporate job in Hong Kong because it reminded him of Napa in the 1960s. Producing 1,500 cases annually with an eye at maxing out at 3,000, Scott explained that his philosophy is “not to chase the dollar” and instead create wines that appeal to high-end collectors, a fete he accomplishes by being his own toughest critic. With each winery stop, only the bottles I purchased for my wine cellar rivaled the number of stories I collected. Luckily, at the end of each day the staff at The Allison Inn were happy to do the heavy lifting, carrying my haul inside and handling having it shipped to my home, so that shortly after my return, the cases, and their corresponding stories, were there for me to savor. The Allison Inn & Spa is located at 2525 Allison Lane in Newberg, OR. Rooms from $380/night. For more information or reservations, visit theallison.com. sl
slmag.net
61
t iny 3
1
bau
2
b le
s
Co mp iled
by Cla ire Wi llia ms
4
5
1) Limited edition Lapis Turtle Centerpiece with 14K yellow gold from Clara Williams Company ($1,995; clarawilliams.com). 2) Ruby Equator stud earrings from Savannah Stranger in 18k blackened white gold, Tahitian pearl and Gemfields rubies (price upon request; savannahstranger.com). 3) Etho Maria Earrings with 35.39cts of yellow diamonds briolettes and 39.31cts of R/C diamonds ($384,000; ethomaria.com). 4) Jewelmer Lettre D'Amour Pendant in 18K yellow gold with South Sea pearl ($2,575; jewelmer.com). 5) 14k rose gold bezel set diamond eternity band from Zoe Chicco ($2,300; zoechicco.com). 6) Black Venice Mini Medallion from NC Rocks in rose gold with diamonds and enamel (price upon request; nc-rocks. com). 7) Hamsa Huggie earrings from Buddha Mama in 20K yellow gold with diamonds ($3,400; buddhamama.com). 8) ASP ring from Tate in 18K yellow matte gold with diamond ($1,125; tatejewels.com). 9) AS29 Bamboo pinky ring in 18K black gold with black diamonds and emeralds ($920; as29.com).
62 slmag.net
6 7
9
8
slmag.net
63
11 10
12
13
10) Deakin & Francis white gold skull cufflinks with purple velvet and diamond encrusted crown (price upon request; deakinandfrancis.co.uk). 11) Emoji-shaped Ruifier earrings with horn detailing in 18k yellow gold ($220; ruifier.com). 12) Cool Bear Crazymals pendant from de Grisogono with 311 brown diamonds and two pink sapphires, chocolate-colored leather cord with w yellow gold beehive slide and bee aiglets (price upon request; degrisogono.com). 13) Qeelin Wang Wang collection Morgen Schnauzer ring in 18K white gold with diamonds and blue sapphires (price upon request; qeelin.com).
64 slmag.net
HIGH SPIRITS
An ambitious urban distillery takes shape in downtown Louisville Written by Bridget Williams Photography by Andrew Kung Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. - Lewis Carroll, “Alice in Wonderland” Some would be quick tell Dr. Kaveh Zamanian that his life’s second act – building an urban distillery from scratch – is madness, to which the affable licensed clinical psychologist may nod in agreement before launching into a dream-catching story that leaves even the most ardent naysayer a cheerleader. The California native, who spent 20 years in both private practice and academia, found his way to Louisville via Chicago, where he met his wife, Louisville native Dr. Heather Bass (also a licensed clinical psychologist). Seeking a more family friendly environment to raise their children, the couple relocated from the Windy City to the Bluegrass State several years ago. A long-time wine and spirits enthusiast who worked in the food and beverage industry throughout his young adult life, Zamanian observed the growth and changes in the bourbon industry of his adopted hometown and noted that they seemed to parallel the metamorphosis of California’s wine industry. Traditionally a scotch drinker, he’d switched to bourbon at his wife’s behest and found it to be much more “approachable.” Inspired by upstart independents in the craft beer industry and hoping to catch a ride on the current wave of interest in bourbon and spirits, he began “messing around in the kitchen” using a five-gallon still. His spirited kitchen experiments were augmented with cajoling his wife into accompanying him to countless trade events and tastings. Seeing the writing on the wall, she began to call these outings “going down the rabbit hole,” and in doing so provided the ideal name for a dream made whole. Rabbit Hole Distillery was incorporated in 2012, with Zamanian focusing his early efforts on building relationships and finding a distiller to produce his proprietary recipes. Calling on industry veterans including Richard Wolf, Dave Scheurich, Randy Allender, former Master Distiller Jim Rutledge and consulting Master Distiller Larry Ebersold, Zamanian employed an academic approach to his craft, from selecting the grain to the wood-charred barrels for finishing. Greatly influenced by Alt Whiskeys author Darek Bell, whose work and willingness to publish his recipes in the spirit of open-source Internet programs Zamanian called “eye opening,” Zamanian has relished in the creative process and the exchange of ideas among those in his circle of influence. “I’m just an average guy with a genuine interest in fine spirits,” he said.
66 slmag.net
slmag.net
67
With product development in place, in 2014 Zamanian honed in on his ultimate goal: finding a suitable site for Rabbit Holes’ own distillery. He purchased a prime parcel in Nulu next door to the “Green Building.” The site, which bridges Market and Jefferson Streets, mirrors what he see as an ideal expression of the brand, a “modern and different” take on the familiar storyline typically associated with bourbon. “We’re about approachable luxury and moving away from the association with rural heritage. Our products are good for those new to whiskey but can also impress connoisseurs,” he explained. In his role as cheerleader for his adopted hometown, Zamanian is thrilled to be a part of the renaissance on Market Street and to help carry the momentum over to Jefferson Street by adding infill and density to the burgeoning scene. While he interviewed four architecture firms, he ultimately settled on the one responsible for his neighbor’s award-winning green and contemporary design: Doug Pierson and Youn Choi of Pod Architecture+Design (podand.com), based in Chapel Hill, NC, whose resume includes projects in collaboration with celebrated architect Frank Gehry and Disney Imagineering. “Doug instantly ‘got’ what we were going for, which was a clear sense of an urban distillery that complements the neighborhood,” said Zamanian. When asked about the starting point for conceptualizing the design, Pierson explained, “We took design cues from neighborhood corridors and openings that lead to hidden green spaces.” Distilling equipment, crafted by Vendome Copper and Brass Works, is given prominence, with the rest of the physical space designed in response, which will provide optimal experiences for workers and visitors alike. 68 slmag.net
slmag.net
69
Construction on the $12.5-million, 34,000-square-foot distillery complex commenced in late summer and when complete will no doubt become a beacon for architecture buffs as much as pilgrims on the bourbon trail. A 32’ wide and 205’ long elevated greenway originating on Market Street will draw visitors into the distillery. Gardens in the existing green space will be elevated to accommodate civic, dining and retail space below. The heart of the building, 65 feet tall, will be sheathed in louvers reminiscent of a bourbon barrel. Striving for LEED Platinum certification, Pierson contemplated how being “green” changes the way people interact with the space and how that impacts design. Zamanian pointed out that the emphasis on conservation at all levels goes hand-in-hand with the idea of bourbon as a “sincere craft.” Such an ambitious urban infill project has certainly had its share of challenges getting to this point, and Zamanian is quick to give credit where credit is due, including the Mayors office. He likened the process to “attempting a high dive with a maximum degree of difficulty.” Rabbit Hole’s current spirits lineup includes Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey built on a foundation of a four grain mash bill (corn, malted wheat, honey malt and malted barley), aged two years in a Kelvin Cooperage woodcharred barrel; the Fingerprint Edition PX Series in which five-year-old straight bourbon whiskey is matured for three-to-six months on Pedro Ximenz Sherry Casks; Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey aged for two years in a wood-charred barrel under the direction of Master Distiller Larry Ebersold; and, putting a unique twist on an old-world sip, the Fingerprint Edition Juniper Series English Gin, is the result of aging imported London Dry Gin in Kentucky Rye Whiskey Casks for three-to-six months. Zamanian’s foray “down the rabbit hole” may have resulted in a project of prodigious proportion, but his ultimate goal is quite simple. “At the end of the day we want to inspire more people to drink bourbon,” he said. sl
70 slmag.net
125 East Main Street, Midway, KY 40347 859.846.5565
131 East Main Street, Midway, KY, 40347 859.846.4077
120 West 2nd St, Lexington, KY 40507 859.255.0002
heirloommidway.com
mezzoky.com
distilledatgratzparkinn.com
SET IN STONE(WARE) Sophisticated Living partners with Louisville Stoneware to create commemorative trophies for its annual polo tournament Written by Bridget Williams Photography by Andrew Kung
Even in an era of excessive consumerism, there is still an argument to be made for craftsmanship, legacy and permanence; qualities inherent in products still fashioned by hand and whose perfect imperfections allow its owners to express personal touch in a mass-produced world. Founded in 1815, Louisville Stoneware is “authentic, anti-disposable and the epitome of handmade American craftsmanship,” said Steve Smith, who acquired the company nine years ago and has been working diligently since then to introduce the company’s “high-touch” goods to a wider, and in many cases, more youthful audience. “We are the last standing great American pottery company that still does everything from start-to-finish by hand.” Heritage alone is no longer enough to ensure viability in a niche market, so Smith has been looking at the company through a long lens to ensure that they remain relevant to today’s consumer. On the facilities side, there have already been a number of changes in the showroom with more metamorphosis on the horizon: the manufacturing facility will receive a multi-million dollar overhaul as part of an overall $28-million pedestrian-friendly investment in the redevelopment of the Paristown Pointe neighborhood, which serves as a gateway between the Highlands and downtown Louisville. Enhancing the visitor experience with improved access to where the stoneware is actually produced, plans call for a café, museum shop and flex space for classrooms. 72 slmag.net
slmag.net
73
Master Mold Maker Ngoc Phan, who has been an employee of Louisville Stoneware since 1976, designed the player's trophies for the 2016 Sophisticated Living Polo World Cup.
74 slmag.net
Phan with the finished tropy.
The redevelopment project’s other anchor partners are Goodwood Brewing Company, who plans to invest $6 million in a brewery and gastropub, and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, which is eyeing constructing a standing-room-only black box theater with a 2,000-person capacity located across Brent Street from Louisville Stoneware. On the products side, Smith has been careful to preserve patterns that have stood the test of time – Bachelor’s Button for instance – and add new patterns and pieces that appeal to a wider variety of consumers and speak to a more contemporary aesthetic. “Some designs are subtle; others are more striking and exuberant, but what they all have in common is an underlying belief that humble, everyday objects have an important place in our lives and homes,” remarked Smith. He has been particularly pleased with the response to the company’s newest release, The Louisville Pottery Collection, which presents a rustic yet contemporary aesthetic via a hand-applied, brushed-on glaze that graces the inside of each piece in its entirety but only three-quarters of the exterior to reveal its natural clay foundation. Holding a piece of Louisville Stoneware, one is struck by the earnest outcome of combing earth, water, air and fire under the auspices of an experienced artisan. It was these personal and tactile qualities that prompted Sophisticated Living to commission Louisville Stoneware to create the custom commemorative player trophies for its 2016 Polo World Cup. Vietnam native and Master Mold Maker Ngoc Phan, who has been an employee of the company since 1976, was responsible for the trophy’s design and execution. Following the process from conception to completion provides one with a unique appreciation for the finished product. Unlike mass-produced pieces, the aspect of human touch introduces the element of failure; but throughout the process, just as in sport, experience can equate to equanimity and risk begets reward, making these trophies ideal commemoratives for players of the “Sport of Kings.” sl
slmag.net
75
September 6-7 9-10 10-11 10 10 10 10-11 11 12-25 14 15 15 16 16 19 21-25 23 20 30 30
Society
Fall Classic Hunter Jumper Show, KY Horse Park; kyhorsepark.com MSEDA Dressage in the Park, KY Horse Park; mseda.org New Vocations Charity Thoroughbred Horse Show, KY Horse Park; horseadoption.com/kentucky-charity-thoroughbred-show/ horseadoption.com/kentucky-charit thoroughbred-show/ Gear & Beer to Benefit Surgery on Sunday, 11am, J&H Landmark; surgeryonsunday.org McDazzle Gala, 7pm, Hilton Downtown Lexington; http://rmhclexington.com/news-events/mcdazzl http://rmhclexington.com/news-events/mcdazzle/ Hard Cider Bash in the Barn, 6:30pm, Shaker Village; shakervillageky.org Waveland Art Fair; parks.ky.gov/calendar/details/waveland-art-fair/79184/ Tri for Sight, Spindletop Hall; triforsight.com Keeneland September Yearling Sales; keeneland.com/sales Harvest for Horses, 6pm, Ballantrae Farm; eventbrite.com/e/harvest-for-horses-a-farm-to-table-experience-tickets-25725716310 KY Wireless Golf Tournament for Special Olympics of KY, 8pm, Polo Fields Golf Club; eventbrite.com/e/kentucky-wireless-golf-tournament-10th-annual-benefiting-the-special-olympics-of-kentucky-tickets-25803697554 Chip in for the Cure Golf Scramble, 12pm, Estill County Golf Course; eventbrite.com/e/chip-in-for-the-cure-golf-scramble-registration-26062689205 LexArts Gallery Hop, 5pm, Downtown Lexington Boots & Barbeque, 6pm, Rose Mary C. Brooks Place; brooksplace.org Horses and Hope Trail Ride, 10am, KY Horse Park KY National Horse Show; thekentuckynational.com The Betsy Gala to benefit the Markey Cancer Foundation, KY Horse Park; kmarkey.org/events/the-betsy Recycle the Runway to benefit Dress for Success, 11:30am, The Grand Reserve; lexington.dressforsuccess.org CMA Rocks the House, 7pm, ArtsPlace; eventbrite.com/e/cma-rocks-the-house-tickets-25359455815 Una Buona Sera celebration the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency’s 35th anniversary, 7pm, The Signature Club of Landsdowne; ombuddy.org/events/buonasera/
October 1 7-29 8 14 21 22 27 29
Lexington Race for the Cure; komenkentucky.org Keeneland Fall Meet; keeneland.com The Bourbon Social Main Event, 7pm, Lexington Aviation Museum; thebourbonsocial.com Big Blue Madness, 7pm, Rupp Arena American Cancer Society Celebrity Casino Night, 6pm, The Livery; Matthew.Schuhmann@Cancer.org Pink Tie Ball, 6pm, Louisville Marriott Downtown; komenkentucky.org Ball Homes Night of Hope, 7pm, Lexington Opera House; hopectr.org Walk for Down Syndrome, 11am, Heritage Hall; dsakorg
slmag.net
77
Photography by Bethaney Martin
2
1
3 4
5
CARS & COCKTAILS
Taft McKinstry and Douglas Rood hosted a cocktail reception and dinner party at their home to usher in a weekend’s worth of festivities related to the 12th annual Keeneland Concours D’Elegance.
8
80 slmag.net
7 6
9
1) Suzanne & Eddie Ridsbarged, Dan Puchalski, Mel Cornett 2) Sue & Frank Entwistle, Carrie Trapp 3) Dee Schwiekle, Pat Lawrence, Rosemary Levenson 4) Loren Mcaninch, David Fugate 5) Douglas Rood, Taft McKinstry 6) Bruce & Catherine Manor, George Schweikle 7) Tony Dehner, Michelle Hanks 8) Russ & Vicki Hensley, Bill & Zella Daugherty 9) Keith & Donna Harbor, James & Sarah Laber, Cindy Cross
Photography by Tony Bailey
2
1
3 4
7 5
BOURBON SOCIAL
6
Undeterred by stormy weather and rain delays, tennis fans took part in a Bourbon Social event while watching match play as part of the Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, a USTA Pro Circuit Event.
9 8
1) Kyle Macy, Colleen & Peter Barr 2) Bob Thompson, Grace, Holly, Mary & Lee McMillon 3) Joe & Debbie Fast, Bob & Carmen Amato 4) Suzanne Elliott, Cash & Jamie Eads 5) Brian & Laura Hartman 6) Lamar Hight, Vanmeter Alford, Mimi Ward 7) Shirley Dubilier, Michelle Parton, Gerald Dubilier 8) Michael McNeill, Jamie Burch, Susan McNeill 9) Jim Elliott, Brandon Eason, Tom Leack, Clark Nyberg, Teague Sims
slmag.net
81
Photography by Bethaney Martin
2
1
3 4
LEXINGTON JUNIOR LEAGUE CHARITY HORSE SHOW
Now the first leg of the Saddlebred”Triple Crown,” the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show was begun in 1937 to help fund the League’s charitable endeavors. Since its inception it has raised more than $4 million for charitable and civic organizations in Central Kentucky.
5
7 6
82 slmag.net
1) Liz Borders, Tara Foltz, Dally Erickson 2) Corine Koogler, Grace Porters, Kris Koogler, Kristi Porter 3) Lisa Pyburn, Cassidy Carr 4) Lana Gilpin, Jeff Ramey, Melanie Peterson 5) Sabra Crabtree, Alex Rudder, Rebecca Currey, Haliy Miller, Erica Salley 6) Keene Boarman, Audrey Jones, Erin Harned, Katy Ross 7) Lisa Carey, Stephanie Poole
Photography by Bethaney Martin
8
10 9
11
8) Alex Jett, Julie Border, Alissa Lemond, Meghan, Jaisen, Madelyn & Emma Vonballmoss 9) Elizabeth Overman, Danielle Nichter 10) Kimberly Jarvis, Sandy Jarvis 11) Carol Walker, Sarah Loadson
slmag.net
83
Photography by Bethaney Martin
2
1
3 4
HANGAR BASH
Part of the Keeneland Concours d’Elegance weekend lineup, the popular Hangar Bash, presented by Bluegrass Motorsport, was held at the DY Hangar. Setting the scene were models in clad in dresses from Bella Rose and one-of-a-kind motoring-themed couture by Maui Crane. Proceeds from the event benefit Kentucky Children’s Hospital at the University of Kentucky.
5
7 6
84 slmag.net
1) Richard & Debbie Weber 2) Todd & Brooke McCoy, Heather & Darrin Hendren 3) Nick Gotch, Gene Carmichael, Curt & Peggy Richards 4) Lucien & Melissa Moody, Chuck Berry, Holly Bellomy, Tracey & Ray Ferguson 5) Ellen Jenkins, Dr. Connie Jennings, Sheila Zwischenberger 6) Tammy Dorsey, Heath Ehrsam 7) Dresses from Bella Rose
Photography by Bethaney Martin
8
9
11 10
13
12
8) Mechelle McGaha, Chad Sledd 9) Taft McKinstry, Douglas Rood 10) Headpiece designed by Maui Crane. 11) Vicky King, Kim Bennett 12) Serena Fister wearing an ensemble designed by Maui Crane 13) Christine Nicole Lund, Keisha Snipp, Maui Crane, Connie Hensley, Conrhod Zonio
slmag.net
85
Photography by Bethaney Martin
2
1
3 4
5
EVENING IN THE GARDENS
Celebrating its 5th year, the Evening in the Gardens event at the Apiary was held on the eve of the Bluegrass International Cup. Proceeds from both events dually benefit the Fayette Alliance and Markey Cancer Foundation.
7 6
8
86 slmag.net
1) Kim Rosenstein, Isabel Ladd, Alexandra Goldman 2) Jennifer & Robert Sanders 3) Mike & David Frechette, Scott & Jennifer Hasley 4) Blake Ferguson, Meredith Lane, Vicki & Russ Hensley 5) Rich & Kristin Thompson 6) Darren & Kelly Taylor 7) Orrin & Lee Ann Ingram 8) Bill Shively, Donna Shively
Photography by Bethaney Martin
1 2
4 3
FREEDOM FEST
5
6
Held at Ashford Stud, Freedom Fest 2016 included a Friday “Bone Appétit” luncheon and a Saturday Freedom Fest dinner during which patrons viewed temporary designer lounges in the barn and had the opportunity to bid on exciting auction items. Proceeds from the event support the Woodford Humane Society.
8 7
7
1) Justin, Katie & Joshua Evans 2) Beth, David, Stephanie & Sean Hilen 3) Nancy & Richard Tanner 4) Todd Spencer, Michael Fagan 5) Susan & Mark Drury, Carin Lovell 6) Meredith English, Susan English, Julia Hahn, Carin English 7) Tressa & Danny Bowling 8) Leann & Doug Klein
slmag.net
87
Photography by Tony Bailey
2
1
BELLES & BEAUS BALL
The signature event for the American Cancer Society in Lexington was held at The Hangar at RJ Corman. The Belles & Beaus that were honored at this year’s event included Lesley Bishop, Dr. Michael Benson, Patricia Cooksey, Robbie Collins, Dr. Hope Cottrill, Luther Deaton, Dr. Jessica Croley, Dr. Gerhard Hildebrandt, Cherlynn Stevenson and Paul E. Miller.
4
3
5 6
9 7
88 slmag.net
1) Tammy Beuthien, Anna Ross, Lisa Everett 2) Kris & Megan Laskowski 3) Kelly & Jeff Vella 4) Chris Sarjant, Mlranda Hale, Chelsey Stone, Adam Handy 5) Diana & Jeff Koonce 6) George & Dawn Fink 7) Meredith Moody posing behind a floral sculpture made by Maui Crane. 8) Paul & Natalee Chartier 9) Dr. Andrea Omidy, Dr. Danesh Mazloomdoost
THE YACHT-MASTER II The ultimate skippers’ watch, steeped in yachting competition and performance, featuring an innovative regatta chronograph with a unique programmable countdown. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.
OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER II
rolex
oyster perpetual and yacht-master are
®
trademarks.