H Magazine Summer 2022 by Swiss Deluxe Hotels

SUMMER 2022

hip & ho

E’S AGAZIN ––– H M E ID U G TRAVEL

Lac Léman Where summer is easy WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SWISS DELUXE HOTELS

CHF 12 / EUR 10

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Spa on the water

Calling all connoisseurs lakeside

A foodie road trip

Travelling with Oskar

Magic moments at unique places

Ideas start the future. The fully electric Audi RS e-tron GT.

Future is an attitude 2

Audi RS e-tron GT, 598 HP, 24.2 kWh/100 km, 0 g CO₂/km, category A

A bit of self-indulgence.

Personal service and Swiss hospitality make every flight with SWISS a luxurious treat. 6

Travel is what you make of it.

swiss.com

Made of Switzerland.

Paul Klee Geister des Theaters 1939 Watercolour on paper on cardboard Private collection © Nicolas Borel 8

Paul Klee The Sylvie and Jorge Helft collection

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

fter two years, we all have a wish list as long as our arm. We are embracing that feeling of being free to travel and make our travel plans on the spur of the moment in the same way that we’d savour a delicious meal after being on a detox diet. We wanted to pack this summer edition with joy and frivolity. We wanted it to be a celebration of life that captures the spirit of the season.

It didn’t take long to settle on the location in the spotlight. ‘We are very lucky to be cooking in this incredible area,’ says Thomas Neeser, Head Chef at the Grand Hôtel du Lac on the shore of Lake Geneva in Vevey (page 102). ‘There’s no better way to start the day than to travel out with the local fishermen in the early hours.’ And he returns with freshly caught whitefish, rainbow trout and crayfish. It’s fascinating to see how our top chefs have started to experiment with good old-fashioned ingredients they can source locally. Claudio Del Principe describes the magic of the humble carrot in his new section on page 94, telling us all we need to know about this often forgotten and unfairly underappreciated vegetable.

Beau-Rivage Palace – Lausanne © Grégoire Gardette (both pages)

Daniel Galvez isn’t afraid to think outside the box either. He studied medicine for three and a half years before deciding to become a chef. Gaston Acurio was on his side from the beginning, getting the doctor’s son on board as the new head chef for his restaurant Yakumanka at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. The Peruvian restaurant is known for the extreme attention to detail and careful approach to food that are part of its unique charm (page 90). Ready for a change? Scan the QR code in our ad on the left page to take a look at our current job vacancies. Perhaps your dream career is just around the corner?

Before too long, you’ll realise that we couldn’t get enough of all the charming savoir-vivre in French-speaking Switzerland. Come and join us on our lakeside adventure. Hop on board for a trip to the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, where the Chasselas tastes divine and the summer drifts by in a bright and breezy haze. Enjoy this latest edition of H Magazine and hopefully we can catch up again soon! Evelyn Gorgos

PS. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@swissdeluxehotels) and check the online version of this magazine on our website at swissdeluxehotels.com under the Magazine section.

CONTRIBUTORS

1. BEATRICE LESSI JOURNALIST & AUTHOR melted chocolate and sat with celebrities at the spa, while staying in Vevey with her three daughters. She has travelled 70 countries and visited 30 Swiss Deluxe Hotels through her blogging and running, and has made a point of reviewing them all. She is getting close to her goal, and in the meantime has landed a job with H, where you can read why she was so impressed! tbeatrice@askthemonsters.com

2. DAVID BIEDERT PHOTOGRAPHER turned his passion for photography into his profession over 20 years ago. He is based in the vibrant city of Zurich. His focus is on people and lifestyle, portraying celebrities at glamorous events or capturing unique moments to tell people’s stories. mail@davidbiedert.com

3. PETER KELLER JOURNALIST & AUTHOR writes about wine for the NZZ am Sonntag and the lifestyle portal bellevue.nzz.ch and stages wine events for the readers as well. The ‘Weinakademiker’ has written two books and also works for Mondovino. peter.keller@nzz.ch

SPECIAL THX TO 5.REINHARD MODRITZ & MICHAEL HANNWACKER JOURNALIST & PHOTOGRAPHER have been travelling professionally for quite a few years as the creators of the quarterly ‘Traveller’s World’. But for their pleasure tour to a few of Switzer-

4. CLAUDIO DEL PRINCIPE FOOD WRITER and author of many awardwinning cookbooks took first place with his vegetable cookbook ‘all’orto’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He advocates rethinking the cultivation, processing, marketing and consumption of vegetables. The taste potential and the benefits for our environment are forward-looking. claudio@delprincipe.ch

land’s best hotel restaurants, they chose a vintage convertible for their trip passages. It kept them open to the beauties of their Tour de Suisse. rm@travellersworld.de mh@travellersworld.de

WELCOME to the world of Garpa Houses with history. Gardens with character. People with passion. Furniture with prospects.

Garpa Garten & Park Einrichtungen GmbH | Kreuzstrasse 54 | 8008 Zürich | Telefon: 043 / 344 30 10 | www.garpa.ch 19

PINK RIBBON

SCHWEIZ

Working together to raise awareness of breast cancer

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS Travel Guide

Kids

Eden Roc Ascona – paradise found! Discovered by Oliver Schmuki.

There is no end of ways to explore the area around Lake Geneva. Directed by Martin Hoch and Nico Schaerer.

Spa Review

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Oskar

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A trip to a thermal spa in Bad Ragaz with a water-loving Labrador – what could go wrong? Answered by Titus Arnu.

Three days of proper pampering on the shores of Lake Geneva. Introductions by Steffi Hidber.

Swiss Top Events

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Magic moments at unique places.

Seasonal Pic

Standards

Escapade on The Swiss Riviera. Experienced by Beatrice Lessi.

The View

Editorial 17 Swiss Deluxe Hotels Locations Swiss Deluxe Hotels Overview Publishing Credits 152

Two captains and a boat. Nathalie Seiler-Hayez and Isabelle von Burg handed over the helm for one morning.

Gourmet Tour Deluxe

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The Swiss Riviera as a hotspot for connoisseurs. Discovered by Patricia Bröhm.

Cabrio Tour

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A zippy vintage car, stunning scenery and some of the finest Swiss establishments. Driven by Reinhard Modritz and Michael Hannwacker.

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WE’RE ALL SET!

THOUGHTS

Summer is finally here. And so is that longawaited freedom to travel around the world after two and a half pandemic years. We’ve been waiting desperately for this moment. The moment we can start wowing our guests again as we welcome them back to our stunning Switzerland and our exquisite hotels. We’re all set and we hope you are too! Perhaps this new chapter also brings with it an opportunity to manage our precious resources and the entire global tourism sector more sustainably. The future of our business will be shaped by our commitment to sustainability in all that we do. I have no doubt that we can – and indeed must – go back to leading the way and setting a good example here in Switzerland. It’s down to us to keep validating our claim that we are the founders of exceptional service and creators of lasting memories almost 200 years after the first grand hotel was opened on the shores of Lake Geneva. During the past two years, more locals have ended up staying right here in Switzerland for their holidays. And they’ve been impressed by the short journeys and the stunning settings of our 39 Swiss Deluxe Hotels in the country’s finest beauty spots. You’d struggle to find such a wealth of options concentrated in such a small space anywhere else in the world. After all, Switzerland is home to the Mediterranean flair of Ticino, the cosmopolitan vibes of Geneva and Zurich, the chic rivieras around Lake Lucerne, Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel, and the sophisticated holiday resorts up in the mountains between Valais, the Bernese Highlands and Grisons.

Jan E. Brucker Managing Director Swiss Deluxe Hotels

If we want future generations to be able to enjoy our lasting legacy, we need to look ahead and treat our resources with respect. We also have around 5000 employees who need to be treated with respect, as they inject their passion into their work and draw on their experience to make each and every guest’s stay special. Our guests come from all different countries and cultures around the world – and so do our hospitality teams. Diversity and inclusion are values that have been at the heart of the hotel industry for centuries – long before the positive impact of diverse teams was being felt in the modern world of work. We are looking forward to welcoming you to one of our establishments this summer and we hope you enjoy your stay!

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a passion for riesling WORDS PATRICIA BRÖHM

‘Winegrowing on the steep vineyards on the edge of the River Moselle is no easy way to earn a living,’ says Daniel Vollenweider. Originally from Grisons, he fell in love with a vineyard site that had once been famous but had long since been forgotten over 20 years ago – the Wolfer Goldgrube in the Middle Moselle, a region known for its slate soil that packs a punch. Growing in that neglected vineyard were old, self-rooted Riesling vines – a hidden treasure just waiting to be revived. An intern at local leading vineyard Dr. Loosen at the time, the young winegrower knew all along that he wanted to stick around. Even once he had borrowed money from family and friends, he couldn’t afford more than a hectare to start with. So his first yield in the year 2000 may have only produced 3500 bottles but it was the stuff of legends. These days, the 52-year-old regularly picks up top marks from renowned wine critics like Robert Parker and James Suckling for his simple, crystal-clear Rieslings with a cool, mineral taste. Four out of five stars according to The Vinum Wine Guide. And yet his dry and sweet wines remain a closely guarded secret amongst the locals because there’s just not enough to go around. The grapes are still picked by hand – no mean feat across six hectares of steep slopes near the town of Traben-Trarbach in the Moselle region. Riesling expert Stuart Pigott called Vollenweider’s 2014 Wolfer Goldgrube: ‘One of the most exciting late harvest Rieslings from the Moselle region I’ve ever tasted.’ Not bad for a man who initially trained as a surveyor back home in Grisons and pursued that career before developing a passion for wine. He trained to be a winegrower at nearby Weingut Fromm, before completing his formal wine studies in Wädenswil and heading to New Zealand for an internship opportunity. ‘The Moselle region is my home now,’ he says. Together with colleagues, he works hard to maintain the steep slopes that are so difficult to cultivate. He has been running the vineyard with his colleague and designated successor Moritz Hoffmann since 2021. Both of them are as hands-off as possible in the vineyard and the cellar because: ‘Nature always has the last word.’

WINERY

weingut-vollenweider.de 26

ambassador of taste

WORDS MARTA LENZI PHOTO GIORGIA PANZERA

For Sapori Ticino’s founder Dany Stauffacher, great food and wines are not just earthly pleasures but also an education; a combination of culture, creativity and responsibility that brings forward conviviality, shared experiences and knowledge. In a nutshell, how would you describe San Pellegrino Sapori Ticino? A gourmet festival peppered with ongoing successes through a series of high calibre events dedicated to flavour, combining the great names of international cuisine with Ticino’s local accents for a unique gourmand experience fuelled by passion and stellar quality. What has sparked the initial idea for the event? Born by chance among a group of friends 16 years ago, I could never have imagined that we would get to where we are today, being awarded by Food & Travel magazine as last year’s best food and wine event. This accolade could not have been achieved without the invaluable support of all players involved who have believed in the project since its inception. Our upcoming edition in October will be yet another highpoint in our history, dedicated to Spanish chefs, so often at the epicentre of world-class cuisine. As we evolve, we continue to promote Ticino as a tourism destination by speaking the universal language of gastronomy. What is San Pellegrino Sapori Ticino’s ultimate Wow-factor? Conviviality based on a winning combination of great chefs and high-quality ingredients. So far, a wow factor repeated annually thanks to 320 Michelin stars and 3000 Gault Millau points combined. Who is the event’s primary target audience? According to research published by the World Food Travel Association, gastronomic tourism accounts for 53% of the total spent. We must continue our quest to promote good food and wine culture to wider audiences with the awareness that quality tourism adds enormous value to the hospitality sector. The culinary element in this winning formula has become fundamental in the choice of destination for many travellers. Quality now ranks higher than ever before. The entire supply chain is now involved in environmental and sustainability issues which have become paramount to current and future generations of gourmands, all of which we aim to attract. Which role does the support of Swiss Deluxe Hotels play? The collaboration between Sapori Ticino and Swiss Deluxe Hotels has endured for a decade now, a partnership that I am personally very happy and truthfully grateful for. This essential collaboration has been fundamental for us, and I sincerely appreciate the continuous support, open dialogue, and prosperous professional relationship. Luxury is

a significant aspect of the market we all navigate and represents considerable economic impact. With this in mind, our joint efforts with member properties of Swiss Deluxe Hotels have played, and will continue to play, a vital role in the luxury market as a suitable asset and platform for the promotion of Switzerland as a destination. I couldn’t possibly talk about the importance of this important partnership without expressing sincere gratitude toward Jan Brucker, Managing Director of Swiss Deluxe Hotels. His loyal and committed support could not have been more fittingly described than during his speech at last year’s opening event in Lugano: ‘We all know that a luxury hotel is so much more than just a beautiful place to sleep. However, to be a top location, it has to offer exquisite culinary experiences provided by top chefs and their teams. Without innovation and constant renewal, tradition can quickly fade. Creativity and earnest conversations around current trends, future opportunities and a deep sense of place are absolutely vital. The commitment with which Dany Stauffacher and his team tirelessly put forward such incredible gastronomic highlights is a true blessing!’. These are the most meaningful words anyone has ever dedicated to our work, and for this I am very grateful and dare I say, also a little proud. What future synergies do you see alongside Swiss Deluxe Hotels? Hotels and their restaurants are important cornerstones of our event’s identity. As we revive and revisit tourism as a whole along with its many facets, we will undergo impending quality controls. Sharing new ideas and infusing new energy sources with creativity are all vital components of our ever-changing reality. Both partners are deeply rooted in tradition, albeit one that is not averse to innovation, while always staying true to a confident sense of style and elegance. The close link between food, wine and tourism overall has recently been underlined by the World Tourism Organization, confirming that travellers get more in touch with local culture thanks to their culinary experiences. Last but not least, what is your favourite dish? In my life, I've been fortunate enough to have visited many fantastic restaurants, over 3000 in fact. I always look forward to being seduced and surprised by the quality of the culinary propositions combined with the highest levels of service. However, my all-time favourite dish is still a good old Spaghetti al Pomodoro. 29

M O RE

in chasselas veritas 9

P A G

Chasselas is a light wine with a low alcohol content, making it the perfect apéritif for a warm summer’s day. ‘But it wouldn’t make sense to restrict this wine to a certain time of year. After all, more complex bottles can be enjoyed and savoured at any time of year no matter what the occasion,’ explains Peter Keller, a wine expert from Zurich.

Chasselas is ideally served at between 11 and 13 degrees. Zippy young wines taste best when chilled, whilst more mature bottles can be enjoyed at a slightly warmer temperature of around 14 or 15 degrees. The crus from Western Switzerland should be poured into a medium-sized glass with a small bowl designed for white wine.

DNA profiling has revealed that this grape variety comes from the Lake Geneva region and probably the canton of Vaud to be more precise. Mention of Chasselas can be traced all the way back to the 14th century and it’s now an important part of the local culture in Vaud. The climate conditions in the cantons of Geneva and Valais and in the area around Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Biel and Lake Murten are also perfectly suited for this grape variety.

Chasselas is the white grape variety cultivated most in Switzerland. In fact, in the French-speaking part of the country, this grape is part of the cultural heritage. Wine writer and academic Peter Keller tells us everything we need to know about this versatile yet often underappreciated wine.

There is no other white wine with such close ties to Western Switzerland. It’s so much more than just a drink – it’s an expression of culture and a way of life. Outside of the region, the wine is popular amongst connoisseurs in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. As is the case with all Swiss wines, though, Chasselas has not really made a name for itself beyond the national borders. Only around 1% of all wine produced in Switzerland is exported.

Chasselas is an understated grape variety with subtle flavours. With its fairly neutral aroma and taste, the wine exhibits terroir, meaning it reflects the region in which it was grown and made to perfection. The grapes exhibit elegance, finesse and digestibility when pressed. Prime examples can be matured over the space of years or even decades as part of a special process.

There is no end of grapevine clones that are the result of mutations over so many years of cultivating this grape variety in Western Switzerland. These biotypes may have different skin colours, say, or their harvests may be more or less successful. The Chasselas World Conservatory has been around for years now with a view to preserving this diversity. Vineyards that are home to various Chasselas clones can be found in Lavaux and La Côte.

Some winemakers rely on steel tanks for fermentation and ageing, whilst others stick to large wooden containers. Special oak barrels called barriques are even used on rare occasion. The choice of receptacle depends on the type of wine to be bottled up.

Chasselas wines are nice and versatile. In Western Switzerland or Valais (where Chasselas is called Fendant), they are the top choice of pairing for a fondue or raclette. Perch fillets are another classic accompaniment, but other freshwater fish like trout, char and pike go nicely with an elegant and complex Chasselas. This well-structured wine goes beautifully with veal and poultry too.

Most Chasselas white wines present excellent value for money. Having said that, it’s worth shelling out for a complex bottle with a heftier price tag from the most prestigious appellations in Vaud such as Dézaley and Saint-Saphorin in Lavaux and Féchy in La Côte. They can be matured to perfection for years provided that the bottles are stored in a cool, dark cellar where the temperature is kept constant.

all about grappa At the Vinitaly international wine and spirits exhibition in 1992, Reto Vergani from Zurich decided to make a bold move and bulk buy grappa. His father was shocked when he saw the order form. And then he saw that the excise tax was ten times higher than the price of the product! But together they believed that the delicious distilled drink from Italy had huge potential. And they went on to run Switzerland’s first grapperia with huge success. ‘I can’t think of any other distilled drinks that are quite as versatile. As a simple digestif or a premium product, grappa has it all,’ explains current CEO Gianni Vergani. ‘It’s not about finding the right occasion or the right time. It’s all about the right moment!’

Distillation equipment comes in different forms, which all have features that contribute to that unmistakeable grappa flavour. The maturing techniques and heating methods vary too. The distiller has plenty of flexibility in that respect provided that they comply with the quality standards and appellation rules. 32

Veneto is known as the home of grappa. And yet the first written record of the drink can be traced back to Piedmont in the 16th century. For a drink to be called grappa, it has to have been made by distilling pomace from Italy or Ticino.

Grappa Bianca can be enjoyed at a lower temperature of 15 degrees and should be served in a glass that’s on the narrower side. You can find special grappa glasses with long stems and an hourglass shape. If you’re looking to enjoy a grappa that has been matured in a wooden barrel, though, your glass should be bigger. A classic cognac glass should do the trick. And the temperature can be more like 20 degrees.

Grappa is a very versatile drink that tastes different depending on the pomace, distillation process and maturing technique. Since grappa originates from Italy, that’s where it’s mostly consumed. But it’s a popular tipple in Switzerland too – who doesn’t want holiday vibes and a taste of la dolce vita after all? Just after the summer holiday season, there’s always a rush on Maschio 903 because it’s served in every Italian bar!

Once grappa has been bottled up, it won’t change anymore. Just make sure that it is sealed up properly to keep the fruit flies at bay. Otherwise, they drown in the liquid and give it an acidic taste. When you’re in the market for some grappa, it’s best to seek advice from a professional, ideally in a specialist shop. Take your time to get to grips with the drink until you can feel confident that you’re ready to make the right choices. After grapes have been pressed to make wine, the pomace (skins, pulp, seeds and stems) is distilled rather than being wasted. It is heated in an alembic. The rising steam cools and condenses to give the distillate, which is then often stored in a barrel for up to and even over ten years.

Grappa is hugely popular in Switzerland. That may have something to do with the fact that the quality has improved consistently in recent decades and is currently at a premium level.

Grappa is best enjoyed neat. The alternative would be to add the alcoholic beverage to a shot of espresso to create a caffè corretto. It’s rare to taste grappa in a cocktail or see it being used in the kitchen. But it makes for a great gift for your father-in-law, godparents and friends. Vergani now sells products from famous distilleries like Berta, Poli and Villa de Varda, hidden gems like Andrea da Ponte, and no end of up-and-coming distilleries. After Switzerland, Japan is the biggest importer of Berta grappa.

VERGANI + CO AG

+41 44 451 25 00 vergani.ch 33

The historic suites of the Beau-Rivage wing are nothing short of iconic. This recent renovation has respectfully highlighted their historic glamour, elevated key aspects of modern amenities, and enhanced their innate sense of the sublime, all under the watchful eyes of Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, one of only a handful of female European General Managers of properties carrying the coveted ‘Palace’ status. Under her auspices, creating the perfect hotel experience is an art form, the art of high-end hospitality that blends creativity with an unwavering devotion to perfection.

Opened in 1861, the Beau-Rivage immediately established itself as one of Europe’s most privileged addresses, recognized for its exquisite location overlooking Lake Geneva and the French Alps and for the quality of its impeccable, warm and daintily discreet service. By 1908 the now storied Beau-Rivage Palace wing was added under the guidance and supervision of legendary hotel director Jacques Tschumi, renowned not only for his excellent taste and professionalism but also as the founder of the then adjacent Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, to this day ranked as the world’s foremost hotel management school.

For the newly appointed suites, French interiors master Pierre-Yves Rochon has developed a captivating colour palette, drawing from the striking hues of the sky and the lake, from the park’s myriad year-round flowers and its majestic, century-old trees. With the future of hospitality in mind and a keen desire to transplant sustainability into the overall design, from paint to carpets, ecologically-sound materials have been used throughout. Further underlining the hotel’s social responsibility efforts, artisans, suppliers and service providers who have worked on this historic site were sourced and contracted locally, further supporting the local economy.

rebirth of a legend On March 20, 2020, the history-laden Beau-Rivage Palace closed its doors for the first time ever since its grand opening more than a century and a half ago. Allowing this bold but necessary move to sink in, the hotel’s General Manager Nathalie Seiler-Hayez quickly realized the opportunity of a lifetime: ‘We have to close?’, she said to the Board of Directors of Sandoz Foundation Hotels, ‘then let’s reopen even more beautiful than before!’. Snippets of a renovation committed to grace, elegance and sustainability.

The celebrated tradition of sojourning on the shores of Lake Geneva and its beguiling riviera back in the 19th century gave birth to the need for ultra-luxurious suites for more extended and pleasing stays. The concept of this highest level of comfort remains a crucial part of the suites’ DNA until today: Commodious, stately and starring the fine line-up of this hotel’s famed top-tier services. The Riviera Suite pictured here is reminiscent of this newly unveiled splendour of Switzerland’s almost Mediterranean Riviera. Perfectly balanced tones, bespoke interiors and curated details come together seamlessly in what is widely recognized as the Beau-Rivage’s unmistakable signature style. BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE

Chemin de Beau-Rivage 21, Lausanne Visit our new suites on www.brp.ch 35

super-sharp story The knife was developed in collaboration with top chefs looking for a Swiss product of the highest quality and perfection. Countless such knives have now found their way into the world’s best restaurants with over 90 Michelin stars. Michael Bach, sknife’s founder and owner, looks back on a seven-year success story with the production of the 20,000th product and sees uniqueness in the interplay of innovative design and the challenging material combination of wood and surgical steel.

The black ash wood is used by Grant Achatz in Chicago, the walnut by Mauro Colagreco – the world’s best chef 2021 – in Menton. The light wood was developed for the Roca brothers in Spain and the grey for Franck Giovannini – to match the decor. The knife, fork and spoon, were recently honoured in London with the fourth international design prize as the world’s best cutlery 2022.

Stabilised wood does not swell in contact with water and surgical steel has four times the corrosion resistance, which is a major advantage when used in seaside establishments or on yachts, such as in restaurants and hotels on the Côte d’Azur or at the Yacht Club de Monaco.

The production of a forged-steel knife begins with a blank heated to over 1000 °C and forged into the desired shape with a weight of 3.5 tonnes under a blacksmith’s hammer. Each knife is finished in over 40 working steps in the sknife manufactory in Biel. In addition to surgical steel, we also manufacture all products in damask steel for knife collectors.

Regular exchange with top chefs provides sknife with important input and supports our product development. For some chefs, we have developed specially produced series – a joint process starting with an early sketch and ending in the production of a prototype. Regular visits in Biel by many chefs working in the region give us good insight into their needs and desires, and the exchange of ideas provides us with valuable input for improvement and added products.

More than 90 per cent of wood used in knife handles is of tropical origin as it is more suitable owing to its higher density. A newly developed process based on research carried out by the Bern University of Applied Sciences permits the use of local wood, such as ash and walnut. In this process, the wood’s pores are closed by introducing acrylic resin in a vacuum-pressure procedure, making it suitable for use in a restaurant kitchen. As an interesting side effect, the wood can be designed with decorative colours, for instance, ash in black and grey. The grey colour was developed for Franck Giovannini and adjusted to the colour of the natural ceramic plates.

The higher the carbon share, the harder the blade. Unfortunately, it also lowers the corrosive resistance. A recently developed type of surgical steel stores nitrogen instead of carbon, reaching the hardness of Japanese knives while simultaneously improving corrosive resistance by a factor of four – ideal for use in a hotel kitchen or at the ocean, such as at the yacht club in Monaco.

SKNIFE AG

Monthly guided tours upon request +41 32 322 97 55 sknife.com

message in a bottle How does caviar taste best? ‘Freshly caught’ is what Heinrich-Marc Stehli thinks. The Director of Sales at Oona Caviar gathers the roe from sturgeon that swim in the ponds of the caviar farm at Tropenhaus Frutigen, where they produce Switzerland’s only domestic caviar. Sustainability is a main preoccupation, all the way through to how it is shipped. Two frozen bottles of water are placed in the recycled polystyrene packaging for cooling. On receipt, the customers are able to enjoy the Swiss water – a liquid message in the bottle, as it were.

Caviar should be stored at a constant temperature in the cooler of your refrigerator. As ice crystals destroy the roe skin, it should not be frozen. Nevertheless, dropping the temperature to four degrees Celsius is ideal as the freezing point is lower due to the salt content. Once a jar has been opened, the contents should be consumed within two or three days. Should a large portion remain in the jar uneaten, smooth down the surface, cut out an exact circle of grease-proof paper, lay it on the caviar and close the lid. This will protect the caviar even better from contact with air-borne contaminants.

Fresh Oona caviar can be stored for only about nine weeks without spoiling. Other than a touch of salt – 4 % at a maximum, depending on the kind of caviar – no ingredients are added. And it takes no more than 15 minutes from harvesting, gently cleaning and salting the roe to fill the caviar into mason jars.

The quality level most in demand is the Nº103 traditionel selection, boasting a wonderfully nutty, mossy flavour. The Nº102 jeune variety is ideal for beginners, contains only a minimum of salt, and is shipped on the day of harvesting. Limité (Nº 101), a top variety and true rarity, makes up only two per cent of the overall production and impresses gourmets with particularly large pearls and a perfect level of maturity. Oona added Osietra Kaviar, caviar from Russian sturgeon, to its product range and distributes it as part of the Carat label. Finally, there is Millésime, the only pasteurised and, therefore, more durable Oona caviar specialty. Millésime is a perfect partner with beef tartar.

Each year, 1.3 tonnes of the rare delicacy are harvested in the pools of the Tropenhaus Frutigen near Bern. As an exclusive partner of Swiss Deluxe Hotels, Oona caviar can be found on the menus of Switzerland’s finest hotel restaurants.

The delicious, firm meat of the fish is sold to restaurants and shops and is often used for exquisite smoked fish specialties. Its robust skin serves as raw material for Swiss designer Sabina Brägger’s exclusive, practical, and everlasting accessories. All organic waste is transported to a biogas plant.

In accordance with Codex Alimentarius, the ‘Book of Food’, only caviar spelled with a ‘C’ refers to salted sturgeon fish eggs. Should the package contain Kaviar, the roe will refer to a different variety of fish.

We focus on humane treatment of our sturgeon and strive to sell honest, authentic caviar that is stored for short periods only and is free of additives and preservatives. It is the only way to harvest top quality caviar with a delicate skin, tender texture, and a subtle glaze.

OONA CAVIAR

+41 33 672 11 47 sales@oona-caviar.ch oona-caviar.ch 39

green drinking Champagne for the aperitif, Pinot Blanc with fish, Brunello with lamb … alcoholic beverages can be the perfect accompaniment to gourmet fare. Ideally, the right pairing enhances the flavours of the food. But what if you want to enjoy a nice meal without drinking alcohol? Typically, teetotallers are invited to choose between water, soft drinks and juices. There is another option, though. Inspired by Nordic cuisine, Amanda Wassmer-Bulgin, Director of Wine at the Quellenhof, has created a non-alcoholic beverage accompaniment for Memories, the restaurant with two Michelin stars where her husband Sven Wassmer is head chef.

In Nordic countries, where wine is not grown, good restaurants serve non-alcoholic menu accompaniments as a matter of course. Among the pioneers in Europe exploring alternatives to alcohol were stars of New Nordic cuisine such as René Redzepi, whose restaurant Noma was serving rose kombucha, oil from blackcurrant wood and ant juice alongside his creations years ago. In Japan and China, as is well known, gourmets celebrate multi-course meals with tea.

The restaurants at the Grand Hotel Quellenhof Bad Ragaz have featured alcohol-free menus for some time now due to the number of international visitors from Arab and Asian regions. That said, alcohol-free dining is a growing phenomenon among local diners, in line with the trend towards healthy, regional and natural food.

The aim was never to imitate wines: ‘Our non-alcoholic beverages are autonomous creations, optimally tuned to the taste of the food – and sometimes very surprising.’ The rock tea tastes malty and spicy, almost like a barley soup. As an alternative to a full-bodied red wine with the main course, she serves a blueberry koji, which has fermented rice as its main constituent. And instead of Chardonnay with the fish, she suggests a tart drink composed of verjuice (the juice of unripe grapes) and celery.

‘The taste experience should be perfect even if you don’t drink alcohol. I gained my first experience of non-alcoholic beverages at Restaurant 7132 in Vals, where I worked with my husband. I was pregnant at the time and experimenting with ingredients for drinks that could accompany the dishes on the menu. Experimenting at the molecular level, we looked at how certain flavours in food go with certain liquids. We made kombucha and kefir, blended fruit juices with teas and herbs, worked with vegetable peels, marinated nuts and fruit.’

The non-alcoholic drinks not only take diners into new taste territory, they also have a rather agreeable side effect: after an extended meal, you rise from the table feeling clear and light. In fact, you ought to feel as if you were leaving an art gallery – enthused and inspired!

WORDS TITUS ARNU

resortragaz.ch 41

lake geneva MOUNTAINS & WATER

Let’s saunter around the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, drink wine from this sun-soaked region, visit Freddie Mercury in Montreux, explore the boutiques, cafés, museums and parks of lively Lausanne, and relax in the finest spas and hotel suites Lake Geneva has to offer. Summer comes easy around here.

TRAVEL GUIDE

There is no end of ways to explore the area around Lake Geneva. You can hop on a train or board a boat. But sometimes your best bet is to just get walking. And don’t forget that the only underground network in Switzerland can be found in Lausanne. We decided to favour comfort and convenience for our adventure along Lake Geneva, so it had to be the Audi Q4 e-tron.

A ROADTRIP ALONG THE WATER WORDS MARTIN HOCH PHOTO NICO SCHAERER

CHILLON.CH, CAFEBYRON.CH

Several Alpine passes later, we come to the east end of Lake Geneva, where we’re greeted with a breathtaking view of Chillon Castle. This medieval moated fortress stands proud, with its oldest parts dating back to around a thousand years ago. Its mighty fortified towers may have been designed to put off attackers back in the day, but visitors are more than welcome here now. Whether you take a guided tour or just wander around on your own, you’re going to want to stop for a rest at Café Byron afterwards. The monument that awaits us in Montreux is on a different scale altogether – a statue of musician Freddie Mercury. Lake Geneva was a source of inspiration for Queen’s lead singer, who recorded eight records here. It makes sense that ‘Made in Heaven’ was one of them because you get the sense that paradise can’t be far away when you gaze out over the water here. The legendary Mountain Studios at Casino Barrière, where Queen recorded their albums between 1978 and 1995, is well worth a visit too.

CASINOSBARRIERE.COM

TRAVEL GUIDE

CHAPLIN’S WORLD, CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY In Corsier-sur-Vevey, we turn our attention to another legend from the entertainment world – Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin’s World is a museum dedicated to the comedian with the baggy trousers and bowler hat. A fun and immersive experience, the exhibitions are bound to be a hit with the whole family. – chaplinsworld.com

LAVAUX We cruise through the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces between Vevey and Lausanne. Along the way, we stop at the Domaine Bovy estate to admire the view of the lake and enjoy a drop of refreshing white wine. If your itinerary allows it, you could lace up your walking boots here and explore the vineyards by following the signposts along trail 113 between St. Saphorin and Lutry. – domainebovy.ch

AUDEMARS PIGUET, LE BRASSUS Heading away from Lake Geneva, we drive along the remote roads in the Vallée de Joux. We soon learn from the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet that this is the original home of watchmaking. – museeatelier-audemarspiguet.com

TRAVEL GUIDE

GRAND HÔTEL DU LAC, VEVEY If you’re looking for a seriously stunning spot for a lakeside stroll, head straight to Vevey. You’ll probably find you want to stick around here for a bit longer. And that’ll partly be down to the Grand Hôtel du Lac – a rare gem of a hotel that’s as chic as they come. – ghdl.ch

JET D’EAU, GENEVA The city of Geneva sits right at the southern tip of Lake Geneva. The main attraction here is impossible to miss! The Jet d’eau is a huge water fountain that shoots jets of water as high as 140 metres in the air. Five hundred litres of water are released every second, with speeds reaching 200 km/hour. The fountain is still switched on manually every morning.

MEG, GENEVA We have Zurich-based architects Marco Graber and Thomas Pulver to thank for the exceptional exterior design of the Geneva Ethnography Museum (MEG). Inside, the collection features over 80,000 exhibits and 300,000 documents. – meg.ch

BOTANICAL GARDEN, GENEVA In Geneva, you can leave the urban jungle behind and step straight into a tropical jungle when visiting Switzerland’s largest botanical garden. The Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva is home to exotic plants from all around the world across 28 hectares. – cjbg.ch

BATHING PLATFORM, COLOGNY Once our journey has come to an end, we soak up some rays on the circular bathing platform at Quai de Cologny and jump into the water to cool off.

TRAVEL GUIDE

Tips for an unforgettable time in Lausanne

N O 1 FOULAZ

As you wander between the train station and the lake, not far from the Parc de Milan, you’ll stumble upon a small yet sophisticated boutique by slow fashion designer Marine Desseigne. She effortlessly combines chic clothing designs with her commitment to sustainable production processes. Inside her shop, she presents her Foulaz collection along with a carefully curated range of pieces by other designers. Be sure to browse the exquisite selection of jewellery, handbags, shoes, scarves and other accessories whilst you’re there. – foulaz.ch

N O 3. PHILIPPE K Philippe Kumara Cart brings the most fabulous fragrances to Lausanne. With a career full of international experience behind him, the busy perfumer opened the first high-end perfume shop in Lausanne back in 2016. He stocks a wide range of niche fragrances and classic haute parfumerie brands. Not to mention that he creates his own scented candles, shower gels and so much more. All with a focus on sustainable production processes. He is always on hand to offer customers advice at his boutique at Place Saint-François 12. His passion for perfume shines through – whether he is chatting to a perfume connoisseur on the hunt for something exclusive or helping someone find a suitable scent for a special occasion. – philippek.com

TRAVEL GUIDE

T H E

10 L A U S

U T

N O 2. JORGE GUERREIRO Rue des Deux-Marchés – a street that once connected two markets – used to be home to Jorge Guerreiro, one of Lausanne’s style icons. Used to be. But the journalist and editor of Roadbook magazine recently moved on and passed on his shop to Agnès Boudry, a charming designer who is now using the space to design and sell

distinctive clothing for her Collection 66 label. Our top tip? The Parc Hermitage isn’t far from this designer shop. Why not head there to enjoy a spectacular view of the city and escape from the hustle and bustle for a while at Café L’esquisse? – jsbg.me/shop

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5 7 N O 4. COFFEE PAGE

N O 5. BLONDEL

Fancy a nice cup of coffee and a sweet treat in a laidback setting at the heart of the city? Coffee Page is the little corner café for you! Enjoy delicious coffee with a slice of home-made lemon or chocolate cake surrounded by an exquisite selection of books.

Blondel Chocolat has been perfecting the art of the chocolatier at Rue de Bourg 5 in the heart of Lausanne ever since 1850. Don’t be surprised if you see a long queue spilling out of the door. Bastien Thibault creates little works of art in the form of Champagne truffles, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates and delicate pralines that are full of flavour.

– coffee-page.com

– blondel.ch

TRAVEL GUIDE

N O 6. PLATEFORM 10 Plateform 10 is Lausanne’s very own art district right next to the train station. It is home to the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, the Musée de l’Elysée and the mudac, which is dedicated to contemporary design and applied arts. This new development is the place to be right now, with plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from. – Plateforme10.ch

N O 7. LES ARCHES Lausanne’s Flon district is perfect for anyone looking to shop ’til they drop. You never know what you’re going to find in the quirky little boutiques along the Les Garages shopping street. When you’re all shopped out, you can sit under the arches at Les Arches and enjoy a well-earned drink.

– flon.ch, lesarches.ch

N O 8. BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE The hotel is in a prime location on the banks of Lake Geneva. As you gaze out at the water, you can look forward to indulging in the exquisite culinary creations of Anne-Sophie Pic in the gourmet restaurant or enjoying the delicious delights served up at the elegant brasserie, the Café Beau-Rivage or the Japanese restaurant Miyako. – brp.ch

N O 9. LAUSANNE PALACE The locals affectionately refer to the Lausanne Palace as their hotel. Located in the heart of the city, it’s a firm favourite amongst locals and tourists alike. The hotel is a popular meeting place (may we recommend the oyster bar) and a fantastic base for exploring the city. – lausanne-palace.ch

N O 10. PARC DE MILAN When you visit Lausanne’s main green space, make sure you take a moment to appreciate the trees, as you may spot some old and exotic ones here in the middle of the city. If you have a bit of time on your hands, go for a wander through the Botanical Garden too whilst you’re so close. – botanique.vd.ch

5 questions

ROBERT P. HERR General Manager, Beau-Rivage Geneva WORDS MARTIN HOCH PHOTO NICO SCHAERER

How would you convince someone to stay at the Beau-Rivage in one sentence? Guests love the combination of the historical building, the central location, the view of the lake and the friendly feel created by our delightful staff. The Beau-Rivage in Geneva is iconic as a former hotspot for presidents and celebrities, isn’t it? Yes, and that’s a challenge we have to contend with. Our roots are important but I’m also keen to make sure that we’re writing our own chapters in the hotel’s story. What’s changed since those days? Before, if the likes of Roger Moore had sat at our bar, the other guests would have seen him but that would have been that. These days, the media is everywhere and there’s really no hiding from it. So famous faces tend to be looking for somewhere more private. They have to be in the public eye all the time, so they aim to properly escape when they have some downtime. Then again, there are lots of guests who don’t get the star treatment

day in, day out. A hotel like ours can double up as a stage for them. Exciting new stories are being brought to life and shared – mainly with the influence of digital platforms. And we’re keeping up with the changes. It sounds like you’re evolving with the times? We’re working with the hotel owners to make this historical hotel fit for the future. Our planned upgrade won’t be restricted to just the building itself. We want to introduce modern new twists across the board as a way of responding to the shift in mindset we are seeing from our guests. You mentioned the lake before. What are your thoughts? I love lakes. Even more than the ocean. You see, here you have the backdrop of the magnificent mountains too. A spectacular view – especially when the weather plays ball as it so often does. You’ll usually find me heading out for a run by the lake in the morning, when everything is incredibly quiet and calm.

Le Montreux Palace

SPA ON THE WATER

WORDS STEFFI HIDBER

It would be a bit of a stretch, considering I can hardly breathe in an underwired bra – but nonetheless, I can’t help picturing myself swanning daintily through the extra-wide, historic halls of Montreux’ legendary Le Fairmont Palace in my hooped skirts. But I’ll be damned if I let my old-timey daydreams get in the way of three days of proper pampering on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva. 61

WELLNESS

y visit was cleverly scheduled in late spring, when the town is not quite yet buzzing with music lovers or Grand Tour travellers… but is just starting to show the first, promising signs of its magical summertime vibe. The beauty expert’s mission was clear: grab your favourite bathing suits and a pair of flip flops, a girlfriend to chat with in the sauna and immerse yourself in the hotel’s impressive spa. And no matter what your main goal is when checking into the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lovelier view of Lake Geneva. Nestled right on the lakeshore, this Belle Époque highlight has been the town’s number one address since its opening way back in 1906. The Swiss Riviera’s official largest hotel boasts an impressive 236 guest rooms, an overwhelming number of them with beautiful lake views, and has been the number one address for luxury and entertainment for nearly 120 years. A large part if its charm is the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace’s commitment to its own history, combined with the energetic, life-affirming vibe of the Montreux Jazz Festival and its sorely-missed founder Claude Nobs that mesh here in a wonderful way. We were lucky enough to be able to enjoy a delicious dinner at the Montreux Jazz Café, but we didn’t let the freewheeling spirit of the venue interfere with our true destination, which awaited early the next morning – the Fairmont Spa! 62

WELLNESS

The spa services had been returned into the lap of the Fairmont family since my last visit a few years ago, so I was keen to discover what changes had been implemented. I was relieved to see that the light and airy spa is still as wonderfully laid-back and tranquil as I remembered, while offering plenty of distractions for both sporty types and those looking for a deeply restorative stay. Stretching out over 2000 square metres, the Fairmont Spa includes separate Men’s and Ladies’ saunas, whirlpool and hammam areas, two pools, private gardens with sun beds and a small, yet lovely relaxation room. The indoor pool invites you to get sporty and swim a lap or twenty, and if you get bored – or chilly – during your athletic endeavours, you can simply pop into the whirlpool and relax for a bit. At the time of our visit, it was still too chilly for the outdoor pool to open, but I’m quite sure that, come summertime, the outdoor area and piscine become quite the place to be! After much relaxing and chatting on the comfortable loungers

by the pool, it was time to experience some much-needed rejuvenating. The Fairmont Spa offers an impressive range of massages, facial and body treatments, as well as a full palette of beauty services. My friend and partner-in-spa-crime Andrea, who was gearing up for her stint as Zurich Film Festival’s ‘green carpet’ PR expert, isn’t one to sit still for long, so it counts as a bit of a miracle that she was able to keep her constantly pinging phone on flight mode for the entire duration of her facial. For me, it was no problem at all to tune out completely and put myself into the gentle hands of aesthetician Camille. With glowing skin, full bellies and a spring in our steps, we were able to enjoy a last breakfast in the sunny ‘La Palmeraie’ restaurant before boarding the train back to Zurich, where – and I say this as a true Zurich native – even I have to admit that, looking onto our lake, it’s quite easy to miss the wideopen views from beautiful Montreux. Merci beaucoup for a wonderful stay!

STEFFI’S SIGNATURE TREATMENT TIP

N˚1 Niance Intensive Facial – CHF 190 (60 min)

Despite its activating name, this deeply nurturing and comforting treatment is only intensive in the way it provides the skin with moisture and nutrients, to smooth fine lines and boost skin volume. According to my friend Andrea, who enjoyed the treatment for us, the combination of deeply-nourishing masks, a gentle touch and an almost trance-inducing application using feathery brush strokes make for a supremely relaxing, rejuvenating experience.

N˚2 Biologique Recherche Booster Vip 02 Facial – CHF 190 (60 min)

This detoxifying treatment by cult French skincare brand Biologique Recherche starts with a 2-step cleansing ritual, including the brand’s legendary P50 lotion. The best part of this surprisingly gentle treatment has to be the application of a foam mask, which bubbles and prickles delightfully on the skin, while being massaged in. The resulting glow, boosted by pure oxygen, lasted for days.

French touch becomes evident through the materials and textures used, seamlessly meshing contemporary lines with traditional accents. Elegant, inviting and soothing, this suite has it all: fireplaces in the living room and bedroom, a spacious marble bathroom with a walk-in shower and a built-in hammam, a dining table, work station and amenities abound in a colour-palette that is easy on the eye, peaceful and welcoming. Symmetry plays a prominent role in the spaces as sharp geometric lines contrast pleasingly with soft hues, complemented by completely customisable lighting to create the perfect mood for every occasion. If ever there were a true-type of what a pied-à-terre should be, the Hotel des Bergues’ Penthouse Loft Suite would fittingly feature at the very top of the list. Needless to say, this being a Four Seasons property, the suite comes with all ritzy creature comforts demanding guests could possibly expect. The attention to detail is nonpareil, and the suite's interior spirit makes one feel immediately at home. With the much-esteemed Spa Mont Blanc just a few languid steps away, this smart uber-suite is the perfect hideaway for a leisurely weekend or lengthier business sojourns at this waypost property in Geneva that truly is in a class of its own.

WORDS S. HOTTINGER-BEHMER

suite talk

Founded in 1834, the iconic Hotel des Bergues was Switzerland’s first palace and Geneva’s very first hotel. A weighty landmark in its own right, it is considered by many as the number one address in town among the many upscale waterfront hotels that host Geneva’s well-to-do visitors flocking in from all four corners of the planet. Lavish and quintessentially French in its decor, the overall opulence is reined in by modern touches here and there while still preserving the hotel’s rich and colourful history. Back in the old days, the top floors of this striking neo-classical build were reserved for staff, while the distinguished clientele lodged comfortably on the lower floors. Today, the 6th floor is home to the hotel’s award-winning spa and pool, one of its three first-rate restaurants, and a handful of signature suites that stand out from the Louis-Philippe lavishness that typify the majority of the rooms and suites. One such apartment-style gem is the Penthouse Loft Suite, located on an auspicious corner with alluring views over Geneva’s skyline, the lake and beyond, lending this suite a powerful sense of place. In true Pierre-Yves Rochon style, the space is beguiling and composed of carefully curated elements that remind us of the rich culture and history of the property. Rochon’s classic

Three reasons to leave the suite:

1. DINE AT THE TOP

The incredibly popular Izumi serves Japanese-Peruvian fare known as Nikkei under the auspices of Chef Mitsuro Tsukada on the hotel’s top floor. During the summer months, guests can dine al fresco at the expansive rooftop terrace with 360-degree vistas of Geneva, the Alps and the lake while indulging in Tsukada’s inventive and ambrosial menu. 2. TOP UP YOUR TAN

Soak up the sun at Bains des Pâquis, Geneva’s most famous lido, with its picture-perfect view of the Jet d’Eau, the lake and the city. Since 1932 it has welcomed locals and visitors alike to its concrete structure and wooden platforms surrounded by the lake's azure waters right in the centre of town. 3. SPLASH OUT

Just a stone’s throw away from the hotel, the upscale Rue du Rhône tempts serious shoppers to put their credit cards to good use. Whether it’s high-jewellery, fine watches, artisanal chocolates or the dernier cri in fashion you are after, Geneva’s answer to Fifth Avenue will certainly not disappoint.

MORE INFORMATION

fourseasons.com/geneva

Q & A

Having made her way from Tunisia to Lake Geneva, studied journalism and information science and embarked upon a career in managing spa and fitness facilities, our employee of the month likes to travel and keep her body and mind active. It definitely helps that she’s a talented linguist who happily speaks to guests in five languages. Lamia Eggel, 49, is the Spa & Fitness Manager at the Le Mirador Resort & Spa, which overlooks Lake Geneva in Mont Pèlerin. After she left Tunisia, she studied in Switzerland at Lausanne’s SAWI Academy for Marketing & Communication and the AKAD Business School. She is married and has two daughters. WORDS MARK VAN HUISSELING

Your first memory about hotels? A magical stay in a hotel in the south of Tunisia. We arrived after a long trip in the middle of the desert, the hotel was beautiful, located in an oasis surrounded with palm trees. An impressive/inspirational personality in the beauty or fitness world? Audrey Hepburn. For me she is the incarnation of elegance and natural beauty. I love her beauty tips which resonate as poems, e.g. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. Most precious fragrance/perfume? Jasmine. It embodies the fragrance of my childhood memories, filled of love and beautiful warm nights, of my native country, Tunisia. The most important beauty product of all times? Instagram filters, no, I’m kidding. For me there is no miracle product for everyone. Each of us needs products adapted to her/his skin type, physical particularities and age. Most important thing to know when working out? Whatever type of exercise you do there are three principles: · Recovery and preparation for the next day of workout allow the next training to be more effective. · Intensity should be varied depending on how the body feels from your previous and present workout. · Frequency is to be adjusted, according to your needs. How much time do you need to dress before going out? Like every woman I need 15 minutes to choose the outfit, and usually I try at least two outfits before deciding what to wear – so add it up.

Your most expensive piece of clothing? A silk handbroidered dress with gold threads made in Tunisia. Your favourite shop? The Givenchy Spa shop at the Mirador Resort. I also love the Geneva Globus department store (rue du Rhône 48) – so much diversity, so unique. What would your mother say about you? My angel. First desire you ever felt? Curiosity. You don’t really like, … Injustice. Not being justified. Most people wouldn’t know you’re a fine … Fine bouche, I appreciate refined cuisine (and how it’s presented). In your suitcase, when travelling, there’s always a A camera. How much power do women have? The number of female leaders around the world has gone up, but they’re still a small group. Data shows that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making, and that gender-equality is far from being reached. Wish from the fairy? A trip around the world. You would like to be for one day (an animal, other person et cetera) … A bird, because it’s a symbol of escape, stands for heavenly freedom. Why are you popular? Because of my smile – it’s beautiful and sunny. At last clients and colleagues can appreciate it again, without a mask obscuring it.

Q&A

lamia eggel SPA & FITNESS MANAGER LE MIRADOR RESORT & SPA

SEASONAL PIC

ESCAPADE ON THE SWISS RIVIERA WORDS BEATRICE LESSI

ummy, is that lady in a bathrobe and towel turban the mother of the richest man in the world? One of my daughters asked me that while we more or less tiptoed into the Grand Hôtel du Lac Spa, trying not to be too obvious with our espionage.

SEASONAL PIC

WAS IT HER? AND WHAT HAD THE HOTEL PREPARED FOR US, AFTER HEARING THAT IT WAS MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER’S 18th BIRTHDAY? I ONLY HAD TO WAIT FOR THE WEEKEND TO UNFOLD, TO FIND OUT.

WE TRAVELLED WITH THE GOLDEN PASS ON A BELLE ÉPOQUE TRAIN.

Spa first, then our little surprise: a chocolate course. Milk chocolate, I later found out, was invented in Vevey in 1875, with the aid of Henri Nestlé. The hotel created this unexpected programme to celebrate my youngest daughter’s 18th birthday.

SEASONAL PIC

WE SLIPPED INTO OUR WHITE ROBES. FOUR FRUIT COCKTAILS WAITED FOR US AT RECEPTION. WE HAD TO TASTE AND GUESS WHAT WAS INSIDE THEM. AFTER SAVOURING THE FRUITY AROMA, WE WERE TOLD THAT SOME INGREDIENTS WERE LIQUORICE AND EDIBLE GOLD LEAVES. FANCY!

SEASONAL PIC

OUR SELFMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE WAS THE STAR OF DINNER, AND ALL DISHES WERE PAIRED WITH WINE FROM THE LAVAUX VINEYARDS, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

A bit of mystery in the oriental lounge, great to enjoy a drink while listening to live piano music. If you want to have a taste of Grand Hôtel du Lac without spending the night, just sit here, or on its sofas by the lakeside, in the garden. Everybody is welcome and can enjoy its fabulous surroundings, the little harbour and the mountains.

SEASONAL PIC

A SPECTACULAR BREAKFAST IN BED IN THE HONEYMOON SUITE. DID WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE MOTHER OF THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD? I TRIED TO BRIBE THE STAFF, BUT THEIR LIPS WERE SEALED. WHAT HAPPENS IN VEVEY, GIRLS … STAYS IN VEVEY! 73

RUNNER’S TIPS WORDS BEATRICE LESSI

Looking for scenic trails? The terraced vineyards of the UNESCO Lavaux region offer spectacular views. Try the Swiss Wine Route, from Lutry to St-Saphorin, a point to point trail that is 11.1 km long. For a meditative, easy run, go to the Fork of Vevey in the early morning. The Chaplin statue is also there to greet you. There won’t be many people around, and you can listen to the noise of the water. Follow the track along the lake so you never get lost! If you want to run and be a tourist at the same time, take the funicular from Vevey to Mont Pèlerin. An 11-minute. ride with magnificent views that brings you to this iconic mountain above Vevey and Lake Geneva, an excellent starting point for runs or hikes.

For those who love to be off the beaten track, Les Rochers-de-Naye mountains, about half an hour from Vevey, offer unrivalled views over the Alps and Lake Geneva. If you are a good climber you can also try the Via Ferrata – breathtaking in every sense!

THE VIEW

nathalie seiler-hayez & isabelle von burg WORDS MARTIN HOCH PHOTOS NICO SCHAERER

ere we have two captains, each steering their palace into the future with their crew by their side. Nathalie Seiler-Hayez is the General Manager of the Beau-Rivage Palace and Isabelle von Burg is the General Manager of the Lausanne Palace. Having handed over the helm for one morning, they met up at Lake Geneva.

Swiss author Claudia Walder once described Lausanne as one big family and gave each neighbourhood a different role. She referred to the city centre as the father figure – decent and uncomplicated with some unique quirks. Just next door is the family’s lively it girl, Flon. Between the two? A true institution called the Lausanne Palace. A hotel that reflects the characteristics of both neighbourhoods in one. The Brasserie du Grand-Chêne, for example, is a celebration of traditional Parisian brasseries with its leather-covered benches, whilst the fresh and cheerful gourmet restaurant La Table is the polar opposite. The haute cuisine menu is served in a laid-back atmosphere that takes you right back to your youth. And the driving force behind it? A power pair who spoil their diners with their oozing passion and sophistication. Sarah Benahmed is the host with the most and Franck Pelux wows with his culinary creations. If you head away from the centre and down to Lake Geneva, you’ll come across the lakeside resort of Ouchy.

´I LIKE BEING THE CAPTAIN OF A HOTEL LIKE THE BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE. BECAUSE LEADING MEANS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.´ Nathalie Seiler-Hayez

THE VIEW

´ONE THING CHARACTERISES LAUSANNE – THE HUMAN TOUCH. IT’S ONE BIG COMMUNITY, WHERE PEOPLE LIKE TO CONNECT AND MEET.´ Isabelle von Burg

THE VIEW

Leave the urban setting behind and soak up the Mediterranean and Alpine vibes with the vast lake in front of you and the magnificent mountains in the background. And that’s where Lausanne’s most prestigious institution awaits you. Another palace, one of the finest in Europe – the Beau-Rivage Palace. Mediterranean living? Well, you can walk down to the lake through the hotel gardens and pick fresh figs straight from the tree. What could be more refreshing than that sweet, fruity taste? There’s no denying that the Beau-Rivage is a hotel that knows how to treat its guests properly. It’s no surprise that Claudia Walder sees the palace in Ouchy as the Grande Dame.

´TRUE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE – AND NOT JUST IN HOSPITALITY – ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WITH A BIG HEART.´ Nathalie Seiler-Hayez

an airy adventure: the art of swiss wine WORDS THOMAS HAUER

At the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, head sommelier Salvatore Salerno sometimes swaps his job in the relaxed, Michelin-starred restaurant Il Lago for the passenger seat of a helicopter. Guests of the iconic luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, which opened its doors back in 1834, can visit some of the most beautiful Swiss wine-growing regions from the air with Salerno – followed by a tasting on site, of course. After all, only around 1% of Swiss wine is exported – so it is better to try the wines right where they are made in the first place.

WINE STORY

Born in Palermo and raised in Italy’s fashion capital Milan, Salerno is without a doubt the perfect companion for this unique experience. After all the ‘Best Italian Sommelier’ 2014 (ASPI) has already proved his exceptional talent and enormous knowledge in some of the best restaurants in Europe, for example in the gourmet temple of Joël Robuchon in Monte-Carlo (2*) and the Lyonais gourmet institution La Rotonde (2*). And in fact there is apparently almost nothing that Salerno has not yet had in the glass, because even the most exotic wine related questions cannot lure the likeable Sicilian out of his reserve. As the first stop on the breezy wine adventure, Salerno’s guests reach the Lavaux wine terraces between Lausanne and Vevey on the northeast bank of Lake Geneva after about 20 minutes in the air – one of the most beautiful cultural landscapes in the world. Here some of the best white wines in the country are made from the Swiss flagship variety Chasselas. The gems from the Dézaley and Calamin Grand Cru zones are tasted in the cellar of the world-famous Domaine Louis Bovard, whose vine terraces, which slope steeply to the water, in some areas drop almost 50%. Just another 20 minutes’ flight from Lavaux up the Rhone Valley, the next stop is at JeanRené Germanier’s well known Domaine Balavaud in Vétroz. There the tasting of the exclusive wine collection including specialties such as the highly aromatic Petite Arvine, Valais Heida wine made from the traditional Savagnin grape or Germanier’s top Syrah Cayas is rounded off with a homemade raclette. When planning the tour, personal preferences of the guests can of course also be considered with a little advance notice. After all: only the sky is the limit. Back in Geneva in the evening at Il Lago, styled by Pierre-Yves Rochon, an exclusive menu from the kitchen of Massimiliano Sena

is served, accompanied exclusively by rare Swiss wines, which Salvatore Salerno knows how to combine perfectly with culinary specialties from Sena’s kitchen. The perfect opportunity to review the eventful day again. But it doesn’t always have to be a helicopter tour because Geneva itself has some top winemakers to offer – after all, the canton with more than 1400 hectares – around 120 hectares of which are on French territory – is itself the third largest wine-growing area in Switzerland, where 1900 hours of sunshine per year and comparatively low rainfall in combination with the influence of mountains and the nearby lake create an ideal microclimate for viticulture. In fact, the winemaking tradition on the south bank of the lake can be proven to go back more than 2000 years, and it was Geneva where a protected designation of origin – the first federal AOC – was established for the first time in Switzerland at the end of the 1980s. Today there are 22 Premier Cru sites in this AOC Geneva alone. One of the most prominent winemakers in the region is JeanPierre Pellegrin from Domaine Grand’Cour in the idyllic village of Peissy-Satigny at the foot of the Jura massif not far from the French border, only 15 minutes by car from Geneva city centre. On 15 hectares of its own vineyards – another 15 hectares are leased – Pellegrin cultivates 25 (!) different grape varieties. Because of his precisely crafted wines, Pellegrin is often called ‘the watchmaker’ by his colleagues and in fact Pellegrin’s wines present themselves in the glass as perfectly engineered as a Swiss chronometer keeps time. In addition to his single-variety top wines based on Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, which need not fear comparison with their cousins from Burgundy, he also produces a fantastic white and a red cuvee, the latter made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. They are matured either in 83

huge clay amphorae (white) or barrique barrels made from French oak (red). For Il Lago, Pellegrin has also created an exclusive magnum of its wonderfully fresh Pinot Auxerois. Pellegrin’s friendly neighbours from the Bio Suisse-certified Domaine des Charmes are also worth a detour. Their Findling, or griset blanc in French, is a particularly rare grape variety of which there are currently only about 43 hectares in the world. The alcoholic and flowery wine is the perfect accompaniment to lobster and seafood in cream sauces or spicy Asian dishes, such as those served at Izumi rooftop restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues under the aegis of Mitsuru Tsukada – including a spectacular 360º panoramic view of Geneva with its 140-metre-high Jet d’Eau water fountain. Together with oenologist Olivier Conne, we also try a superb, barrique-aged Savagnin blanc and an excellent Gamaret, one of the typical red wine grape varieties of the Lake Geneva region, which was only introduced as a new breed in the 1970s. Finally, an insider tip from Sommelier Salerno: the Lavinia vinotheque in Rue de Coutance, just a few minutes’ walk from the Four Seasons, one of the best-stocked specialist wine shops in Switzerland, offering many of the best Swiss wines as well as international rarities. Santé!

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C L I F F O R D ’ S M U S T- H AV E S

WHERE THE LIVIN’ IS EASY … Egomovement

Enjoy the stunning scenery and the great outdoors as you cycle effortlessly along the shores of Lake Geneva on this handsome ebike called Cäsar.

WORDS CLIFFORD LILLEY

– egomovement.com

Lake Geneva in the summertime is, I’d venture to say, the absolute number one get-away destination, the perfect place to soak up the sunshine, where one literally rises up singin’! One is transported into another world, of glamour and style, of fame and fortune, fairytale castles, ancient ports and awesome natural beauty. Naturally we want to look our best! Herewith my eclectic selection of key pieces and objects of desire – both divine and well, sometimes just a tad decadent to suit your lifestyle. Yes, the livin’ is easy… and the prices are high. Your daddy might be rich and your mama goodlookin’. But where else can one enjoy the inspiration and simple fabulousness, the breathtaking views in the heart of Europe where the sun shines in and the good times roll? And it costs nothing to look. So, hush little baby, don’t you cry!

Lalique

Lalique presents their very latest summer fragrance for sunworshippers. Soleil Vibrant. For the woman with a streak of wildness … – lalique.com/en

Ka/Noa Ka/Noa for men who understand elegance, understatement and appreciate quality … fine materials and perfect tailoring. Made in Italy, designed in Switzerland with stores i.e. in Zürich and Geneva. This is what men’s style is all about.

Alex Lambrechts No gentleman is quite as well-dressed in summer as he who dons a stylish straw hat. These SUPERDUPER limitededition signature Italianmade artisanal pieces inspired by the likes of Hemmingway and Picasso are available exclusively from:

– kanoaitalia.com

Philippe Pfeiffer Jewellery

– alexlambrechts.com

Whispering Angel Summertime is not summertime without a glass of cool, refreshing rosé wine. One of my all-time favourites in this category is the Whispering Angel – all the charm of the Provence in a single glass. – globus.ch

An insider tip that’s no longer a secret. Philippe Pfeiffer’s hand-crafted jewellery embraces the very essence of eclecticism, designed and created exclusively for you in his inspiring atelier-gallery in Zollikon, Switzerland. Pictured here, exotic, timeless Tahitian South Sea pearls. – philippepfeiffer.com

C L I F F O R D ’ S M U S T- H AV E S

Baccarat This elegant crystal ice bucket with matching tumblers, just a cut above any others … In my opinion, no other name conjures up the luxury of glassware as Baccarat does. As seen at Aux Arts du Feu – crystal glassware by Baccarat …

Christofle

– auxartsdufeu.ch

What is a holiday without endearing memories with your loved ones? Celebrate your favourite moments forever in a picture framed by Christofle. The elegant silver frames are guaranteed to give your favourite memories a timeless touch. Reminisce in style for years to come. – christofle.com

NEWCASTLE Dream destination and private retreat: the teak solitaire by Garpa is a new

Invu

interpretation of the beach chair – set to invite you

canopy shields from sun

Whether a drive through the vineyards or boating on the lake, these high-performance, glare free sunglasses are perfect for gentlemen (or ladies) with an active lifestyle and a definitive sense of style.

or wind, an upholstered

– invueyewear.com

on a luxurious voyage of discovery. The integrated

bench offers space for relaxing legs. – garpa.ch

Monocle Monocle has joined forces with Paris brand Rue de Verneuil. Founder Vincent Ribat is a former interior designer and his designs recall both sturdy canvas American tool bags of the 1950s and the sun-kissed glamour of the French Riviera. – monocle.com

Ortigia As you leave this paradise, bring a little bit of luxury home with you. Capture the sunshine, and fresh Alpine scents in this diffuser to tickle your senses with nostalgia. – ortigiasicilia.com

C L I F F O R D ’ S M U S T- H AV E S

Caviar Caviar. Did you know, there are four different types of caviar? Almas, Beluga, Osciètra, and Sévruga. They vary in size, colour and flavour. An acquired taste for some; for others, their daily bread! Swiss Oona Caviar is our choice of preference, taste the Alps in every mouthful. – oona-caviar.ch

Hermès Plage Hermès for her … summer feet never looked prettier – effortlessly stylish and always elegant. Slip in, slip out of these stunning colour blocked sandals, and be perfectly slippered! That’s Hermès. – hermes.com

Leuchtturm

Escale à la plage

Stay high and dry with your waterproof notebook as you speed off on the lake shores. Capture your inspirations with no limitations.

Summertime gladness! Happy at the beach with this stunning Hermès beach towel in terry cloth with ‘La Route des Plages’ print. 100% cotton, woven in Germany and screen printed in France with plain orange back.

– leuchtturm1917.com

– hermes.com

Faber-Castell Live an artist’s fantasy and capture the moment on paper with Swiss quality colouring pencils. Fill a cup with water from the lake and let nature turn the bright vibrant colours into soft watercolours.

Estée Lauder For the ladies who are not yet quite ready to retire the sun-kissed glow of the day at night. May you dazzle the eyes, capture the hearts (and dare I say) seduce the souls of onlooking admirers as you continue to glow long after dark …

– faber-castell.com

– esteelauder.com

great flavours FORKS & GLASSES

Get ready to savour the moment, enjoy the company around the table, sip on a tasty tipple, treat your taste buds and breathe in sumptuous aromas. Time may fly by but memories are here to stay.

culinary alchemy with lime juice and chilli After studying medicine for three and a half years, Daniel Galvez Estrada decided to follow his dream and become a chef. As an ambassador for Peruvian cuisine, he takes his diners on a journey with his traditional ceviches and tiraditos. WORDS ALEX KÜHN

town in Europe and North America. ‘I was so nervous before my first meeting with Señor Acurio,’ admits Daniel. ‘Luckily, I found out that there’s a lovely person behind his professional image and the high standards he expects of his staff.’ Originally set to work beside Acurio for three months, the young chef ended up learning from the best for four whole years. ‘The way you cut the fish for a ceviche varies depending on where you are,’ explains Daniel Galvez Estrada, who has invited me into his kitchen for a quick masterclass. ‘It’s squares around the capital city Lima, but rectangles in the north. And the fish is left to marinate in the leche de tigre for longer up there too.’ Leche de tigre is a creamy liquid with freshly squeezed lime juice as its main ingredient. The fish is left to soak up the goodness without any heat being applied. Our chef adds flavour to the lime juice by blending it with garlic, onion, celery, ginger and salt. The carefully filleted

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Daniel Galvez Estrada is a surgeon after watching the way his hands work with such precision when he’s preparing fish for the dishes he serves up at the Peruvian restaurant Yakumanka at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Geneva. Especially since this chef studied medicine for three and a half years in his native Peru before he embarked upon a career in gastronomy. He was never too thrilled about his original path: ‘When I finally told my psychiatrist father that I’d decided to quit my medicine course and train to become a chef instead, he kicked me out of the house on the spot,’ says Daniel. ‘He has since become my biggest fan and is so proud of what I do now.’ And rightly so! After all, it was the great Gaston Acurio who sent his son to head up the kitchen in Geneva. Acurio is the figurehead of Peruvian cuisine and the brains behind the Yakumanka concept. Without him, there wouldn’t be a cevicheria in pretty much every 90

fish is chopped up and placed in the lime juice mix with some crushed ice. ‘Leche de tigre must always be ice cold,’ points out Galvez Estrada. As the finishing touch, he adds coriander and aji limo chilli peppers which are medium hot with a citrus flavour. ‘If I added those final ingredients earlier, they would turn the leche de tigre red or green. I only pop them in the mixer for a couple of seconds. A good leche de tigre is pale and milky with a subtle tang. It should definitely be acidic but not overpoweringly so.’ 91

CHEF’S PORTRAIT

All that needs to be added now is two types of corn kernels, finely sliced red onion, fresh coriander, sweet potato and a lettuce garnish. Et voilà – ceviche anyone? The large, almost white kernels that Daniel Galvez Estrada uses are called choclo – one of around 50 types of corn native to Peru. He also adds golden-brown fried cancha corn nuts for their crunchy texture and roasted flavour. According to Daniel, there’s no hard and fast rule about which fish to use. Given the choice, he tends to plump for hake. But the plan is to add freshwater fish from nearby Lake Geneva to the menu soon. ‘We like to partner up with local suppliers whenever we can,’ explains the chef who has headed up the kitchen at Yakumanka since last December. Now that the ceviche is taken care of, it’s time to move on to a tiradito limeño. The main difference between this dish and Peru’s signature offering is the way the fish is cut. Think sashimi but much thinner! So thin, in fact, that if you hold up the fish in a tiradito to the light, you can almost see through it. Yet it still has a nice bite to it, so it’s not like a European carpaccio. Daniel Galvez Estrada uses leche de tigre as the base for his sauce again. But he goes on to add a long list of ingredients to it, starting with smoked olive oil and aji amarillo chilli. That last one has a light and sweet fruity flavour and falls in the middle of the spice scale. Daniel pours the bright yellow sauce over the sliced white fish and his French sous-chef Maxime Martin adds a row of dark green dots on top of that. The minty, earthy aroma of the herb oil comes from the slightly serrated huacatay leaves that may be mistaken for hemp at first glance. At Yakumanka, fish skin doesn’t belong in the bin. Instead, they pop it in the oven until it dries up to form crunchy crisps. ‘We try to use every little bit of the fish where possible. We just haven’t found a use for the eyes yet,’ says Daniel.

Committed to his mission of bringing Peruvian culture straight to his diners’ plates, he is always on the lookout for produce that is typical of his home country. He was particularly keen to introduce zapallo loche, a Peruvian squash with darkgreen skin and orange flesh. It tastes a bit like a butternut squash but has a stronger, tangier flavour. And the head chef and sous-chef both enjoy experimenting with it!

Domaine Villard & Fils Anières The canton of Geneva is a wine-growing region and the perfect setting for a vineyard tour on an electric bike. And it just makes sense to take your time tasting Chasselas, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir at Domaine Villard & Fils on the left bank of the lake while you’re there. – vinsvillard.ch

DANIEL GALVEZ ESTRADA’S TIPS

El Huarique

Domaine des Trois Etoiles Peissy-Satigny

Geneva

If I’m ever missing a certain food from home, I know I’m more than likely to find it at this specialist Peruvian grocery store just a short walk away from our restaurant. They stock everything from different kinds of corn and fruit to sausages and roots.

The area around Satigny on the right of the lake is really rural and home to some stunning vineyards. Visit Didier Fischer at Domaine des Trois Etoiles to discover a range of local wines, including Rosé de Gamay, Merlot and Amprô (70% Gamaret and 30% Garanoir).

– facebook.com/huariquee

– trois-etoiles.ch

Restaurant de la Plage & Buvette

A day of fishing by the lake

Geneva

In the summer, I love strolling along the new beach in Eaux-Vives and going for a dip in Lake Geneva to cool off. But nothing could be better than enjoying lovingly prepared seasonal dishes in the laidback atmosphere at Restaurant de la Plage & Buvette – while taking in the spectacular view of course. – restoplage.ch

In my spare time, I like to be out in the fresh air – ideally out on the water. Taking a fishing trip with someone who knows what they’re doing is the perfect blend of active relaxation and low-key adventure. Lake Geneva, the largest lake at the foothills of the Alps, is full of pike, perch, trout and whitefish.

Cidrerie de Meinier Meinier

Parc de la Capite Cologny

I recently stumbled upon this incredible place when I was out on my bike one day. Head here for a spectacular panoramic view of Lake Geneva and the snow-topped mountains around it.

The beautifully fresh apple juice from this brilliant company is the handiwork of fruit farmers Claude Ménétrey, Gérald Fonjallaz and Alexis Corthay. Different varieties of apple are used to make sure that the acidity and sweetness of each juice is balanced to perfection. – cidreriedemeinier.ch

YOUR WORLD OF ENJOYMENT FOR A YEAR Immerse yourself in the world of wine, food and travel or gift it to your loved ones.

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TRUE TASTE

TASTY TERROIR WORDS & PHOTO CLAUDIO DEL PRINCIPE

Crunch! Crunchy crudités with carrot mousse from ‘All’orto’, AT Verlag

TRUE TASTE

Terroir! A magic word for wine connoisseurs the world over. It’s interesting how soil conditions and location come up so naturally when discussing a wine’s flavour and characteristics, yet you just don’t hear these kinds of conversations about carrots. Even though the very same factors have a huge bearing on the root vegetable’s flavour too.

Hereford and Angus beef. But do we know the difference between Küttiger Rüebli, Gniff and Jaune de Doubs? Did you know that on-trend carrots marketed as heirloom varieties are actually the result of clever cross-breeding by the seed industry? It’s really exciting to see all the current experimentation with vegetables by top chefs, as the trend shifts away from interchangeable luxury produce to simpler ingredients. Carrots and other vegetables are being stored in controlled conditions, fermented and even combined with koji. It’s time to give vegetables the attention they deserve by distinguishing between varieties, considering how they are grown and trying out different combinations. Let’s treat them the same as other foods with a higher profile and discover the huge and exciting variety of flavours that awaits.

Nicole Tanner, Operations Manager at my favourite local organic farm Birsmattehof, tells me that the condition of the soil can even vary within the same piece of land. And that means the flavour of the carrots grown there can vary too. Carrots can taste different from year to year as well. Their flavour profile is also influenced by the way they’re stored – that’s the same for wine and other types of food. For example, you wouldn’t want to be storing your carrots next to your apples, pears or tomatoes unless you want them to turn bitter fast. When it comes to meat, we talk about the origin, breed, rearing, diet, slaughter and ageing. So why don’t we go into as much detail for vegetables? We distinguish between Nebbiolo, Malbec and Pinot Noir on a wine menu. And we concern ourselves with fat levels and diet when it comes to Wagyu,

WINE CELLAR

chasselas recommendations WORDS PETER KELLER

What a spectacular view! The steeply terraced vineyards in the Vaud wine region of Lavaux reach dizzying heights, whilst picturesque Lake Geneva glistens prettily down below. This region has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its undeniable beauty. Here in the canton of Vaud, one grape variety rules the roost. Chasselas. So say hello to a diverse range of subtle white wines. This grape variety is grown in other parts of Western Switzerland too, including Geneva, Valais and the Three Lakes Region. Given that the world of wine is known for its trends and fads, Chasselas is a bit of an underdog. These days, most people want to drink rich, full-bodied, aromatic wines. And this traditional grape variety from Western Switzerland just doesn’t fit the bill. But it still has plenty to offer. Smooth and elegant, the wines tend to have a more neutral aroma and taste combined with minerality. And they reflect the soil and region in which the grapes are grown to perfection. Chasselas crus from the most prestigious locations – think Dézaley or La Côte – can be stored for decades on end. Winegrowers in Western Switzerland are right to speak with such pride about ‘the greatest white wine variety in the world’.

The independent one FÉCHY MARCHANDES DOMAINE LA COLOMBE, FÉCHY –––– 2020 The vineyard run by Raymond Pacot and his daughter Laura in La Côte between Lausanne and Nyon creates deliciously simple terroir wines using the Chasselas grape variety. This example comes from a plot above the village of Féchy, where 20 fruit trees are planted in amongst the vines. Ten months of cultivation with yeast produces a full-bodied, fresh and elegant white wine with plenty of tension. CHF 21 | lacolombe.ch

The ex troverted one AIGLE GRAND CRU DU CLOS DU CROSEX GRILLÉ DOMAINE DE LA PIERRE LATINE, YVORNE –––– 2020 This exceptional wine from a top grower is full of character and typical of the variety, being spontaneously fermented with wild yeast and matured for a while in concrete containers. The grapes are grown in a walled vineyard known as a clos on the outskirts of Aigle. The result is a full-bodied, dry Chasselas with a complex bouquet, good acidity, subtle bitterness and salty aftertaste. Best enjoyed with a meal. CHF 30 | pierre-latine.com

WINE CELLAR

If you need proof that Chasselas wines can mature to perfection, look no further than the examples given by Mémoire des Vins Suisses. This organisation has set itself the mission of showcasing the often overlooked ageing potential and nobility of fine Swiss wines. There’s no need to worry about the international competition in that respect. One of the Chasselas wines with the best ageing potential is the Dézaley La Médinette from Domaine Bovard in Lavaux (see our Chasselas tips for more on this). In an outstanding vintage, it’s possible to hit 30 years and counting with this grape variety. But there are plenty of other fine wines worthy of a place on the Chasselas leader board alongside that particular icon of Swiss white wine. Just wait until you try these two other exceptional examples from Vaud along with an excellent wine grown in a prime location on the shores of Lake Biel, which highlights the incredible diversity of Chasselas. This white wine serves as proof that this grape variety can appeal to both the French and German side of Switzerland.

The aged one DÉZALEY LA MÉDINETTE DOMAINE BOVARD, CULLY –––– 2020 The ‘Chasselas King’ is bursting with fruity flavours with notes of bread and almonds. The intensity, good structure and depth make this lingering dry white wine a treat for the taste buds. It has excellent ageing potential and is cultivated for ten months in a wooden container, with the yeast being constantly agitated. This is one of the finest and most prestigious wines in Switzerland CHF 32 | domainebovard.com

The mineral one CHASSELAS CLOS À L’ABBÉ WEINGUT STEINER-KREBS, SCHERNELZ –––– 2021 This wine is grown on the shores of Lake Biel, proving that Vaud is not the only home of excellent Chasselas. This isolated vineyard sits 500 metres above sea level, just under the village of Schernelz. Thanks to the deep and loamy clay soil, this region’s top vineyard can press a white wine with real minerality. It is always dry, intense, complex, fresh and lingering with plenty of finesse. You get excellent value for money and a nice ageing potential of up to ten years. CHF 17 | schernelz-village.ch 97

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SACHA LICHINE

H SPECIAL

WORDS ALEX KÜHN

Sacha Lichine, the man behind the iconic Whispering Angel and Garrus rosés, chats to us about wine misconceptions, the power of pink and his expectations for the future.

How did you discover your passion for rosé wine? As the 1990s were drawing to a close, I noticed that prices for rosé champagne were rising as it grew in popularity. Following this development with keen interest, I came to the conclusion that still rosé wine must have the same potential. Plus, I’ve always preferred more elegant wines over heavy ones anyway. Once the sale had gone through for Château Prieuré-Lichine, which I’d inherited from

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H SPECIAL

´ROSÉ CAN BE JUST AS COMPLEX AND EXCITING AS A RED OR WHITE WINE.´

my father, I star ted looking for a new site in Provence, the spiritual home of rosé. I couldn’t just sit around and drink wine, could I? In the space of eight years, I had looked around 32 vineyards without finding the one. It wasn’t until 2006 that I finally bought Château d’Esclans. The estate had fallen into rack and ruin a bit, but it had Grenache vines that were around 80 years old and reached down five metres. Incredible stuff! You’ve become known as the man who managed to bring a 100-dollar rosé to the market. I knew that I would have to start in the USA, so I tried my luck with an importer in Chicago who I’d done business with plenty of times before as a Bordeaux dealer. I gave him the Garrus to try and he was impressed. When he asked me about the retail price, I said 100 dollars. He reckoned he could never sell rosé wine in Chicago anyway and certainly not at that price. But he still happily bought two crates for his own private cellar. That was the confirmation I needed that the wine was actually as good as I thought it was. I can’t take all the credit though, not by a long shot. Patrick Léon, an oenologist who had worked for the likes of the Rothschild family estates for two decades before he started with us, played a huge part in our success. We made all the final decisions on Garrus and Whispering Angel together. Sadly, Patrick died in 2018. He will forever be missed. What is the most common misconception about rosé wine? That it’s boring by nature and never lives up to high standards. In actual fact, a rosé wine can be just as complex and exciting as a red or white. Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a by-product of red wine production for the majority of winegrowers for way too long. A by-product? Exactly that. When using the saignée method, additional grapes would have been added to the must used to make a good red wine. Those grapes would have had 10 to 20% of their juice removed without pressing, which would increase the proportion of skin and in turn the pigments and tannins. The excess juice from those additional grapes would then be used to make rosé. But not the good kind!

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So what does it take to make a good rosé? No matter what type of wine you’re making, you need to be prepared to invest a sizeable sum of money. Investing in the proper equipment is just as important as using high-quality grapes and being able to draw on a wealth of expertise. And you need that know-how, first of all, to choose the right time of year to harvest the grapes. Getting the cooling process right is important too because producing rosé involves a never-ending race against oxidation. Basically, behind every decent rosé is a long chain of good decisions. At the complete opposite end of the scale, there’s nothing easier in the world of winemaking than making an average rosé. How important is the colour of a rosé wine? Extremely important. Other than Sauternes, rosé is the only wine that is sold in a fully transparent bottle. The word on the market is the lighter, the better. That poses quite a challenge, as we are trying to produce a wine that has as little colour as possible yet still has a strong sense of character. Your latest success is a rosé called The Pale. Can you tell us a bit about it? I thought of the idea during the first lockdown. All I could think was that people could use some cheering up after going through such a difficult time. So we added a more affordable wine with a fresh and fruity flavour to our range for well under 20 dollars. The label design is a nod to the Roaring Twenties that illustrates how we feel when we drink wine – happy, relaxed and carefree. Lots of people tend to mainly drink rosé in the summer. But could it ever become a drink to be enjoyed all year round? Absolutely. 50 years ago, nobody would have been drinking white wine during the colder times of year. But now you see people ordering it all the time out on the terraces at winter sport resorts. Think Gstaad, St. Moritz, Crans-Montana. When guests start something, it can catch on pretty quick. These places are perfect marketing platforms, especially in this social media age. Over the course of a year, the French actually drink more rosé wine than white. That’s probably down to the fact that it’s less acidic. Rosé is so much easier to drink than red wine – even if it is on another level. You never end up with a headache after drinking rosé and your tongue and teeth don’t turn blue.

ET TOU

CALLING ALL CONNOISSEURS LAKESIDE WORDS PATRICIA BRÖHM

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During the Belle Époque, English aristocrats discovered the ‘Swiss Riviera’ between Montreux and Geneva as a tourist spot famed for its promenades lined with cypress and palm trees against the backdrop of the Alps. And now it’s a hotspot for connoisseurs thanks to its traditional grand hotels, world-class restaurants and idyllic Lavaux Vineyard Terraces.

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The rich cuisine of the Swiss Riviera inspires Décotterd’s colleagues by the lake too. ‘We are very lucky to be cooking in this incredible area,’ says Thomas Neeser, Head Chef at the Grand Hôtel du Lac on the shore of Lake Geneva in Vevey. The water calls out to the German-born chef who has called Romandy his home for 11 years: ‘There’s no better way to start the day than to travel out with the local fishermen in the early hours.’ And he returns with freshly caught whitefish, rainbow trout and crayfish. ‘Exceptional ingredients are at the heart of fine cuisine,’ as he learnt at the legendary Auberge de l’Ill in Alsace. Now he serves plump crabs from Lake Geneva with crunchy peas from the farmers’ market and fresh mint at the gourmet restaurant Les Saisons. The finishing touch to this dish is a mayonnaise with an intense crustacean flavour that Neeser prepares using the heads of the crabs.

GRAND HÔTEL DU LAC

téphane Décotterd describes his cooking as thoroughly local. ‘And never still – much like the water of Lake Geneva which never fails to inspire me.’ To prove his point, he serves up an escabèche made with perch from the lake itself with a green parsley root and ground-ivy sauce. Much like his food, this chef is not known for just staying still either. In fact, no other chef has been making waves like he has been between Montreux and Geneva recently. In 2018, he caused quite a stir when he announced he was banning lobster and turbot from his menu, having decided to stick strictly to local produce. And he was at it again in the summer of 2021, when he moved his entire team from the Pont de Brent restaurant to Glion after many years. There, he is cooking up a storm at Maison Décotterd in the listed École Hôtelière building high above Montreux.

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BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE

Part of the region’s charm has always been its wine, which fearless winegrowers source from nature on the steep, sun-soaked vines of the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ‘We have around 3000 wines on the menu, including a number of mature Chasselas varieties,’ says the Head Sommelière at the AnneSophie Pic, the flagship restaurant at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. The petite head chef from Valence – the only female chef with three Michelin stars in her native France – is passionate about the fruits of nature in the area surrounding Lausanne too. She arranges old tomato varieties from Morges attractively in a circle on the plate. An entrecôte of Vaud Limousin beef is smoked briefly before being cooked and served with grilled mini aubergines, roasted Japanese buckwheat and shiso juice in a fun and flavoursome dish.

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is served in two courses. First the breast is covered in a cherry and red wine vinegar sauce and served with yellow carrots and beans. Next comes the leg with mashed potato. If you want to taste this divine food, though, you’ll need to book months in advance because it’s not easy to get a table here. If you head away from Lausanne towards Geneva, you’ll arrive in a whole different culinary world in less than an hour. The restaurant Izumi at the Four Seasons serves up delicious sushi, sashimi and tempura. The L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at The Woodward is not to be missed and Per u’s superstar chef Gastón Acurio adds exciting South American flavours to the dishes on the menu at Yakumanka at the Mandarin Oriental. This restaurant is known for being laidback, with tiled walls to make it look like a basic cevecheria. At the counter, you can admire whole fish on ice, including turbot, John Dory and rascasse. May we recommend the traditional ceviche or tiradito, such as the one with blue prawns, leche de tigre and Huacatay oil from the Amazonas. The best restaurant in town, however, specialises in traditional French cuisine with a modern twist. Le Chat-Botté is inside the Hotel Beau-Rivage, where Empress Sisi once stayed behind the neo-classical facade on the promenade. Head Chef Dominique Gauthier may have been born in France but he made himself at home in Romandy a long time ago. ‘My top sources of inspiration are nature around the lake and my vegetable grower’s garden.’ During the summer months, he collects up colourful tomatoes, fresh courgette flowers and handfuls of herbs. For his marinated salmon, he whips up an intense sorrel sauce. Meanwhile, he serves his lamb with artichokes from a mountain pasture high above Lake Morat and his perfectly cooked venison medallion comes with a yellow carrot millefeuille. He makes no compromises when it comes to fish, which he always sources from Brittany and Normandy. He knows the fishermen personally: ‘Sole is freshly caught by hand every day – bien sûr!’

YAKUMANKA

This formidable chef is in good company in Lausanne. In the Crissier suburb, fellow triple-star chef Franck Giovannini cooks in the kitchen of the legendary Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville. As one of only four chefs to have been named ‘Chef of the Century’ by Gault&Millau, Frédy Girardet originally earned this establishment its reputation. The pressed duck, sliced at the table, is prepared by the Swiss kitchen team like clockwork – still following the original recipe. It 106

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pursuit of excellence LUXURY & ENJOYMENT

We join forces with our partners to set new standards in the Swiss world of luxury hotels. We are constantly raising the bar when it comes to innovation, sustainability, digitalisation and the very thing we do best of all – deluxe indulgence.

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A FOODIE ROAD TRIP WORDS REINHARD MODRITZ PHOTOS MICHAEL HANNWACKER

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A zippy vintage car, striking scenery and some of the finest epicurean destinations the country has to offer. With Switzerland’s landscapes that are nothing short of sensational, what could be more enticing than a road trip through its idyllic scenery starring wondrous mountains and lakes?

We set off in a vintage Porsche 911 with the top down (the last G model in case you’re wondering), ready for an epic gastronomic road trip starting in Grisons, taking in the most scenic routes through the cantons of St. Gallen, Glarus, Schwyz, Lucerne, Zug and finally Zurich. Working our way up the Rhine along the Hinterrhein, we cruise leisurely over the rough-and-ready rural roads that eventually lead us to our first stop, Fürstenau. The tiny village – by some accounts the smallest in the world – holds a paramount place on the international foodie map. The reason for such notoriety is Schloss Schauenstein, a historical castle perched atop a hill overlooking Fürstenau, and famous as the gourmet home to legendary chef Andreas Caminada. Since 2003 the Swiss culinary supremo has been delighting patrons in his three Michelin-starred restaurant, offering guests a compelling reason to stay longer in one of nine beautifully appointed guestrooms at the castle. The perfect place to rest after enjoying an exquisite and memorable gastronomic experience. 111

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ery of the Bündner Herrschaft region in the northernmost corner of Grisons. You’d be forgiven for not having heard of the fine wines originating from this region. That’s because the Swiss tend to keep them for themselves, with local bottles served across the tables of the country’s top hotels and restaurants. Driving into the canton of St. Gallen, we head to the spatown of Bad Ragaz, famously known for its natural spring. The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz has become synonymous with wellness and medical health like few other hotels in the country. We check in to the luxurious Quellenhof designed by Swiss architect Claudio Carbone, and enjoy all of its creature comforts. As part of the resort, it is one of several high-end accommodation options, but we have actually stopped here to see one man and one man only: Sven Wassmer, the chef behind two restaurants with three Michelin stars each – the celebrated Memories and Verve by Sven. Needless to say, yet another set of culinary experiences that are a definitive cut above the rest.

Schauenstein offers not one but two top-tier epicure outposts ranking high on any self-respecting bon vivant’s bucket list. Just a stone’s throw away in the property’s old carriage workshop, the garden-to-table OZ fares vegetarian masterpieces under the auspices of chef Timo Fritsche. The former head chef of three-Michelin starred La Vie in Osnabrück now delights his guests over a custom-made sycamore chef’s table – or counter – that wraps around the open kitchen in the shape of a horseshoe. Patrons get up close and personal as Fritsche works his magic with the freshest of produce. Wandering through the estate’s gardens every morning, he creates daily menus based on what looks fresh, ripe and tasty. Giving live to skilled creations, it is a pleasure to watch him conjure up delicious dishes such as the aubergine in a saffron sauce with fermented garlic. Oz means ‘today’ in Romansch and lends itself perfectly to the restaurant’s concept. As we continue our journey, we find ourselves marvelling at the picturesque scen112

A FEAST FOR THE EYES This faultless resort feeds the mind, body and soul. Before continuing our trip, we decide to walk off our breakfast in the sprawling park in the town’s centre. As luck would have it, we come across the triennial Bad RagARTz art trail, showcasing the works of international artists including Stefano Bombardieri, whose monumental bronze sculpture ‘Marta e l’elefante’ has proven to be a genuine crowd pleaser.

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ALLURING SUNSET

With the roof down, we continue on to the next leg of our journey and are treated to magnificent views of Sant Jöüri, Eastern Switzerland’s oldest Roman chapel. Just half an hour’s drive later, we are greeted by spectacular panoramic views of the southern shores of Lake Walen, where we stop for a laid-back stroll around the local monastery just as the sun begins to set. The sight of the water shimmering in the twilight is so captivating that we almost forget to check-in to our next top sleepery. That would have been a terrible shame, of course, considering that Park Hotel Vitznau is one of the country’s most luxurious (almost) private retreats. Amongst the 48 residences, rooms and suites, the most appealing ones are those overlooking the majestic lake. As night falls, we head to yet another epicurean highlight. Focus Atelier headed by chef Patrick Mahler is as known for its fare as it is for the 32,000-label wine cellar, judiciously overseen by Head of Wine and sommelier Sven Uzat. Following our visit to this wine-lovers Shangri-la, we are seated for dinner in the glass building that stands in stark contrast to the palatial structure of the property. Uzat recommends a 2015 Saumur AOC Brézé, a wonderful Chenin Blanc from Domaine Romain Guiberteau. The perfect pairing for our cod dish served with mussels, walnuts and a light butter sauce that is masterfully prepared by chef Mahler. Back in our respective suites, it is hard to tear ourselves apart from the breath-taking vistas of the water and the mountains beyond. As we pull into Zurich the next day and navigate the city’s hustle-and-bustle, La Réserve Eden au Lac’s Neo-Baroque façade reflects handsomely on

our bonnet. There was never any doubt that this lakefront property, another fine example of Swiss Deluxe hospitality, would feature as a sure stopping point on our route. Inside, the contemporary décor and cool vibes of this establishment of only 40 rooms lives up to its reputation as Zurich’s latest place to be. With the swimming pier of Utoquai just a few steps away and Lake Zurich’s panorama spreading in front of us as far as the eye can see, designer Philippe Starck has created the decor in the style of a yacht club. On the rooftop of this imaginary nautical hub, executive chef Marco Ortolani serves up the perfect fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisines at La Muña. On the ground floor, in the slightly more laid-back Eden Kitchen & Bar, the Ducasse protégé serves up a menu of Italian-inspired dishes in elegantly muted interiors with natural leather sofas and tables, large bay windows and multicoloured stained-glass windows created by artist Ara Starck. A perfectly suited grand finale to our glorious gourmet tour of Switzerland.

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Blaue Stunden Neue Traumquartiere an der Côte d’Azur

Neue Insel-Paläste auf Mauritius, in Kroatien und in Venedig

paradise found Offering a plenitude of options for families in a paradisiac setting, guests of Ascona’s elegant Hotel Eden Roc enjoy culinary delights, lakefront entertainment and the highest level of five-star hospitality. Earthly pleasures abound await guests both big and small. WORDS AND PHOTOS OLIVER SCHMUKI

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ness depends on nothing else than a set of crayons, this weekend should be a breeze. Fast forward a few hours and we find ourselves sitting at a table under the soft light of a bright full moon. While somewhere someone plays the piano, swaying leaves of palm trees perform a natural ballet, welcoming us to this most perfect of summer evenings. Everyone present, many guests very obviously regulars, is sporting a content smile. Meanwhile my son, sipping away at his syrupy beverage, mutters, more to himself than to anyone in particular: ‘It really does feel like we have arrived in paradise, dad.’ This time, it is me who can’t help but to nod in absolute approval, just an inch away from shedding a sentimental tear into my sparkling rosé nightcap.

hen destinations boldly lure us with claims such as being ‘paradise on earth’, one could be forgiven for entertaining expectations of truly biblical proportions. As we find ourselves on a train bound for Ticino one lazy summer afternoon, my children and I keep busy daydreaming about the heavenly days that lay ahead of us in Switzerland’s most Mediterranean of cantons. While daddy pictures himself sipping a cocktail or two on the shores of Lake Maggiore without a care in the world, the kids feverishly express their expectations of our destination, a place called Eden Roc. ‘I expect there to be drawing paper and coloured pencils in every room’, I hear my son saying, his younger sister nodding in unconditional agreement. I can’t help but smile; if their happi117

´It really does feel like we have arrived in paradise, dad.´

Early the next morning we discuss itinerary options on the patio of Eden Roc’s restaurant over sweet pancakes, freshly squeezed juices, and perfect eggs Benedict on my plate. The food is outshone only by the stunning view to the south across the majestic lake. But since the lake is missing jacuzzi jets, the pool area is where we decide to spend most of our day. This is fine by me because ever since my daughter ditched her floaties earlier this summer, there is little she enjoys more than submerging herself in anything larger than a kitchen sink. Actually, it is a mystery to me there still isn’t any webbing growing between her toes. 118

Following a delightful seafood lunch at La Casetta, an idyllic lakefront spot, I decide to add some extra sprinkle to today’s fun activities that will certainly put their bravery to the test. We are expected down at the hotel’s private harbour where a giant banana is waiting for dessert. My son’s face lightens up as soon as he realizes the fruit in question is inedible – but rather inflatable! What ensues is a wet, wild, and tumultuous adventure. The happy shrieks and terrified screams of a pack of adventurous children, the sound of their bodies skidding off the banana boat and splashing into the cool lake, the howling engine of our captain’s speed boat – this action-packed afternoon will forever remain embedded in our memories. Next up is waffle-making at the Kids Club. Not for me, however, since I am saving room for tonight’s dinner. Strolling past the romantic stone building that houses La Casetta, I run into Michael Lehnort, general manager of the Carlton Hotel in St. Moritz. He’s standing at a makeshift patio bar wearing an apron and mixing non-alcoholic beverages. We chit-chat for a bit until my children run up to me. With the corners of her mouth still sporting evidence of the recent chocolaty experience, my daughter tells me about this girl she has met who apparently owns 24 hairbands: ‘That way she has one for every hour of the day’, she explains. It’s nice to see that we are all making new friends so easily around here.

The following days are packed with the building blocks of the magical stuff unforgettable memories are made of: a fantastic dinner at the Michelin-starred La Brezza featuring chef Marco Campanella’s culinary marvels; long chats until late into the evening; watching the bats circling around in the balmy summer breeze; visits to the kitchen where we were gifted a chef’s toque as a souvenir et cetera. The list of small but meaningful moments is endless: bedtime stories placed on the kids’ pillows every night, excursions to the Verzasca Valley, hikes through the woods and yet more Banana Boat rides. In hindsight, during our return home, the kids inform me of only one regret: not having had a chance to take a bubble bath in our suite’s gigantic tub. I think it’s safe to say that after a few summer days spent here, we can all agree that Eden Roc is, in fact, a little piece of paradise on earth. Ticino’s beautiful natural landscapes, the shores of Lake Maggiore, the picturesque town of Ascona and its charming broadwalk, not to mention the mountains, valleys, rivers and forests make up this region’s appeal. Combined with Eden Roc’s worldclass service and amenities, our weekend may have been ephemeral in measurable hours – but it created memories that will undoubtedly live on for a lifetime.

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forecast made in Andermatt

A crackling fireside chat at The Chedi Andermatt about the future, sustainability and megatrends between Henrik Wenders, Head of Brand, Audi AG, and Jean-Yves Blatt, General Manager at The Chedi Andermatt and Hotelier of the Year 2020/2021.

Future is an Attitude. What exactly is the meaning behind Audi’s slogan? Henrik Wenders: The future doesn’t just happen – it’s a mindset. Creating the future you want takes a certain attitude. The Chedi Andermatt, for example, only came into being here because someone had a vision for Andermatt and wanted to have a hand in shaping the future. But alongside attitude, you also need courage and optimism. Audi used to define progress as ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ (progress through technology/ engineering). These days, however, the future’s more than just technology. It’s about creating experiences. This has always been the case at Audi, but the future’s becoming more multidimensional. The human being is always at the centre. Whether it’s about driving an Audi or staying at The Chedi Andermatt, in the end, we’re vying for people’s lifetimes.

Jean-Yves Blatt: That’s exactly how I see it. The future is partly about creating a vision. When Samih Sawiris was envisioning The Chedi in Andermatt, there wasn’t much more here than a redundant army base. You need a lot of strength to create something like The Chedi Andermatt – and the conviction that it will work. How do you know that your strategy for the future is right? Jean-Yves Blatt: You develop an instinct. As a hotelier, you have to keep developing trends and trying things out. Since we can’t simply rebuild The Chedi Andermatt, we create new things with the software, i.e. the staff. Our team’s very good at that. Part of the reason is that the average age of the staff is some ten years less than in other luxury hotels. We reap the benefits of this youthful freshness.

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district heating system. We also have energy recovery systems as well as programmes to combat food waste and so on. We use regional products and reduce energy consumption through continuous innovation. Our ice rink, for instance, has a synthetic surface. But this is only the beginning – it’s an ongoing process of optimisation. Is sustainability the megatrend of the future? Henrik Wenders: Sustainability is one megatrend of the future and another one is digitalisation. Audi is increasingly transforming itself from a pure car manufacturer to a tech company that builds smart devices. As at The Chedi, the hardware of the vehicle will remain the same, while the software will individualise each car and make it unique. Jean-Yves Blatt: The future of the hotel sector undoubtedly lies in digitalisation, from the self-check-in to the personalised menu offering. The guest experience is becoming ever more tailored, ever more personal. Even in a hotel with many tens of thousands of guests a year, the guest of the future will feel as if they are the only one. Fully digitalised hotels already exist, but not in the premium segment. The luxury hotel segment mustn’t let this trend pass it by. Will luxury eventually become obsolete? Henrik Wenders: I think the desire for luxury is instinctive. Even 2000 years ago, people were striving for an exclusive experience, for recreation or mobility. That will still be the case in a thousand years from now. The luxury of the future will of course be sustainable, but much more tailored to the individual. Jean-Yves Blatt: Size, room layout, design, materials: luxury is a sensory experience, which means it will never go out of fashion. But I agree with Henrik – the luxury of the future in the premium hotel segment will become more personal, as long as it’s based on sustainability.

´We’ve created a real win-win situation by transforming ourselves into a purely electrical supplier.´

Henrik Wenders: Our antenna system is widely distributed and highly strategic. We have trend and market research hubs in Europe, Asia and the USA, but we’re also in constant contact with all our markets. Think about it: a new model has a product lead time of five years, followed by a life cycle of seven years on average. For instance, we’re currently working on a limousine-class vehicle that’s due to launch in the middle of this decade. It will be keeping customers mobile into the 2030s. That’s what I love about the automotive industry. We benefit from over 110 years of experience and from the influence of 115 countries in which we’re present. And we have over 20 million customers worldwide who are currently getting around in a vehicle with four rings. We reach an additional 80 million people via social media. All this to say: we have a voice in the best-informed society in the history of humankind. And we want to use it. What is your message? Henrik Wenders: Sustainability is now no longer a compromise, but an experience. We’re on the brink of a new consciousness. We’ve come to realise that we need to act to stop climate change. Audi’s investing 18 billion euros in hybridisation and electrification alone between now and 2026. We’ve created a real winwin situation by transforming ourselves into a purely electrical supplier. Every Audi e-tron, for instance, is handed over to our customers with a carbon-neutral balance sheet and can be driven without tailpipe CO2 emissions. How important is sustainability in the luxury hotel segment? Jean-Yves Blatt: Sustainability will also gain in importance in the luxury hotel segment. The construction of The Chedi Andermatt is Minergie-compliant, while the hotel draws electricity from 100 per cent renewable energies and is heated by a carbon-neutral 122

´Sustainability is one megatrend of the future. Another one is digitalisation.´

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and oskar goes to … bad ragaz A trip to a thermal spa with a water-loving Labrador – what could go wrong? WORDS TITUS ARNU PHOTOS ENNO KAPITZA

our garden pond to doggy paddle for a few laps and shake up the goldfish a bit in the process. His favourite walking routes involve a river or lake. This strong swimmer is in the water like a shot – all year round and whatever the weather. Did you know that Labradors have webbed feet? They were bred as retrievers for waterfowl hunting and were historically used to help fishermen retrieve nets from the water. So it’s no secret that Labrador Retrievers love water and need to live in an environment where they have plenty of opportunities to swim. Morocco, Chad and Eritrea would not be dream destinations for Labradors, who would much rather head for Canada, Norway or Switzerland. Let’s imagine we did ask a load of Labradors to complete a survey on their top holiday spots … What’s the bet that they’d be looking for some-

Some dog trainers swear by spray bottles as a way of deterring bad behaviour. A spritz of cold water in the face is apparently enough to stop your pup from jumping up at you or stealing food from your plate. But this training method has the opposite effect on my dog Oskar. The second he sees me pick up the spray bottle, he starts wagging his tail. Before I know it, he’s assumed the position and is ready for a refreshing spray of water. He turns his head like a model in a shampoo advert and catches those thirst-quenching droplets on his tongue. The look in his eye says, ‘Yes baby, give it to me!’ Oskar sure does love the water – it’s in his nature as a Labrador. How could something so good ever be a punishment? He jumps straight into the shower with me and stands under the water for a rinse. At least once a day, I find him happily climbing into 124

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where with rivers, lakes, pools, ponds, fountains, wells, delicious food, parks for walkies and nice big trees to lift their leg up against? Hold on a minute … That sounds a bit like Bad Ragaz! The Tamina River flows through the spa town, where it meets the Rhine. And you should see the humongous trees in the gardens in front of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. What an irresistible invitation for our four-legged friends to mark their territory! As you approach the hotel entrance, steam comes off the thermal water bubbling up and flowing down a stylish black stone water feature. If Oskar could have his way, he’d be rolling around in all that watery goodness. But that’s just not an option. We can’t very well check into a fancy hotel like this with a soaking wet dog in tow – even if the place does revolve around all things water.

A whole world of thermal water awaits at the Grand Resort. At a constant temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius, this healing water is said to work wonders – for the human guests among us at least. It flows out of all the drinking fountains, is used to fill every swimming pool in the hotel complex and is even served in carafes on the tables for dinner. At a rate of 7000 litres per minute, it bubbles up at a source in the Tamina Gorge close to the hotel. Research suggests that the water originates in the Tödi or Piz Sardona mountains. It is warmed in deep layers of rock until it makes its way to the surface through crevices in Pfäfers, near Bad Ragaz, after more than a decade, having been enriched with precious minerals and brought up to body temperature. The Tamina Therme public thermal baths were opened back in 1872 as Europe’s first indoor pool facility with thermal water. At the turn of the 20th century, Bad Ragaz was one of Europe’s most prominent spa resorts. Famous authors like Rainer Maria Rilke, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Thomas Mann and Victor Hugo spent many a relaxing week and month here, channelling the energy of the water into the flow of their writing. It didn’t take long for the place to become known for its fountain of youth effect. All kinds of powers have been attributed to the thermal water – it stimulates blood circulation, soothes the muscles and connective tissue, relieves inflammation and rheumatic conditions, boosts the metabolism and immune system, optimises mobility, cleanses the skin and busts stress. Now, a three-year-old dog like Oskar isn’t really bothered about any of that because he’s the picture of health. Just as well, really, because the spa isn’t open to furry, four-legged guests who don’t stop panting. Thank goodness! A water bowl and treats await in our spacious room. Oskar stares out at the park through the balcony window. Leaves rustle in the wind and water babbles in the distance. Oh so calm. Oskar falls asleep but keeps moving 125

OSKAR

´ If Oskar could sit at a dinner table and eat a civilised meal with cutlery in hand, he would make a fine restaurant critic! ´

his paws with his eyes closed. No doubt dreaming of a full-on splashing session. Time for his owner to enjoy some of the perks of staying at this ultra-luxurious hotel. It’s made up of several buildings joined together. The oldest part dates back to 1774, but the main building is 150 years old and underwent a major renovation in 2019. Dogs are welcome here – just not in the listed rooms of the historic Quellenhof part of the hotel or in the swimming pools, saunas or swanky restaurants. But they have free reign of several hotel terraces, two less formal restaurants, the lobby and the bar. And that’s the way it should be. If Oskar could sit at a dinner table and eat a civilised meal with cutlery in hand, he would make a fine restaurant critic. You’d struggle to find someone with a better nose than him. Did you know that people have five million olfactory receptor cells, whilst Labradors have as many as 225 million? For starters, he could definitely have a good go at the tasting session run by sommelière Irina Taculina at the Grand Resort’s water bar. Oskar knows from experience that not all water tastes the same. He has no shame in drinking from puddles, buckets, streams, lakes

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and bowls, you see. Now, us humans struggle a bit more with differences in flavour when it comes to water. The sommelière hands out bog standard mineral water samples and thermal water from Bad Ragaz. And it turns out that the good stuff tastes mild and rounded compared to the mineral water we’re used to. Whilst his owner is off indulging in the spectacular culinary genius of chef Sven Wassmer at Memories, a restaurant with two Michelin stars, Oskar tucks into a delicious dinner in his room. The dish of salmon strips with rice has been freshly prepared just for him. You should know that fish is a firm favourite amongst water-loving dogs like Oskar. It may even almost trump meat. His compliments to the chef – he wolfs the whole lot down in about five seconds with a vigorous wag of his tail. When we set off for our late evening walk through the gardens, Oskar makes no secret of the fact that he’d very much like to jump straight into the thermal water. And, to be honest, I don’t blame him. Suddenly, he stops still as a statue with all the hair on his back standing on end. The two huge statues on the grass in front of the hotel have spooked him. They don’t move as they appear to gaze peacefully at the mountains. A man and a woman made of ceramic, brick, cement and glass, ‘The Couple’ is a sculpture by German artist Klaus Schultze featured in the Bad RagARTz exhibition. Oskar growls at the pair of them. He may have a taste for water but his eye for art needs a bit of work. Perhaps this stone-dry pair just aren’t wet enough for him.

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Magic Moments at Unique PlaceS PARTNERS OF SWISS TOP EVENTS:

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Magic moments at unique places

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all events

15 – 18 June 2023

ART BASEL

1 – 16 July 2022

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

13 – 15 January 2023

The New York Times dubbed it the ‘Art Olympics’, Vogue called it ‘the most beautiful temporary museum in the world’, and Le Monde simply hailed it as ‘the best in the world’. Art Basel, the premier international art show, attracts and inspires art lovers from across the globe year after year. artbasel.com

FIS SKI WORLD CUP LAUBERHORN WENGEN

In January 2023 the 93rd International Lauberhorn Races will be held in Wengen in the beautiful Bernese Oberland. The world’s best Alpine skiers will compete in the Downhill on Friday, on the legendary Lauberhorn slope on Saturday, and in the Slalom on Sunday. lauberhorn.ch

The Festival is renowned for its unique heritage and legendary concerts. With its intimate ambience and renowned hospitality, it offers a unique experience for artists and public alike.

25 – 28 August 2022

OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS CRANS-MONTANA

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CALENDER AND DATES

The Omega European Masters, which takes places in Crans-Montana (VS), has offered its 50,000 spectators magical moments in a breathtaking Alpine environment ever since 1939. Professional golfers from all over the world come to compete in the most stunning setting of the DP World Tour schedule.

You can find further information and details at swisstopevents.ch

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7 – 8 September 2022

WELTKLASSE ZÜRICH

18 – 20 November 2022 31 March – 2 April 2023 18 – 21 May 2023 8 August – 10 September 2023

LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Never stop – following its motto, Weltklasse Zürich will not only feature European, World and Olympic champions, but a true world class experience: 32 Wanda Diamond League Finals at two venues – the city’s famous Sechseläutenplatz and the legendary Letzigrund Stadium for the best track and field action!

5, 12, 19 February 2023

WHITE TURF ST. MORITZ

weltklassezuerich.ch

The largest classical music festival in Switzerland is one of the leading music promoters worldwide. The summer festival’s distinctive programme presents internationally famous orchestras, conductors, and soloists and also encompasses contemporary music, support for young artists, and the development of innovative concert formats. lucernefestival.ch

3 – 13 August 2022

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL

The fascination for the world’s only horse race on a frozen lake has remained for generations. Featuring traditional skijoring, flat, trot and pony races, White Turf St. Moritz attracts VIPs from around the globe, locals and betting enthusiasts alike. whiteturf.ch

Every summer since 1946 the Locarno Film Festival has brought the world’s most innovative cinema to the shore of Lake Maggiore. Thanks to its free spirit, the Festival has become an incubator of ideas and new projects, with educational and cultural activities organised throughout the year. locarnofestival.ch

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Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly, Spring and Summer Festival 2022

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An exceptional event with a varied programme and openminded approach, Lucerne Festival provides a stage for star performers and opens doors for new names on the music scene. For the first time in its long history, the main event was pre-empted by a short but emotionally charged spring festival in 2022.

A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY WORDS ALEX KÜHN

When I was younger, I used to go to the international classical music festival in Lucerne every summer with my dad and my uncle – members of the Zurich Opera Orchestra. To be honest, I only really went for the meals out in restaurants after the concerts. And yet I was obviously aware that this festival really meant something to the pair of them. Even my father, who showed lifelong admiration for his teacher Heinz Holliger and always slightly doubted his own ability to play oboe, couldn’t hide his feelings of pride. And now, over three decades later, I can’t help but feel proud that my family was part of this extraordinary event for a while. An extraordinary event that has been called the Lucerne Festival since the year 2000. What I wouldn’t give to jump in a time machine and travel back to the days when my dad and my uncle were making music in Lucerne. Now, that’s obviously not possible. But, as luck would have it, the Lucerne Festival is still an incredible event to this day. And that’s because it’s being run by a team that’s not afraid to try new

things and deal with sensitive issues. Like the connection between Richard Wagner, who lived in Lucerne for six years, and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Although Wagner was a talented composer, he was also a vehement anti-Semite. After Mendelssohn’s death, he made it clear that he resented the admiration he had once felt for his fellow musician. As a way of paying tribute to the wrongfully vilified composer in Lucerne, a place Wagner once called home, the first-ever spring festival in April 2022 was dedicated to Mendelssohn. ‘We came up with the idea of focusing the programme on the musical genius of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. His symphonic repertoire mixed with pieces that are linked to his work or had some influence on him,’ explains Riccardo Chailly, the Music Director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, who, like Mendelssohn Bartholdy himself, was the Conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra for many years and has studied the life and work of the famous composer extensively. 133

Heinz Holliger is related to the festival as oboist, composer and conductor

Lang Lang to perform with Daniel Barenboim

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AnneSophie Mutter

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LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra opened the first concert of the three-day spring festival with Wagner’s Parsifal Prelude. The Music Director had his reason for this decision: ‘It’s important to me to make the link between the Parsifal Prelude and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 – because of the Dresden amen. Wagner used the sequence in his Parsifal exactly half a century after Mendelssohn had used it.’ The Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper praised this idea in its article with the headline ‘Gratification at last for Felix Mendelssohn’. It went on to say: ‘Wagner once stated in his anti-Semitic pamphlet that ‘Jewish musicians were capable of nothing more than parroting back what they had already heard’. And yet his criticism can quite easily be turned back around on himself.’ Alongside Mendelssohn and his nemesis, there was plenty of room for more contemporary music on the spring festival programme. On the second evening, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra performed a fundraising concert for war-torn Ukraine. Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov’s bagatelle for piano, op. 1, no. 2, and Dmitri Schostakowitsch’s piano trio op. 67 were added to the original programme of pieces by Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. Schostakowitsch composed his iconic funeral music in 1944, using it to process the death of his friend and scholar of music and literature, Iwan Sollertinski, along with his despair at the Second World War. The piece perfectly embodies the words of French writer Victor Hugo: ‘Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.’ German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, Austrian-Iranian cellist Kian Soltani and Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva played for free – as did all the other musicians that evening. The KKL Lucerne didn’t charge for the hire of the venue for the fundraising con-

cert. All proceeds were donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to help people in need in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries. An honourable gesture during these dark days.

´Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.´ T he theme of the summer Lucerne Festival, taking place between 9 August and 11 September 2022, is diversity. This is acknowledgement of the fact that classical music was reserved mainly for white men until the second half of the 20th century. The festival website explains that there is still plenty of progress to be made in this area even though the situation has obviously improved a lot since then. The festival theme is a cry for more diversity within the world of classical music. And the Lucerne Festival team, headed up by Executive and Artistic Director Michael Haefliger since 1999, has made a real effort to invite musicians from groups of the population who have traditionally been under-represented on the classical music scene. For one thing, women are well represented in the programme, which features 24 female composers from the Romantic period to the present day along with plenty of soloists. Even for the biggest names in classical music, appearing at this festival on Lake Lucerne is a special occasion: ‘I’m impressed that the Lucerne Festival always manages to put together such a fantastic programme and I’m absolutely delighted to be performing this year,’ says leading Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He’s due to appear at the KKL Lucer ne on 15 August, when he’ll be performing works by Maurice Ravel (Rapsodie 136

LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Soprano Golda Schultz, artiste étoile in summer 2022

137

The Festival’s first concert will present the Chineke! Junior Orchestra

138

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey, artiste étoile in summer 2022

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LUCERNE FESTIVAL

éspagnole and Boléro), Manuel de Falla (Noches en los jardines de España) and Claude Debussy (Images pour orchestre II: Ibéria). He’ll be accompanied by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which was founded in 1999 by the conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Palestinian professor of literature Edward Said. What makes this orchestra

´I fell in love with it as a teenager when I heard Alicia de Larrocha perform it. I don’t need to explain why it’s the perfect choice for a summer festival.´ special is the fact that it is made up of young musicians from Israel and the Arab world in equal parts. Other members of the orchestra come from Turkey and Iran. Barenboim, a successful pianist in his own right, will be appearing at the conductor’s stand in Lucerne himself. Lang Lang is thrilled by this news as a former student of Barenboim: ‘I’ve missed performing with him! Even though I find myself feeling more nervous than usual when I’m around him. Maestro Barenboim doesn’t just know every single note in a piece of music. He also knows all the background behind it. That alone is so admirable.’ Lang Lang has his own links to the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra too. ‘We collaborated many years ago in Seville. I remember being impressed by the orchestra’s passion and thirst for knowledge. The line-up has obviously changed since then, but the same spirit remains strong,’ he says. Noches en los jardines de España by Manuel de Falla is one of the Chinese pianist’s all-time favourite pieces of music: ‘I fell in love with it as a teenager when I heard Alicia de Larrocha perform it. I don’t need to explain why it’s the perfect choice for a summer festival.’ 140

Music Director Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra will officially be opening the summer of music in Lucerne on 12 August. Before that, though, world-famous youth orchestras will provide a warm-up for the summer’s main event as part of Music for Future. The Chineke! Orchestra – founded by bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku and starring musicians aged between 11 and 20 – will perform the first concert on 9 August. Next up will be the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, a group from the Ilumina festival and social project founded in São Paulo in 2015, and the choir and orchestra from Superar Suisse, a charity that gives children and teenagers the chance to play music regardless of their social background and financial situation. Eighteen orchestras will be making guest appearances in Lucerne within the space of a month, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The music has obviously been selected with the festival’s theme – diversity – in mind, with many of the concerts at the Lucerne Festival giving a nod to other musical genres. Tyshawn Sorey will be encouraging the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra to improvise with jazz and avant garde music, while Juan Diego Flórez will be putting Spanish operettas centre stage with the Sinfonía por el Perú Youth Orchestra and a selection of tunes from zarzuelas. George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess will be performed given that it was the first opera that featured people of colour exclusively along with its songs, spirituals and jazz influences. The Vienna Philharmonic will play the Turangalîla Symphony by Olivier Messiaen with its Indian rhythms and Indonesian gamelan sounds.

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100 km

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PUBLISHING CREDITS

H MAGAZINE THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SWISS DELUXE HOTELS DISTRIBUTION H Magazine is distributed across the Swiss Deluxe Hotels member network, reaching a combined 1.5 million guests per year. Additionally, the magazine is available at selected retailers and bookstores in Austria as well as in Germany, First and Business Class Lounges in Switzerland, Germany, Paris and London and is available at Globus Stores throughout Switzerland. It reaches an additional 40,000 readers through its online platforms. H Magazine is further distributed at the World Economic Forum in Davos and is available as an e-reader app version to guests in properties across Switzerland. PUBLICATION H Magazine is published twice a year, in July and December PUBLISHER Swiss Deluxe Hotels | Augustinergasse 30 | 8001 Zürich

COVER PHOTO

The Lac Léman – Taken by Swiss photographer Nico Schaerer – is with almost 600 km2 the largest lake in Switzerland and France and connects the two countries.

INTRODUCING GUESTS TO THE WORLD OF SWISS DELUXE HOTELS

Fascinating and informative stories, interviews, and theme features on gastronomy, lifestyle, luxury, trends, and business topics, as well as interesting long reads. H Magazine conveys Swiss flair, savoir-vivre, and the well-established world of Swiss Deluxe Hotels and their sophisticated guests. All texts are written by renowned Swiss journalists. They offer guest experiences and glances behind the scenes. H Magazine is aimed at readers who love exquisite service and are interested in learning more about the passion and work of inspiring people who contribute to the success of Swiss Deluxe Hotels. The magazine would like to both surprise and fascinate readers – in an elegant fashion.

CONTRIBUTORS Alex Kuehn | a.kuehn@marmite.ch Beatrice Lessi | beatrice@askthemonsters.com Claudio del Principe | claudio@delprincipe.ch Clifford Lilley | clifford@clifford-lilley.com Enno Kapitza | contact@ennokapitza.de Mark van Huisseling | info@markvanhuisseling.ch Martin Hoch | martin@nuvu.ch Michael Hannwacker | mh@travellersworld.de Nico Schaerer | mail@nicoschaerer.com Oliver Schmuki | oschmuki@gmail.com Patricia Bröhm | patricia.broehm@t-online.de Peter Keller | peter.keller@nzz.ch Reinhard Modritz | rm@travellersworld.de Stefan Hottinger-Behmer | Stefan@thediscerningnomad.com Steffi Hidber | steffi@heypretty.ch Thomas Hauer | thomashauer@web.de Titus Arnu | titusarnu@mac.com PRINTED BY Stämpfli AG I Wölflistrasse 1 I 3001 Bern WEBSITE swissdeluxehotels.com H MAGAZINE ONLINE swissdeluxehotels.com/en/magazine H MAGAZINE BLOG swissdeluxehotels.com/en/blog DISTRIBUTION PARTNER Gold Key Media Germany GmbH COOPERATION PARTNERS Traveller’s World Verlag GmbH, Falstaff Schweiz AG, Editorial Media Group AG Would you like to sell our H Magazine in your book shop? Please write to: gorgos@swissdeluxehotels.com

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SWITZERLAND’S LEADING SHOPPING DESTINATION

BASEL PROVISORIUM FREIE STRASSE 50 4001 BASEL

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LAUSANNE RUE DU PONT 5 1003 LAUSANNE

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