La Dolce Vino: A visit to Italy reminds me that there’s more to Tuscan wine than hype July 2, 2015 I had a long weekend recently in Florence, cautiously reacquainting myself with the pleasures and pitfalls of Tuscan wine – and came away feeling that I’ve been too timid about the region for too long. With good reason, I might add. I have drunk more duff bottles of wine from Italy than any other nation [...]
Tailors cut from a different cloth: Is the cost of a tailored Saville Row suit worth it? July 1, 2015 Should you splash out on a bespoke Savile Row suit or opt for a more affordable travelling tailor? We take a look at the options, with one from Edit Suits which is less than £600 and a fully bespoke offering from Hardy Amies at £4,000 and above. The pitch: Edit Suits will send one [...]
Getting Shirty: Never iron a shirt again with this new bespoke service July 1, 2015 Have you ever had your laundry done at a five-star hotel? If so, you’ll know the glee that comes with that knock at the door, the sumptuous stack of boxes, the decadent unwrapping of your Sunday best – all crisply pressed and folded around an arrangement of tissue and card worthy of an origami champion. [...]
Restaurant review: Bill Granger’s third UK venture leaves us cold June 30, 2015 Last week I wrote about how Stevie Parle’s thoroughly brilliant restaurant Craft London is being used as bait to convince people they might want to live next to the O2 Arena. This week, I’m heading up to King’s Cross, which is several life-stages ahead of north Greenwich. Although it’s still being built, King’s Cross [...]
Why wine collectors should flock to the Brunello Montalcino 2010 June 30, 2015 Brunello di Montalcino 2010 has already established itself as the greatest Brunello vintage ever. The vintage releases began in January of this year, five years after the harvest. Brunello di Montalcino’s ageing requirements are painstaking, demanding two years in wood and the total ageing requirement of 50 months. The vintage has received unilateral praise [...]
Car review: Don’t judge the Audi RS3 Sportback by its flashy logo June 29, 2015 Do you chuckle when you press your car’s accelerator to the floor? Do you have an exhaust that barks so loudly it startles passersby? Does your car cover ground so quickly that it’s just a blur to pedestrians? If you wish you could answer yes to these questions, then Audi’s new £40,000 RS3 could [...]
Not convinced? June 29, 2015 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R PRICE: £30,820 0-62MPH: 5.3 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 165g/km MPG COMBINED: 39.8mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Four Stars BMW M135I PRICE: £31,195 0-62MPH: 5.1 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 188g/km MPG COMBINED: 35.3mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE [...]
Pictures: The Cartier Style et Luxe at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show June 29, 2015 Goodwood opened its doors to 185,000 spectators for the annual Festival of Speed and Moving Motor Show this weekend, with the Cartier 'Style et Luxe' concours d'élégance celebrating 20 years of involvement. As part of its overall theme, 'Flat-Out and Fearless – Racing on the Edge', exquisite classic cars across seven classes were on display. [...]
48 hours in… Malaga June 28, 2015 WHERE TO STAY The fourstar Hotel Molina Lario is discreetly located on a quiet street near the revamped marina and it’s popular with locals for Piscina Lounge, a large rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and grill restaurant that’s open all summer. From £116 per night, hotelmolinalario.com WHERE TO GO The Pompidou Centre has chosen [...]
Art review: Serpentine pavilion June 25, 2015 Hyde Park Three Stars From above it looks like a half masticated piece of bubblegum spat out by a thirsty giant in between slurps from the Serpentine Lake. A chaos of colourful plastic given structure by higgledy metal frames, the temporary pavilion was designed by Selgas Cano, a husband and wife team relatively unknown beyond [...]