TravelThe Vibrant and affordable Craggy Range Wines; Iconic Classics from New Zealand
Savvy in the Sky: Defying the paradox of poor wine drinking at 30,000 feet in the air by Simone Zarmati Diament Paradoxically, as airlines pack in as many passengers as an aircraft can possibly handle by reducing the space allotted to each traveler, they are investing more and more money into their wine offerings. However if they deliberately disregard the passengers’ comfort, they unwittingly ignore the fact that wines taste different in a pressurized cabin at 30,000 feet in the air. It appears that pressure can numb the senses of taste and smell just like a head cold would, and that the constant din of the engines ebbs the perception of salty while enhancing the sense of sweet. As a result, wines that are perfectly delicious and well-balanced on the ground can taste more tannic and acidic at a high altitude. What a quandary for the increase numbers of sommeliers hired by airlines to select the wines on board.
Photo: Terry Peabody in the cabin of his his private jet, a gorgeous and luxurious Dassault Falcon 7X.
This facts don’t seem to frazzle Terry Peabody, who sells a good percentage of the two million bottles he produces each year at hisCraggy Range Winery in New Zealand to airlines.
“The Emirate airlines is our largest single customer followed by Singapore airlines, and we are getting orders from more airlines… ” Mr. Peabody told me that morning, aboard his private jet, a gorgeous and luxurious Dassault Falcon 7X.
Photos: Kobrand's Jennica Ossi and Catherine Cutier, 2015 Craggy Range Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, New Zealand; Simone Diament, editor www.southfloridagourmet.com To prove that not all wines are alike - meaning that his do not falter when flying at high altitudes - Terry Peabody, the founder of Transpacific Industries and owner of Craggy Range Winery in New Zealand, had invited a group of journalists and wine trade members from Miami to sip his Craggy Range wines in the air while hopping over for lunch at the Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman. “We can go anywhere in the world with this plane and we invite journalists from London, Stockholm, Oslo, Geneva, for a day to another country to give them the opportunity to taste our wines in mid-air,” he said as he explained his program "Savvy-in-the-Sky". That is when he is not flying to Canada or the USA on business trips relating to his multi-million dollar company.
Photos: Veronica Litton, chief wine buyer at Crown Wine & Spirits with master sommelier Virginia Philip, wine director at the Breakers Palm Beach, owner of The Virginia Philip Wineshop & Academy; Jorge Mendoza, wine director of the Ritz Carlton, Key Biscayne; a view of Cuba (the jet's New Zealand registration allowed us to overfly the island.) Right after take-off, the complex floral, mineral, herbal aromas of the 2015 Craggy Range Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, from Martinborough, New Zealand ($21.00), hand-harvested from the estate-owned TeMuna Road Vineyards, filled the air, overpowering the smell of gasoline and of the jet’s new leather upholstery. Mr. Peabody proved his point. The wine’s complexity of aromas and tastes – fresh green apple, honeysuckle, kiwi and more, its acidity, and its fragrant and lingering finish were all there. “Wait till we land and you sip it with food,” he said with a mischievous smile. He was right!
Photos: Terry Peabody on the Beach of the Ritz Carlton, Gran Cayman; a copious buffet; delicious callalloo soup, all foods superbly paired with the wines.
While he lives in Australia and conducts his international business there, Mr. Peabody who is American by birth (he was born in Guam and raised in continental USA) was attracted by the affordable price of land and the uncharted spirit of New Zealand’s burgeoning wine industry. Harnessing the expertise of New Zealand viticulturist and Master of Wine, Steve Smith, and partnering with him, he set out to find the best sites, the best clones, and the top wine people, to help him make great wines. Craggy Range Winery was founded in 1997 with vineyards on the stony soils of the Gimblett Gravels District of Hawke’s Bay– a land owned by the cement cartel, and later on Martinborough, and now, with two winemaking facilities located in Hawke’s Bay, the winery produces Bordeaux red blends (from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot), Pinot Noir, Syrah, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé. Craggy Range produces three lines of wines: The Family Collection, the Limited Editions – from single-varietal, single-vineyard estate grapes from parcel specifically planted for that purpose - and the Prestige collection – a range of single varietals and blended wines from berries sourced from the Gimblett Gravels and the Te Muna Road vineyards. “Our Bordeaux blends can be aged for 40 year or more. We only produce single estate grown vineyard wines,” said Terry Peabody as he extolled the glory of his Pinot Noirs, light-bodied yet packed-full of complex and delightful flavors, and wished he would live a life as full and a long as his Le Sol, “and we reduce our production by 50% to maintain the quality we want.” The Craggy Range Winery wines we tasted: Whites: 2015 Craggy Range Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, New Zealand ($21.00) 2014 Craggy Range Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, New Zealand ($21.00) 2011 Craggy Range Kidnapper’s chardonnay, Hawke Bay, New Zealand ($22.00) Reds: 2011 Craggy Range Te Kahu, Merlot dominant Bordeaux Blend, Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand ($22.00) 2012 Craggy Range single vineyard Pinot Noir, Martinborough, New Zealand ($45.00) 2013 Craggy Range Sophia, Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand ($75.00) – Prestige collection 2009 Craggy Range Syrah, Le Sol, Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand ($75.00) – Prestige collection For additional information, log on to www.craggyrange.com Add new comment
TORONTO: a skip and a hop to an exciting multicultural metropolis
Les Caves du Louvre, a new kind of wine museum opens in Paris
A Museum of a new kind has just opened its doors in Paris. Les Caves du Louvre, not far from the eponymous museum, offer an new take on wine and terroir with an interactive cultural visit. With the help of Wineinparis, a mobile application downloaded prior to the visit on cell pones or tablets, the journey of initiation is meant to awaken every one of your senses to the tasting of wine. The experience unrolls in an incredible atmospheric 18th century cellar which happens to have been the wine cellar of the King of France Louis XV, curated by his sommelier Trudon, Blending workshops, tasting room and boutique combine to make the visit a different experience in wine. Admission starting at 11€, 52, rue de l’Arbre sec 75011 Paris www.cavesdulouvre.com Austrian Airlines Inaugurates Five Weekly non-stop Flights Vienna - Miami
You can now hop over to Vienna to catch the opera, or an opereta, visit the Belvedere or the Leopold Museum, stroll and nosh at the multinational stalls of Nasch Market, enjoy the Café Zentral like early 20th century intellectuals, or enjoy a Sacher Tort and a wurst and beer. On Friday, October 16, Austrian Airlines naugurated its first non-stop flights to Vienna from Miami. Flight service from Miami is offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Austrian Airlines will fly Vienna - Miami throughout the entire year arriving and departing from Terminal J, Departures Level, Miami International Airport, said Austrian Airlines’ CCO, Andreas Otto. The flight duration from Miami to Vienna, a distance of 8,400 kilometers, is approximately 9 hrs 45 minutes. Flights can be booked at www.austrian.com, by telephone at +1-800-843-0002 or in a travel agency. World’s Best Gelato Far East Asia – Gelato World Tour competition, Tokyo, 9/4
Finalists – from Japan, Taiwan (China) and South Korea – will compete on September 4 – 6 at the Komazawa Olympic Park in Tokyo For three days, September 4 – 6, Tokyo - the ninth stop of the Gelato World Tour (GWT) - will become the Gelato-Capital of the world as 16 selected gelato artisans of the Far East region, coming from Japan, Taiwan (China) and South Korea, compete for the prestigious “World’s Best Gelato – Far East Asia” title in the futuristic setting of the Komazawa Olympic Park. Exploring the world in search of flavor The Gelato World Tour, under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of Economic Development, is the first international traveling competition in search of the best flavors in the world. After touring eight cities around the world – Rome, Valencia, Melbourne, Dubai, Austin, Berlin, Rimini and Singapore – GWT, under the aegis of Carpigiani Gelato University and Sigep – Rimini Expo, the most important trade fair worldwide for artisanal gelato, pastry, confectionery and bakery products, will culminate in Rimini, Italy for the WORLD’S BEST GELATO competition. The top 16 gelato flavors of the Far East Asia region were selected by a Jury directed by Mr. Kato (President of the Japanese Association of Pastry Chefs) and including eminent Japanese personalities in the food industry: Mr. Sakai (President of the Japanese Association of Gelato); Mr. Mochizuki (Executive Chef of the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo) and Mr. Yanai (Gelato expert). The top three flavors will represent the Far East Asia region at the Grand Finale of Gelato World Tour 2.0 to be held in Rimini, Italy in 2017. the Top 16 Flavors Vying for the title of “WORLD’S BEST GELATO" are:
To follow the stages of Gelato World Tour log on to: www.gelatoworldtour.com .
In Montmartre, Paris: Tartempion; or What's in a Name?
My father – who had a whole library of Georges Courteline’s “ Les Tribunaux Comiques” – used it often to ward off pesky questions and it stuck. I even use it today, in the 21st century, when one of my grandchildren overhears a conservation and butts in asking “who are you talking about?” I always shoot back: “Tartempion.” Nobody. Then, one day on a cold and windy May in Montmartre, Paris, as we were walking down the umpteen steps of the Sacré Coeur looking for the least touristy place to sit and have something hot, I was enthralled to see the sign: "Tartempion" on a nondescript café. Of course, I went in. It was a Tartempion through and through! And what's worse, food and beverage too. I should have known better!
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName( The last of the lace makers in Burano, Venetian Lagoon
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Photos SZD: (Left) 90-year-old Emma Vidal at the Merletto Museum in Burano, (right) Johannes Vermeer, The lacemaker (c.1669-1671) Every day, Emma Vidal, one of the last lace makers, sits with her dwindling group of friends at the Merletto Museum in Burano, to make exquisite gossamer-like lace and gossip. doesn;t she look like Vermeer's 17th century painting of a lace maker? a little older, a different way of holding the delicate work - a pillow vs. a wooden stand -, the fingers are gnarled by age and humidity, but they are both engrossed in the minutia of their art.
Since the time of Venetian Republic, Burano had only 8000 poor inhabitants (now 3000) predominantly fishermans and farmers. But thanks to the craft of lace workers, the island grew economically, exporting its fantastic laces all over the world. The Museo Merletto located in the historic palace of Podestà of Torcello, in Piazza Galuppi, Burano, seat of the famous Burano Lace School until 1970, displays rare and precious lace pieces and an overview of the history and artistry of the Venetian and lagoon’s laces, from its origins to the present day. Tel Aviv goes Digital: 100,000+ Visitors use Nonstop City's Free Wi-Fi in 2014
Tel Aviv's free Wi-Fi system, launched by the municipality a year and a half ago, includes 180 free hot spots covering 3.7 million square meters and encompassing the entire city. The Nonstop City's world-famous beaches, boulevards, coffee shops, bars, parks, and startup hubs are all covered by the free Wi-Fi zones. According to the latest data from 2014, more than 50% of entrances were made by tourists visiting Tel Aviv, with 85% of entrances made using smart phones. 298,272 unique users entered the network in 2014 with a total of 579,917 entrances overall. The data shows that only 36% of entrances were made in Hebrew with English being by far the most popular language at 41%, Russian 4% and French 2.5%. The most popular areas for Wi-Fi users were in the center of the City, its markets and of course, Tel Aviv's beaches. The Wi-Fi initiative is part of a number of projects lead by Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and is one of the reasons for Tel Aviv's coveted international recognition as the 'World's Smartest City' at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona this past November. Other projects include the Digi-Tel Residents Card which facilitates direct 'smart' communication between the Municipality and the residents of Tel Aviv. Hila Oren, CEO of Tel Aviv Global: "Today, access to free Wi-Fi is a basic service – just like it’s a City's job to connect people to water and electricity –it is also our job to connect people to the web- free Wi-Fi is a new aspect of city-making. It's only fitting that Tel Aviv, with its more than 1,000 startups – the largest concentration of innovation per capita on the globe – leads the world in this field as well." In a recent ranking by Savills, Tel Aviv was ranked as one of the world's top three tech cities, alongside San Francisco and Austin.
Charming Brussels, Belgium, an "in" place to visit
Brussels, the Capital of the European Union, is not only a busy metropolis with charming neighborhoods, world-class shopping and hotels, cultural life, museums, architecture, but a foodie heaven plentiful of gastronomic restaurants, fabulous beers, brasseries, regional cheeses and foods, street vendors, and chocolatiers. ![]() Brussels, Belgium -- It is past 11 p.m. and nightlife is hopping everywhere: a buzz of different languages rises from the long line of tourists clustering in front of displays of chocolate truffles and prettily wrapped boxes of Leonidas Chocolatier, one of the late-night souvenir stores open in a narrow cobbled street lined with cafes and sidewalk restaurants, off the fabled Grande Place in the heart of Brussels. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Chefs and scientists team up to make Japanese food even more delicious
Read the full story in the Washington Post KYOTO, JAPAN — In a university laboratory in Kyoto, a city known for producing the most exquisite food in a country known for its exquisite food, a group of renowned chefs in white coats has been conducting experiments with one question in mind: Can science make their perfect dishes even more perfect? Forget the “molecular gastronomy” that has become all the rage in Western capitals. Forget Ferran Adrià, the “deconstructivist” Spanish chef, with his “culinary foam” and spherical olives. And forget José Andrés with his liquid nitrogen strawberries. Here, a group of nine chefs and three scientists is pushing the boundaries in the most minimalist, nuanced way, part of an effort to ensure that this ultimate “slow food” remains relevant in a fast-paced world. The chefs are tinkering with a way of cooking that has remained unchanged for centuries. First, in the dedicated Japanese Cuisine Laboratory at Kyoto University’s school of agriculture, the chefs played around with the temperature at which they steamed abalone. Received wisdom says it should be steamed at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or the boiling point of water, for two hours. “But we wondered, ‘How about we try lower temperatures?’ ” said Tohru Fushiki, professor of nutrition chemistry at Kyoto University and a leading researcher on oishisa, or tastiness. He is one of the chief proponents of washoku, the traditional Japanese cuisine that was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural treasure last December. So the chefs spent six months — yes, six months — steaming abalone, changing the temperature in tiny increments. “It turned out that even two degrees had a huge impact on its deliciousness,” Fushiki said in his university office. The perfect temperature to steam an abalone, they concluded, is between 140 and 148 degrees, depending on how it is used. The second six-month period was devoted to coagulation. Not content with coagulating food, they experimented with coagulating air. “How can we make the smell of air?” Fushiki recalled the chefs asking. “Let’s whisk and make bubbles, so that each bubble contains the air, and the smell spreads when the bubbles pop.” Another experiment involved seeing how long shiokara, or pickled squid guts, could last. (Discovering the true expiration date was apparently not a pleasant experience.) Now, the chefs are focusing on the time it takes for your tongue to fully register the flavor of a food. Salt and sugar hit the palate straight away, Fushiki said, but it takes five or six seconds for each flavor in red pepper to be captured by your taste buds. But the chefs decided they wanted to delay the amount of time it took to experience the full flavor of a mouthful. “We thought, ‘Why don’t we come up with a dish that lets you taste different flavors one after the other over a period of seconds?’ ” he said. These changes count as revolutionary here, in the old imperial capital of Japan, renowned as the bastion of Japanese culture. Washoku is a key part of that culture. A basic washoku meal consists of a bowl of soup, rice and three dishes. Washoku chefs think a lot about “umami,” a fifth primary taste usually translated as “savory.” Culinary secrets are passed down through the generations. There are no recipe books. There is not even verbal instruction. Chefs of Japanese haute cuisine have traditionally learned the “mite nusumu” way — by looking and copying (literally: stealing) what their superiors are doing. In his kitchen on a recent day, Motokazu Nakamura was preparing lunch courses that looked like they’d been made by Leonardo da Vinci. Nakamura is the sixth-generation chef at his family’s 190-year-old eponymous restaurant, an “isshi soden” where a chef’s secrets can be passed down only to one son and heir. The main pillars of the menu, regardless of the season, are white miso with Western-style mustard — which gives the soup a rich, pungent yet somehow delicate flavor — and tile fish, which has been used by generations of Nakamuras. The current chef often just brushes it with sake and grills it. “We take an analog approach,” he said, looking more like a science professor than a chef, with his tie and white coat. But he is branching out, participating in Fushiki’s lab. “Chefs cook and provide something for people to enjoy,” the 52-year-old chef said. “For that, we need to use our imagination. That would have been unheard of for our ancestors.” The restaurant, which has three Michelin stars, preserves all the traditions expected by people who spend $230 each on dinner. It is housed in an old wooden Kyoto building, a series of private rooms with tatami mats, connected by hallways that run between outdoor zen gardens where water trickles with just the right amount of tinkle. The rooms smell of scented burning wood. But Nakamura is beginning to tweak the recipes by studying the science behind them. “I knew how to cook it, but it was coming from my instinct. I didn’t know the science behind it,” he said as he arranged slivers of raw fish on a plate. While the chefs were preparing lunch, Bunji Nakamura sat at a small table in a corner of the kitchen, long eyebrows creeping over his glasses as he watched his son intently. “I already handed the leadership of the restaurant over to my son, so I don’t make any objections to what he wants to try,” the fifth Nakamura chef said, a simple lunch of rice and fish soup in front of him. “If you have too many sailors, your boat goes up a mountain,” he added, using the Japanese version of “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Still, he admits to being a little perplexed by the newfangled technology in front of him, like the electric grill. “What’s important is that the food reflects your heart,” the elder Nakamura said. “Even if you measure the ingredients to the exact gram, your food won’t be good if you don’t have a mission to have people enjoy your food.” The way Japanese chefs are using science to hone their craft is “totally fascinating,” said Greg de St. Maurice, a University of Pittsburgh PhD student who is writing his doctorate on the food of Kyoto. “They’re using science very differently from the way it’s being used in the U.S. It’s something that is very new to Japanese cuisine,” he said. “Now chefs are realizing, especially in the old restaurants, that their methods are not well suited to contemporary cooking.” It’s not clear yet whether their experiments in the lab have changed the food these chefs are serving in their restaurants. These things take time here (give it a few decades). “But what has changed is their mind-set. They come to the lab so that they can play and experiment with food, and learn new things that they can apply in their restaurants,” St. Maurice said. Still, Motokazu Nakamura agrees with his father that heart remains the most important factor: “The basic foundation of cooking is that I make this and people enjoy it." _________________________________ Yuki Oda contributed to this report. Anna Fifield is The Post’s bureau chief in Tokyo, focusing on Japan and the Koreas. She previously reported for the Financial Times from Washington DC, Seoul, Sydney, London and from across the Middle East. The Gelato World Tour, Rimini, Italy, September 5 - 7, 2014
Over three days in Piazza Fellini in Rimini, Italy, mounting tension, expectations and, needless to say, a few extra pounds swelled the crowds as 24 gelato artisans – the top three winners from the eight leg tour culminating in Rimini – made over 14,500 lbs of their best gelato and sold over 70,000 cups and cones to over 70,000 gelato lovers. The commotion at the tents set for the show, the din of tongue clicking, sighs of contentment and interjections of appreciation over each flavor amped up until Sunday evening at the Grand Finale of the Gelato World Tour when the finalists deserted their post to present his/her own single best flavor before an imposing assembly of judges gathered to rule which of the 24 would win the title of World´s Best Gelato. After three days of sampling perfectly churned gelatos from 24 artisanal gelato makers from around the world – a amazing feat of talent and logistics considering the hot weather – interspersed with cooking classes and visits to the historic town of Rimini – where Julius Caesar pronounced the fateful “ The die is cast” before crossing the Rubicon a few kilometers north west of Rimini –, to the grand Rimini Fiera Convention Center – a sprawling green architectural palace –, and the Carpigiani Gelato University and Gelato Museum in Bologna, we were ready to join the other judges at the Grand Final of the Gelato World Tour. Italian and international Gelato masters, renowned experts – the technical judges votes counted for 45% –, food writers and journalists from top Italian and international print and broadcast media – votes counted for 25%, solemnly tasted. analyzed and graded each entry. Outside, the people's choice counted for 25% and the peers votes counted for 5%. Judging gelato is fun but not easy. Every entry using the best-possible artisanal ingredients tasted great. Each bite packed a wallop of sensory stimulation, a celebration of the primary ingredient undisguised by additives or cloying, heavy ingredients that mask the original flavor. And… First Prize went to “Almond Affogato” made by Gelato Artisans John & Sam Crowl (Cow and the Moon, Sydney, Australia). The flavor base was a vanilla bean gelato with roasted caramelized coffee almonds folded throughout with strong Kenyan coffee and swirled with salted caramel sauce. 2nd Place went to flavor “Grumpy Heart” made by Gelato Artisan Francesco Mastroianni (Il Cantagallo, Lamezia Terme, Italy) with pistachios from Sicily and 3rd Place went to “Hazelnut Heart” made by Gelato Artisan Alessandro Lancierini (Gelateria Fiore, Suzzara, Italy) with fresh Italian hazelnuts. Miami's own Stefano Versace, who placed 2nd during the American Leg of the Gelato World Tour in Austin, Texas, won honorable mention in the People's Choice Award for the flavor The Scent of Sicily. A delicious reconstruction of the Sicilian cannoli with fresh organic ricotta cheese, organic almonds, pistachio from Sicily, candied fruit, lightly flavored with a touch of organic blood orange and Sicilian lemon zest, all swirled with creamy caramel. ![]()
Seven tips for Planning a Wine Vacation
This summer – Hotels offer great deals on Staycation in Miami
Several hotels throughout South Florida are targeting residents with day packages for all tastes.
Read more in The Miami Herald
![]() Photo: MARSHA HALPER/MIAMI HERALD STAFF
A couple enjoys the ‘AM’ rooftop pool at the Mayfair Hotel & Spa in Coconut Grove on June 20. Summer is known as staycation time for locals who want a quick weekend getaway at bargain prices. These days, South Florida hotels are offering an even quicker option: daylong packages for those who don’t want to spend a night away from home. Call it the day-cation. “We found that a lot of people don’t have the time to travel so much anymore,” said Lucy Martin, general manager of the Shore Club in Miami Beach. “They still like to enjoy all the facilities of the hotel. A day at the pool or a day at the beach, they don’t have to do much planning. It’s really making full use, it’s just not staying overnight.” The Collins Avenue hotel has offered several spa-and-pool packages in past years through deal websites such as Groupon and now has its own $99 promotion running through Aug. 30 that includes a massage or facial, scalp massage, custom eye mask, fruit smoothie and pool pass. That offer, dubbed the “Spring Fling,” is new this year. Martin refers to the customer who goes for such deals as “the one-day traveler” and said most are local. “People preferred to do lots of smaller visits rather than plan a whole two-week vacation,” she said. Other local hotels have found the same to be true. Summer daycation packages are being offered at several Miami Beach resorts as well as off-ocean locations — including Mayfair Hotel & Spa in Coconut Grove and Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale. Options range from budget-friendly ($25 for use of the fitness center, pool, towels and WiFi at the Savoy Hotel in South Beach) to splurge territory: $175 for a spa treatment, lunch and run of gym, beach and pool at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Josh Herman, the Miami Beach hotel’s director of marketing and public relations, said “A Day at Fontainebleau” started around Valentine’s Day, after the spa director fielded multiple requests from clients who wanted access to the pool as well as the spa treatment areas. Herman said the promotion was slow to catch on but that interest has grown significantly. The hotel sold a couple hundred packages last month and plans to continue the deal at least through summer and possibly into the fall. Hotels target locals with great deals
Courtney Lasch, 35, of Miami Beach, is a prime example of that local audience. The private tutor gets daily deal emails from multiple sources, including Groupon, Gilt City Miami and Travelzoo. One recent deal, a $35 beach day for two at the Hilton Bentley (champagne, valet parking and beach chairs, towels and umbrella included), caught her eye. “Immediately I was just like, OK, not only does it look fun, it’s almost like a little staycation,” she said. “It’s a vacation in a day.” She and a friend spent a “fabulous” weekday earlier this month on the sand in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood, stopping for some happy hour mojitos after a day in the sun.
“This was so inexpensive for two people,” she said. “The reason why this caught my attention was it was so affordable. … Everything was included. I was being pampered like I was at a spa without the spa price.” The hotel’s general manager, John Lacle, said the hotel decided to offer the deal as a way to launch a marketing campaign for locals to join the Hilton Bentley’s beach club. “It’s an opportunity to widen the scope of the hotel’s capabilities to the local market,” he said. Travelzoo’s website showed that as of midweek, more than 600 people had purchased the deal. Lacle said he has been pleased with the results. “From a pricing point of view, we’re looking to create more value for the local clientele because we feel it’s the local clientele that will come back time after time,” he said. Pamper them with Span treatments
That’s the kind of loyalty the Mondrian South Beach is trying to foster with its $99 massage and pool day package, as well as a general policy that allows locals to use the pool area — if it’s not too crowded with guests — as long as they spend at least $50 on food and drinks. “Miamians, to us, are huge,” said general manager Steven Hiblum. “Whether you stay here or not, we want you here.”' At Coconut Grove’s Mayfair Hotel & Spa, which has a $149 massage-facial combo plus rooftop pool access, daycations are a way to drive locals to the Jurlique Spa and keep business brisk during summer, when occupancy is a bit lower. “In the summertime, we obviously focus on the hotel, but the big focus is on driving the local business,” said general manager Axel Gasser. Miami hotel consultant Scott Brush said the packages can make good business sense for hotels because the guests-for-a-day add a revenue boost without requiring additional capital investment from the properties. “They’d like to get them to stay over for a night, but this allows them to get people who aren’t going to stay over for the night,” he said. “The incremental dollar is very nice because the incremental cost is minor. The stuff they are giving away is very, very, very low cost.”
May 21-24, Crémant, Cru & Déjà Vu - the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
May 21-24, Crémant, Cru & Déjà Vu - the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience with hot seminars, food and fun in grand style. The 2014 Seminar Series will make you discover the hottest trends in wine and food with seminar such as "I Get a Kick from Crémant;" "Tour d'Grand Cru," a tasting with Bernard Retornaz, President of Louis Latour; and "Déjà Vu in the Vieux Carré;" focusing on the French Quarter revitalization, renovation and revision of the city's great eateries. Click here for a full line-up of seminars and to buy tickets Register to be the first to taste the new menu from Two Michelin starred Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
Two Michelin starred restaurant Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Northern Spain, will celebrate the launch of the new 2014 season by running a competition that will give six winners and their guests the opportunity to be the very first to try the new menu. The all-inclusive lunch takes place on the 8th of April 2014, the day before the official opening date of the restaurant. Mugaritz, from celebrated chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, will reopen its doors after devoting four months to the development of its new menu. During this time, the team has worked behind closed doors, elaborating on their previous research and developing new techniques with the aim of achieving new sensations and flavours. Considered one of the most innovative chefs of our times, chef Andoni Luis Aduriz works closely with scientists, anthropologists, musicians, artists and many other experts in various fields, their collaborations summing up to an incredible creative process. The result is an astonishing experience translated into 50 dishes. Registration for the prize drawing opens on Thursday 27th March 2014 at 10:00am on the Mugaritz website (www.mugaritz.com) under the “You Open The Doors of Mugaritz” section. Participants will have until the 31st of March to complete the entry form. At 9:00am on Tuesday the 1st of April, the fortunate winners will be contacted by the restaurant. The new Mugaritz menu, drinks and service charge are all included, but guests will need to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. |
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