Wine & Dine
Let your sense of taste be your guide on a visit to Northern California’s picturesque Napa Valley.
Tour
Spring Mountain Vineyard is the quintessential grand vineyard estate. With 226 of its 845 acres divided up into 135 blocks of hillside vineyards— each with its own soil, exposure and microclimate—there is much to see. An informative tour takes visitors to the vineyards, winery, exotic gardens and, of course, a seated tasting at the stunning 1885 Miravalle mansion. www.springmountainvineyard.com; 877-769-4637
Stay
Zagat’s highest-rated Napa Valley hotel, Milliken Creek Inn & Spa is set away in verdant pastures overlooking the Napa River. With only 12 suites, a first-rate spa and every possible amenity, a night here certainly pairs well with a day spent exploring the bountiful region. Also enjoy the hotel’s daily “Magic Hour,” a wine and cheese reception featuring local vintners. www.millikencreekinn. com; 800-835-6112
Eat
There isn’t an award or accolade you can give a restaurant that hasn’t already been bestowed to The French Laundry. Chef and owner Thomas Keller is widely regarded as one of America’s finest chefs, and he and his expert staff prepare seasonal dishes from the daily-changing, nine-course menu for those who think to make reservations at least two months in advance. www.frenchlaundry.com; 707-944-2380
Kauai Curiosity
See how much you know about Hawaii’s Garden Isle.
1. True or False: Geologically, Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian islands.
2. Kauai is home to the largest _____________ plantation in the United States.
3. What four Steven Spielberg-directed movies were filmed on Kauai?
4. Kauai has the only ____________ rivers in Hawaii.
5. Kauai is the only Hawaiian island without what animal?
6. The wettest spot on Earth is found on Kauai at the summit of Mount _________________.
Nordic TREASURES
Five years ago, Andrew Hollingsworth gave up life as a banker to open his eponymous design store. After living in Europe and Asia, he was exposed to many different types of furniture, and a 5,000-square-foot showroom is his way of bringing these designs to Chicago.
What attracted you to design?
“I think our homes are a reflection of us and the way we live, and my surroundings have always been very important to me, in terms of part of my enjoyment of life.”
What sets your showroom apart from others?
“We were the first at the time to specialize in Scandinavian design, but we also have a fusion of contemporary and 20th-century design. We like to showcase how vintage pieces can work in a contemporary environment. We’re also unique because pieces are sold right off the floor, so if someone wanted to put together a room, they could do it immediately. The advantage for us is it keeps us fresh looking.”
What elements define Scandinavian design?
“It is influenced by 18th-century English design, as well as classical Egyptian and Asian design… but made with a modern scale and modern uses.”
What attracts you to this style?
“I’m attracted to pieces that have some historical influences, from the 18th century or earlier, but at the same time speak to modern needs.” www.andrewhollingsworth.com
Crafty!
Rungstedlund Sideboard
This Brazilian rosewood sideboard by designer Ole Wanscher is named after an estate north of Copenhagen. $6,000
On the road? Prepare a holiday meal with a trip to one of these gourmet markets.
(Away From) Home Cookin’
People who travel during the holidays—those unfortunate souls who find themselves without a home-cooked meal— have a significantly reduced number of dining out options. Even at upscale hotel restaurants, the key word is buffet. Fortunately, there is a crop of gourmet grocery stores that sells prepared holiday meals made with fresh ingredients. It’s the best of both worlds: the convenience of a professional meal in the comfort of, well, wherever you’re staying.
Balducci’s
NEW YORK
This place has one of the best selections of meats, produce and grocery items in New York City. Though it may be tempting to browse elsewhere, head straight to the Bistro section. And with two Manhattan locations (Chelsea and the Upper West Side), visitors aren’t far from a delicious range of prepared meals. www.balduccis.com
Central Market
DALLAS/FORT WORTH
At the “Café on the Run” section of this foodie haven, you can mix and match dozens of prepackaged fresh entrées and side dishes to create the perfect holiday meal. The “Dinner for Two” is a convenient reheat-and-serve option. www.centralmarket.com
AJ’s
PHOENIX
In addition to an incredible range of food items—remember, you’re traveling, so try to restrain yourself—Phoenix’s premier upscale grocery store sells hard-to-find wines and creative gifts. It’s a one-stop holiday shopping solution. www.ajsfinefoods.com
Joan’s on Third
LOS ANGELES
The holiday menu at this LA gourmet marketplace (also a catering company, if you want to leave everything to the experts) has an extremely wide variety of choices for both the advance planner and last-minute shopper. www.joansonthird.com
Talking TURKEY
Plucky gourmands turn to heritage birds this Thanksgiving.
There’s nothing more traditional than Thanksgiving turkey, right? Not so fast, say proponents of Slow Food, an international movement of artisanal food producers that claims at least 99% of turkeys are farmed using 1950sera agricultural practices. These standardized practices have produced a standardized bird.
Enter heritage turkeys— older breeds left untouched by the last century’s agricultural revolutions. Unlike their factory-farmed brethren, heritage turkeys mature slowly, live long and breed without human assistance. And, as advocates like to claim, they’re the kind of birds the Pilgrims would have encountered almost 400 years ago.
Heritage turkeys have become easier to find over the years, due in part to a New York Times article that popularized the Slow Food movement. In 2001, farmers raised about 500 such birds annually. In 2006, that number had risen to more than 5,000. Still, heritage turkeys aren’t easy to find; most shoppers get theirs from farmers’ markets, specialty food stores and gourmet websites.
Buyers beware: All that tradition comes at a price. Most heritage turkeys cost at least five to six times the price of a supermarket bird—and only if you’re lucky enough to find one locally. A mail-order turkey from Heritage Foods USA (www.heritagefoodsusa.com) will set you back a cool $119.
Dive in
Explore the fascinating underwater world of Mexico’s cenotes.
Like something straight out of an Indiana Jones-style adventure, the cenotes of the Mayan Riviera and Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico are freshwater-filled limestone sinkholes that were once an important source of water for the Mayans. (A view from the sky reveals the outlines of ancient villages surrounding many of them.) In many cases, these dramatic holes are gateways to underground river systems that flow to the sea—some of them were even believed by the Mayans to be gateways to the next world. Needless to say, diving into a cenote is definitely an otherworldly experience. Spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations are easily visible through exceptionally clear, fresh water that has been filtered through the ground.
The differences between cenote diving and cave diving are subtle, but important. The standards and certification requirements are generally more intense for cave diving, but above all, cenote divers must be within 200 feet of natural daylight. Tulum’s Cenote Dive Center (www.cenotedive.com) offers a wide variety of dive options, from cenote snorkeling to full cave diving certification courses. Together with its sister company, Abyss Dive Center (www..abyssdivecenter.com), it owns and operates the Tropical Casablanca Hotel (www.tropicalcasablanca.com) in Playa del Carmen, which has an on-site cenote.
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa is an unexpected California treasure.
Forty-four miles east of California’s Ontario International Airport, Lake Arrowhead has been an escape from the heat since the native Serrano tribes began visiting the area during the summer. Today, nestled within the San Bernadino National Forest and along the 782-acre lake’s southern shore is Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, which recently underwent a $17 million top-to-bottom renovation. The new Spa of the Pines pairs well with the already-acclaimed wine-centric restaurant, Bin189. There’s nothing like vacationing in the cool mountain air—the lake is 5,106 feet above sea level—whether you’re waterskiing, horseback riding or getting a massage under a canopy of stars. www.laresort.com; 909-336-1511
Presents FOR THE PLANET
This holiday season, go green with these eco-friendly gift ideas.
Coffee Paper Notebook
ECO PAPERS
Coffee production and banana byproducts are used to make these neat stocking stuffers.
$3 www.ecopapers.com
Sun Jar
SUCK UK
Solar power gives these cool-looking mason jar LED lamps all the juice they need to glow at night.
$35 www.thinkgeek.com
The Mosquito Bag
DISTRICT COTTON
These colorful bags are made out of recycled mosquito netting in a fair trade factory in Cambodia.
$52 www.districtcotton.com
Bamboo Low Bowl
BAMBU
All of the kitchenware from this company is made from bamboo, a versatile, renewable alternative to timber.
$30 www.bambu.greenfeet.com
Ecofoil Vencejo
OCEAN GREEN
The ocean may be kinder to you if you surf with a board made from environmentally conscious materials.
$775 www.oceangreen.org
Eastern EXHIBITS
This fall, New York’s best Asian art museums are presenting some landmark exhibitions.
Rubin Museum of Art
New York’s premier Himalayan art museum will host the first art exhibition to focus exclusively on the Bon, a religious and cultural group living in the Himalayas and Central Asia. “Bon: The Magic Word” will continue through January 14. www.rmanyc.org
China Institute Gallery
A bevy of Buddhas and Buddhist artifacts from China’s Xi’an Beilin Museum will be on display through December 8. Many of the impressive objects were unearthed within the last 25 years. www.chinainstitute.org
Asia Society
The first major exhibition devoted to the rich artistic tradition of Kashmir, “The Arts of Kashmir” will display examples of sculpture, painting and calligraphy never before seen outside of India through January 6. www.asiasociety.org
Japan Society Gallery
Through January 13, this Midtown space will present “Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York,” including works by Yoko Ono and neo-dadaist Ushio Shinohara. www.japansociety.org
LOOKING LIVELY
Hawaii’s largest Chinatown is experiencing a rebirth.
Honolulu’s Chinatown has always been a lively place. It’s survived a bubonic plague outbreak, two devastating fires and a century of social unrest. Now, against all odds, it’s become the hippest neighborhood in town.
This tiny district is crammed with markets vending fresh produce and exotic spices; specialty stores selling jade, silk and antiques; and fragrant lei and flower stalls. And with 16 dim sum joints in 15 square blocks—plus a sprinkling of Korean, Japanese, Filipino and Hawaiian restaurants—no one goes hungry. Chinatown’s colorful atmosphere—and low rents—lured a new generation of young, arty people.
Today, the neighborhood is experiencing a renaissance, with galleries, theaters and upscale bars opening regularly. As more people flock to the area in coming years, expect the district to grow livelier. www.chinatownhi.com
Row YOUR BOAT
Outrigger canoeing has traveled a long way to become the exhilarating— and endurance testing—sport that it is today.
The term outrigger refers to a float (ama) connected to the hull of a watercraft from the side, which makes a relatively unstable canoe or larger boat worthy of oceanic travel. It was in these outriggers that Polynesians made their way across the Pacific to discover the islands of Hawaii. While variations on the design have been used throughout history by many cultures that made the waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans their main thoroughfares, it is the fiberglass racing versions of the crafts, which are primarily made to hold one, two or six paddlers, that continue to see the most use. It was at the islands of Hawaii that some of the first organized races were held, and the pastime has grown into a popular sport among coastal nations around the world. The “Molokai Hoe,” held October 7, is a 41-mile race from Molokai to Oahu across the Kaiwi Channel, and is considered the world championship of men’s long-distance outrigger canoe racing. www.molokaihoe.org
A SPORTING CHANCE
Let the perfect weather and stunning scenery of Hawaii inspire your competitive spirit at these events.
Vans Triple Crown of Surfing
NOVEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 20
Watch the best surfers in the world shred it out on Oahu’s North Shore. www.triplecrownofsurfing.com
Honolulu Marathon
DECEMBER 9
Test your speed and stamina at one of the world’s most scenic foot races. www.honolulumarathon.org
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
DECEMBER 23
While it’s not the biggest of the college bowl games, it certainly has the best conditions. www.sheratonhawaiibowl.com
Sound Style
Audio equipment can be as groovy as the tunes that are playing.
BANG & OLUFSEN
BeoLab3
A conventional speaker would have to be about 10 times the size of this stylish loudspeaker—which projects sound perfectly in a 180-degree arc—to deliver a comparable sound. $3,400, www.bang-olufsen.com
| NUMARK iDJ2 Rock the holiday party like a pro, armed with the first iPod mixer that can simultaneously play and mix two songs from the same iPod. The LCD display is particularly impressive. $799, www.numark.com |
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| TIVOLI NetWorks Table Radio Tivoli has always set the standard for minimal, classic design with its tabletop radios, and the brand doesn’t mess with the formula with its first foray into the internet radio market. $TBD, www.tivoliaudio.com |
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| FUTURE SONICS Atrio Series A lot of science goes into the sound quality coming out of these ergonomic earbuds, which are designed for professional audio monitoring and have a sleek blue design. $199, www.futuresonics.com |
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| CREATIVE Zen Stone Plus A perfect runner’s companion, this pebble of an mp3 player stores 2GB of music, can play from 32 preset FM radio stations, and—perhaps most importantly—comes in six glossy shades. $70, www.creative.com |
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