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Super Vintage Weekend at the Hotel Marqués de Riscal


The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts group has planned a "Super Vintage" wine auction weekend at the incredible Frank Gehry-designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Rioja, Spain in October. To celebrate 150 years of the region's famed wines, the culinary-themed weekend will culminate in a gala dinner and charity auction of local vintages conducted by Christie's - including the Riscal Superlot, a single lot consisting of 131 bottles dating back to 1862, proceeds from which will go to UNICEF. Details on the once-in-a-lifetime event, which will take place from Oct. 24-26, can be found here.

Gallery: Hotel Marqués de Riscal

View of the hotel from the vineyard.The wild exterior.Another view.Bedroom.Rioja.

Quantum of Solace Trailer Unveiled

You've read about the Aston Martin mishaps and the Tom Ford tailoring; now Sony has released the trailer for Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond flick premiering this fall. Daniel Craig stylishly reprises his role as 007 in what looks to be an action-packed installment of the classic series, with Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton doing the Bond Girl honors.

In the flick based on a 1959 Ian Fleming short story, Bond sets out to seek revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) from Casino Royale. Craig has said filming Quantum was much more physically demanding that Casino, and he has suffered some injuries along the way. See the trailer here and check out the gallery for production pix.

Gallery: Quantum of Solace

Craig and Gemma Arterton (Agent Fields).Bond in the rough.007 in action.Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (Camille).Bond and his Aston Martin.

Campari Celebrates Summer in Style


In our Classicist column about Veuve Clicquot's collaboration with Riva Yachts the other day we fell to musing about Dolce Vita style on the Riviera. Of course, nothing exemplifies seaside sprezzatura quite like Campari, the classic Italian aperitif. The bold red spirit with the sexy ads starring Salma Hayek (above) has been around since 1860, but that doesn't mean they've run out of things to do with it. Campari and soda is the classic combo - and one of our seasonal staples - but the company has come up with several spiffy new cocktails for summer. See the gallery for recipes, including a couple that can be made in large quantities for parties.

Gallery: Campari Summer Style

The classic Campari bottleCampari Sgroppino - created by mixologist Tony Abou-GanimCampari Passion - created by mixologist Jacques BezuidenhoutCampari Cherry InfusionCampari Citrus Infusion

Sexy Stars of Burberry's Cool New Ad Campaign

Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey is basing the British fashion house's new Fall/Winter 2008-09 ad campaign on one of our favorite movies from last year, rock photographer Anton Corbijn's Control.

Bailey hired Mario Testino to mimic the moody flick about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the ads, which are shot in black-and-white like the movie.

Sam Riley, the talented actor who played Curtis in Control, stars alongside sexy British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, right, who's said to be a distant cousin of the Queen of England. If so she must be one of the somewhat overbred Windsor family's more attractive relations.

See the gallery for an image from the new campaign and more.

[via Kempt]

Gallery: Burberry for Fall

An image from the new campaign.The Control poster,Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.Burberry's current ad campaign.A classic Burberry ad starring Kate Moss.

Stirrings' Summery Lemonade Cocktail Mix

Earlier in the season we wrote about Stirrings, the Massachusetts-based company dedicated to improving America's drinking habits through all-natural cocktail ingredients. Now Stirrings is about to introduce a thirst-quenching new mixer for summer.

Their Simple Lemonade cocktail mix is inspired by the taste of classic farm stand lemonade, made with real lemon juice and an additional blend of acai and white cranberry juices.

The simplest way to jazz it up is by adding vodka, but it can also be combined with their other mixers such as Pomegranate, Blueberry and Cosmopolitan to create more complicated concoctions. See the gallery and visit www.stirrings.com for more.

Gallery: Stirrings of Summer

Stirrings Summer MixersStirrings LemonadeStirrings Cocktail SodasStrawberry DaiquiriMargarita Mix

The Classicist: The Henley Royal Regatta


Earlier this month we reported on the Royal Ascot races, one of the highlights of the English social season. This week ushers in another classic British sporting event-cum-society pageant, the Henley Royal Regatta. The five-day Regatta, held on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, takes place over the first weekend of every July and runs from Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th this year.

International crews compete in various races at the Regatta, which has been held every year since 1839 except during the two World Wars, the main event being the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, became the Regatta's first Royal Patron in 1851, a tradition carried on by the reigning monarch ever since, though unlike Royal Ascot they don't always deign to attend.

Even more so than at Ascot, Henley provides an opportunity for aristocrats from the sporting and social sets to dress in that distinctively British style which has inspired so many fashion designers over the decades. The commercialization of Henley, unlike Ascot, Wimbledon and cricket at Lord's, has been slower to take hold, and as Godfrey Smith writes in The English Season, it is something of "an Edwardian time warp."

Gallery: Henley Royal Regatta

A scene at Henley from the 1900s.Oarsmen in Leander pink.Victorious crew.Spectators in the Stewards' EnclosureSpectators afloat.

Continue reading The Classicist: The Henley Royal Regatta

Tour Italy at the Wheel of a Ferrari


A while back we told you about Itlay's poshest places to stay; now we'll tell you about the poshest way to get to them - Red Travel Italia has upgraded their Ferrari tours we first mentioned last year. At the wheel of the Ferrari of your choice - their new models include the 430 Scuderia F1, 599 GTB Fiorano F1, F430 Spider, and 612 Scaglietti F1 - you can tour regions such as Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio, and cities such as Milan, Rome, Florence and Naples, with five-star stops along the way. Itineraries ranging from one to eight days are custom-tailored for a "subtle blend of art, gastronomy, fashion, architecture, and spectacular scenery." And now an assistant in an Alfa-Romeo will follow at a discreet distance to attend to your every need and make sure you don't get lost en route. Visit www.red-travel.com and see the gallery for more.

[Via UrbanDaddy]

Gallery: Red Travel Italia

A Great Day in Cocktail History

Looking for an excuse to celebrate? July 19 is National Daiquiri Day. The drink many people associate with author Ernest Hemingway was in fact invented in 1898 in the small iron mining town of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba by an engineer named Jennings Stockton Cox.

He came up with the drink, a simple blend of lime juice, sugar and local Bacardi rum (est. 1862) over cracked ice as a way to boost the morale of mine workers during the sizzling summer months. It was such a success Cox not only received a generous stipend from the mining company but also a monthly gallon of Bacardi.

Hemingway (above, hoisting a daiquiri) later helped to popularize the drink. Of course in Cox's day there was no question of freezing or blending. See the gallery for a traditional hand-shaken daiquiri recipe and some historical images pertaining to this classic cocktail's origins.

Gallery: National Daiquiri Day

Daiquiri inventor Jennings Stockton Cox.The Daiquiri mines.Cox's original recipe.Traditional Daiquiri recipe.Bacardi Superior Rum.

SKYY Vodka Introduces Infusions Line


SKYY Vodka, the super-premium purity-minded spirit in the distinctive cobalt blue bottle, has introduced a new line of all-natural infused flavors in time for summer drink-making. SKYY, which is made from American grain and 100% pure filtered water, developed proprietary four-column distillation and a three-step filtration process to remove any impurities from its spirit. The five new flavors are Citrus, Cherry, Passion Fruit, Grape and Raspberry. See the gallery for some fun cocktail recipes made with these tempting new offerings.

Gallery: SKYY Infusions Cocktails

Citrus in ProvencePassionate Summer FlingBerry Me in the SandCherry Capri Get in Grape Shape

Famed Trianon Palace Hotel's $30 Million Makeover


The legendary Trianon Palace hotel and spa in Versailles, France where the likes of Marcel Proust, René Lacoste and the Duke of Windsor once frolicked has just completed a breathtaking $30 million renovation. Situated just outside Paris less than a mile from Louis XIV's famed Château de Versailles, the 5-star luxury hotel's upgrades include a new wing, Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant in France, a refurbished Guerlain spa, revamped public spaces and glorious gardens. Noted interior designer Fiona Thompson, who oversaw renovations to the 199-room property, has managed to modernize the 1909 building without detracting from its historic magnificence.

Gallery: Hotel Trianon Palace

Front desk.Lobby luxe.Green with envy.Suite life.Ballroom.

Astor Collection Auto Auction This Weekend


Renowned entrepreneur and broadcast veteran Art Astor is selling off part of his famous car collection in Anaheim, California this weekend. The sale, conducted by RM Auctions, mainly features American cars with a few classic imports of the kind we're partial to thrown in. We're particularly fond of this 1970 Jaguar XKE Series II Roadster, for example, which with an estimate of only $40,000 - $60,000 is something of a bargain. Also included in the sale: a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I "Playboy" roadster which was used as a movie car and has been driven by Bette Davis and Robert Redford, est. $175,000 - $250,000; a 1968 Jaguar XKE Series I.5 2+2 Fixed Head Coupe, est. $30,000 - $40,000; a 1961 Jaguar XK150 3.8 Roadster, est. $80,000 - $120,000; a rare 1941 Chrysler Town & Country Nine-Passenger Estate "woody" wagon, est. $250,000 - $300,000; and a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster. est. $125,000 - $150,000. See the gallery for pix, and place your bids online at LiveAuctioneers.com.

Gallery: Astor Auto Auction

1968 Jaguar XKE Series1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Playboy Roadster1961 Jaguar XK150 3.8 Roadster1954 Chevrolet Corvette1941 Chrysler Town & Country

Bacon, Basquiat, Prince and Warhol Star in Sotheby's Sale

Not to be outdone by archrival Christie's, Sotheby's is staging its own major Contemporary Art auction in London on July 1st. With total pre-sale estimates topping $130 million, the event is being billed as "the highest value summer sale of contemporary art ever held by Sotheby's in Europe." The untitled Jean-Michel Basquiat painting belonging to Irish rockers U2 that my colleague Deidre Woollard mentioned earlier this month is a top draw in the auction, with an estimate of $8 - $12 million.

Other highlights include two important works by Francis Bacon: Figure Turning, painted 1962, est. $20 - $30 million, and Study for Head of George Dyer, painted in 1967, est. at over $16 million. Rounding out the other notable big-ticket items are Richard Prince's Overseas Nurse, 2002, est. at $8 - $12 million - more than the current Prince auction record; and Andy Warhol's 1964 Large Campbell's Soup Can (pictured right), est. $5 - $7 million. Also of interest: tennis great John McEnroe is selling his 1986 Warhol portrait with ex Tatum O'Neal, est. only $500,000 - $700,000. See the gallery for images.

Gallery: Sotheby's Summer Sale

Bacon's FigureBacon's DwyerPrince's NurseWarhol'sBasquiat's Untitled

Gianfranco Ferre to Debut "Couture Architecture" in Dubai


Italian design house Gianfranco Ferre has signed multi-billion dollar deal to develop real estate projects with a fashionable flair. Ferre is partnering with Mideast-based GIO Developments on the deal, and the first project, called "Gianfranco Ferre Stresa," will be a mixed-use highrise in Dubai. The $1.2 billion tower will combine residential, commercial and hospitality spaces, and the partnership has dubbed it the first example of "concrete couture." Other similar projects are planned around the globe. Mr. Ferre himself, who was fittingly known as the "architect of fashion," died last year. The company bearing his name already has a strong presence in the region with existing stores in Dubai, Beirut and Istanbul and new openings planned for Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait within the year. Other design houses currently collaborating on Dubai developments include Versace, Christian Lacroix and Elie Saab.

Gallery: House of Ferre

Renderings of the Ferre project.The late designer on the runway.Naked models in the new Ferre Fall ad campaign.Semi-naked models in the new Ferre Fall ad campaign.Lucky Ferre fellow.

Bonhams' $2 Million Motorcycle Auction


On Monday, Bonhams will auction off an astounding collection of vintage motorcycles worth $2 million at the Royal Air Force Museum in London. The sale represents the largest single-owner collection of motorbikes ever to come to auction; all 300 machines are from the Professor Fritz Ehn Motorcycle Museum in Austria. Our favorite lots are two wicked - and wickedly fast - British-made Vincents: the 1955 998cc Black Prince, pictured here, est. $56,000 - $64,000; and a 1952 998cc Black Shadow, the fastest road-going vehicle of its time, est. $44,000 - $56,000.

Also included in the historic sale: a 1935 Brough Superior 1,096cc 11-50hp, ak.a. the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" as driven by T. E. Lawrence (the famous Lawrence of Arabia), est. $50,000 - $60,000; a 1927 BMW 500cc R47, est. $36,000 - $44,000; a 1937 Ariel 995cc Square Four Model 4G, est. $20,000 - $24,000; as well as many other examples by Harley Davidson, Ducati, Triumph and more.

Gallery: Bonhams Motorbikes

1937 Ariel 995cc Square Four Model 4G1952 Vincent 998cc Black Shadow1935 Brough Superior 1,096cc 11-50hp1927 BMW 500cc R471980 Ducati 864cc 'Mike Hailwood Replica'

Versace Ltd. Edition Lamborghini to be Available in Fall


The limited-edition Lamborghini by Versace which we first wrote about plans for in 2006 is finally going into production for fall. The car, which will be a convertible in contrast to the coupe originally developed, will be a bright pastel white with a black-and-white leather interior. The price of the special-order Murciélago LP 640 Roadster Versace has yet to be named, but expect to pay a healthy premium above the model's already hefty base price of $358,000. The V12 roadster, designed by Donatella Versace and just unveiled in Milan during Men's Fashion Week, will feature a see-through engine bay cover and the fashion house's signature Greek key motif on the doors, front fascia and nappa leather seats. Versace has also designed an accompanying line of black calfskin accessories including luggage, wallet, gloves, driving shoes, hat and even a pair of leather jeans all bearing an engraved metal Lamborghini Versace tag.

[via Kempt & Autoblog]

Gallery: Lamborghini Murciélago by Versace

Donatella VersaceInterior viewKey motif seat embroideryVersace plaqueLeather accessories

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