Aielli & Benevento

A historical palace with direct Grand Canal access, contemporary style with a Venetian touch end, and a view of S. mark the main characteristics of the new Centurion Palace, the hotel opened by Sina Fine Italian Hotels. The new Centurion Palace is housed in the Palazzo Genovese well known in the artistic area of Dorsoduro, besides the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, between Punta della Dogana and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.

Acquired by Sina Fine Italian Hotels, the Palace dates back to the nineteenth century and has been accurately restored following the project by Architect Luciano Parenti, from Venice: during the works, an ancient coin with the image of Antinous, friend of Emperor Hadrian was found.  Inside the palace, the creativity and talent of Architect Guido Ciompi, from Florence, made possible the union of the classical and contemporary style, according to what already done at The Gray in Milan, but with a unique touch for Venice.  From the jetty on the Grand Canal to the entrance lobby with a crystal chandelier Representing a gondola with direct access to the garden with bamboo and ivy and to the bar and restaurant “Antinous”.  Above, the 3 floors with the 50 rooms and suites, all different one from the other, with unique views including the presidential suite, the biggest in town facing the Grand Canal.

Centurion Palace

Dorsoduro, 173

Tel +39 (0)41 34281; Fax +39 (0)41 2413119; centurionpalace@sinahotels.com

Sina Hotels

Presided over by Bernabo Bocca, Sina Fine Italian Hotels was founded in 1958 by Count Ernesto Bocca. Together with the new Centurion Palace hotels belonging to the SINA are: Grand Hotel Villa Medici in Florence; Hotel Bernini Bristol in the heart of Rome; Hotel De la Ville and The Gray in Milan; Brufani Palace Hotel in Perugia; the Palace Maria Luigia in Parma; Hotel Astor in Viareggio; and Relais Villa Matilde, close to Turin.

For decades following the movie debut of Roman Holiday, the public had a mental image of the Vespa scooter as ridden by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Today, more than 60 years later, a modern 125 cc engine with electronic fuel injection is powering the latest spirited, sporty Vespa.

The new 300 GTS Vespa is the culmination of years of modern development when parent-company Piaggio introduced the GT 200 in 2000. Up to that time, the Vespa had been idling along with no major changes for 15 years or so. Inside nestled a brilliant liquid-cooled,  four-valve Single teamed with a modern CVT transmission, replacing (at last!) the traditional hand-operated four-speed unit in use since the dawn of Vespa just after World War II.  Vespa’s iconic landing-gear-style front suspension has graced these Italian machines since 1949. The GTS 300 Super uses it to good effect with excellent road manners.

Price: $6,199.00
Stats: Max speed 80 MPH;  Gas Tank 2.4 Gallons;  Mileage 65-70 mpg.
278 cc; Single-cylinder 4 stroke, 4 valve Piaggio unit with electronic injection and catalytic converter

http://www.uk.vespa.com/media/gts_super_e_sport_spectec_eng.pdf

With flavors like ‘Old world Eggnog’ and ‘Sicilian Pistachio’ it just has to be good. And Talenti is every bit what one would expect from a super premium ice cream purveyor.  But we err. Ice cream? No this is something far better than ice cream…gelato is to ice cream what Cartier is to costume jewelry.  If there is not a local Grom in your urban milieu, then Talenti is the next best thing.  The best gelato one can find, Talenti can be ordered  online, then sent overnight packed in dry ice.  The product comes in wonderful, re-usable jars.  Our recommendation is try the nine pints sampler, you’ll enjoy every flavor. The “Talenti Gelato Nine Pints with Scoop” package includes single pints each of:  White Chocolate Raspberry Gelato; Double Dark Chocolate Gelato; Belgium Milk Chocolate Gelato; Caramel Cookie Crunch Gelato; Italian Caffe Mocha Gelato; Argentine Dulce De Leche Gelato; Mediterranean Mint Gelato; Caribbean Coconut Gelato; Toasted Almond Gelato and; 1 premium stainless steel scoop.

Price…$74.99
Order here: www.talentigelato.com

Eataly, the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in the world, is coming to New York. In the U.S.: Mario Batali and partners Joseph and Lidia Bastianich (B&B Hospitality Group) along with Oscar Farinetti and Luca Bassigo, Eataly’s founders and managing partners, are opening a stateside outpost at 200 Fifth Avenue. At 32,000 square feet, it will be double the size of the Torino original.

This massive culinary bazaar will include a premier retail center for Italian delicacies and wine, a culinary educational center and a diverse slate of boutique eateries. About 80 percent of the products will be imported from Italy. The rest will be produced in the United States under the supervision of Eataly and the non-profit organization Slow Food.

There will be cured meats and cheeses, fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, fresh fish, handmade pasta, desserts, baked goods and coffees. In the planning for each retail area is its own dedicated restaurant, such as a wood-fired pizza and pasta bar, a cheese and salami counter, a beef restaurant, a vegetable restaurant, a crudo and seafood bar, and a classic Italian bar serving gelato, espresso and wine. There will be a separate wine shop, bakery and patisserie. On the roof will be an open-air beer garden with pizza and sausage snacks.

Educational activities will include year-round food and wine courses, demonstrations, and lectures by renowned chefs and food and wine producers from all over the world.

B&B Hospitality Group hopes to open Eataly New York by June. In this economy, we can only hope all their plans are realized.

The Veneto is simultaneously one of Italy’s most famous wine regions and its most obscure. Famous because it’s the home to well-known wines like Prosecco, Soave and Amarone. Obscure because most people don’t realize the Veneto is where they are made. But the Veneto is remarkably diverse–divided into over 20 subzones with a variety of terroirs. Its vineyards are planted to a great range of varietals as well, including Garganega and Trebbiano (the two grapes of Soave), as well as Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (the grapes of Amarone) and a lot more besides, like Pinot Grigio, Tocai, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Merlot.

The style of Veneto wines ranges quite widely too–from soft, fruity Proseccos and steely Soaves to light, fruit-driven Bardolino and extraordinarily rich, intense and long-lived Amarones. The wines we’re offering today, made by some of the Veneto’s top producers, include red, white and sparkling examples. In fact, they’re so varied you might say they’re not just representative of the Veneto but of Italian wine itself!

(Source: Sergio Esposito /sergio@italianwinemerchants.com)

On the Aeolian Islands, the largest one of which is Lipari, visitors have a choice of either white or black beaches, thanks to the volcanic rock.  Lipari is the lead island in the volcanic archipelago that straddles the gap between Vesuvius and Etna. The island has a surface area of 37.6 km and is 30 km from Sicily.  Besides the main town, most of the year-round population resides in one of the four main villages: Pianoconte is almost due west across the island, Quattropani in the northwest, Acquacalda along the northern coast, and Canneto is on the eastern shore north of Lipari town. The other islands are Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Vulcano, Salina and, the most famous, Stromboli, with its active volcano. The present shape of the Aeolian Islands is the result of volcanic activity over a period of 260,000 years.

There are two active volcanoes – Stromboli and Vulcano. The volcanic activity of steaming fumaroles and thermal waters waiting to be tapped are on most of the islands. Only the one on Stromboli, the northernmost island, is still active and puts on a brightly colored performance on most nights.  Scientifically the archipelago is defined as a “volcanic arc”. Geology explains the origin of the Aeolian Islands as a result of continental drift due to movement of the Earth’s crust.

According to Concierge.ciom, one of the world’s sexiest bars can be found in fashion capital Milano. Here’s what  James Heidenry has to say about Giardino d’Inverno…( Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan).

“The people: Female models with impossibly long legs, male models with impossibly large biceps, local model-izers hoping the impossible comes true

Sex appeal: Every year in September, Milan gets invaded. That’s when the city’s fashion shows suck in a global crunch of gorgeous models and the fabulously fierce who run the whole glitzy shebang. Where these trendsetters stay, dine, and party is just as important as what shows they attend, and the Principe di Savoia is the place to see and be seen. Within the 1920s neoclassical hotel is the Giardino d’Inverno, a remarkable space where 16th-century art and a spectacular glass ceiling provide a fitting backdrop for the industry’s top-shelf DNA. Here, models in low-cut Versace provide the sexy; media peeps provide the prosecco; and the hangers-on provide the outrageous fun. No need to be shy—this is Italy, after all.

Pickup line: “Is it true that most people are too intimidated to approach drop-dead gorgeous models?”

Contact: 
Giardino d’Inverno Tel: 39 02 62301

One the newest and best restaurants in Tuscany can be found  south of  Siena according to Concierge.com.  Though at the moment Borgo Santro Pietro’s (http://www.borgosantopietro.com/en)  restaurant is only open to hotel guests (and the occasional persistent diner who talks his way in), chef Thomas Briegel is already the talk of Tuscany. The 28-year-old Danish phenom uses fresh ingredients to their fullest effect in both the simple (a Tuscan steak burger) and the sophisticated (tuna tartare with local balsamic vinegar, turbot with garden-fresh pumpkin puree). While dishes are not particularly rooted in the region, Briegel’s creativity is a welcome change from the usual pasta and wild boar. 
Tip: Sit on the lantern-filled terrace, which also has a fireplace for chilly nights (entrées, $47–$50).  

Borgo Santro Pietro

Locanda Palazzetto, Chuisdino

Tel: + 39-0577-751-222

Info@borgosantopietro.com

The Lamborghini Track Academy provides an entry into the world of Lamborghini and offers a real-life opportunity to develop your track driving skills under professional guidance.   This 1.5 day course includes a full day on track, split between handling exercises and track sessions. Controlled skids, breaking techniques and other safety exercises will allow you to explore both your capabilities and those of Lamborghini’s top model: the Murciélago with its 640 hp 12-cylinder engine: the fastest and most extreme super sports car in its class.   The course can be taken at tracks near Venice (www.adriaraceway.com) and Rome (www.vallelunga.it) .  Price:  from 3,900. Euros ( includes  One overnight stay at the event hotel including breakfast; Cocktail and dinner on the first evening, lunch on the second day; Track hospitality with all refreshments – Lamborghini gift items and Academy certificate; and Personal DVD of in-car video shots and photo CD capturing the day’s action.)

Click here for Driving Academy brochure:

Private Concierge Class is an industry leader because no other travel agency or service neither Butterfield & Robinson nor Abercrombie & Kent— handles for individual travelers as we do the level of touring details (spa appointments, Ferrari rentals, cooking classes, restaurant reservations etc.).  Such offerings may be available in group tours with strangers but no agent goes to such trouble for single family nor has expertise to do so. To make the point, consider Virtuoso (www.virtuoso.com); it bills itself as the “network of the world’s finest travel agencies with knowledgeable advisors who draw upon first-hand experience to craft the perfect vacation….”  Despite this claim, we routinely get calls from Virtuoso agents seeking our advice for their clients’ Italy travel.  Besides the detailed, 100% custom itinerary we produce for each client, ‘Private Concierge Class’ includes 3 compelling services: A. ‘Get Acquainted with Italy’ Pre-trip Promotions; B. “Extreme” Personalization; C. ‘On the ground’ 24×7 In-country support.
> ‘Get Acquainted with Italy’ Pre-trip Promotions
Our program is based on sending client a series of packages prior to departure. Package # 1 is a gourmet ‘welcome basket of Italian specialties from Balducci’s. Package # 2 is our own A&B guidebook of travel tips.  Package # 3 is a list of travel articles from T&L, Traveler, National Geo, etc. on places the client plans to visit plus a reading list of books on Italy.  Package # 4 is a set of maps and the A&B food and restaurant guide.  Finally, a week prior to departure the client receives their personalized travel plan in leather portfolio, plus customized luggage tags (explaining in Italian where bags to be sent in case their misplaced).

> ‘Extreme’ Personalization
The entire travel plan is sculpted to client’s interests so that means all restaurant reservations—Michelin ranked, fine dining or trattoria— are based on individual preferences. We also upload Andrea Bocelli and Chris Botti tunes to a complimentary IPOD; we arrange GSM phones when requested, the client’s preference of sparkling or still bottled water is recognized in all transports, and those personalized luggage tags have their mobile phone and hotel printed on them. Finally, one day after arrival home, each PCC client receives a leather bound photo album with his or her name/date embossed on cover.

>  ’On the ground’ 24×7 In-country support.
We have identified over 50 trained professionals in all key regions of Italy who work for us on a client contracted basis.  When traveling, the client is given the mobile number of concierge who can make any changes to the schedule. Where possible, the concierge will arrange a pre-check-in, then meet the client at the hotel, and escort to their room, free of front desk hassle.