ARLBERG: Where History and Wine Ascend to Rarified Heights
At the pinnacle of the treacherous Arlberg Pass sits a sanctuary for skiers, hikers and wine buffs alike. At 1,800 meters above sea level, Adi Werner—pioneer of alpine tourism—has built one of the best cellars on the planet. No self-respecting oenophile can afford to skip making a pilgrimage to his door.
Adi has hospitality in his bones. He inherited a restaurant from his parents and rapidly decided to add on a hotel. The Hospitz was born in 1988 on a site traditionally associated with saving lives—a tradition stretching back 600 years when a pig herder and his servant began rescuing travellers from winter deaths in the snow.
Today, Adi Werner is president of the brotherhood of St. Christoph, patron saint of travellers. The charity now concentrates on the alleviation of poverty. Distinguished guests are invited to become brothers and sisters of the Brotherhood. I unexpectedly witnessed an induction ceremony while staying there—Adi swinging his sword down on new members’ shoulders. The trick being for neither to fall over.
The skiing in Arlberg is wonderful. In the 1980s, it was where those in the know kept silent about, a place where royalty could slip in and out unnoticed. The measure of its hospitality is however that those without fame or fortune are equally welcome.
As you enter, photographs of duchesses, royals, politicians, actors, and famous CEOS adorn the entry corridor. Brotherhood members include the Dutch royal family, Norway’s King and Queen, and skiing legend Franz Klammer. King Charles is reportedly under consideration
The Wine Cellar.
The Hospiz Weinkeller houses an extraordinary collection of large-format bottles: Impériale, Melchior, Balthasar, Salmanazar, and Nebuchadnezzar. With over 7,000 large-format bottles, imperials of Château Margaux and Cheval Blanc adorn the cellar walls. The collection spans three centuries, with an 1858 Château d’Yquem marking the start of the cellar’s timeline.
Werner’s journey to Bordeaux initially met with scepticismHe chuckles about being turned away as “the man from the mountain.” Everything changed when Thierry and Marie France Manoncourt of Chateau Figeac hosted him. Manoncourt introduced Werner to oversized bottles, showing him magnums from the 1800s and explaining they were originally produced for Russian Tsars before falling out of favour after revolution and war.
Werner seized his opportunity to stand out among other established collectors. Today, he maintains relationships with more than 40 prestigious French châteaux and can request almost any size bottle. Some houses, including Cheval Blanc, now send their large format bottles exclusively to the Hospitz.
These huge bottles aren’t just for show. The wine matures slower in larger bottles, enhancing flavor over time, and as one sommelier explains, “If you are a group all enjoying a great wine, it will always taste better from a bigger bottle. The taste is far more consistent from a 12-litre bottle than from 15 single bottles.”
Recently, the Werner family partnered with real estate investor Sorovia to create an architectural dome showcasing their expanding collection, complementing the main collection in the Hospitz. The Dome is one of the most spectacular architectural projects in the country
FEW FACTS ABOUT THE HOSPIZ ALM WINE CELLAR:
- Oldest Bottle: Château d’Yquem from 1865
- Also houses a Chateau Yquem 1921
- Most expensive bottle: 12-liter Cheval Blanc (€65,000)
- Most popular large format wines: Cheval Blanc 1982 Magnum and Petrus 1990
ROME: Hotel Dè Ricci
“A glass of good wine is a gracious creature, and reconciles poor mortality to itself and that is what few things can do.” —Walter Scott
Hotel Dè Ricci shines brightest when it comes to wine. As Rome’s first wine hotel, its cellar hosts over 1,500 labels and more than 10,000 bottles, declared by Wine Spectator as Rome’s best collection for four consecutive years.
Guests enjoy cellar tours and can purchase bottles directly. Each of the eight immaculately designed suites features a private in-suite wine cellar with eight bottles—sparkling, white, and red—customized to guests’ preferences by in-house sommeliers.
Check-in includes a welcome glass of Franciacorta or Champagne before guests discover their curated bottles, wine list, Riedel glasses, and corkscrew. Private tastings can be arranged in-room or at the bar, and head sommelier Flavio Scannavino can open doors to exclusive winery visits throughout Italy.
The suites blend elegance with playful vintage touches and custom frescoes by illustrator Andrea Ferolla. Four suites feature private terraces, perfect for enjoying a glass during warmer months. Lorenzo Lisi, owner of nearby seafood restaurant Pierluigi, is the visionary behind this vinous haven.
SOUTH AFRICA: Pinotage Finds Its Voice
“If your dreams don’t make you afraid, then they’re not big enough,” declares Wynand Lategan, Lanzerac’s winemaker, with the confidence of a man who knows his Pinotage won’t give you a hangover—unless you drink the whole bottle.
The story of Lanzerac and Pinotage reads like a classic underdog tale with tannins. When they released the world’s first commercial Pinotage in 1961, they weren’t just launching a wine; they were planting South Africa’s flag in a snooty wine world.
Pinotage—the love child of Pinot Noir and Cinsault (then called Hermitage)—was created in 1925 by Professor Abraham Izak Perold at Stellenbosch University. His vision: combine Burgundy’s noble character with South Africa’s robust growing conditions.
The professor never saw his creation take root in wine circles. The journey from laboratory to bottle was tortuous, its success as unlikely as a penguin winning MasterChef. When Lanzerac finally bottled it commercially in 1959, critics detected notes of banana and acetone that some found reminiscent of nail polish remover. Lesser estates might have retreated, but Lanzerac persevered.Now, after half a century of refinement, their Pinotage offers complex dark fruit flavors, subtle spice, and impressive aging potential.
A Storied History
But this is just one chapter in Lanzerac’s history, which stretches back to 1692. Nestled in the Jonkershoek Valley outside Stellenbosch, the third-oldest farm in the region was first owned by Isaac Schrijver, who named it Schoongezicht (“wonderful view”).
The early 1800s saw the first cellar constructed, later joined by the iconic Manor House with its Cape Dutch architecture—all gables and whitewash, like a wedding cake designed by an art historian. The estate received its current French name from Elizabeth Catherina ‘Kitty’ English, rumored to be fascinated by General Charles Lanrezac, a French military leader from World War I.
In 1959, Lanzerac’s owners created a hotel, emulating the French habit of combining wine estates with hospitality while ensuring guests could sleep off their tastings rather than weaving home. Visitors included King George V, Nelson Mandela, and Senator Bobby Kennedy. British tourists became particularly fond of the estate’s “shabby chic” aesthetic, earning the nickname “the swallows” for their annual winter migration from England. .
After fire reduced the hotel to ashes in May 2017, Lanzerac has begun an exciting new chapter under the Rawson family, with designer Con van der Colff breathing new life into this grande dame.
ENGLAND: The PIG Revolution in Wine Culture
From South Africa to southern England, dreams fuel the wine industry—sometimes realized, sometimes deferred, but beginning to rock the wine world. What Britain? Well once very much a bystander the UK is now scooping up awards around the globe.
“English wine is improving all the time. The best English sparkling can easily match Champagne for quality and flavor.” Robin Hutson.
The PIG hotels, created by Robin Hutson and his wife Judy, have grown from a single property in Brockenhurst to nine boutique hotels. The South Downs property features a vineyard on land once grazed by alpacas, with 4,000 vines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and experimental Gamay.
Robin Hutson’s wine journey began when he founded Hotel du Vin in the 1980s.
A Frenchman, Gerard Basset, helped develop the wine list that made the PIG Hotels renowned in wine circles. Starting as a washer at age 22, he explored vintages and labels, acquiring every wine qualification available and becoming both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine.
The PIG hotels approach wine with the same playfulness that defines their aesthetic. Their list categorizes exceptional bottles as “Rockstars,” unusual selections as “Curiosities,” and classic wines as “Archetypal.”
More than a Toe in Wine.
The Hutson’s have now moved from being wine lovers to making active investments in nearby British vineyards. Thire most longstanding collaboration is between Hutson and winemakers Dermot and Ana Sugrue . The wines are great. Their descriptions however are accompanied by tongue in cheek nomenclature.
For instance, what would the stiff writers and imbibers of yesterday make of signature wines like “The Trouble with Dreams,” “ZODO,” “Rosé Ex Machina,” and ( my personal favourite “Bonkers.” This playful approach demystifies wine without sacrificing quality or expertise.
The Flowering of the UK’s Wine Garden.
The story behind “The Trouble with Dreams” echoes Pinotage’s challenging birth. Dermot Sugrue, a self-confessed “Chardonnay freak,” saw birds devastate his first crop the night before harvest. “You work so hard to protect the vines from pathogens, then suddenly, you get hit by birds,” he recalls. “Someone said ‘that’s the trouble with dreams.’ The name stuck.”
The PIG experience extends beyond their hotels. Each property can direct guests to nearby winemakers, and most are located near wineries they source from. Gusbourne Estate being a great example. Many properties offers tours with tastings and seasonal lunches.
Though the Hutsons have stepped down after 14 years, their vision endures in every corner. They’ve permanently altered English hospitality and helped elevate English wines to their rightful place on the world stage.
TURKEY: Uncorking Ancient Traditions
Turkish wines are now ending up on some of the best wine lists in the world.
“The story of Turkish wine getting into high-end restaurants is also an interesting one. It’s happening day by day. A lot of the wines on the good lists are produced by these small wineries especially. They are getting high recognition in the international wine circles. They’re getting awards, they’re getting recognition, and they’re ending up on the menus of some of the high-end restaurants also in North America.” Turgay Tumus Buradan Winery
It’s very hard to find wines that aren’t already covered and ranked. In Turkey you get the experience of being on the edge of a being an explorer rather than a mere participant.
Christopher Vannoy has emerged as an authoritative guide to Turkey’s largely undiscovered wine world. With more than two decades immersed in Turkish wine culture, he offers a distinctive blend of technical expertise and cultural insight.
Originally from the United States, Vannoy settled in a nomadic village near Antalya where he was adopted by the local community. His approach combines his Georgia Tech engineering background with cultural passion, creating a methodical yet appreciative approach to wine evaluation.
Before discovering Turkey, Vannoy developed his palate across Europe. This foundation allows him to compare Turkish varieties while appreciating their unique qualities. With over 400 published wine reviews, he bridges Eastern tradition with Western sensibilities.
Turkey on the Rise
It’s also important to realise that visiting wineries in Turkey is culturally and legally more complicated than Europe. For examples the tasting of wine can only take place in a restaurant. For this reason it is probably sensible to opt for guided tours rather than to go down the DIY route. This is particularly so as since 2013, the Islamic style government has forbidden advertising.
Through his website (turkish-wine.com) and custom tours, Vannoy opens doors to regions overlooked by mainstream wine tourism, from day trips out of Istanbul to extended journeys across the country. He suggests five to seven day tours around the area to get a real understanding of the renaissance of Turkey’s ancient wine-making traditions.
