Latest news with #Antinori
Time Out
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
We tried Montana, Hong Kong's latest great cocktail destination with a Latin soul, and here's what we thought
The construction boards had not even come down yet around Montana, but the minute Lorenzo Antinori, of Bar Leone fame, popped his head around the plywood and motioned us into the black-and-white tiled interiors accented with dark wood and ox-blood red, a little zing of electric funky energy was already running through our veins. Bar Leone has just been crowned top slot in Asia's 50 Best Bars for the second year in a row, but Antinori already has his sights set on this new venture with Simone Caporale, co-founder of the acclaimed Sips in Barcelona. The pair met in 2012 while working for different bars in London, and bonded over late-night drinks and a shared vision: that bars should be fun, candid, and alive. Montana leans into this perspective, taking inspiration from the golden age of Cuba, where the pours were long, the beats fluid, and the atmosphere alive. Interestingly, the interiors itself are more of a nod to the Miami dive bar, reminiscent of iconic venues like Mac's Club Deuce on South Beach. Miami in the 1970s saw a lot of Cuban migrants who brought their culture and music to America's shores, and Montana is a love letter to that hedonistic era of rum-soaked, neon-drenched, disco nights. We started with the Montana Daiquiri, a concoction of Havana rum, raspberry eau de vie, and lime, served in a flower-shaped glass with a maraschino cherry. Light, fruity, and the perfect opener to the evening, this drink follows the original recipe found in the 1930s manual of the Club de los Cantineros, Cuba's legendary bartenders' association. The menu of nine cocktails gets progressively stronger the further you move down the list, but you can't go wrong with their signatures marked with a star. Hotel Nacional features rum, apricot brandy, lime, sour pineapple, and absinthe – it's tangy and palatable, but might well put you under the table if you have three or more. Speaking of pineapples, Montana has an oven perched behind the bar, where they roast their own rotisserie chickens or seasonal pineapples. It's well worth asking about their piña of the month snack: rum-marinated pineapple slowroasted with house seasoning and served with a shot of frozen coconut rum. Other bar bites worth mentioning are the chips generously topped with prosciutto, pickled chillis, mascarpone, and Bar Leone's famous smoked olives; the pan con tomate focaccia with tomatoes, Cantabrian anchovies, and salsa verde; and the spicy corn ribs. We've already marked the Doritos veal tonnato to try next time – it sounds like a crispy version of vitello tonnato, so basically mouthwatering. Our favourite among the cocktails so far is the Café Havana, their twist on an espresso martini, made with Beefeater gin, cold-brew coffee, sherry, salted honey, and banana cream. The mouthfeel is immediately smooth, with a rounded taste that lingers on the palate. It's also slightly savoury – a plus in our books – and the banana cream is so beautiful that if we could make off with a tubful of it and get away with it, we probably would. What's also very interesting is that Montana serves an El Presidente, a classic Cuban cocktail that is rarely found in Hong Kong's bars. Featuring rum, fig leaf bourbon, chinotto, quince vermouth, and bitters, it is 'aged' in a bottle coated with dulce de leche, which imparts a smooth sweetness of cacao butter to balance this typically spirit-forward drink. The upstairs seating area of Montana is a little more upscale than the fun rowdiness of the bar below, offering lounge seating in an intimate space bearing shades of dark green, burnt sienna, and images of musical icons. Tunes are a big part of the bar's Cuban vibe, and their playlist is full of throwback hits, Latin funk, and moving beats where the likes of Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Abba, and Selena all share the limelight. There's also a piano upstairs, and the plan is to host live music nights to keep us all grooving into the wee hours. Antinori has taken the laid-back, unpretentious vibe of Bar Leone (as well as some of his friendly staff) and transplanted it within the halcyon days of Cuban pleasure-seeking in its prime. With every spirited shout of 'Ritmo!' – 'rhythm' in Spanish – when newcomers enter the bar, customers are transported back to a sunny, hedonistic, electrifying time, with the drinks to match. If you're a fan of jazz, Latino beats, salsa and disco, vintage moments, not taking yourself too seriously, and a perfectly shaken daiquiri, then Montana will be waiting for you. Visit Montana at 108 Hollywood Road, Central.
Mint
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
These Are the 50 Best Bars in Asia in 2025
(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's Bar Leone, once again, has been crowned Asia's best bar. In fact, the top three of Asia's 50 Best Bars remained unchanged, with Seoul's Zest and Singapore's Jigger & Pony coming in second and third again. It was a momentous night for Bar Leone, the Italian-vibed spot that shook up the drinks world in 2024 when it debuted at the top of the list — barely over a year after opening. In the process, it dethroned Hong Kong's Coa, which held the coveted distinction for three consecutive years. On Tuesday night in Macau, the first time the 10-year-old awards were celebrated in the former Portuguese colony, Bar Leone solidified its reputation. Known for outstanding negronis and drinks like its olive oil sour, the bar was cofounded by Lorenzo Antinori, the Rome-born bartender who worked in London and Seoul before joining award-winning Argo in Hong Kong's Four Seasons. 'Our concept is so simple. We really tried to go back to the beauty of simplicity,' Antinori said in an interview. 'That is probably something that people were craving, and I think that's the reason why we got rewarded.' Antinori recently teamed up with Spain-based Simone Caporale to open a second venue nearby in Hong Kong this month. Montana harks back to the golden age of Cuba and Miami in the 1970s, and its menu features classics such as the daiquiri, El Presidente and the Montana cocktail, the inspiration for its name. The bar is Caporale's first bet in Asia. He was previously with London's Artesian at The Langham, the world's best bar from 2012 to 2015, and helped co-found Sips in Barcelona in 2021. The latter snagged first place on the World's 50 Best Bars in 2023, and ranked No. 3 last year. Though Hong Kong brought home the highest honors, Bangkok made a strong showing with seven spots in the top 50, including the debut of Dry Wave Cocktail Studio at No. 5, right behind neighboring Bar Us, which jumped up from No. 21 last year. There was also notable representation from India: New Delhi's Lair, also a new entry, came in at eighth place as the country's best bar, and was joined on the list by Soka (28), Boilermaker (30), ZLB23 (31) and Bar Spirit Forward (37). Seoul's Alice snagged the highest climber award, making the greatest rise from last year's ranking at 46th place to 13th. The list is determined by over 300 anonymous voters in the region, spanning four regions and covering 26 destinations across the continent. It is an offshoot of the World's 50 Best Restaurant list, overseen by UK-based William Reed Ltd. The Asian bars and lounges ranked 51 to 100 were announced earlier this month. The list, which included 14 new entries, had six bars from Singapore; four from Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo each; and three from Hong Kong. Here are the winners for 2025, with new additions marked by an asterisk. (Adds quote from Lorenzo Antinori in the fourth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on
Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Tuscan Wedding Romance with a Modern Twist at Historic Villa Mangiacane
Hidden away in Tuscany's rolling hills, Villa Mangiacane mixes historic detail with modern elegance. Originally imagined by Michelangelo himself back in the 15th century, the villa's careful restoration between 2000 and 2008 gently brought it back to life. Frescoes were painstakingly revealed, damaged tomb plaques restored, and even parts of the villa lovingly rebuilt after an earthquake. Now it still feels historic, but with stylish comforts naturally woven in to the aesthetic, making for a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere for a destination wedding in Florence. Villa Mangiacane knows how to do weddings, and the property offers numerous beautiful spots around its grounds for ceremonies and receptions. Couples can say their vows in the restored chapel, lush gardens, or romantic courtyards—each with breathtaking views over the Tuscan countryside. The villa's event team is hands-on, making sure every detail is personalized and carried out to perfection. For guests who stay overnight, Villa Mangiacane offers luxurious suites and stylishly furnished rooms scattered across the main villa and nearby buildings. Interiors are warm and inviting, mixing classic Tuscan personality, antique pieces, and modern amenities. Guests are made to feel comfortable, perhaps even a bit pampered. Beyond just a place to rest, guests can taste premium wines from the villa's own vineyards, enjoy delicious Tuscan dishes prepared by the in-house culinary team, and relax with exclusive spa treatments and both an outdoor and indoor pool. Surrounding the villa are other famous vineyards—including Antinori, known for some of Tuscany's finest wines. On the property itself, the gardens host a carefully selected sculpture collection, blending global artistry and Florentine tradition. With its combination of quiet luxury, genuine Italian spirit, and careful attention to detail, Villa Mangiacane makes for an unforgettable choice for couples planning a wedding in Tuscany.
San Francisco Chronicle
02-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
California wrote off this red wine. But now it's staging a comeback
Of all the famous European grape varieties that grow in California, the most maligned is arguably Sangiovese. In Italy, this red grape forms the base of beloved wines like Chianti, Brunello and Super Tuscans. But in California, it's been a long time since anyone took Sangiovese seriously. As part of a poorly executed Cal-Italian movement in the '80s and '90s, Sangiovese produced a series of uninspiring, overblown wines that then convinced a generation of winegrowers it wasn't suited to California soil. But now, a Sangiovese movement is afoot, and it looks nothing like the Cal-Ital crusade of a previous era. Attracted by the grape's resiliency in hot climates, winemakers are planting this Tuscan variety in new areas and with newly available plant material. They see in Sangiovese the potential for a fruity but serious wine — not too heavy, but also more structured than 'the fruit punch style that's all the rage these days,' said Andrew Jones, owner of Field Recordings Wine in Paso Robles. This time around, California's Sangiovese producers aren't merely trying to mimic Italian Brunello. They're creating a rainbow of styles all their own. Some of the new Sangioveses are classic expressions, showing the grape's signature red cherry, dusty leather and rustic tannin, but others are light, carbonic and wild. It's a roster that encapsulates the freedom of California winemaking in 2025. Not Cal-Ital. Just Cal. Today's Sangiovese swell is much subtler than the last. In the '80s, wine pundits loudly heralded Sangiovese as the next Merlot, which was beginning to fall out of favor after a wave of popularity. Growers had gotten greedy, planting too much Merlot and farming for yields, not quality. 'Merlot was becoming insipid plonk, and the big wine companies were saying let's steer the Merlot drinker into Sangiovese,' said Peter Stolpman, partner at Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. It fit the bill. Sangiovese falls somewhere between medium- and full-bodied, with bright, red fruit flavors and earthy notes — tobacco, potpourri or licorice. Like many Italian grapes, Sangiovese has an appetizing bitterness, accentuated by its toothsome, astringent tannins. In the tradition of amaro and Campari cocktails, it implores a bite of salty food. If drinkers were looking for a wine that had some heft but much more complexity than the cheap Merlot that had flooded the market, this was it. The high-end wineries Dalla Valle, Shafer and Antinori planted Sangiovese in Napa Valley's mountains, and other celebrated Napa winemakers like Heidi Peterson Barrett and Mia Klein started working with the grape. But with the exception of Antinori — the California arm of Italy's most famous wine company — all of those Napa houses eventually gave up on Sangiovese. 'Few think it will ever live up to its promise as the next Merlot,' wrote Wine Spectator critic Tim Fish in 2004. 'Put simply, wineries haven't yet been able to produce consistently compelling wines.' Part of the problem was that many California producers in the '90s, and not just those in Napa, were treating the grape as if it were Cabernet Sauvignon. But Sangiovese doesn't always take well to California Cab levels of new oak — it can be a sponge for those toasty-vanilla flavors — and much of its interesting character leeches out when it's picked too ripe. 'They did exactly what they were going to do to Merlot with Sangiovese — overcropped it, then they'd blend in Merlot and Zin to make it more Californian,' Stolpman said. 'It became an alternative to the Merlot that no one wanted to drink anymore.' Stolpman Vineyards was one of the few that didn't give up. After becoming infatuated with Brunello on an extended work trip to Rome, Peter Stolpman's father planted 10 acres at his estate in Santa Barbara County's Ballard Canyon in 1994. Following the Italian tradition of long aging, the Stolpman Sangiovese spent 30 months in barrel, in part to soften its tannins. They hired the famous Tuscan winemaker Alberto Antonini as a consultant. The estate Sangiovese was a tough sell for restaurants, and Stolpman made very little of it, but it found a devoted fan base. From the beginning, it's been Stolpman's wine club's best seller. Then in 2013, the restaurant 2 Amys in Washington, D.C. asked Stolpman to make a 'chillable pizza wine ' that could be served out of a keg. The Stolpman team had already been talking about making a second version of Sangiovese; their winemaking style had been growing gentler, with less oak and lighter extractions. So they decided to make an 'uncrushed Sangiovese,' as Stolpman put it, using carbonic maceration — an alternative fermentation process that can result in a light wine with candied-fruit and bubblegum flavors. They called it Stolpman Carbonic Fermentation Sangiovese and slapped a makeshift label on it. It sold like crazy, 'even with a horrible label and name,' Stolpman said. The next year, they put more thought into it, giving it a new name — Love You Bunches — and designing a fun label using the vineyard manager's handwriting. Love You Bunches was an early runaway hit in the now-dominant chilled red category. Few could have predicted that it would also become a harbinger of the Sangiovese revolution that was to come — especially since many people drinking Love You Bunches have no idea what grape it's made from. A decade later, the Love You Bunches school of Sangiovese is just as prevalent in California as classically Italianate versions. There are the translucent fuchsia renditions, many of them tutti frutti thanks to carbonic maceration, of producers like Union Sacre, Coquelicot, Margins and Neighborhood Winery. Several producers working with Mendocino County's Fox Hill Vineyard — Broc, En Cavale, Ruth Lewandowski — produce Sangioveses with a downright feral quality. Italy's most famous Sangioveses come from the Brunello and Chianti Classico, and many of today's best California Sangios — like those from Reeve, Disko, Rootdown and High Camp — recall those Tuscan regions. But the muses that inspire California extend beyond Tuscany. Some natural winemakers' bottlings feel akin to the wines of Lazio's zero-intervention winery Le Coste, which macerates the grape juice with its skins for a prolonged period, or even to the fizzy Sangioveses common in Emilia-Romagna. All of these expressions — but primarily those of winemaker Giovanna Morganti, of Chianti Classico's Podere Le Boncie — were in Thomas DeBiase's mind when he started his Jupiter label in 2020. Sangiovese was the driving force: The word is derived from the Latin sanguis jovis, 'blood of Jupiter.' 'It was always Sangiovese,' said DeBiase, who is also the operations director of Idlewild Wines in Healdsburg. 'It's the wine that scratches all the boxes — hedonistic, cheerful red fruit, but there's so much structure that it can be really serious.' Jones, of Field Recordings, plays across the stylistic spectrum. He originally sought out Sangiovese when he was making a canned wine called Antipasto, looking to the carbonic Sangiovese (since discontinued) of Santa Barbara County's Piedrasassi as a model. He loved it so much that he planted multiple clones of Sangiovese at his Paso Robles vineyard. Now, Jones produces a carbonic, chillable Sangiovese (Freddo), a denser expression (Loomis No. 3) made from a Corsican Sangiovese clone called Nielluccio, and a Cabernet-Merlot-Sangio blend (Fiasco) intended as an ode to old-school Chianti. California Sangioveses to try For anyone new to California Sangio, here are a few bottles to start with. Disko Sangiovese Oak Savanna Vineyard Santa Barbara County ($28). This refreshing wine from winemaker Sean Hogan, also the assistant winemaker at Coquelicot Estate Vineyard, has all of Sangiovese's best qualities: tart cherry, rustic tannins, a whiff of fresh forest floor and just enough bitterness to stay interesting. High Camp Estate Sangiovese Paso Robles ($40). A floral, dewy-smelling wine with bright, candied-fruit flavors. Rootdown Sangiovese Jane's Vineyard Mendocino County ($36). A juicy, medium-bodied wine with a hint of Luxardo cherry. Reeve Bosco Sangiovese Chalk Hill ($40). Of the three Sangios made by Reeve, this is the most lithe. It's a Chianti-esque expression, with a denser palate that's still light on its feet. White flowers, pepper, raspberry preserves and dusty tannin. Union Sacre Chipie Carbonic Sangiovese Paso Robles ($52). This wine bears the marks of carbonic maceration, tasting like strawberry candy with an extremely delicate weight. The winery makes another carbonic Sangiovese that's also quite tasty. Wildflower Sangiovese Los Olivos District ($32). This Santa Barbara County wine recalls Gamay in its mix of earthy, floral and red-fruit aromas, with a resounding brightness and some lightly chewy tannins. He sees Sangiovese as better suited to the warm, dry climate of Paso Robles than more commonly planted varieties, like Cabernet. 'These Italian grapes are so much more adapted to the heat and the changing growing conditions,' he said. 'The Italians were very good at choosing grapes that are economical to farm, that are relatively fruitful while keeping high quality.' What Jones appreciates about Sangiovese are its 'grandparent flavors': dirty cherry, cigar box, sometimes even a hint of a musty attic. He's discovered that he's not the only one. 'The surprising thing about the grandparent flavors — I'm always surprised that the younger drinkers are into it.' It's Sangiovese for a whole new generation.
Tatler Asia
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Home tour: Inside Bar Leone boss Lorenzo Antinori's new Hong Kong home
The layout is unusual—'basically a massive living room', as he describes it—with plenty of space to host friends. 'For the first time, I can have a communal dining table [at home] and invite friends over; the space definitely has this very liveable sort of vibe,' he says. Everywhere you turn, there are treasures to be spotted. Posters of Wong Kar-wai's seminal 2000 film In the Mood For Love ('my favourite Hong Kong movie') and the 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey ('Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite directors') are part of a collection of framed prints in the living area. A shelf acts as a divider between the space and the bedroom. It houses both books—one volume is an Italian translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, the Chinese military text dating back to the 5th century BC that Antinori says offers advice applicable for modern-day business—and paintings by family members; several relatives on his mother's side of the family are artists. By his bed are photos of his parents and a frame depicting a religious icon, a gift from his mother, who's a devout Catholic. 'I'm very close to my family—wherever I have lived, in Hong Kong or South Korea, I always have [these items].' Don't miss: Home tour: Inside an Italian farmhouse-inspired retreat in Happy Valley, Hong Kong Above Antinori with 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'—he worked at the famed London hotel's American Bar—and 'The South American Gentleman's Companion', a cocktail guide originally published in 1951 (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A close-up of knick-knacks in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori wanted to give the home what he calls a vintage, nostalgic edge. Some of his favourite things—art, film, music—come from the Seventies. His favourite movie, the 1997 indie flick Boogie Nights, is set in the era, and its aesthetics strongly inspired his decorating choices. 'I love the Seventies—they were a cool time because pop culture was extremely loud and visually impactful,' he says. 'There are a lot of elements from that period that I tried to bring into this space.' That influence is evident in the palette: think burnt orange, forest green and acrylic accents. Above Lorenzo Antinori (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A view of the coffee in the dining room (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) A neon sign that reads 'Bar Leone' lights up the space with a bright tangerine hue; the sofas are in the same shade; a Tiffany-style stained glass lamp, an emulation of the prized originals produced by the American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with green, orange and yellow glass, glows softly in the corner. Now read: Step inside 3 Hong Kong chefs' and restaurateurs' kitchens at home Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above A close-up of books in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori has applied the same design philosophy behind his bar to his home. 'We wanted Bar Leone to be a nostalgic space, almost like a trip back to a time in the past. We got a lot of references from the Seventies and Eighties. That's why some people feel like it has been there for a while. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea.' He wanted the home to feel 'a little bit chaotic', he adds, 'almost like it's coming out of a movie by [ Boogie Nights ' director] Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson.' To bring this vision to life, he enlisted Tiffany Kwan, founder of the interior design firm Studio TK, who also worked with him on Bar Leone. Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong We wanted Bar Leone to be almost like a trip back to a time in the past. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea - Lorenzo Antinori - Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong After finally settling in, there are still 'a few other pieces that I need to put up'. A home is a place where one never stands still, he says. 'It's almost a dynamic place. I will always think of new elements that I want to introduce.' Much like the bar, the home has become a reflection of Antinori's personality. 'Bar Leone is a very personal project. I managed to fill it with things that I love, the things that remind me of home, the things that are connected to my roots. It's the same here; there are certain pieces that I have had in my apartment in Rome with my family, like the religious icon by my bed, the books, frames and prints. 'I think it's important to preserve this element of heritage that showcases our background and who we are. Otherwise, we just live in an empty box.'
