Table of contents for November 2021 in Robb Report

In terms of its ingredients, sake is simple, made from just four elements: rice, water, yeast and fermentation-spurring mold called koji-kin. And yet as a category, it’s disconcertingly complex, served both hot and cold, filtered and unfiltered, dry and sweet. It’s been a staple of Japanese cuisine for centuries, but more recently sake has enjoyed an increasing prominence on the American fine-dining scene, with enthusiastic appreciation from Michelin-star chefs, buzzy restaurants and independent brewers alike. “Sushi has obviously seeped into the mainstream of the American diet, and with that comes a growing interest in other things Japanese,” says Weston Konishi, president of the Sake Brewers Association of North America. “Sake is riding on the coattails of that.” And as with sushi, celebrity chefs are helping pave the way for wider…

Maybe you dream of experiencing the John Wayne lifestyle or adding an extra goal to your polo creds. Whatever your motivation to mount up, horseplay takes on new meaning at these five equestrian destinations, where your favorite creature comforts are along for the ride. ENGLAND Berkshire, home to Windsor Castle, is synonymous with English equestrian life: It’s where both Royal Ascot and the Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo championship are held, two events that Her Majesty attends almost without fail. The latter takes place at the Guards Polo Club, the premier club to chase a ball about with a mallet; see club director Ebe Sievwright, who’s also one of the game’s best-known commentators, about booking a private lesson (beginner-level coaching can be had for around $270). After training at the Guards,…

In 1996, while prepping an expansive historical survey of photography of the American South, Atlanta’s High Museum of Art commissioned three contemporary photographers to create new bodies of work about the region. Sally Mann’s eerie landscapes of antebellum plantations, Dawoud Bey’s pensive portraits of Black high school students and Alex Webb’s moody street photography in and around Atlanta were so affecting that the High soon enlisted another photographer, then another. A quarter century, six curators and hundreds of images later, this month the museum is mounting Picturing the South: 25 Years, an exhibition celebrating its 16 commissions, including three new series by An-My Lê, Jim Goldberg and Sheila Pree Bright. For these latest projects, current photography curator Gregory Harris, who was 12 when the inaugural show opened, sought out documentary-style…

Jewelry is often described as wearable art—but, really, why not just have both? That seems to be the thinking behind this year's 10th anniversary of selling exhibition Salon Art + Design, at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory from November 11 through 15, which for the first time will showcase a sizable selection of fine jewelry alongside its blue-chip 20th-century art and some of the world’s best vintage, modern and contemporary designs. Among the more than 50 leading art and design galleries, attendees will find jewelry firms Macklowe Gallery, Ornamentum Gallery, Didier Ltd. and Galerie Negropontes, along with Brazilian fine-jewelry designer Silvia Furmanovich, who is planning to debut a special installation of her latest design collection, including jewelry and home objets inspired by the natural landscape of the Amazon rainforest. Furmanovich collaborated…

IF YOU’VE STREAMED Only Murders in the Building on Hulu and considered a move to the Belnord, the New York City landmark on which the show’s titular building, the Arconia, is based, this one-stop-shop exhibit may streamline your process. The Belnord Project is the brainchild of Guillaume Coutheillas, founder of interior design and branding studio frenchCALIFORNIA. Coutheillas flips the traditional approach to real estate on its head by partnering with galleries, artists and developers to introduce their pieces to potential buyers: Everything’s for sale, from the furnishings to the art to the apartment itself. From a Greta Magnusson Grossman curved sofa in ivory bouclé upholstery to a Renate Müller Universe wool carpet—even a coffee table in brass hex tiles by the Haas Brothers—pieces in the collection (which range in price…

In addition to the 3,065-square-foot interior, the home also comes with 1,500 square feet of outdoor space. ONE TERRACE IS good; two are unquestionably better. A home in London’s South Kensington neighborhood with that layout has just listed for $12.3 million, and it’s an ideal setup for those looking to live a bit more indoor-outdoor. Inside, the residence has the sort of layout that you’d expect of a penthouse property: a sprawling living room and dining room, three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a primary suite with a dressing room attached plus a separate space for a home gym. It’s easily accessible from the outside world, too—the elevator opens directly into the penthouse foyer. In addition to the 3,065-square-foot interior, the home also comes with 1,500 square feet of outdoor space.…

You’re part of a steroidal convoy of 100 of Ferrari’s rarest modern cars, along with 50 classics, over some of Italy’s best driving roads. IT MUST BE galling to buy your first new Ferrari, only to discover that the purchase of your $300,000 car unlocks just the initial level of privilege and access within the world of the Prancing Horse elite. The climb up Ferrari’s customer ladder is long, winding and extremely costly, requiring the acquisition of multiple examples of the marque’s rarest and most expensive models—by invitation only, of course—and participation in some of the inventive ways the brand has for you to spend money with it, such as the Challenge race series or the F1 Clienti track-car program. And the top rung of that ladder? It just may…

KITESURFING HAS become the go-to sport for board lovers, and now, following much the same idea, a 140-square-foot kite will be common on Silent Yachts 60-foot motor yachts. CEO Michael Köhler spent several years searching for an easy-to-use automated kite system that would double as an additional power source for his zero-emission solar-electric-powered cats. “It’s more tool than toy,” Köhler says of the Wingit kite. “It can add five knots to a boat’s speed, save on fuel costs and increase the boat’s efficiency.” Tethered by Kevlar lines to a two-foot-high foredeck mast, the kite is inflated before ascending. It soars to 400 feet, where wind is more intense. “The kite provides propulsion, but you steer the boat as you would any vessel,” Köhler explains. “If you intend to cruise for…

One of the most influential watch collectors in the world, Auro Montanari—also known by the alias John Goldberger—has amassed a vast vault over the past 43 years. Having acquired Patek Philippe and Rolex models at bargain prices during the quartz crisis in the ’70s, Montanari found himself sitting on a gold mine when the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking occurred roughly two decades later. The recent boom in sought-after vintage pieces has only furthered his renown. His Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265, nicknamed “The Unicorn” because it was the only known vintage white-gold manual-winding Daytona ever produced, sold for $5.9 million in 2018 when it went up for auction at Phillips. Montanari donated the proceeds to the Geneva-based charity Children Action. But the native of Bologna, Italy, is equally known for…

At 574 feet, the ocean floor looked like a barren desert, tranquil and eerie. What a thing, to be in a submersible for the first time, separated from reef fish and gin-clear water by nothing more than a few inches of acrylic. Inside the three-person Triton 3300/3 there’s a complete 360-degree line of sight, making it hard to discern where the transparent sphere ends and ocean begins. It’s unexpectedly roomy—not to mention the comfortable seats and crisp air—with unobstructed views up front, underfoot, overhead, even through the pilot’s seat in the rear. Just minutes earlier I’d been aboard the U Boat Navigator, a dedicated dive vessel, bouncing in lively seas off Malta. A pair of submersibles—a one-seat Triton 3300/1 alongside the three-seater—sat on the foredeck. “A sub is not a…

A chief executive recently shared an email about a jet charter his company had arranged for important clients. Scheduled for an on-time departure from Austin, the pilots noticed a blinking light in the cockpit and called in the mechanics. Several hours later, the issue was resolved—but the crew, which by then had exceeded FAA-mandated hours for the day, was grounded. Unable to secure a replacement aircraft, the clients didn’t complete the flight to Phoenix until the following day. The CEO, an experienced private flier, was incensed that such an expensive trip had been delayed because the provider couldn’t find another jet: “One of the most incredible shit shows ever by a charter company,” he wrote. For an industry that prides itself on clockwork white-glove service, dealing with the massive, Covid-era…

Ask any number of opinionated audiophiles (as if there’s any other kind) where to start when assembling a great audio system and you’ll be pointed in as many different directions. Some think everything depends foremost on the speakers; others insist that without an impeccable source, whether analog or digital, nothing downstream will sound quite right. A third faction believes only outstanding electronics can set the stage for success. And they’re all correct: Truly outstanding music reproduction doesn’t start or end anywhere, it’s about achieving more than the sum of your parts. Which means the real trick is selecting components that complement one another. And while it’s possible to spend nearly unlimited sums on a system, the following arrangement will deliver sonic nirvana for under six figures. Turntable NAIM SOLSTICE SPECIAL…

The list of regrettable fashion statements from the 1970s is legion—leisure suits and ankle-breaking platform shoes spring to mind—but the era’s jewelry is a different story. Sculptural and dramatic, at times whimsical or Pop Art–inflected, the designs are now getting a favorable second look. The reasons for the Me Decade’s ascent are plentiful. While the antique diamonds of European royals or top Art Deco finery may grab headlines for their glittery provenances and the multimillion-dollar prices they command, the exuberance and (relative) accessibility of pieces created 40 or 50 years ago make them appealing targets for nascent collectors. They’re also a heck of a lot easier to work into an everyday wardrobe than a rivière or a tiara. Then there’s the zeitgeist, which seems to be on the side of…

Sean Song KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Described by fellow industry insiders as “the only watch dealer with an address at the St. Regis,” 28-year-old Sean Song certainly has one of the most elegant showrooms for scarce wrist candy, including such rarities as an F. P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Régence Circulaire (one of 20 made), a Daniel Roth Seconds at Six with a salmon dial and a Cartier Tank Louis Collection Privé Wandering Hours. “The good thing about being in a hotel is that there is security,” says Song. “Usually, with new clients I meet them downstairs first, and then, once I get to know them, I feel more comfortable.” Song doesn’t trade exclusively at the high-priced echelon. “I tend to buy what I like,” he says. “Recently, I bought and sold…

Fabulous food has long been central to Greece’s allure, from soulful old-world cuisine to exceptional fine-dining destinations. But Delta, in the ancient capital city of Athens, is a rarefied culinary experience far beyond clever riffs on Grandma’s moussaka. Located in a two-story, glass-walled space high atop the Renzo Piano–designed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), Delta claims the title as the city’s first progressive gastronomic destination. A 23-foot, hand-hammered copper bar anchors the sleekly appointed restaurant, which offers a single nightly seating for just 12 tables. The first dish, a silken calamari steamed with plum-stone oil and lacquered in caramelized butter, sets the stage for the remainder of the evening’s incredible 17-course pageant of Greek ingredients prepared with Michelin-quality flair. Delta is a rarefied experience far beyond clever riffs on…

On average, most Americans give up their New Year’s resolutions on January 17. Nearly two-thirds of all US gym memberships go utterly unused. We all want to be healthier, and most of us probably even know how. So why are we so bad at changing our behavior? Stephen Kopecky, MD, a cardiologist and double-cancer survivor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., kept coming up against this question when advising his patients on how to reduce their likelihood of heart disease; his patients’ eyes, he says, would “glaze over.” So he decided to distill his advice into a book, Live Younger Longer, which breaks down what we need to do to enjoy the best possible health well into advanced age. “About 85, 90 percent of where our diseases come from…

Though Bentley has long leaned into its Art Deco–era reputation forged by large-displacement, Le Mans–winning racers, the 102-year-old British automaker seems amped about its electric future, having committed to a gas-free lineup in a scant nine years. But its fuel lines aren’t empty quite yet. The newest Continental GT variant, with its dozen gas-combusting cylinders and scripted “Speed” badge, is a full-throated endorsement of the old ways. But the burning question is, with hybrid and battery-powered Bentleys just around the corner, does this grand tourer feel as momentous as it should? Keep your hands quick and your foot heavy and the GT Speed flashes its rambunctious side. Sicily’s craggy back roads help highlight the marque’s longstanding calling cards of towering torque and an imperturbable ride, but the eye-opener comes when…

REINVENTING A CENTURIES-OLD sport for today’s attention-challenged viewers may sound like a nonstarter, but Oracle chairman Larry Ellison and his yacht-racing guru Sir Russell Coutts figured sailing had been in the doldrums long enough. “One TV producer described racing sailboats as slow white triangles on a blue background that’s impossible to understand,” says Coutts, an Olympic gold medalist, five-time America’s Cup winner and CEO of Oracle’s America’s Cup campaigns. “Larry knew if we couldn’t make it understandable for television, it would never succeed.” So Coutts and Ellison reimagined the sport for global consumption under SailGP, an action-packed, AR-graphics-rich extreme sport—sailing’s version of Formula 1. Now in its second season, SailGP has eight national teams competing around the globe in 50-foot, high-speed F50 foiling cats. When the series ends on March…

IN LATE AUGUST, the Gulfstream G700 took the equivalent of a royal tour when it flew from its Savannah, Georgia, headquarters straight to the Doha hangar of its launch customer, Qatar Executive. The flagship plane then traveled to Paris to give European clients a preview of the finished product. The G700 set speed records on all three legs, carrying a full payload and with 10 people on board, clocking in at Mach .90 (just over 690 mph) on the return to Savannah. “These were our longest flights to date and the first outside the US,” says Scott Evans, Gulfstream’s director of demonstration and corporate flight operations, who piloted the G700. “Operationally, it was flawless, and the 27.5 hours of flight time gave us the opportunity to maximize our test capabilities.”…

These days, there’s no point in asking whether a watch is intended for ladies or gents—the answer, whether the watchmaker likes it or not, is “yes.” Fashion and jewelry are having big unisex moments, with men rocking pearl necklaces, pussy-bow blouses and platform heels even as designers, from Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière to Maison Margiela’s John Galliano, are cutting strong, broad-shouldered suits for anyone, male or female, who wants to wear them. And now the watch industry is catching up to its peers—and its clients. Perhaps noticing, as we have, that chic women are sporting everything from a massive Rolex to an F. P. Journe Souverain while many stylish men are discovering a penchant for smaller cases or diamond accents, watchmakers have begun branding models unisex or are avoiding labeling…

Royal jewels almost always make a big splash at auction. The crown that the Notorious B.I.G. wore in his famous King of New York photograph sold for nearly $600,000 last year, while a pair of Marie Antoinette’s diamond bracelets is valued between $2 million and $4 million and expected to sell for much more later this month. Similarly jaw-dropping figures, but the baubles—and the people who owned them—are truly one-of-a-kind. So how do the king’s and queen’s heirlooms compare? The Notorious B.I.G.’s Crown vs. Marie Antoinette's Bracelets CAPTURED BY Barron Claiborne, who photographed Biggie wearing the crown for Rap Pages magazine in 1997. The image has since been referred to as the Mona Lisa of hip-hop. Antoine Jean-Gros, who painted a portrait of Marie Thérèse, Antoinette’s daughter, wearing the bracelets…