WINTER 2013 THE MAGAZINE

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

T H E M A G A Z I N E

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P R I VAT R E S O R T � �Elizabeth Winding fi nds paradise at

Le Prince Maurice in Mauritius

P R I VAT D I A R Y � ��Marie-Noëlle Bauer visits the new Alexander

McQueen menswear boutique on Savile Row

P R I VAT S E L E C T I O N � �Timothy Barber showcases the latest batch

of cutting-edge luxury watch stores

P R I VAT D I N I N G � �Ahead of the city’s spring food festival, Jenni

Muir meets Melbourne’s most inspiring chefs

P R I VATA R T � �Josh Sims meets calligraphy master Donald

Jackson, creator of a new illuminated Bible

P R I VAT D E S I G N � �Discover the world’s most extraordinary

treehouses in a fascinating new book

P R I VAT P E R S O N �Daniel Boulud tells Kathleen Squires about

his 20 years as New York’s king of fi ne dining

P R I VAT T R AV E L Matthew Teller travels to Jordan to meet

the man behind its fl ourishing wine scene

P R I VAT E S C A P E � �Anisha Patel takes a walk on the wild side,

tracking rhinos on foot in Namibia

P R I VATA I R � �PrivatAir’s hard-working staff make a

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E i g h t

An illuminated, hand-lettered Bible for the 21st century,

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Cover: Swiss

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W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

T H E M A G A Z I N E

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F O R

PrivatAir SA

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Telephone +41 (0)22 929 6700

Fax +41 (0)22 929 6701

[email protected]

www.privatair.com

© Ink. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in PrivatAir the

Magazine are not necessarily those of PrivatAir

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

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Contributors

1 KATHLEEN SQUIRESA serial traveller who has visited all seven

continents and over 60 countries, with stints

living in London, Tokyo and Buenos Aires,

Kathleen currently lives in Manhattan. She

writes for Th e Wall Street Journal, Saveur,

Zagat.com, National Geographic Traveler,

Fodors.com and many other publications.

3 MARKUS LAMBERTGerman-born photographer Markus is

based in London and Paris. After working

as a highly acclaimed fashion hair stylist

for several years, he turned his hand to

photography. Markus brings a romantic

and whimsical quality to his work while

maintaining a modern approach.

2 ANDREW MONTGOMERYA keen photographer, Andrew got his fi rst

darkroom at the age of 15. He has spent the

following 15 years shooting lifestyle, food and

people for various magazines, and has just

completed a book with Jasper Conran, as well

as a year-long stay in a Somerset valley which

culminated in a farmhouse cookbook.

4 TIMOTHY BARBEREditor of the glossy British magazine 0024

WatchWorld, Timothy writes about watches

and the watch industry for the Financial

Times, the Telegraph and City AM

newspapers. He also writes about travel,

restaurants and men’s style. His favourite

watch is his 1950s IWC dress watch.

3 MARKUS LAMBERT

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O C U S ! ’ U R G E S R I S H I , T H E

resident yoga expert at the Constance Le Prince

Maurice, adopting the tree pose. ‘Look ahead. If

you focus, you will not fall.’ Easier said than

done: it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful –

and distracting – setting than the terrace of the

hotel’s magnifi cent Princely Suite. Th e early

morning sunshine glints on the Indian Ocean

and a small fi shing boat moves slowly across the

bay: in front of my mat, an extravagantly crested

red-whiskered bulbul swoops low across the

terrace and sings a few liquid notes.

Mauritius is an island made for indolence: a

small, secluded speck in the Indian Ocean, some

800km east of Madagascar. Encircled by a coral

reef, its white-sand beaches shelve into calm

lagoons; inland, the fertile volcanic soil is planted

with sugar cane, a legacy of the Dutch, who set-

tled the island in the 17th century. Th ey also

hunted the dodo to extinction in record time:

after centuries of living in an environment with-

out predators, the bird had lost the ability to fl y.

If there’s a cautionary tale in there, the

guests at the Prince Maurice are blissfully

oblivious. Set on the island’s tranquil north-east

coast and recently re-opened after refurbish-

ment, this is a place geared towards complete

relaxation: a discreet, low-lying complex of qui-

etly luxurious suites, centred on a soaring central

atrium with polished marble fl oors, low teak

sofas and views across the slate-tiled infi nity

pool. Beautiful by day, it’s lovelier still as dusk

falls and refl ected lights glimmer in the myriad

pools and fountains.

Just over 30 years ago, this sheltered,

60-hectare inlet was a sugar-cane plantation;

T w e l v e

Eight of Le Prince

Maurice’s luxurious

villas perch on

stilts above a

crystal-clear lagoon

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now, lush tropical gardens are planted with jas-

mine, frangipani and hibiscus. Palm tree-lined

paths and decked walkways weave between the

89 suites and villas – eight of which perch on

stilts above a natural lagoon, like the hotel’s

romantic fl oating restaurant, Le Barachois.

Th e hotel’s recent updates have been subtle:

freshly thatched sugar-cane roofs, a sushi coun-

ter in the poolside bar and an immense new

wine cellar, with space for some 15,000 bottles.

Th e spa has also been updated and there’s now

an outpost of French beauty brand Sisley, whose

botanical ingredients and treatments fi t well

with the hotel’s laid-back ethos.

Th e days pass quickly here, centring on the

gentle curve of pristine white sand and limpid

turquoise lagoon. All kinds of water sports are

off ered at the beach shack – but it’s just as easy

to fall into a reverie, watching practised kite-

surfers swoop across the bay or the repeated

rise and fall of novice windsurfers’ sails.

Snorkelling out by the reef is even more mes-

merising: a dreamlike world with valleys of

neon-tipped coral and shoals of tiny, surreally

colourful fi sh – electric blue, pink or striped

from top to tail.

Most magical of all, though, was waking up

early and walking along the beach before dawn.

As the fi rst streaks of pink and orange crept

across a pale grey sky, the beach was empty bar a

solitary fi sherman picking his way over the

rocks. It was a moment of complete peace –

until, at the other end of the beach, a man on a

tractor began to rake the sand: fi ve-star perfec-

tion, like yogic serenity, takes eff ort to attain.

princemaurice.constancehotels.com

Elizabeth Winding discovers Le Prince Maurice,

a little piece of heaven in Mauritius

P A R A D I S E F O U N D

P R I V A TR E S O R T

T h i r t e e n


AS YOU ENTER ALEXANDER MCQUEEN’S

boutique on Savile Row, you’re greeted by two

dapper mannequins wearing exquisite gar-

ments sourced from the McQueen archive, a

reminder of the talent of the late British

designer whose name shines above the front

of this new mecca for dandies.

Before he rocked the fashion world with his

bold vision, Alexander McQueen, or Lee as he

was known to his circle, had done an apprentice-

ship on this very street with tailors Anderson

and Sheppard, and nursed the dream of one day

having his own place on Savile Row. ‘Th is new

shop is like a homecoming,’ says his successor as

creative director, Sarah Burton. ‘Tailoring has

always been the backbone of the label.’

A hands-on Burton helped to conceive this

menswear fl agship – as detail-rich as a McQueen

creation – along with interior designer du jour

David Collins, even hand-carving the dainty

mushrooms and wings featured on its wall pan-

els, inspired by a British country house.

Th ose expecting a dark, angsty space in

keeping with McQueen’s often Goth-tinged

iconography will be surprised to fi nd instead

a light-fi lled boutique whose focal point,

besides the current collection, which includes

McQueen’s trademark ‘pagoda shoulder’ jackets,

is a curated art space.

And, of course, this being Savile Row, the

basement is home to the requisite working tai-

lor visible from the street, who’ll be providing a

premium bespoke service that would have

made Lee proud.

9 Savile Row, London W1, alexandermcqueen.com

P R I V A TD I A R Y

Th ere’s a new kid on the block, or rather

on London’s legendary Savile Row.

Marie-Noëlle Bauer visits the Alexander

McQueen fl agship menswear boutique

TA I L O R M A D E

F o u r t e e n


F i f t e e n


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S e v e n t e e n

Shen Yun Shine BrightTh e world’s fi nest classical Chinese dance group bring their

sensational music and dance to Lausanne this March

SINCE 2006, NEW YORK-BASED DANCE

group Shen Yun have brilliantly, beautifully

revived classical Chinese dance for the modern

audience. A collection of 100 classically trained

dancers, musicians and singers, Shen Yun have

dedicated themselves to capturing the spirit of

a long-lost culture that originated some 5,000

years ago, when China was known as Shen

Zhou, the Land of the Divine. Shen Yun’s

artistes believe that to create true art, there

must fi rst be inner purity, so they include study

and meditation in their rigorous training

regime. ‘It was like taking a journey to China,’

says DKNY creator Donna Karan, just one of

Shen Yun’s celebrity fans. ‘What I loved about

the show was the authenticity of it. Singers,

dancers and musicians reclaiming the divinely

inspired cultural heritage of China.’

Th is year is an exciting one for Shen Yun

and their fans. Th eir seventh tour will see

more than 300 performances across the world,

including stops in Paris, London, Berlin, 60

diff erent destinations in the US, and Mexico

City, a new port of call for the group.

PrivatAir is proud to partner Shen Yun’s

performances in Switzerland.

You can see this spectacular theatrical performance

at the Th éâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne on 26 and

27 March. webticketcenter.com/switzerland,

shenyunperformingarts.org

P R I V A T D I A R Y

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W A T C HT H I S S P A C ETh e recent wave of luxury boutique

openings has elevated the experience

of buying a timepiece into a fi ne art,

says Timothy Barber

I F YO U WA N T A N I N D I C AT I O N A S TO

just how grand the watch industry has become

in the past few years, look no further than the

latest batch of exclusive watch stores. Take

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newly enlarged store in

Paris, which launched in mid-November and

saw Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert and

Diane Kruger attend its opening party. Located

at 7 place Vendôme, it sits alongside Van Cleef

& Arpels, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Boucheron

and De Beers. With 500 square metres of

gleaming salon space, it’s part luxury salesroom,

part interactive exhibition space and museum,

and part workshop – watchmakers beaver away

under the noses of discerning buyers, while a

screen off ers close-up views of the movements

they’re repairing and maintaining.

IWC Schaff hausen’s Manhattan store –

their most impressive anywhere in the world –

opened on Madison Avenue in April 2012, and

has been designed as a narrative walk-through

of the IWC brand. To showcase its nautically

inspired Portuguese line you’ll fi nd navigational

equipment and sofas upholstered in sail canvas;

for its high-end Da Vinci collection, discover

old-fashioned calligraphy tools, leather-bound

books and handmade chess sets; for its pilot’s

watches, a large Spitfi re fi ghter-plane model

hangs from the ceiling above a $25,000 fl ight

simulator and vintage aviation paraphernalia.

IWC CEO Georges Kern referred to the shop

as a ‘house of stories’.

Watch boutiques have traditionally tended

towards an austere ambience that puts the prod-

uct fi rst, with little investment in display or cus-

tomer experience. But in the last decade the big

Swiss houses have been able to rely less on multi-

brand retailers, ploughing money instead into

their own lavishly branded spaces. (Patek Philippe

is a notable exception, preferring to colonise

select independent boutiques with Patek corners

rather than open its own shops.)

‘Boutiques have changed, in the sense that

they now tell a story,’ says Stéphane Belmont,

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s marketing director. ‘It’s much

more about the experience someone receives

when they walk through the door, how a boutique

evokes a feeling for the brand and its heritage.

P R I V A TS E L E C T I O N

E i g h t e e n

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IWC Schaff hausen’s

elegant Manhattan store

is a ‘house of stories’


We have been able to develop a concept around discreet luxury,

serene intimacy and high-end watchmaking.’

Developing a concept is key. One of the hotspots for

watch lovers in Geneva is the M.A.D. Gallery, a boutique/

art gallery from avant-garde MB&F, which opened in late

2011. Alongside its own ingeniously engineered watches,

the company exhibits and sells work by international artists

specialising in sculpture of a mechanical bent. Greubel

Forsey, another top-end connoisseur brand, has opened the

Time Art gallery in Shanghai, where it exhibits its own

watches, the work of invited artists and the creations of

other master watchmakers.

Th e revolution in watch retail isn’t just found in the con-

ceptual extravagance of new watch boutiques, but also in the

pace of openings. Vacheron Constantin, currently with 12

stand-alone boutiques worldwide, intends opening a further

10 in the next year alone. Besides New York, in 2012 IWC

opened shops in Abu Dhabi, Paris, Taipei, Macau and Beijing.

For jewellery brands too, watches are a signifi cant slice of

the business. Harry Winston, whose slew of 2013 openings

will include a three-storey fl agship in the watchmaking capi-

tal of Geneva, is among jewellers now allocating signifi cant

space in its salons to watches. ‘Every boutique has a dedicated

watch corner now,’ says CEO Frederic de Narp. ‘Even last

year watches represented less than 30 per cent of business,

but my intention is to bring that to 40 per cent.’

‘Th e brands didn’t exist like this 10 years ago, their businesses were quite diff erent,

and the spending power of clients has become far more intensive,’ according to Jason

Broderick, general merchandise manager for menswear at Harrods in London,

which opened one of Europe’s most lavish watch venues at the end of 2011. Th e capital

is the one place where the industry’s expansionist retail plans have hit a snag:

in London only Bond Street counts, and spaces rarely become available there.

Harrods has managed to provide a quasi-solution, by creating a glitzy Fine Watch

Room that is ringed with mini-boutiques from select brands. Many of these names,

which include A Lange & Söhne, Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet and Panerai, don’t

have any other dedicated London shop, so if nothing else, the Harrods project aff ords

London buyers access to the kind of ultra-exclusive watches normally reserved for the

fl agship brand boutiques.

‘It means we’re carrying the calibre of products that our clients see around the world,

and we get people coming from around the world to London to get these particular pieces,’

says Broderick. ‘Th ere’s a constant hunger for watches now – you need a dress watch, an

evening watch, a sports watch; it’s part of the lifestyle of the global wealthy.’

‘Boutiques now tell a st ory. It’s more about the experience someone receives when they walk through the door’

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s

revamped store in Paris

features 500 square metres

of brilliant salon space

T w e n t y


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More sophisticated than its brash, fl ashy sister Sydney, Melbourne is Australia’s gastronomic capital. Jenni Muir speaks to some of the city’s

diverse chefs headlining the city’s celebrated Food & Wine Festival in March

Melbourne on the Menu

P R I V A TD I N I N G

PRI_22_privat_diningSCM_JS.indd 22PRI_22_privat_diningSCM_JS.indd 22 18/12/2012 11:2118/12/2012 11:21

Andrew McConnellCHEF-PATRON OF CUTLER & CO, CUMULUS INC

AND GOLDEN FIELDS

Melbourne born and bred Andrew McConnell worked

part-time in a bakery while still at school and has pro-

gressed steadily from there, learning a variety of cuisines

through work and travel, including three years in Europe

and a formative fi ve years in Shanghai.

Today he presides over three hit Melbourne eateries,

each with vastly diff erent characters. Cutler & Co is a fi ne-

dining establishment majoring in degustation menus with

wine pairings. Exquisite ingredients often appear in unusual

ways, such as bonito sashimi with avocado, sorrel and green

strawberries, or smoked and fried duck egg with morcilla,

carrot and gingerbread. Golden Fields is McConnell’s

response to his time in Shanghai – an Australian perspec-

tive on Chinese food, rather than crossover fusion cuisine

– set in the easygoing beach suburb of St Kilda.

Cumulus Inc in Melbourne’s central business district is

arguably the most Aussie of the set. ‘I was off ered a space

that was quite beautiful, with an industrial vibe and north-

facing windows, and knew I wanted a place that would be

accessible all day. We have the breakfast menu, then a menu

T w e n t y - T h r e e

that starts at noon and runs to midnight. You can come in

for a coff ee, a glass of Champagne, a snack before a movie

or a six-course dinner.’

Eating out for breakfast is essential to understanding the

Australian culinary ethos. On any morning of the week,

Cumulus Inc serves more than 300 people, a large proportion

of them from the surrounding hotels. McConnell deems the

lengthy menu simple, but it takes in baked eggs with roasted

peppers and Shanklish cheese, bratwurst and Lyonnais sau-

sages with carefully paired eggs and vegetables, sardines with

grilled asparagus and tomatoes, brûlée grapefruit, madeleines

fi lled with lemon curd, candied orange and raisin toast.

‘We don’t take it lightly,’ he concludes. ‘We apply the same

care and attention to detail no matter whether it’s a breakfast

pastry or dinner. We have always done things that way.’

Cumulus Inc, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000,

+61 3 9650 1445, www.cumulusinc.com.au

Opposite: an elegant

duck dish by Andrew

McConnell


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T w e n t y - F i v e

P R I V A T D I N I N G

Ben ShewryHEAD CHEF OF ATTICA

Th e current darling of Melbourne’s foodie scene, Ben Shewry,

is the fi rst high-end chef to have made indigenous bush

tucker alluring. Comparisons with René Redzepi of

Copenhagen’s Noma are appropriate, both for his commit-

ment to wild and local ingredients, and the elegance with

which they’re presented. No surprise, then, that Attica has

featured in the top 100 of gastronaut checklist Th e World’s

50 Best Restaurants for three years running, making it a pri-

ority for fl avour-seeking out-of-towners. But Shewry is win-

ning hearts, too, for the evocative stories he tells about each

dish’s creation: not just how it was technically conceived and

cooked but the traditions, experiences and sometimes-

fraught childhood memories that inspired him.

A New Zealander by birth, Shewry has made hangi

cooking (the Maori technique of baking in the ground) his

hallmark. At the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival he will

star in an edgy, exclusive day-to-night workshop, slow cook-

ing pork shoulder and root vegetables in a hangi of volcanic

rock, red gum wood and saltbush. His signature dish at

Attica, ‘a simple dish of potato cooked in the earth it was

grown in’, comes from the same tradition yet is thoroughly

modern: a yellow orb of creamy slow-cooked potato on a bed

of fromage blanc spiked with curls of cured trout, charred

coconut husk, dried saltbush leaves and ground coff ee.

‘Th e earth is a great holder of heat,’ Shewry explains, ‘and

that’s what gives the potato its deep golden colour and rich

earthy fl avour.’ Pretty grey-blue dried saltbush

leaves, at last becoming a popular seasoning

among local gourmets, are often described as

salt in herb form. ‘Th e fi rst European settlers

here also called them “native sage” although they

bear no resemblance in taste,’ says Shewry.

He recommends March visitors sample the

native fruits: quandong, riberry, lemon aspen,

native limes and more, as well as the bunya nuts

that are harvested from Attica’s gardens in

Ripponlea. Given the traditional rivalry between

the two countries, it’s ironic that Australia’s

coolest exponent of its indigenous ingredients is

a New Zealander, but this is one match

Melbourne seems happy to let the Kiwis win.

Attica, 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, Victoria

3185, +61 3 9530 0111, www.attica.com.au

A New Zealander by birth, Shewry has made hangi cooking (the Maori technique of baking in the ground) his hallmark

Top: Attica is one of the

world’s top restaurants.

Right: Shewry’s signature dish of potato

cooked hangi-style


9A Windsor End, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 2JJ Englandt: 00 44 (0)1494 680488 e: [email protected]

www.delamerie.com

No.87773 De Lamerie 1pp.indd 1No.87773 De Lamerie 1pp.indd 1 12/12/2012 11:2712/12/2012 11:27

T w e n t y - S e v e n


‘Freshness takes the ricotta to another level and everyone who eats it goes crazy over it’

Neil PerryCHEF-PATRON OF ROSETTA, SPICE TEMPLE

AND ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL

Th e Mr Cool of Australian dining has been oper-

ating in Melbourne since 2006 when the

Sydneysider opened his Rockpool Bar & Grill

concept in the Crown Casino and Entertainment

Complex on the south bank of the Yarra River.

Spice Temple, which serves regional Chinese

dishes, and the Waiting Room bar followed in

2010. His latest is glittering Italian restaurant

Rosetta, an immediate hit with customers and

Australia’s pickiest food critics, despite the fact that

Melbourne already has several fi ne Italian restau-

rants and a discerning immigrant community.

‘We didn’t open Rosetta to be the fi rst in

Melbourne or in a minority. James [Packer,

owner of the Crown complex] just wanted a

really fantastic, world-class Italian restaurant. I

felt really confi dent about it – I’ve been visiting

Italy since 1984. It’s a cuisine that’s closely

aligned with all our restaurants’ fundamental

philosophy of using the best produce in season.

And not being Italian, I don’t feel bound to a

particular region, which allows me to draw on

dishes from all over Italy.’

Fans of Italian hotspots such as Babbo in

New York and London’s River Café may even

fi nd Rosetta has the edge as it benefi ts from

exquisitely fresh Victorian ingredients and Perry’s

hip do-it-yourself philosophy. Th ey don’t buy in

ricotta, for example; they make it on site. ‘It

never goes inside a fridge,’ says Perry. ‘We make

it fresh each day and what doesn’t get served on

bruschetta with wood-roasted tomato or fi g

goes straight into cassata the next day. Freshness

takes the ricotta to another level and everyone

who eats it goes crazy over it. Same with the

mud crab, which we serve very simply with fresh

squid ink noodles, chilli and parsley. Th e crab is

so sweet and beautiful because we get them live,

cook them and pick them every day, and it stops

people in their tracks.’

Rosetta, Crown Complex, Southbank, Victoria 3006,

+61 3 8648 1999, www.rosettaristorante.com

Top: Perry’s upmarket

Italian restaurant,

Rosetta


T w e n t y - E i g h t


Shannon BennettCHEF-PATRON OF VUE DE MONDE,

BISTRO VUE AND CAFÉ VUE

His time working in Europe for culinary leg-

ends such as Alain Ducasse, Albert Roux and

Marco Pierre White has given Shannon

Bennett an in-depth understanding of classical

cuisine and a taste for the opulent. At Vue de

Monde, which sits enviably on the 55th fl oor of

the Rialto Towers in Melbourne’s central busi-

ness district, he tops the European foundation

with local, sustainable ingredients and an

Aussie sense of fun.

Bennett is considered an astute operator

who pays well. Th is helps him keep some of the

best talent in the industry and has allowed him

to expand his empire to include a smart, unfussy

bistro serving beers and oysters, and a chain of

picture-perfect patisseries. Th ematically they

seem all very Shannon Bennett, but to the man

himself they’re entirely diff erent.

‘You can’t just choose a plate and then use

this in each venue – you have to choose diff erent

plates specifi c to each one,’ he explains. ‘Th is

takes time and a really good understanding of

what each venue is about and the market it

caters for.’

Like many chefs, he fi nds March’s local lar-

der diffi cult to forecast. Melbourne’s climate is

notoriously changeable. ‘March can either be

the end of summer or very much a cooler change

into autumn,’ says Bennett. ‘Some great summer

fl avours are often at their best in March, having

‘Some flavours are at their best in March, having had the summer to ripen and develop – like st rawberries, avocado and tomatoes’

had the season to ripen and develop – things like strawberries, avocado,

tomatoes and corn.’ More predictable is food from the sea. ‘Striped trum-

peter, which spawns late in the year, comes back in season and is of great

quality,’ says Bennett. Expect to see it in light dishes such as his striped

trumpeter with herb emulsion, prawn and smoked bone marrow.

Vue de Monde, Level 55, Rialto, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000,

+61 3 9691 3888, www.vuedemonde.com.au

Th is year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival runs from 1 to 17 March,

www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

Above: Bennett has

a taste for the opulent,

as shown by his striped

trumpeter with herb

emulsion, prawn and

smoked bone marrow

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No.86898 Tropenhaus frutigen.indd 1No.86898 Tropenhaus frutigen.indd 1 29/11/2012 16:4329/11/2012 16:43

PRI_30_privat_artSSCM_JS.indd 30PRI_30_privat_artSSCM_JS.indd 30 18/12/2012 11:3318/12/2012 11:33

Donald Jackson tells Josh Sims about his exquisite hand-lettered Bible – 15 years

in the making and the biggest, most important piece of calligraphy for decades.

Photography by Andrew Montgomery

P R I V A TA R T


T h i r t y - T w o

P R I V A T A R T

T W A S D O N A L D

Jackson’s aunt who gave him his vocation as a

small boy, supplying the fractious child with

pen, paper and a pot of red ink as a distraction.

‘Th e fi rst time I made a mark on paper, I was

hooked,’ says Jackson, now 75. ‘Th e wetness of

the ink, the texture of the paper and the sense of

being in charge… And I get the same excite-

ment from it now as I did then.’

Jackson has spent a lifetime making marks

on paper. As a professional calligrapher – indeed,

the defi nitive master in the West by all accounts,

and Senior Scribe to Queen Elizabeth’s Crown

Offi ce at the House of Lords – he is working at

a level far beyond the popular misconception of

the art form as fancy lettering for wedding invi-

tations and dinner place cards.

Jackson draws upon the ancient tradition

of calligraphy as a half-spiritual, half-mathe-

matical manipulation of letter and line, pen and

paper; a work of divine inspiration and fi endish

concentration. Th e art form spans three ancient

traditions, Western, Arabic and Oriental:

from the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne

Gospels to the Kufi c calligraphy

of the Qu’ran and the Chinese

Lantingji Xu by fourth-century

master Wang Xizhi. In Japan, hira-

gana calligraphy reached such rar-

efi ed heights that diff erent papers

were available for diff erent seasons

and weather. Such is calligraphy’s

power that it even survived the

15th-century advent of printing.

Jackson’s latest project, com-

pleted in late 2011 after 15 years’

devoted labour, is a fi tting addition to this tradi-

tion. Th e hand-illuminated and -lettered Saint

John’s Bible, commissioned by the Benedictine

Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville,

Minnesota, was a massive work requiring the

services of theologians, art historians, scripture

scholars, calligraphers and artists, and cost over

$8m, according to the Abbey.

If Jackson’s 1987 rendering of Tolkien’s Lord

of the Rings was a big job, the Bible has been a

properly epic one: seven volumes, each two feet

tall and 1.5 feet wide, with 11,050 pages of text

– written using goose wing-feather quills (or

turkey and swan quills for heavier lettering)

with black Chinese stick ink – and 160 illumi-

nations, using egg tempura, hand-ground ink

colours plus gold, silver and platinum. Th e result

is the only entirely handmade Benedictine Bible

in the past 500 years. Small wonder it required

the assembly and management of a whole team

Previous page: Donald Jackson in his

‘scriptorium’ in Wales.

This page: Jackson

has spent a lifetime

making marks on paper.

Opposite: vibrant hand-

ground ink pigments


Donald Jackson is creating

360 seven-volume facsimiles

of the Saint John’s Bible

P R I V A T A R T

T h i r t y - F i v e


M O D E R N F R E N C H C L A S S I C S . . .

W W W . J O E L R O B U C H O N . C O . U K1 3 - 1 5 W E S T S T R E E T, L O N D O N , W C 2 H 9 N E | 0 2 0 7 0 1 0 8 6 0 0

R E S E R V A T I O N S : I N F O @ J O E L R O B U C H O N . C O . U K

L'Atelier_Ad.indd 1L'Atelier_Ad.indd 1 31/05/2012 10:2131/05/2012 10:21

T h i r t y - S e v e n

of calligraphers at Jackson’s ‘scriptorium’ in Monmouthshire,

Wales, and a pain-staking application of concentration and

eff ort that saw some of that team able to write a page of 108

lines in just fi ve hours, all to a script of Jackson’s devising.

Fortunately, writing on calfskin vellum, mistakes can be cor-

rected by scraping and treating the vellum’s surface.

‘I’m rather prone to mistakes,’ Jackson admits, ‘and tend to

drift off . Th e calligraphy picks up on your mood too, which is

another way of saying you invest your feelings in it.’ Happy ‘A’s,

sad ‘B’s, hung-over ‘C’s? Far from being a sedate aff air, Jackson

suggests calligraphy is quite physical – writing as performance,

as its Oriental practitioners have always maintained.

‘Picasso said that the whole aim of making marks was to

rediscover our childishness, yet there is this idea that calligra-

phy is very neat and precise. But it’s really about the risk of

making marks spontaneously, at some speed, like using a bow

on a violin,’ says Jackson. ‘It’s a capturing of energy, and

through that, investing the words with added signifi cance.

On a good day you capture a moment in time that can reach

out and touch someone else – that’s the art in it. In fact, if

someone just hand-writes your place name at dinner that

touches you somehow, doesn’t it? But it’s very physical too.

Imagine playing a violin for seven hours straight. You can’t

keep up that level of perfection. You need to rest.’

Which raises the question of why Jackson took the

Bible project on in the fi rst place – it was actually he who

approached Saint John’s Abbey with the idea, one he’d been

chewing over since 1970, even though he’s not especially

religious. ‘While many of the words are beautiful, a lot of

the Old Testament script is pretty disagreeable, especially if

you’re a woman. You just have to grit your teeth and press

on, accepting that it’s like opening a copy of the Mirror for

a Middle Eastern culture a long time ago – it’s just about

life, about people, but with the Apocalypse.’ Th e long crea-

tive process was made harder by divine bureaucracy. Each of

Jackson’s illustrations had to go through rigorous vetting by

the Abbey, a procedure that – given Jackson wanted to

include images of the Twin Towers and views through the

Hubble telescope, as well as imagery from Native American,

Judaic, Islamic and other religious cultures – was always

going to prove diffi cult.

Jackson wanted to tackle the job because the making of

Bibles goes to the heart and root of the craft of writing and of

book illustration. ‘Th is was a project that gave me the chance to

revisit the roots of the medium, but bring a late 20th-century

expression to it,’ he says. ‘Aside from that, I just wanted to. It’s

the Everest thing: it’s there so, sod it, let’s climb it.’

For all that the result is a truly astounding piece of work,

might it be lost on the iPad generation, to whom the very

Jackson uses goose wing-

feather quills, or turkey

and swan quills for

heavier lettering


T h i r t y - E i g h t

P R I V A T A R T

‘There is this idea that calligraphy is very precise. But it’s really about making marks spontaneously, at some speed, like using a bow on a violin’

idea of writing with pen on paper might seem backward? ‘Using a nib on paper was a

skill required of all schoolchildren once and I think something has been lost there. But

then the skills for chipping stone axe heads might be called a regrettable loss too,’ says

Jackson wryly. ‘I don’t have a big mission to save calligraphy – it’s the way society is, it’s

where we are. But calligraphy is only considered arcane because not many people do it.

When you play a violin you’re rubbing horsehair over a cigar box – how arcane can you

get? But of course plenty of people still play violins. What I do know is that children

get a great feeling when they make something themselves. Using ink on paper is tangi-

ble and physical and emotional.’

For all that Jackson’s art may be centuries old, he was not averse to using a compu-

ter to template the giant Bible. He must engage with modern reprographic and print-

ing techniques too: as well as 16 individual pieces for donors who helped make the

project possible, Jackson is now busy authoring the 360 seven-volume facsimiles, at

£100,000 each; a coff ee table book version is also available. ‘All that has been about

bringing modern technology in to capture the spirit of the original – and I think they’ve

succeeded,’ says Jackson, who is able to customise an edition for a discerning collector.

‘It becomes something else – not an imitation, but its own thing.’

Its own thing, for sure, but not the real thing: the original will be seen behind

museum glass, arguably the single most important calligraphic work for a century. Regardless

of one’s religious belief, it is a profound artistic achievement. And like climbing Everest, it

must change a man profoundly. Even a man as earthy and downbeat as Donald Jackson.

‘My underlying approach to what I do is that it’s crap.

I’m the glass half-empty and dehydrating fast type. But

the project has made me realise that that can’t be entirely

true,’ he says. ‘Certainly it’s required me to dig deeper, to

move up to a higher gear, although when people say that

it’s historic, that’s meaningless to me – I’m always

thinking of the next job. But this has been 15 years of my

life and now I’m nearly 75. Obviously life is drawing to

a close, numerically speaking. When you’re working on

that text for that long, it’s right in front of your eyes that

you’re wearing out. And so in some way the Bible project has

been a preparation for death for me – so I can let go of it

all with a grin.’

saintjohnsbible.org

Jackson is Senior Scribe to

Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Offi ce

at the House of Lords. He is

considered the fi nest calligrapher

in the Western World


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No.00000 OMAS 1pp.indd 1No.00000 OMAS 1pp.indd 1 12/12/2012 11:4012/12/2012 11:40

Sample the

high life with

a fantastical

photo tour

of the

world’s most

extraordinary

treehouses

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UFO / DESIGNED BY

INREDNINGSGRUPPEN (previous page)

Part of the Harads Tree Hotel in northern

Sweden, the UFO is made of light, durable

composite materials. It is intended for two adults

and two children, with bedrooms (one with a

double bed, the other with two singles),

bathroom and a living space over two levels.

P R I V A T D E S I G N

F o r t y - T w o

JUNGLE HOUSE / DESIGNED BY

ANDREAS WENNING (above)

Th is is an as yet-unbuilt design that stretches the

defi nition of the treehouse. It is organically

shaped and entirely white. A number of thin

metal supports are used to prop the structure

high in the trees, with the tree bearing only the

weight of the terrace. According to designer

Andreas Wenning, ‘Th e space, with its curved

walls and ceilings, is oriented to the sea, or

perhaps to a river on the edge of the tropical rain

forest. It could also be on a mountain slope,

opening itself up to a valley.’

CABIN / DESIGNED BY

MÅRTEN & GUSTAV CYRÉN (right)

Located on a steep slope, the Cabin treehouse

is another of the structures at the Harads

Treehouse Hotel in Sweden. Th e architect

brothers responsible say, ‘We played around

with the angles and rounded off the corners

lengthwise. It now looks like a capsule or cabin,

an expression we feel comfortable with.’

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‘ T H E C L I E N T W A N T E D A P L A C E T O R E A D

A B O O K , T O H A V E T H E C H I L D R E N U P F O R

A D V E N T U R E S , A N D A B E A U T I F U L S P O T

F O R S U N S E T C O C K T A I L S ’

LAKE-NEST / DESIGNED BY

RODERICK ROMERO (left)

Romero collected driftwood along the shores of Long

Island, New York, and obtained salvaged lumber from

Antique and Vintage Woods of America to create this

unusual, bird’s nest-style treehouse. ‘Th e client wanted a

place to read a book, to have the children up for

adventures, and a beautiful spot for sunset cocktails,’ he

explains. Th e two independent structures are located at

heights of 6m and 10.7m above the ground, and are

intended to be invisible among the summer leaves.

BLUE CONE / DESIGNED BY

SANDELL SANDBERG (above)

Th is 22m2 treehouse is, again, part of the Harads Tree

Hotel in northern Sweden. It has three legs which lift

the structure above the ground, creating a sense of height

and lightness. It has four beds, a sleeping loft, a

bathroom and a living room. Painted bright red, its

lightweight wooden design features a split-birch shingle

facade and timber interior. Access to the Blue Cone is

via a wooden bridge. Th e windows and cupola of the

structure are made of plastic.

F o r t y - F i v e

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The sight of a beautiful and valuable clock reminds us of the most precious thing we have, time!MATTHIAS NAESCHKE FINEST BESPOKE CLOCKMAKERS TEL: +44 (0)7956 177014 [email protected] WWW.FINE-CLOCKS.COM

No.00000 Matthias Naeschke 1pp.indd 1No.00000 Matthias Naeschke 1pp.indd 1 14/12/2012 16:5414/12/2012 16:54

TETSU TEAHOUSE / DESIGNED BY TERUNOBU FUJIMORI

‘Th e site is famous for cherry blossoms… it was as if I had strayed into a dream world,’

says Terunobu Fujimori of the location of his fairy-tale wooden treehouse, built on the

grounds of the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum. Unlike traditional teahouses, which are

inward-looking, this was designed to look out onto the cherry blossoms.

F o r t y - S e v e n

P R I V A T D E S I G NPH

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MIRRORCUBE / DESIGNED

BY THAM & VIDEGÅRD

ARKITEKTER

Largely made from lightweight

aluminium, this cube treehouse

measures 4m x 4m x 4m and is clad

in mirrored glass. With 360° views

of its forest surrounds, the structure

allows for a double bed, bathroom,

living room and roof terrace. Access

to the treehouse is via rope ladder

or rope bridge. Located at the

Harads Tree Hotel in northern

Sweden, it sleeps two guests.

TREE HOUSES: FAIRY TALE

CASTLES IN THE AIR

by Philip Jodidio, published

by Taschen at £44.99

F o r t y - E i g h t

P R I V A T D E S I G N

tree housesPhilip Jodidio maisons dans les arbresbaumhäuser

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No.00000 Blakes 1pp.indd 1No.00000 Blakes 1pp.indd 1 10/09/2012 16:2510/09/2012 16:25

Daniel Boulud talks about his two decades as New York’s king of fi ne

dining and the 20 parties he’s throwing to celebrate. By Kathleen Squires

2 0 2 0P R I V A T

P E R S O N

PRI_50_privat_personSCM_JS.indd 50PRI_50_privat_personSCM_JS.indd 50 18/12/2012 11:3818/12/2012 11:38

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F i f t y - T w o

O W D O E S O N E O F T H E M O S T F A M O U S

restaurants in the world celebrate 20 years in busi-

ness? One party won’t do, according to Daniel

Boulud, whose eponymous restaurant, Daniel, marks

two decades this spring.

‘I am trying to do 20 parties during the year to celebrate

20 years,’ the chef says. ‘Sometimes they will be very small

and intimate, and sometimes very big. Often there will be a

component to raise money for a good cause.’ Among those

charitable events will be a gala in April to benefi t Citymeals-

on-Wheels, the organisation which provides food for the

housebound elderly in New York City, and on whose board

Boulud sits. Another must-attend: an all-day fete in late

May, when Boulud will be cooking alongside some of his

distinguished alumni.

In the autumn, the anniversary will be marked by a

many-faceted cookbook, in which Boulud goes one-on-one

in the kitchen with author Bill Buford, who famously

recounted working in the kitchen at Mario Batali’s Babbo in

Heat. ‘In addition to my interaction with Buford, the cook-

book will have an amazing array of the work we are doing

today at Daniel,’ Boulud explains. Th ere is certainly cause for

such elaborate celebration. Restaurant years are like dog

years; staying afl oat is such an accomplishment that one year

equals about seven. In which case, you could say that Daniel

has been in business for over a century.

With his neatly combed hair, precisely ironed chef ’s

whites, French-accented English and not a tattoo in sight,

Daniel Boulud is hardly the picture of a revolutionary chef.

Over the last 20 years, however, he has made an enduring

mark on the way Americans eat now. He’s fed every notable

person – from presidents to A-list actors – and garnered so

many accolades – including four James Beard Foundation

Awards and four Michelin stars – that it’s hard to believe there

was ever a humble beginning.

But there was. Born and raised in the outskirts of Lyon,

France, in the village of Saint Pierre de Chandieu, Daniel was

the oldest of fi ve children. His childhood revolved around

working on the family farm or at Café Boulud, the local bistro

established by his great-grandparents. Boulud left home at

the age of 14 to apprentice with culinary luminaries such as

Gérard Nandron, Paul Bocuse, Georges Blanc, Roger Vergé

and Michel Guérard. After cooking in France and Denmark,

Boulud came to the US in 1982 to become the private chef of


F i f t y - T h r e e

P R I V A T P E R S O N

‘I wanted my own rest aurant, but that was not possible in Lyon. New York gave me that opportunity’

the best restaurant in the US. ‘Th at was for me, the biggest

push in confi dence that I had,’ he says. Soon after, the New

York Times awarded him his coveted four stars. After four

years in operation, he chose to move the restaurant to the site

of the original Le Cirque, but despite the upheaval, he has

earned the four-star review two more times, in 2001 and 2009.

After the initial success of Daniel, the empire-building

began. Boulud now has 15 restaurants on three continents:

eight in New York, including the Mediterranean-inspired

Boulud Sud and burgers, beer and sausage-driven DBGB;

and seven overseas, including charcuterie-centric Bar Boulud

in London and upscale Maison Boulud in Beijing. He’s a

model of branding, without silly endorsements or cookie-

cutter repetition. Yet there is only one Restaurant Daniel. It is

not only the restaurant where he is most physically present,

but where his sensibility as a chef is most evident in dishes

Previous page: Boulud relaxing inside

Boulud Sud, his vibrant

Mediterranean restaurant

in New York.

Far left: Daniel, his

fl agship restaurant, celebrates

its 20th birthday this year.

Above: Boulud might

not look the kitchen

revolutionary, but his

cooking is a work of radical

creativity, as striking and

elegant as this lamb dish

with Roman artichokes

and mint sauce

the European Commission in Washington, DC. He shared the thinking

of some of the European expat pioneers who preceded him, like Wolfgang

Puck, Jean-Louis Palladin and Michel Richard. ‘We wanted to compete as

chefs in America and make it just as good as France,’ Boulud says.

Boulud’s mission was to depart from a somewhat stagnant scene in

New York that he thought of as ‘very basic French or Continental cuisine’.

He says, ‘At that time, in the 80s, there were maybe 15 French restaurants

in New York who were really at the top. All of them were doing a very

similar style of cuisine. But today, the top 15 are all diff erent – not only in

cuisine but very personalised and unique in their experience.’

Boulud raised the profi le of American dining while cooking for six

years (1986–1992) at New York’s iconic Le Cirque, where he twice

earned four-star reviews from the New York Times. But even then, he

wondered how long he’d stay in the US. ‘My daughter was born in 1989,

and I was thinking of going back to Lyon,’ he confi des. ‘In the late 80s

and early 90s, the economy was not encouraging and

New York City was a bit rough. But I was 35 years old,

and I didn’t want to be just a cook in Lyon. I wanted my

own restaurant, and that would not be possible there. So

I made the decision to open my own restaurant, and New

York gave me that opportunity.’

He’s quick to smile about the tricky times that followed

Daniel’s opening two decades ago. ‘I didn’t have the team

that I have today, and the restaurant was full of craziness and

excitement,’ he says. After his lauded turn at Le Cirque,

Daniel received only two stars and an unsatisfactory review

in the New York Times upon opening in 1993. Yet these

blows acted as a goad. ‘I told my staff , “We are all very disap-

pointed because we deserve at least three stars, but don’t

worry. I am excited because we are going to show them the

best two-star restaurant they ever had in town.”’

Just six months later, Patricia Wells, then the restaurant

critic for the International Herald Tribune, named Daniel PHO

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F i f t y - F o u r

rooted in classic fl avours, yet breathtakingly artful and mod-

ern in presentation and execution – ‘mosaic’ of rabbit terrine

with curly mustard, vegetables in gelée with tarragon, baby

leeks and carrots.

It’s not only Boulud’s fi ne cuisine that inspires, however.

Peers, like Th omas Keller of top US restaurants the French

Laundry and Per Se, point to Boulud’s exquisite mentoring as

his most lasting legacy. ‘All the young chefs he has infl uenced

and mentored throughout his career carry on his pursuit of

progress and continue the evolution of fi ne dining in

America,’ says Keller. ‘Daniel is a constant source of inspira-

tion and his contributions will impact generations of culinar-

ians well into the future.’

Boulud claims to be very attached to classic French cui-

sine. ‘I am still amused and often inspired by old French cook-

books. I am often driven by what they were cooking 100, 200

and 300 years ago,’ he says. He frequently talks of his affi nity for his home-

land, citing being named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French

government as his proudest achievement. Interesting, then, that despite a

string of successful restaurants in the US, Canada, London and Asia, that

he has yet to open one in France. ‘I would love to fi nd a little bistro in or

near Lyon,’ he says nostalgically. ‘I would love to do a collaboration with

my friends who are there. I looked for a place last year, but it didn’t mate-

rialise. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t.’ In the same breath, he men-

tions that he is eager to explore the cuisine of Finland.

While 20 years of success buys security and moments of relaxation,

Boulud confi des that he always feels ‘a lot of responsibility to make sure that

we are always at the top of our game’. Resting on his laurels is simply not an

option. ‘It is not an easy business to fi nd longevity and security, but it is pos-

sible if you stay creative and motivate your team. Creativity is very impor-

tant. Consistency is important. Staying true to yourself is important. And a

good businessman focuses on improving all of the time. Our staff might be

well trained, but that does not mean we have to stop training. Our houses

are beautiful but it does not mean that we don’t have to constantly reassess

the maintenance of them. Our customers are very loyal, but we have to work

very hard to take care of them and earn their repeat business.’

Th at said, Boulud is looking forward to setting aside time to enjoy the

landmark birthday of his fl agship, assuring me that he’s ready to let the

celebrations begin. All 20 of them.

‘All the young chefs he has mentored carry on his pursuit of progress and continue the evolution of fine dining’

Left: Boulud has

set a new benchmark for

fi ne dining in America.

Below: Atlantic cod,

tarbais beans, chorizo and

Marcona almond emulsion

P R I V A T P E R S O N

PHO

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„Nothing is as strong as an idea

rearranged values bywww.miinu.de

whose time has come.“

ALL NAT

IONS

No.78220 Miinu.indd 1No.78220 Miinu.indd 1 13/03/2012 15:5613/03/2012 15:56

Th e hunter of classical Greek mythology was captured by his own refl ection. Fall in love with yourself

in this season’s classic immaculate whites for men. Photography by

Markus Lambert. Fashion direction by Nino Bauti

P R I V A TF A S H I O N

W H I T E

N A R C I S S U S

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previouspage﹕ silk jacket by Roberto Cavalli; cotton pleated tuxedo shirt by Richard James;Camelia brooch by Chanel; silk ribbon worn around the neck, stylist’s own

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above﹕pleated romantic-cut shirt by Etro; silk foulard neck-tie by Alexander McQueen; cotton and wool trousers by Giorgio Armani; scarf worn around the waist by Hugo Boss Black;

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P R I V A T F A S H I O N

F i f t y - N i n e


above﹕ David wears: cashmere roll-neck jumper by Crombie; checked trousers and grey wool cardigan with leather detailing by John Varvatos; spectacles by Cutler and Gross

right﹕ Maria wears: cream silk blouse by Cos; black pencil skirt with gold belt buckle by Marni; fox fur gilet with hood by Zadig and Voltaire; two-tone shoes by Chanel; tights by Pretty Polly at mytights.com; white pearl earrings by Mikimoto; 18ct white gold Milano ring by Mikimoto; yellow gold serpent bracelet by Boucheron; yellow gold and diamond watch by Noa Fine Jewellery; gold ring by Shambala

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the team﹕ photographer: Markus Lambert fashion director: Nino Bauti model: Alexandros from AMCK Models make-up artist: Dorita Nissen using Sisley cosmetics for men hair: Dale Ted Watkins

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P R I V A T F A S H I O N

S i x t y - T w o


No.00000 Rapport.indd 1No.00000 Rapport.indd 1 14/12/2012 16:0214/12/2012 16:02

P R I V A TT R A V E L

W I N E � T A S T I N G � I S�P O E T R Y� � S AY S � O M A R�

Z U M O T� � B U T � E V E N�� Y E A R S � A F T E R�

E S T A B L I S H I N G � J O R D A N ’ S�F I R S T � V I N E YA R D � � H E ’ S�

S T I L L � S T R U G G L I N G�T O � W R I T E � H I S � C O U N T R Y�

O N T O � T H E � W O R L D�W I N E � M A P�

BY � M AT T H EW � T E L L E R

PRI_65_privat_travelSCMS.indd 65PRI_65_privat_travelSCMS.indd 65 18/12/2012 11:4118/12/2012 11:41

S i x t y - S i x

P R I V A T T R A V E L

N AN UNDISTINGUISHED COMMERCIAL

district of Amman, off one of the narrow streets that wind

between the Jordanian capital’s towering hills, I reach for the

spittoon. But it’s too late. Th e Sauvignon Gris – light, fresh,

delicious – has already transported me far away to English

Cotswold villages, somehow evoking the ancient crumble of

sunlit golden limestone walls on my tongue. I know I should

spit. But it’s too good.

‘Limestone,’ I mutter. ‘Cotswold limestone.’

In the armchair opposite, Omar Zumot, Jordanian entre-

preneur and winemaker, frowns and takes another sip, suck-

ing in air and slooshing the butter-coloured wine around his

mouth. Th en he beams.

‘Amazing. I remember we planted these over in the corner,

where the basalt yields to limestone. You’re right. Amazing.’

Wine-tasting, as Zumot says, is poetry. As his country’s

premier winemaker, he is on a self-declared mission to put

Jordanian wine on the map – but it is often a struggle. Fifteen

years after single-handedly creating Jordan’s fi rst commercial

vineyards, and with a respectable range of high-quality wines

to his name, Zumot still faces a wall of ignorance – and even

mockery – from the wine establishment.

A 2007 story by the news agency AFP epitomises

the attitude, discussing Arab wine in terms of ‘Chateau

Migraine’. Omar Zumot isn’t laughing. ‘Th is is my greatest

concern,’ he says, ‘the reputation of Jordanian wine.’

Jordan is one of a handful of Middle Eastern wine produc-

ers claiming Biblical origins for their wine industries. After a

gap of more than a millennium, production restarted in the

19th century in Lebanon and Palestine, infl uenced by French

expertise. With consumption of alcohol forbidden to Muslims,

the industry was developed in Lebanon by Christians, and in

Palestine (and, later, Israel) by Jews. Both countries now domi-

nate the region’s winemaking, Lebanon producing around

150,000 hectolitres annually and Israel almost 60,000.

By contrast, Jordan makes around 5,000 hectolitres,

according to fi gures from the US Wine Institute. Annual



S i x t y - S e v e n

Opposite top: Omar Zumot’s Saint

George wines have won

international praise.

Opposite bottom: at the age of 19, Zumot

decided he wanted a

career in wine.

Above: Zumot’s vineyard

is in an unlikely spot,

surrounded by desert

‘ You can’t make money selling wine in Jordan. This is not a business,

it’s my passion’

consumption totals under 0.1 litres per head, compared to 1.1

in Israel and 3.5 in Lebanon, with Zumot leading the way

among local producers with his premium Saint George range.

Yet for a nation that is 95 per cent Muslim to have a wine

industry at all speaks volumes. In Zumot’s words, ‘Jordan is

an Islamic country where you can make wine: how much

more tolerant can you get?’

He takes me to his vineyard at Sama As-Sarhan, north-

east of Amman on the Syrian border. Th is is frontier land –

dry, bleak and windblown. To the east yawns an open

wilderness of stony desert, while to the north looms the bulk

of Jabal Druze, an extinct volcano that, at some point in

antiquity, spewed fi elds of basaltic lava over this landscape. It

is a most unlikely place to see vineyards.

‘Th is is the last parcel of pre-desert land,’ Zumot says.

‘We chose it partly for the soil – it’s basalt. While digging I

noticed a new layer every half-metre. I thought it would be

good to bring a mineral fl avour to the Pinot Grigio and

Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and we’ve had amazing results.’

As we stroll between the vines, Zumot, 46, explains his

background. Born in Amman into an old Christian family

from Jerusalem – his father, Bulos, founded the Zumot com-

pany in 1954 – Omar started training in accountancy at 14.

In 1988 he spotted a gap in the market and began exporting

gin and arak (a local aniseed spirit) to Iraq, and made his fi rst

million within a year. When the Iraqi market crashed under

sanctions in the mid-1990s, he launched a foodstuff s enter-

prise – chiefl y importing and distributing potato crisps –

which remains the mainstay of his business. But he has

returned to his fi rst love.

‘I always wanted to be involved with wine. At 19 I went

to France to study winemaking at a monastery in the Ardèche

– but I was young and stupid, and I spent years procrastinat-

ing. Th en, in 1996, I started planting.’

I ask what his philosophy is on winemaking. ‘You can’t

make money selling wine in Jordan,’ he smiles. ‘Th is is not a

business, it’s my passion. And I try not to intervene as much

as possible. My whole operation is fertiliser-free and


S i x t y - E i g h t



S i x t y - N i n e

pesticide-free. I was advised to spray against grape worm, but

the birds take the worms for me. Th ey charge me – we lose 15

per cent of the grapes to the birds – but this is nature.’

He shows me a large fi shpond. ‘I irrigate from here. It’s

fed by a renewable aquifer from under the mountain, and the

carp manure adds nitrate to the water. I allow sheep into the

vineyards to trim dead shoots from the Merlot vines: they eat

the weeds, fertilise the soil and their saliva disinfects the vine

trunks. My secret is really to produce as little as possible from

each vine. We are yielding less than two tonnes of grapes per

hectare [compared to a world average of 8.5].’

His gentle approach appears to be working. Th e com-

pany produces almost 300,000 bottles a year and is begin-

ning to get noticed, with Swiss organic certifi cation and

multiple gold medals at the prestigious Mundus Vini wine

awards in Germany. In 2011 the American International

Wine Review praised Zumot’s 2007 Saint George Reserve

Shiraz as ‘a delicious wine that holds its own against inter-

national benchmarks’.

Back in Amman, we settle in for an extended tasting at

his city-centre Winemaker premises, which double as retail

outlet, warehouse and lounge. A uniformed assistant serves

plate after plate of crusty bread, prosciutto and soft cheeses,


Left: Omar Zumot’s vineyard set

amid the rolling hills of Jerash, in

the north of Jordan. Th e winemaker

studied his craft in a French monastery

‘My whole operation is pest icide-free – the birds take the grape worms for me. They charge me – we lose 15 per cent of the grapes to the birds – but this is nature’

while I make the acquaintance of that limestone-rich

Sauvignon Gris and its cousins – a mineral-tinged 2011

Tocai, a vibrant 2010 Chardonnay and more. Th en we start in

on the reds. Zumot beams again, pushing up his glasses like

an excited schoolboy and pouring from a bottle of Shiraz

Grenache 2009. I take a sloosh, and let the high, sweet fumes

fi ll my nose. Something hidden refuses to show itself.

‘Th is is a promise, not a wine,’ he remarks. ‘We don’t crush

these grapes, we just de-stem them before pressing. And we let

sedimentation occur naturally – in oak barrels, handmade by

Chassin in Burgundy. It needs another couple of years.’

Th e afternoon winds on, encompassing a bold 2010

Carmenere Cabernet blend (‘Forgive the tannins,’ smiles

Zumot), superb Merlots and, unexpectedly, a delicious

Graciano, and culminating in the resonant, characterful Pinot

Noir 2009 Winemaker’s Selection, which won gold in

Germany. Neither of us troubles the spittoon much.

At the splendid old restaurant Haret Jdoudna (‘Courtyard

of our Forefathers’) in Madaba, a historic market town south-

west of Amman, the maitre d’ greets Zumot warmly. We are

shown to a quiet corner, and our table is crowded with mezze

– an array of salads, bite-sized pastries, dips both hot and

cold, grilled meats and freshly baked fl at bread, designed to

delight the eye and nose as much as the stomach.

Zumot gestures around, at the packed restaurant. ‘It’s not

only the freedom,’ he says. ‘We have the culture. I love my country.’

And we do the natural thing: we drink a toast.

More information at www.zumot-wines.com


PHO

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PRI_70_privat_escapeSCM_JS.indd 70PRI_70_privat_escapeSCM_JS.indd 70 18/12/2012 11:4218/12/2012 11:42

Anisha Patel screws her courage to the sticking post, tracking rhinos

on foot in Namibia’s Damaraland

W A L K I N G W I T H R H I N O S

P R I V A TE S C A P E


ET ME TELL YOU WHY MY

favourite animal is the porcupine,’ says our safari

guide, Gotlod, as we walk in single fi le over the

rocky landscape of Damaraland in north-west-

ern Namibia. It seems a strange choice for

someone who can see lions on a daily basis, but

I’m happy to hear him out.

‘I was out with a group tracking rhinos on

foot,’ he continues, ‘and we came across a mother

with a calf. All of a sudden, it looked like she was

about to charge, so I distracted her while my

assistant got the guests to safety. When she

charged, I ran into a ditch, only to fi nd a porcu-

pine in there. At that moment, it was either face

the rhino or the porcupine. I chose the sting

over the horn. But the porcupine crawled out

and the rhino ended up chasing it instead of me.

Th e porcupine saved my life.’

We’re fi nishing up our practice run for

tracking black rhinos ourselves the next day, just

a few hundred metres from Wilderness Safaris’

Desert Rhino Camp, where we’re staying.

Set within the 450,000-hectare Palmwag

Concession, the camp has helped protect and

monitor the rhino in a joint venture with the

Save the Rhino Trust since the animal came

close to extinction 20 years ago. Nowadays, it’s

home to Africa’s largest free-range population,

though the exact numbers haven’t been dis-

closed for fear of encouraging poachers. Th e

lodge off ers the unique opportunity of following

the creatures on foot, which is ideal for seasoned

safari-goers who want to do more than just spot

the Big Five. Not only is it a rare and rich expe-

rience for guests but it also provides vital funds

to the trust.

Gotlod has already warned us to manage

our expectations: this isn’t like a safari in a pri-

vate game reserve, which are fenced and small

enough to guarantee sightings. Th e Palmwag


S e v e n t y - T h r e e

P R I V A T E S C A P E

Concession is twice the size of Mauritius, and

the trackers who work for the trust have so far

only recorded 17 rhinos by name (though there

are more, of course). You don’t have to be a

mathematician to fi gure out that’s a needle in a

very large haystack. Th e rhinos don’t wear track-

ing collars, so spotting one is down to luck and

the Save the Rhino Trust trackers, who monitor

the expansive grounds every day. Gotlod explains

that if and when we do fi nd them, they’ll stop

the vehicle a safe distance from the animals, and

lead us out in single fi le. ‘Quietly,’ he adds, as I

shriek at the sight of a springbok prancing by.

It’s tempting to forget everything he’s just

told us. Th e sun is setting, and the hazy orange-

hued sky gives the infi nite stretch of scrubland

an ethereal glow – surely the perfect moment to

spot the prehistoric-looking creature on the

dusty horizon. Th at’s not to say the walk’s been

fruitless so far: Hartmann’s zebra are grazing on

the fi ne golden grasses to the west, and a group

of majestic oryx, with their elaborately

elongated horns, are resting by a welwitschia

plant. Lions, cheetahs and leopards are also

known to roam the land.

Later that evening at dinner, seated at a

thick, wooden table overlooking a fi re pit, the

lodge’s manager, Agnes, points to a spot, just a

stone’s throw from us, where a lioness once sat

watching her and some other guests. ‘We didn’t

see it at fi rst because it was completely dark

outside, but a guest fl ashed a torch into the

plain, and there it was, just looking at us.’

‘Wasn’t it terrifying?’ I ask, mid-bite of a lamb

chop, the second of three delicious courses pre-

pared in the camp kitchen. ‘For the guests, yes,’

replies Agnes. ‘But a lion won’t attack unless

provoked or they sense fear. So it’s always best

to stay calm in the wild.’ ‘It’s about respecting

nature,’ adds Gotlod. It turns out that he

doesn’t even carry a gun because, echoing

Agnes’s words, he knows how to behave in the

wild. Like many of the other staff in the camp,

he hails from Damaraland himself.

The setting sun gives the scrub an ethereal glow – surely the perfect moment to spot the prehist oric-looking creature on the horizon

North-west Namibia is

home to Africa’s largest

free-range population of

rhinos, but it takes a great

tracker to fi nd one in the

vast expanse of scrublandPHO

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Just in case we too have an unexpected visi-

tor on our porch, Gotlod escorts us all back to

our Meru-style tents. Th e eight spacious tents

come complete with king-sized beds, piping-

hot showers and fl uff y white towels. Bedtime is

early, but then so is breakfast the next day, so

I’m happy to be ensconced in swathes of crisp

white linen with the sounds of the wilderness

as my lullaby.

Th e next morning, the fog has settled in

when we meet Martin, one of the trackers

from the trust. ‘When we enter into their ter-

ritory, we have to be careful,’ he explains as we

load into the jeep. Th e black rhino, he says, is

a bit of a diva and can be highly strung – and

therefore aggressive.

It’s not long before the fog has faded, and

we’re on a bumpy ride over boulder-strewn

roads and rocky river beds under a perfectly cer-

ulean sky. Everyone’s eyes are focusing on the

scrubland around us – only pulling away when a

pack of meerkats darts across the road – giving

particular attention whenever we pass the

endemic Euphorbia damarana bushes that the

rhinos feed on. But Martin and Gotlod are on

the lookout for something else.

‘It’s all about the poop,’ Gotlod chuckles as

he stops to examine a specimen of rhino faeces.

‘It was either face the rhino or the porcupine. I chose the st ing over the horn. But the rhino ended up chasing the porcupine inst ead of me’

S e v e n t y - F i v e

It’s an important tracking device, as it tells him

how long ago the rhinos passed that spot. I’m

impressed that he can tell the diff erence between

two hour- and two day-old faeces, and even

happier that we don’t have to take part in the

testing. It turns out to be a few days old, so we

continue on our quest.

After four hours of driving, it’s clear that this

really is an area devoid of people. We see only

two other jeeps whizzing by, and one of them

belongs to another group of trackers. Th ere have

been no rhinos so far, but we do encounter, to my

delight, a herd of desert-adapted elephants on

their routine walk between sparsely scattered

waterholes. Th ere’s a moment where the male

looks like he’s about to charge us, but we leave a

trail of dust before he gets the chance.

Suddenly there’s some commotion as the

vehicle comes to an abrupt halt, and Martin and

Gotlod lower their voices to a whisper. A rhino?

Martin hands me his binoculars and points

Top: luxury camping at

Desert Rhino Camp.

Above: the porcupine, a

spiny Samaritan


PHO

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S e v e n t y - S i x


towards an acacia bush some 300m in the distance. Sure enough, in the

midst of the shrubs, there’s what appears to be a moving rock. Martin

signals for us to get out of the car, and we obediently follow him in silence,

in single fi le, until he raises his hand for us to stop. I feel exposed being out

of the security of the 4x4. It’s a thrilling yet chilling experience. We’re

about 100m away from the creature: its two curved horns, its tough

armoured body, its hooved feet. ‘Th at’s Verity,’ whispers Martin. ‘She’s

about 40 years old and has mothered eight calves.’ I barely register what he

says. I’m completely entranced by the creature. Th ere’s a moment when her

small brown eyes click with mine, and I fear she might be about to charge

– I hope there’s a nearby ditch. She holds our gaze a moment longer before

trotting off in the other direction. It’s a short moment for such a long

search, but it doesn’t make it any less special.

Experience walking with black rhinos at Desert Rhino Camp with Wilderness

Safaris (www.wilderness-safaris.com), who have 11 safari lodges and camps

across Namibia

There’s a moment when Verity’s small brown eyes click with mine, and I fear she might be about to charge

Here: elephants have

adapted to desert conditions.

Below: closing in on foot,

what seemed to be a rock

reveals itself to be a rhino

PHO

TOS�

�©�G

ETTY


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Th ey say that charity starts at home, but as PrivatAir’s hard-working staff discover, you can fi nd inspiration – and make a diff erence – anywhere in

the world. Charlotte Pénet reports

A Helping Hand

E V E R Y F O R T N I G H T , B R I G I T T E P O U L E T P A C K S H E R B A G ,

kisses her three-year-old daughter and husband goodbye, and boards a plane in Paris

bound for Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo. Brigitte is the infl ight

performance director for PrivatAir on its ECAir scheduled service between Paris and

Brazzaville. Her home is in Brussels, but Brazzaville, nestled on the fl anks of the

River Congo, has become her home away from home, a place where she is making a

very diff erent kind of life for herself. ‘When you work in a country like the Republic

of Congo, you want to do something in return for the people there,’ says Brigitte.

S e v e n t y - N i n e

P R I V A TA I R

PRI_79_privatair_feature sSCM_JS.indd 79PRI_79_privatair_feature sSCM_JS.indd 79 18/12/2012 11:2218/12/2012 11:22

E i g h t y

P R I V A T A I R

It was on a walk through the dusty streets of

Brazzaville (which feels more like a village), in

an area called Ouenzé, that Brigitte came across

some children from a local Christian orphanage

selling rosary beads. ‘Come and visit our home,

we are from La Croix d’Amour [the Cross of

Love],’ they said. It was an invitation she

couldn’t refuse. At the orphanage, Brigitte and a

handful of colleagues met the children’s adoptive

mother, Sister Rosalie, a mighty lady and

devoted Christian in her sixties. Sister Rosalie

runs a very tight ship with a strict routine that

kicks off each day at 5am with prayers. She

believes in providing a structure to the day to

give the children – mainly girls abandoned by

their families – a sense of purpose. Sister

Rosalie’s aim is to see all the children through

school and university, to ensure that they have a

secure and independent future.

However, Brigitte and her colleagues were

dismayed by the building in which the children

lived. It had no running water or electricity, a

roof made of corrugated iron, and space enough

for just 15 children. Th ey went away from this

fi rst meeting, their heads fi lled with the smiles

and the courage they had witnessed, with a real

desire to help the children in any way they

could. Th ey started by organising a day out to a

fun fair, so the kids could enjoy a few hours of

play, like any other children their age – and so

they could overcome their shyness and get to

know Brigitte and the others. ‘Once you get

involved with people in this way, it’s a long-

term commitment,’ says Brigitte. ‘We want to

build a lasting relationship.’

Th e crew had a brainstorming session to

plan their next mission. Th ey decided to organ-

ise a collection among friends and colleagues in

Brussels, Geneva and Paris. After all, they have

the advantage of a Boeing 757 to transport

whatever they need to Brazzaville! Th e collec-

tion was a huge success and the PrivatAir crew

ended up with a whole room fi lled with clothes,

toys, school books, nappies and other essential

items. ‘When people know who they are giving

to, there is added pleasure. Th ey can imagine

where these gifts are going and what it will

mean for the children receiving them.’

It didn’t take long before the PrivatAir crew

found another way to help those in need. During

an internal fl ight, Brigitte heard about the Emile

Biayenda Polio Centre in the Moungali sector of

town. With co-pilot Jes Biering-Sorensen, they

took the fi rst opportunity to organise a visit. It

was here they met Sister Brigitte Yengo, a quali-

fi ed doctor and chiropractor who runs the centre

with one key objective in mind: to restore dignity

to people suff ering from a handicap, by helping

them to get mobile, to become autonomous, to

fi nd their place in society. ‘I have never known

anyone with such positive energy and with so

many inspired projects on the go,’ says Brigitte.

Th e centre is set up to help people in many

diff erent ways. Polio suff erers come here for the

equipment. Th ere is a workshop where tricycles

(the equivalent of wheelchairs) are made. For the

deaf, there is a carpentry workshop where the

objective is to master a skill that can be used to

earn a living. Th e blind learn to massage. Single

young mothers and handicapped women learn to

sew. Th ere is sponsorship to equip them with

sewing machines, and the workshop is fast

becoming a production line for beautiful, high

quality clothing. Th e centre is also an orphanage

that off ers a home for 40 children of all ages, and

the only centre in the city that educates mentally

handicapped children. ‘Sister Brigitte was proud

to explain how they are giving these children a

chance to be accepted, proving to their families

there is no shame in their condition. She is a force

for change,’ says Brigitte.

Walking around the Emile Biayenda Polio

Centre is a bit like visiting a miniature town.

People study, they make crafts, they play

music, they enjoy sports. Th roughout all of

this, Sister Brigitte is at the helm, working

tirelessly. Brigitte Poulet and her colleagues

came away utterly inspired. ‘Despite the diffi -

culties these people face, there is such pride

and joy at the centre. When I close my eyes, I

see the smiles and the colourful uniforms of

the children, I hear the music being played by

the band that some of the handicapped have

formed. I am warmed by the hugs that the

children all off er. Some of us were present for

a ceremony when two tricycles were donated;

it was a wonderful celebration. I can’t forget

the joy of the two young adults whose lives

were transformed by the tricycles.’

Brigitte Poulet and the other members of

the PrivatAir crew have set up a petty cash box

so that they can take donations with them every

time they visit both centres. Th eir fi rst collection

and shipment of goods from Paris was shared

between La Croix d’Amour orphanage and the

Emile Biayenda Centre.

Brigitte speaks candidly of the impact

Sister Rosalie and Sister Brigitte have had on

her life in Brazzaville. For the two weeks of

each month she spends over there, Brigitte is

responsible for coaching and training the

ECAir crew members. She handles all the

logistics such as ground services, catering and

re-fuelling. Th ere is no lack of work, her days

are full, yet she says with a smile, ‘When I see

these two ladies with their unlimited dedica-

tion to such worthy projects, it gives me energy.

Th ey are an inspiration. Th e relationships we

are building are fuelling me. I miss my daugh-

ter, but the children over here help me put my

longing into perspective.’

If you wish to donate to the Emile Biayenda Centre

for Polio, contact Sister Brigitte Yengo on

[email protected] or call +242 0667 10241.

We’d also like to mention the names of all the

PrivatAir and ECAir crew members who have chosen

to dedicate time and eff ort to helping La Croix

d’Amour and the Emile Biayenda Centre in

Brazzaville: Jes Biering-Sorensen, Luc Boffi n, Michel

De Kock, Carina Di Paolo, Maxime Durand, Ana

Costa Fraga, Lucile Friedli, Susanne Heger, Annabel

Lenk, Stephanie Meister, Claude Meyer, Sofi a

Mörndal, Madeg Mouzin, Zakia Othman, Brigitte

Poulet, Nadia Rivron, Dennis Rossier, Andrea

Speranza, Olivier Steinberg, Isabelle Th ompson,

Carine Vanbesien, Peter Waters and Rudy Willems

‘Once you get involved with

people in this way, it’s a long-term

commitment. We want to build a

last ing relationship’


P R I V A T A I R

E i g h t y - O n e

Previous page: guitar

lessons at La Croix d’Amour.

Clockwise from here: the orphanage;

Carina Di Paolo, Jens Walther and An Van

De Kerkhove at La Croix d’Amour; Brigitte

Poulet and colleagues at the Emile Biayenda

Centre; the orphans have overcome their

shyness with the PrivatAir team


PRIVATAIR�HAS�BEEN at

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range of capabilities, delivered

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Since its creation in 1977,

the company has grown from

being the corporate aircraft

fl eet of the Latsis Group,

a global conglomerate, to a

world-renowned full-service

commercial aviation operator.

Today, PrivatAir is one

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S U P E R I O R SA F E T Y A N D S EC U R I T YWe operate to the most stringent

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1998, PrivatAir became Europe’s

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fulfi lled the IS0 9002 certifi cation

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has also been awarded ETOPS 180

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P R I VA T A I R

PrivatAir – for high fl yers

Offering jet charter and private airline services, PrivatAir has been a leader in the f ield of luxury aviation for more than three decades

P R I V A T A I R

E i g h t y - T w o

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WINTER 2013 THE MAGAZINE

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