The array of cars is overwhelming; from 1950’s racers to the most current super car, it is beyond description for the first timer.  There is a sea of Ferraris as far as the eye can see, starting from the putting green at the edge of the roadside to the croquet lawn just off the patio of the hotel.   That, however is only part of the story – that’s the Saturday event – let’s backtrack to Thursday and Friday.  On these days the focus is at Palm Beach International Raceway just north of Palm Beach in Jupiter Fla.  That’s where the action starts.

 From current street cars like the F430s and F360s to Enzos and FXX’s, to historic 250GTO’s and F40’s – there is something for every fan of Ferraris of the last 60 years at the track and its paddocks .  Giant racing trailers painted Ferrari red and yellow line the infield area with their near priceless cargo.   Scattered closely around ,and their giddy owners zipping up Nomex suits and tightening helmet straps and hardly able to contain themselves as they eagerly await their turn on the track as the different classes of Ferraris are called out to run. 

These guys (and a few women)  are not just posing and looking pretty, they’re racing!!  We are talking about cars like Tom Price’s 1962 250 GTO worth somewhere in the $30 million range racing for fun!    Martin Gruss  can be seen in his $5 million 1959 Le Mans 5th place finishing California Spyder – these are men and women of passion who absolutely love driving their cars as they were meant to be used – on the street and on the track.  The energy and vibe at the track days are palpable – the smell is gasoline, leather and the odd BBQ’d bratwurst being fired up next to a racing trailer with several incredible cars in and around it being worked on between races.

Cars enter and exit the track area like the parking lot of a Publix market casually coming and going as their appointed track times for different classes of cars are called.  It is magnificent.  It is a total rush to stand track side and hear the whine of engines as they approach the turn ,and then pass  with a Doppler effect .  It is almost impossible to describe. The spirit of friendly competitiveness is everywhere on trackday- everyone seems to be wearing a smile, and loving every minute – why shouldn’t they? It’s a sunny day at the racetrack in Palm Beach with some of the most beautiful cars ever made, on display and running around the track – it is truly breathtaking.

Meanwhile, fast forward to Saturday, and the throngs of Tifosi (fans) start to gather in front of the Breakers Hotel.  They are eager to get past the gate guard and start meandering through the array of rolling art – which is really what historic Ferraris are about – they are like Van Gogh or Picasso paintings with wheels . They are strikingly beautiful up close – whether  painted in Rosso Scuderia, Gialo or Rosso Corsa, each on is a masterpiece of design and hand-built construction and usually lovingly restored to original condition.

Getting up close and personal with a 275 Spyder or a 250 GTO or any one of many historic Ferraris sends a chill down any car lover’s spine – it is love at first site– and it is a love that never seems to get stale.

Every year around the third week in January, Ferrari fans’ hearts start to beat a little faster as the start of the Cavallino Classic approaches. The event never seems to disappoint its loyal attendees who see each other there year after year and smile that knowing smile as they re-acquaint in after a year has passed and they come back home to the Breakers again.   It is a feast for the senses – one which makes an indelible impression on the heart of any lover of art, life and especially – of Ferraris. 

Brian Greenglass

Ferrari lover

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I met Eva in Lisbon, as part of a foreign women’s dinner group. One evening she’d bring along a fancy salad with fennel and pomegranate, another she’d provide a cake with persimmons or some other exotic fruit; other times she’d make perfect sushi (her mother is Japanese-American). It didn’t take long before I came to learn why she had a reputation as a gourmet cook. So when a couple of years ago she and her husband Pedro established a bicycle tour company, I could easily imagine how delectable picnics in some gem of a 1000 year old village would be an integral part of it. 

Eva is from the San Francisco Bay area and Pedro is from Lisbon: Terracotta Journeys is a kind of active, health-conscious, culturally aware California meets its Western Coast of Europe twin. Pedro is a cyclist, surfer, rock climber and former boy scout, adept at using a loaf of bread as a pillow, and with years of experience as a tourism consultant and an MBA to boot. They created Terracotta Journeys as a way to combine their love of Portugal’s beautiful landscapes, culture and history with their passion for physical fitness and wholesome, while at the same time sophisticated, cuisine.

They offer bicycle tours, ranging from several days in length days to over two weeks and, with the cycling itself usually spread over 4 hours each day, they take visitors to such uniquely stunning places as the Alentejo, known for its flat plains and gentle olive and cork tree covered hills, and the Douro River Valley where the vineyards from which Port wine is produced line the terraced hills like so many of garlands on a Christmas tree. Accomodation is in 4 or 5 star hotels such as pousadas (www.pousadas.pt ) : castles, monasteries, fortresses and other historical buildings tastefully converted into very contemporary hotels. After an active day along beautiful, unspoiled roads these are the perfect places to relax in elegant surroundings and sample the best of regional Portuguese cuisine in gourmet restaurants. 

Tours can be custom made, such as one this spring where the emphasis will be on one of Eva’s specialities: fine food. There’ll be visits to cheese makers, wine cellars and local produce markets. Other tours focus on outdoor activities such as surfing, canoeing, rock-climbing and hiking. They also do walking tours in places like magical, fairlytale Sintra, up in the hills near Lisbon, and have a min-bus for those who would like to go farther afield to places like the charming village of Obidos or the 12^thcentury monastery in Alcobaça, both an hour or so from the capital.

It’s been 15 years now since Eva came to Portugal. During her first years she was kept busy introducing the country to visiting family and friends. Now it is more often than not guest travellers she is showing off the country to, yet they receive the same attentive, personalized treatment as visiting friends. The tours are a way to take care of both body and soul: the cycling as gentle or as challenging physically as the body dictates while the soul is nourished by the inspiring beauty of rural Portugal, great company and delicious food. For more information about Eva and Pedro’s venture, visit www.terracottajourneys.com.

Mary Fowke,like Eva Graburn, is a foreigner living in Lisbon, but hails from  Nova Scotia, Canada rather than the US. She has a part-time psychotherapy practice and enjoys writing in her free time. 

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Once you’ve decided to build a wine cellar or buy a wine fridge you’ve crossed a line.  You are no longer just a “wine drinker”,  you are now a “wine collector” and you’ve joined a growing sub-culture.

This also means you may be subscribing to one or more of various wine magazines such as Decanter, The Wine Spectator, and The Wine Advocate.  You may be participating in on-line blogs,  and reading the musings of Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Steven Tanzer and James Suckling.  Have you discovered websites such as winesearcher.com or winezap.com? By now you are probably way beyond the casual jaunt through the wine store looking for the burger-friendly quaff of the evening.

Once bitten by this bug, it’s very hard to find your way back.  You may come to anticipate and plan regular stops at the wine store, to comb the shelves of the fine-wine section for an undiscovered gem that you can lay down in the cellar and serve at your daughter’s 21^st birthday , -or pick up the latest LCBO auction catalogue and start checking off lots of old Burgundies, Bordeaux and vintage Champagne that appeal to you as you envision the “perfect cellar”.

These are all symptoms of a condition I often refer to as “Vinocollectoritus Extremus” and I’m afraid it’s incurable (subject to financial considerations).

Whether you’ve got room for 50, 500 or 5,000 bottles, what do you actually fill the cellar with?

After years of buying what other people suggested was great wine (including well respected wine writers and collectors who were far more experienced than me), I adopted the following maxim: “Buy what you love and love what you buy”.   It’s really that simple.

I have learned the hard way that you can’t just assume that because someone else loves a particular wine or wine region or vintage, that you will too. Very much like music, different wines and wine makers will have different levels of acceptance and appeal to different people. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve picked up a case of wine that I’d never tasted (but highly recommended by some wine guru) – only to find out by the time I’d uncorked the first bottle, I really wasn’t thrilled with the wine, yet there it was taking up valuable space in my cellar.  Of equal concern was the amount of money I had tied up that could have been put to better use.

Another weighty issue for the new cellar owner is whether to continue buying wines to drink now or to buy wines for long term aging.

I suggest you do both. There are many occasions on which to enjoy an “event” wine that you’ve had biding its time, waiting to be consumed – months or even years  – on birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings – occasions on which you want to bring out a great, well-aged fabulous wine or champagne. Those are moments to be cherished and remembered.  Accordingly, many people keep the bottles as mementos of the occasion.

Having a supply of well-aged “event” wines is the real reason that most people buy or build a proper wine cellar.   On the other hand though, having a readily available supply of nice drinking, affordable wine to consume with a chicken, a burger or pasta without breaking the bank is the other side of the coin.

Inasmuch as one might  love to drink Chateau Latour every time they feel like uncorking a bottle, it is unaffordable and impractical for most of us. 

The most difficult question to answer when contemplating the stocking of a new wine cellar, is just how much money one should spend on a bottle of either everyday table wine or collectible wine for long term aging.

As to price point: find your “guilt” level.   As my brother says “one man’s floor is another man’s ceiling”.

While I may find that spending $30-60 per bottle for my burger wine acceptable, there are many people who would feel guilty or uncomfortable spending that amount of money for a drink to have with dinner.  As to collectible, vintage wine, all bets are off – the sky’s the limit, but there are values to be found at every level.

In Ontario where we have a monopolistic system controlled by our provincial government. Having no competition and high alcohol taxes translates to wine prices that in most cases are substantially higher than in many places in the U.S.A.

However, if you decide to stock a cellar – whether age worthy collectors’ wines or every day burger wines, prudent selection and a lot of tasting and research will yield a guilt-free cellar that will fulfill any wine lover/collector’s expectations.

Another key element to consider when stocking a cellar is what ratio of white to red wine should be and from which wine producing countries or regions?

From my own experience, I can honestly say that what I collected 20 years ago is different from what I collect today.  My tastes have been honed and focused.  I no longer buy wines just because an “expert” told me to.

Although most of my purchases are variations on the same themes of Bordeaux, vintage Champagne, some California and Italian reds and whites, I generally buy wines that I have tasted in many vintages and which consistently thrill me and entice me to buy in subsequent vintages.

The choice of red or white wine has a lot to do with what you like to eat.   The pairing of food and wine is a highly subjective  and personal process.   I tend to agree with the traditional school of thought – white wine with fish and poultry and red wine with meat .  Having said that I would serve a light bodied red wine such as red Burgundy or Pinot Noir with poultry – especially turkey.

Champagne with everything - especially seafood.  There are many people who disagree with this position and will often serve fish and seafood with red wine or with white meats. I was recently at a superb wine dinner which included a fish course and a seafood course, each served with a red wine .

Your food preferences will determine the ratio of reds to whites in your cellar. As I mentioned,  I tend to serve champagne (both vintage and non vintage) in place of white wine with a fish or seafood course . Accordingly, the champagne bottle count in my cellar far exceeds the white wine count.  But given the fact that I tend to serve much more meat than fish or poultry, (usually tenderloin or New Zealand lamb chops), red wine – primarily Bordeaux – dominates my cellar.   Like music, there is something for every taste and no two cellars will be the same.

As to which varietals to focus on when building a cellar, that is an even more personal preference issue.

From Chardonnay to Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon, the choice of wines based on varietal selection is as vast as the number of producing regions.  However, the basic rule of thumb for any wine that I buy is that it should havegreat balance between the acids, tannins and fruit and not be excessive in any one of those component parts.

Another key element is that the wine should express its terroir – its birthplace – the soil, the air, the climate of the vineyard and region of its origin as well as the expertise and artistry of the winemaker who has grown the grapes, cared for them in the vineyard, harvested them, and blended the final product. I don’t want a Cabernet Sauvignon to taste so ambiguous that it could have come from some anonymous wine farm in California, Chile or Spain. Wine should never just taste like alcoholized fruit juice in a glass. That to me is the distinction between “wine” and “great wine”.   From experience, I have found that great wine can be bought at all price levels.

Half the fun of collecting is the discovery process – the tasting, the reading, the hunting for big game at the wine store. The other half is drinking it with friends and family over a great meal, and watching everyone around the table smile as they sip the nectar that you have poured for them after much thought and contemplation.

Brian Greenglass was born in Toronto and has been an avid wine collector for over 20 years.

When not doing his day job  (commercial real estate) he gears his travels largely to focus on food and wine.

Brian and is often seen wandering through restaurants and their kitchens, and vineyards from Napa to Tuscany , looking for the culinary holy grail.  We are delighted to have Brian with us at theperfectconnections and look forward to his reflections on food and wine from around the globe.

She then enrolled in OCA (now called OCAD) and worked part time at Eatons selling clothes and Simpsons (the Bay) selling dolls.  She did what she needed to do to keep herself in school and focus on what she had discovered were her two greatest passions-art and fashion.

Kingi’s idea was to create clothing that demonstrated a love for art and creativity in design.  Her first prompt that this was an underexplored territory, was when she went to Paris.  Not a single dress with a picture of the Eiffel Tower was to be found.  Kingi found that astounding.  Her love of the visuals that surrounded her, and her creative drive inspired her to focus her OCA courses on silkscreening.  By night she went to George Brown College to study pattern making and sewing.  She decided to speed up her learning process, and enroll in the second year sewing course. She felt that this way everyone in the class could be her teacher and help her fill in the pieces as she went.

Passion met drive and she was unstoppable!  Kingi knew that she had found the elements that would form her career and make her mark.  She went to school to learn, and taught silkscreening at the Academy in her determination  to attain a  level of perfection in her field of choice. She worked out of her small apartment on College Street, and started to silkscreen designs and make clothes with any extra time she had.

Once she had sold a couple of pieces, she took her first few earned dollars and had business cards printed up.  Student no more, Kingi had now officially branded herself as a designer, and postured herself that way from that day forward.  She said that it was business cards and a document declaring her a sole proprietor that took her to level where people looked at her differently, respected her and gave her a few more minutes airtime than they would have before.  It was that simple.  It was so simple in fact, that without a great deal of forethought, that this young woman entered herself in the Toronto Festival of Fashion–and ended up a runner up to the grand prize!  Fate?  Luck?? Hard work?  A belief in herself and a refusal to look at limitations were all ingredients in this recipie for success.

Kingi’s father died when she was only 15.  Her mother was unable to step in as a role model for Kingi, so she immersed herself in the Helen Gurly Brown classic “Sex and the Single Girl“.  That became her guide book to life, and Helen Gurly Brown (whose letter to Kingi is framed in her store), was Kingi’s mentor.

As a persona, Kingi–ok the truth is, her real name is Kemble , is funky, far out , and would make anyone feel good about themselves. Is she a Queen Street diva—?  Most certainly all who know her would say she is.  What she also is, however,  is a heart of gold; a strong minded business person and a fiercely loyal and steadfast career woman and mother.

Helen Gurley Brown, as Kingi so remembers her, said that if a woman had a career and could define herself and her place on this planet before all else, she would be well on her way to success.  She has never held anyone else accountable for her personal happiness.  For that she is proud, and for that we should all very much admire her.  When I asked her what she felt her personal key to success was, one word fell off her tongue–FUN.  With all of the stresses of ordinary life that that surround us, we must never forget the value of that enormous three-letter word!

Kingi has now made it possible for anyone to learn to silkscreen in her new book , Peach Berserk’s Silkscreen NOW.

kingi@peachperserk.com

For a closer look at Kingi, please click on the links below .

Video on Kingi

silkscreening

***Peach Berserk is offering any readers of theperfectconnections a 20% discount on merchandise and workshops.  Please mention that you are a perfectconnections subscriber when you book your workshop or shop in the store.***

“You are invited to an exclusive jewellery event, where you will be treated to an unforgettable shopping experience. Come and see the exquisite line of casual diamond jewels that so many of Hollywood’s A-List celebrities are raving about. “

Lara Langill is the Vice President of Sales and Exclusive Events for the Right Hand Gal.

I bumped into Lara in uptown Toronto the other day.  I always associate Lara with cutting edge fashion and have known many of Toronto’s top stylists look to her for a nod or a frown on a given item of clothing.

In the past, Lara has designed and manufactured amazing pieces of jewellery.  She contributed to Mendocino being where it is on the fashion map today, and has always had her finger on the pulse on the world of fashion and accessories.

I was dazzled when Lara showed me the line of jewellery that she represents, and had to share my find with you, my loyal readers.

The Right Hand Gal is the name given to a line of exquisite diamond jewellery, made in Canada. The theory is that jewels given to be worn on the left hand are given by the “mister”, and in this case, the right hand signifies jewels given by one’s “sister.” In fact, the line was created by two sisters, Randi and Shawna Herlich.

The pieces are timeless and can just as easily be worn with your favourite pair of jeans or a gown. The diamonds are set with such immaculate precision, and there is a beautiful array of diverse and colourful pieces.

There are opals and sapphires as well and in some of the smaller more delicate pieces, layering necklaces gives an unparalleled look in elegance.

Lara does trunk shows and can be booked to do private functions. Oh and the best news of all. An indulgence here won’t break your personal feel good piggy bank. The average piece is around 300 CAD and you can even have a piece of the right hand gal for as little as 150 CAD

If you see Lara at a Right Hand Gal show, don’t hesitate to ask her opinion on” that” dress with “those” shoes or any other fashion/ decorating issue that is on your mind. Lara is among the most fashion forward and refined women I know!

You can email Lara directly.
lara.langill@gmail.com

www.therighthandgal.com

DO YOU HAVE A STYLE QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK US? PLEASE SEND IT IN AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO PUBLISH IT AND REPLY.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and wonderful feedback .  We launched only 3 weeks ago and we sit presently at a readership of just over 3200 per story.  That’s amazing.  Thank you for your support.

I NEED FEEDBACK!!  I am working on several stories and would love feedback from my readers or their friends.  Please send any submissions to me at mary@theperfectconnections.com

1.  Have any of you felt as though you are losing someone you love to a “cult”?  Has a self help organization or a multi level scheme that promises to transform the life of someone you know, robbed you of them?  Are you wondering where to turn?  I have had a geat deal of mail from people who have had this experience.  If you are willing to provide any feedback or insight or care to share personal experience, I will combine what I receive and publish it here.  Please feel free to email me in strict confidence or from a secondary email address.  *This is a PANDEMIC as pervasive as drug and alcohol addiction in our society today, but in many cases, even more covert.  We are all here to help each other, so if you can share constructively, please do.

2.  I would love to hear what you would say if you were to write yourself a letter .  Easy maybe?  Only one catch…the letter is to you at age 20, from you today.  Whether you are 30, 50, 100 years old today, it is your Dear Self to your 20 year old self.  What did you pay such attention to at 20 that really was not all that important?  What signals did you ignore in life that you should have listened more attentively to?  Again, all submissions will be kept strictly confidential and will eventually be published as a whole for all to share.

3.  I am looking for Post Secondary students.  If any of you are in, minimum, second year post secondary education, I am inviting you to write me.  I am looking for tips, tactics and things you might have handled differently were you to start your post secondary education again today.  From drugs to courses to peers.  If you want to share, I am listening.  All identity will be kept confidential and a general piece will be published.

I have wonderful submissions lined up to deliver you twice weekly.  No subject is off limits at theperfectconnections.  If something is on your mind, I welcome you to write to me about it.

With warmest regards,

Mary Katherine Webster

Sasha Josipovicz of Studio Pyramid and Hippo Properties, is one of the most energetic creative people I know.

Having been in the design business for over 20 years, Sasha was always known as “unemployable” by any of the traditional design firms. Is he mischievous, a little I suppose, but really, he is one of those people who just creates best when he is master of the show. His vision and perception for his clients needs is so intuitive, that no rule book of conformity could ever accommodate him. To know him as a friend is to love him – pure and simple. To have even a room in your home that you can say “Sasha did that!” is an honour indeed.

Sasha claims to have come from the part of Serbia that he describes only as “Disturbia”. Life was very hard in the country of his birth, and as soon as he was able, he travelled and discovered a passion and desire for things French, Mediterranean, and exotic.

Sasha is not about symmetry. He is about the unique painting that captivates; the small Prussian urn that draws you into a room. He says we are besieged by “design terrorists”, as opposed to people who are able to be their client’s dream catchers.

“Our homes are our piggy banks. We can borrow, mortgage and store our lives where we live.”  Sasha explained that nobody today is inventing anything new. He likes to listen to his clients and help them pin point a piece of history that they can best relate to.

“Today it is about borrowing elements from the giants of design. It’s not about taking a Chanel suit and pearls and transforming it into a skinny old man in tight pants, just to keep the brand alive.”

Sasha’s role models are Jean Paul Gauthier, Grace Jones, Jean Paul Goud, and Zaha Hadid.

DO YOU HAVE A BUILDING OR INTERIOR DESIGN QUESTION?

PLEASE SUBMIT IT AND WE WILL PUBLISH OUR FINDINGS .

sasha@studiopyramid.com

She can verse off the perfect way to take a family cruise one minute, and co ordinate a group of high level captains of industry on a safari the next. Minute detail and a vast knowledge of all the product she sells keeps her on the cutting edge of her industry. Recently Travelzest purchased the Cruise Professionals for approximately $13 million, but you can still find Mary Jean in her beautiful, memento filled office, running the show.

When we sat down to catch up last weekend, I asked Mary Jean if she could tell me what things in her travels had made a difference to her personally. What vistas had she seen, and what above all else had stuck with her in her heart as well as her photo album.

Here is that list. Perhaps some of these will become part of your personal bucket list.

1. Watching the sunset in Botswana while out on safari, and sipping a glass of wine
2. A Safari in South Africa’s Kruger Park while staying at Mala Mala or Singita
3. Ankor Wat in Cambodia
4. Walking along the Great Wall of China when no one else is there
5. The Pyramids of Giza
6. Riding the sand dunes in Namibia on an ATV
7. Hot air ballooning over Cappadocia in Turkey
8. Dinner in the ruins of the Library in Ephesus with candlelight and music
9. Visiting the Temple of Karnak at sunrise in Luxor
10. The Taj Mahal at sunrise and sunset.

Mary Jean Tully, CTC Chairman and CEO, The Cruise Professionals.

Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Cruise Professionals, Mary Jean Tully is a hard working, vivacious woman with a savvy business sense. In 1987 she identified and seized the opportunity to target the luxury cruise market niche in North America. The Cruise Professionals have since grown from its initial staff of three to encompass 52 seasoned travel professionals. Sitting on the Board for Crystal Cruises, Silversea and Condé Nast Traveler, Mary Jean is celebrated in the industry for her knowledge of travel, hard work and determination. The agency has received numerous awards and recognition identifying it as one of the best luxury travel agencies in the world.