The festive season invites a certain grandeur—moments when the table gleams a little brighter, the conversation stretches a little longer, and the wines deserve to be every bit as memorable as the occasion itself. This year’s selection brings together bottles of genuine distinction: wines shaped by exceptional vintages, meticulous craftsmanship, and the quiet confidence that comes only from producers at the top of their game.
Bovey Castle boasts a rich and fascinating history, one that elegantly interweaves a celebrated British retail dynasty, W.H. Smith, with the golden age of railway travel and vital service during two World Wars. Originally conceived as a private country bolthole, it has blossomed into one of the UK's most prominent luxury hotels.
When Heather Bradshaw talks about Washington State, her eyes light up with the conviction of someone who has watched a region rise from quiet potential to global significance. A former broadcast journalist, she began her career in the small agricultural town of Yakima — “the heart of wine country,” she recalls — where viticulture was not yet an international talking point but an emerging dream.
If you are one of the many regular readers of International Excellence Magazine, you will already know that Goodwood Revival is one of my happiest annual fixtures: my spiritual tune-up for all things style, speed, and slightly obsessive attention to detail.
The Glenlivet has unveiled the Second Edition in its Eternal Collection, a 56 Year Old single malt, accompanied by a bespoke artwork from the acclaimed design studio Fredrikson Stallard. Only sixty bottles have been released worldwide. I had an opportunity to taste it at an exceptional dinner at Somerset House.
Images By Hayden Povey.
The modern SUV has become the de facto family chariot. Tall, comfortable, laden with technology and more often than not, about as likely to see mud as a Dyson showroom. Yet for all their polish, there’s a sense that the SUV has lost touch with its original brief: utility.
The hottest summer residency on London's dining scene – Cape Town’s celebrated restaurant Pot Luck Club in pop-up form at The Waldorf Hilton on Aldwych – has been extended until the end of June 2026 due to popular demand.
And Londoners should be feeling even luckier this Christmas and new year period as its head chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, has put together an exclusive new festive menu to celebrate the news.
