An icon of the New York wine scene, the chairman of Zachys Wine Auction finds
the best ways to explore a destination is on foot and by driving off the main roads, he tells Gigi Onag
One thing about being in the wine business is that you travel to good places. I travel a lot, but not all my travelling is for business.
Last year, we took a very long trip around the world with another couple for two weeks. This was a trip on somebody’s private plane. We went from New York to Madrid. From Madrid to India where we only stayed for two days, from India to Cambodia where we stayed for five days, from Cambodia to Vietnam where we stayed for four to five days.
From Vietnam, we flew to Hamburg. And when I was in the airport, it occurred to me that nobody has ever flown from Saigon to Hamburg. I mean, it is such an odd route. And then, we hopped into a car and we drove around France for five days and then flew to New York.
It was a very huge room and it was very casual, of course. We sat with about 150 grape pickers, we drank wine straight from the vineyard and the food was served in huge portions. That was really very special. I seem to like informality. I remember one lunch when we were taken way deep into the cellar and had a meal that lasted for four hours.
like that.
the best ways to explore a destination is on foot and by driving off the main roads, he tells Gigi Onag
Tell us about your travel experiences.
One thing about being in the wine business is that you travel to good places. I travel a lot, but not all my travelling is for business. Last year, we took a very long trip around the world with another couple for two weeks. This was a trip on somebody’s private plane. We went from New York to Madrid. From Madrid to India where we only stayed for two days, from India to Cambodia where we stayed for five days, from Cambodia to Vietnam where we stayed for four to five days.
From Vietnam, we flew to Hamburg. And when I was in the airport, it occurred to me that nobody has ever flown from Saigon to Hamburg. I mean, it is such an odd route. And then, we hopped into a car and we drove around France for five days and then flew to New York.
What is your most favourite travel DESTINATION?
Italy. I answered that pretty quickly, didn’t I? That is my most favourite place. I love all of the wine countries – France, Spain and Italy. I’ve been to the Brunello and Piedmont vineyards in Italy many, many times. I love Italy best because I like the food very much; I like the ease of the food. I like the ability to stop in any little town on the road. And in Italy, it seems that we can just stop anywhere and it is wonderful.What do you take with you when you travel?
A writing pad. I make notes; I write a lot when I travel. I’d write about who I met, what I’ve seen. It’s always nice to look back and remember.When you go on a trip, do you make it a point to stay in a wine resort?
No. We always stay in local inns like the Capannelle Farmhouse and Vineyard, a gorgeous original stone house with five rooms located in the heart of Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany. We like smaller places rather than big places. France and Italy are filled with wonderful places to stay. We do search out – when we can – smaller hotels. It’s just us; that’s the way we are. You get to know the people in small hotels.What are the first things you do when you arrive in a new destination?
Take a walk. I cannot think of a better way to see the city than to take a walk. When we were in Paris last year, we must have walked five miles a day. If you walk into a small town as we did in Spain a few months ago, to walk around is to see everything.What has been the most memorable trip you had?
We had great meals in many places; we had entrées in many places where most people do not. Last year in France, we ate in Bordeaux with the grape pickers. I had never done that before.It was a very huge room and it was very casual, of course. We sat with about 150 grape pickers, we drank wine straight from the vineyard and the food was served in huge portions. That was really very special. I seem to like informality. I remember one lunch when we were taken way deep into the cellar and had a meal that lasted for four hours.
Any advice for travellers?
Get off the beaten path. Sometimes when we travel, we don’t travel with a direction. We drive a lot and we stay off the main highways. We take the back roads. We don’t need a planned meal or places to sleep or anythinglike that.
