Tag Archives: Monocle Films

Travel Guides: ‘Ryogoku And Kuramae’, Tokyo, Japan

With any luck you’ll spot a sumo wrestler out and about in Ryogoku, the riverside neighbourhood that is home to Kokugikan, Tokyo’s distinctive sumo stadium. Across the water is Kuramae, another old neighbourhood that has long been famous for its craft workshops and still hums with industry.

The historic center of Japanese wrestling, riverside Ryogoku is home to Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, which hosts sumo and boxing, as well as classical concerts. Nearby Ryogoku Edo Noren is a dining street resembling an Edo-period village, where restaurants serve chanko nabe, the traditional protein-rich stew favored by wrestlers. In the striking, modern Edo-Tokyo Museum, scale and life-sized models recreate feudal life.

Travel Guides: ‘Harajuku & Aoyama’ In Tokyo (Video)

Harajuku is a neighbourhood of contrasts, home to the Meiji Shrine, which is surrounded by one of Tokyo’s largest green spaces, and a dense network of small streets packed with shops and cafés. Aoyama attracts a more grown-up crowd. Here, chic boutiques sit alongside one of the city’s most exquisite museums.

Buzzing Harajuku is renowned for colorful street art and youth fashion, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street, and traditional, upmarket boutiques on leafy Omotesando Avenue. Small, trendy bars fill the surrounding lanes, while dessert shops and carts specialize in sweet crêpes, donuts, and bubble tea. Watari Museum of Contemporary Art hosts cutting-edge temporary exhibitions. 

Aoyama is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Tokyo, located in the northwest portion of Minato Ward. The area is well known for its international fashion houses, cafes and restaurants. 

Outdoor Sports: ‘Urban Rowers On The River Po In Turin, Italy’ (Video)

We wake up bright and early to meet creative director Luca Ballarini at a rowing club on the banks of the river Po in Turin. We follow his slender boat and glide along the river beside charming palazzi, castles and bridges, while the rest of the city comes to life.

Innovation: ‘Norrbotten, Sweden’ – “Arctic Green”

Norrbotten in Sweden is blessed with natural resources but more recently has been turning heads because of its growing roster of innovative start-ups. We bear witness to the region’s effort to change heavy industries into clean businesses.

Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden’s total area.

Insider Views: ‘Art And Architecture’ In Beverly Hills, California (Video)

Perched above the buzz of Beverly Hills sits Casa Perfect, a gallery of contemporary design set in a spectacular modernist home. Its founder David Alhadeff shows us the wealth of remarkable art and architecture that is to be found in the varied neighbourhoods of this sunny city. Monocle Films has partnered with Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau to reveal hidden gems through the eyes of local creatives.

Cities & Nature Video: The “Alotment Gardens” Of Copenhagen, Denmark

The concept of kolonihave, a blissful combination of an allotment and a summer house, has shaped Danish cities since the late 17th century. Today, avid growers convene in these colonies to find a peaceful place to commune with nature as well as a community of diverse characters.

Food & Wine: “A Nose For The Right Wine In Tuscany” – James Suckling (Video)

Monocle FilmsAn invitation to one of James Suckling’s soirées at his Tuscan villa is a rare treat. An influential wine critic, Suckling’s approach to choosing wine is characteristically considered. He will often theme the evening by grape, country or wine style but also might present wines based on the mood or the tastes of people attending. Correct storage of any vintage is incredibly important. The LG SIGNATURE Wine Cellar allows variable control of temperature, humidity, vibration and light levels. Find out how to become the consummate host with LG SIGNATURE in our five-part “The art of hosting” series.

Entertainment: “The Art Of Hosting” – London

Monocle FilmsBringing guests into the kitchen is an ideal way to involve them. Bertie de Rougemont – founder of London’s chicest catering company, Cellar Society – certainly knows a thing or two about hosting. When he’s entertaining for friends, de Rougemont favours the smell of home cooking and perfectly chilled cocktails to get them in the mood. The InstaView™ Door-in-Door® display on the LG SIGNATURE Refrigerator also adds some drama when entertaining in the kitchen – once experienced there is no going back. Find out how to become the consummate host with LG SIGNATURE in our five-part “The art of hosting” series.

Marketing & Short Films: “The Art Of Hosting” By Monocle & LG Signature

Monocle Films and LG Signature are featuring a five-part “The art of hosting” series.

Setting the mood for an evening of drinks and dinner is best achieved through the careful lighting of one’s surroundings. Javier Marset – co-owner of Catalan lighting company, Marset – favours the low glow of directional illumination and a casual atmosphere to put guests at ease when visiting his modern retreat in the mountains.

The first step in hosting is putting together a guest list: a delicate operation that requires diplomacy and some social engineering. Daphné Hézard, founder and editor in chief of Regain magazine – a French journal about countryside, agriculture and farming – takes an editorial approach by drawing up a large list and whittling it down to an ideal collection of diverse personalities.

Italian Wines: “Gaja – The Next Generation Of Winemakers” (Monocle)

Monocle FilmsFive generations after Giovanni Gaja founded his eponymous winery in the Piedmont town of Barbaresco, the family continues to produce some of Italy’s best vintages. Their uncompromising commitment to quality is helping to maintain one of the world’s finest vintners.

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OVERVIEW

The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery’s current owner.

In 1994, GAJA acquired its first wine estate in Tuscany, Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino. This estate produces three Brunello di Montalcino wines- including the single vineyard Sugarille- from vineyard holdings totaling sixty five acres.

In 1996 Gaja acquired a second property in Tuscany, Ca’Marcanda, located in Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri. Of the property’s 200 acres, 150 have been planted with new vineyards: primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Currently, the Gaja Winery owns 250 acres of vineyards in Piedmont, located in the Barbaresco district (Barbaresco and Treiso) and the Barolo district (Serralunga d’Alba and La Morra).

Since its inception, the Gaja Winery has continuously evolved in ways that have always focused on meticulous care of and attention to the quality of its wines.

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