Transformed Oasis pool bar and restaurant at Grand Hyatt Singapore offers enchanted garden
By Joakim Persson
Oasis Singapore bar review: What an appropriate name, given in particular its outdoor bar in a lush garden, and one that takes the concept of an oasis in a buzzling city to new heights! Discover the details here via Happy Hour Asia! This Grand Hyatt Singapore-based unique dining and drinking venue has undergone a complete transformation, as part of the hotel’s makeover. The result? A component of the hotel as both hotel pool area and a waterhole with a distinct atmosphere! Designed as what can appropriately be described as a pleasure garden, the walk there, on level 1, from within the hotel’s Terrace Wing (an urban oasis and wellness haven) follows a snaking pathway through a lush mini rainforest.
Flanked by this lush garden and coming with guests’ privacy are also five exclusive Garden Suites. These are understandably in high demand and constitute a fascinating tropical experience with an urban resort feeling for the lucky ones that manage to book the suites.
Oasis pool garden
Guests are also welcomed to the Oasis with a cascading waterfall, followed by an abundance of various – pretty much fully grown – trees, plants and flowers; all landscaped and manicured to perfection (and yet with dense vegetation)! It’s just an amazing accomplishment that draws guests further inside to where – poolside – the Oasis poolside bar and restaurant reveals itself, designed in architecture like no other! But one reference that definitely comes to mind is how this pool garden forms a nod to the nearby Botanical Gardens of Singapore.
Overall, perhaps its architecture is a modern interpretation of a vintage gazebo. Its wood pillar supported roof shields the outdoor marble bar and bar seats from the elements. It comes in the form of an open-air wooden structure, where bended brown pillars support a roof. While being a modern take it definitely comes with strong influence of Straits-colonial vintage design.
Rain or shine, under its roof guests can enjoy Oasis. The ceiling resembles oversized parasols, but all being made of wood. The lovely bar stools come with beige cushions and rattan weaving, placed on sandy tiles. Unsurprisingly, signature Peranakan tiles frame the square-shaped outdoor bar. There are also seating corners with sofas and armchairs in summer vacation style, plus bespoke low-slung marble tables.
Rosé wine on offer include: Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Blend, Côtes de Provence…
Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2025
Because when it comes to spoiling mom, only the best will do.
By Kim Ayling and Ellys Woodhouse
Château d’Esclans, Garrus rosé
We all know and love Whispering Angel — but what if we told you that the winemaker that produces the world’s favorite rosé has an even more premium offering? You’d buy it by the case presumably. Chateau d’Esclans’ Garrus rosé is made exclusively from a single vineyard of vines that date nearly 100 years. The wine is creamy, full bodied and infinitely more-ish.
Price
$126
Top 10 places to take Mum for Mother’s Day lunch in Sydney
By Isabelle James
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, on Sunday May 11, so now is the perfect time to start planning something special.
Skip the flowers and chocolates this year, and treat your mum to an experience you can all enjoy together. Restaurants across Sydney will be serving special limited edition menus for the occasion, whatever your budget. Here are our picks for the best tables for a memorable Mother’s Day lunch in Sydney.
Treat your mum to a funky lunch at Chin Chin Sydney. (Image via Chin Chin Sydney)
Chin Chin
Treat Mum to one of Surry Hills’ funkiest restaurants for a relaxed dining experience that pairs casual South Asian cuisine with contemporary art. Highlights on the menu include the prawn and ginger dumplings and the indulgent chocolate mousse served with raspberry and coconut for the final flourish. Mum will also be treated to a complimentary glass of Whispering Angel Rosé on arrival.
The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomes Leña y Olivo from Tlaxcala
By Miriam Carmo
The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomed chef Marco Mellado of Leña y Olivo in Tlaxcala for one of its several bi-monthly dinners.
Xaak Restaurant is a project developed by four nationally and internationally renowned chefs who are part of the hotel’s culinary collective. They are Roberto Solís from Mérida, Paco Méndez, who has lived in Barcelona since 2011, local chef Jonatan Gómez Luna , and Alejandro Ruíz from Oaxaca. The restaurant offers a concept of contemporary Mexican cuisine through a tasting menu that chronicles the chefs’ careers.
Restaurant decor, photo by Miriam Carmo
Here you’ll experience an exceptional fine dining experience in a cozy atmosphere with warm tones and natural decor. Each dish blends the best of modern Mexican cuisine, thanks to the vast experience of each of these chefs, supported by Chef Luis Arzápalo
Chef Marco Mellado of Wood and Olive
Guest chef Marco Mellado has dedicated himself to blending authentic local flavors with exceptional technical expertise at his restaurant in Tlaxcala. Leña y Olivo serves dishes cooked over charcoal and wood, with the oven and grill at the heart of their cuisine. They offer a contemporary Mexican culinary concept with fresh, flavorful ingredients, ideally served for sharing. One of the restaurant’s defining features is the way their artisanal salsas are freshly prepared at the table.
Chef Marco Mellado, photo provided by the hotel
Pairing dinner at Xaak
For this pairing dinner at Xaak Restaurant, we started with akami, nori, and shitake salad by Chef Arzápalo paired with a Don Julio cocktail. Then, we paired tlatlapa, beans, and togarashi by Chef Mellado paired with Puerta de Lobo orange wine. We continued with hamachi, passion fruit, and wasabi ice cream by the house chef with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Don Leo winery in Parras. For the fourth course, Chef Mellado prepared lobster with huitlacoche and truffle paired with Whispering Angel wine.
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca is Making this Mother’s Day One to Remember
Guests can celebrate Mother’s Day with a specialty menu,available exclusively on Sunday, May 11.
Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca, located at Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino, invites families to celebrate Mother’s Day with a festive dining experience filled with fresh flavors and Tuscan charm. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, Bottiglia will offer its signature brunch, with exclusive specials continuing into dinner service from 4 to 9 p.m. Families can enjoy a lively atmosphere inside the bright dining room or al fresco on the picturesque patio.
For brunch, Bottiglia will feature limoncello pancakes layered with lemon curd, fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, available exclusively for the occasion, priced at $14. Those looking to toast to Mom can sip on bottomless Whispering Angel Rosé, priced at $29, and stop by a Whispering Angel pop-up with wine tastings. To add to the celebration, The Palette will host a floral bar pop-up where moms and their loved ones can create handmade bouquets.
Where to Celebrate Easter in Miami: Brunch, Bubbles & Bunny Hunts!
Our roundup of the top Easter brunches and celebrations around Miami is still live and being updated in real time.
MAKOTO
Image courtesy of STARR Restaurants
Description: This Easter, Makoto is elevating the holiday with exquisite specials. Indulge in the Dry-Aged Ceviche, featuring caviar, myoga, wakamomo, yuzu, and hanaho, or savor the 48-Hour Wagyu Short Rib, served with jumbo asparagus and a bold peppercorn sauce. Complement your meal with vibrant seasonal sips, including the Clarified Piña Colada and the floral-infused Hibiscus Margarita. For those looking to explore sake, curated flights Nigori Experience and Dassai Experience offer a taste of Japan’s finest brews. Elevate the celebration with a selection of fine wines, from Château d’Esclans Rosé to Raen ‘Lady Marjorine’ Chardonnay.
Address: Bal Harbour Shops 9700 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33154
The wines of Provence: much more than rosé
When we think of Provence wines, rosé often comes to mind. Yet, this region boasts an impressive diversity of red, white, and sparkling wines, all imbued with the unique character of its terroir. From the freshness of the Var hillsides to the finesse of Bandol reds, Provence deserves to be explored far beyond its famous rosé cuvées. Here’s an overview of Provençal treasures for curious wine lovers and enthusiasts.
Provence: a unique terroir
An exceptional climate and soils
Rosé wines: the jewel of Provence
The major appellations
Provence enjoys an ideal Mediterranean climate , characterized by hot summers, a drying mistral wind, and mild winters. Its varied soils, ranging from schist to limestone, provide exceptional conditions for quality viticulture. This diversity is reflected in the rich aromas and complexity of the wines produced in the region.
A thousand-year-old wine history
Provence is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in France. Introduced by the Greeks over 2,600 years ago, vine cultivation has been perfected over the centuries to produce wines that are both authentic and modern.
The Côtes de Provence , Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois in Provence are the big stars of rosé. These wines are appreciated for their freshness, lightness and aromatic brilliance.
Côtes de Provence:
Château d’Esclans – Whispering Angel 2022 (~€18): a modern classic that combines fruitiness and delicacy.
Dégustation – Nuances de Rosés
Date Le 23 Mai 2025 de 17h30 à 20h00
Lieu LAVINIA, 22 avenue Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris, France
Prix 10€
Nous vous invitons à découvrir toute la richesse des expressions des rosés, lors d’une dégustation à la fois chaleureuse et décontractée. Venez découvrir les domaines et leur sélection de rosés aux styles variés — du plus fruité au plus structuré — accompagnée de planches de charcuterie et de fromages soigneusement choisies pour sublimer la dégustation. Un moment idéal pour élargir ses horizons œnologiques, partager ses impressions et profiter d’une ambiance conviviale entre amis ou entre collègues.
Les domaines présents à la dégustation : Château d’Esclans – Provence Château Galoupet – Provence Château Le Puy – Bordeaux Château Minuty – Provence
here to Celebrate Easter in Miami: Brunch, Bubbles & Bunny Hunts!
The American Academy in Rome honors two figures whose work in medicine and cinema continues to shape conversations across disciplines and borders
By Monica Straniero
Virgilio Sacchini and Giuseppe Tornatore
On June 4, the American Academy in Rome will present the McKim Medal to Virgilio Sacchini and Giuseppe Tornatore. The ceremony will take place at Villa Aurelia, just before sunset, in the same building that has housed the Academy on the Janiculum Hill since 1909. The award, which each year honors Italian figures who have contributed to the cultural dialogue between Italy and the United States, is not just about representation. It recognizes people whose work has built real bridges, across time, disciplines, and borders.
Sacchini is an oncologic surgeon with a long history of working in breast cancer prevention. Over the years, he has moved between France, Italy, and the United States, dividing his time among hospitals, research centers, and internat onal study groups. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York, he has collaborated with organizations such as the EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer), the NASBP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project), and the RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group), helping to develop new approaches in chemoprevention and radiation therapy. In his research, cancer is never treated as just a disease. It is a social issue, one that involves patients, families, and the healthcare systems responsible for deciding who receives care—and how.
Tornatore received an Academy Award in 1990 for Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a film about childhood, cinema, and life in small southern towns. Since then, he has continued to explore themes of memory, time, and family, directing films such as Malèna, Baarìa, The Best Offer, and Ennio. His work has involved collaborations with actors including Philippe Noiret, Monica Bellucci, Marcello Mastroianni, and Geoffrey Rush, and has maintained a strong connection to the places and emotional landscapes that shaped his vision.
The Gala is more than a celebration of two careers. It is also a moment for supporting the Italian Fellowships, the Academy’s grants reserved for Italian artists and scholars. The program is unique among foreign academies in Rome and, over the years, has allowed many different kinds of research and creative practices to take shape in a shared space.
Presiding over the evening will be Beatrice Bulgari, who has long been active in projects at the intersection of art, cinema, and cultural production. She will be joined by Academy President Peter N. Miller, Director Aliza S. Wong, Board Chair Calvin Tsao, and Honorary Gala Chairs Ginevra Elkann, Margherita Marenghi Vaselli, Carla Markell, and Maria Teresa Venturini Fendi. The evening will also include a reception—informal, but thoughtfully curated. Wines will be offered by Paolo and Noemia d’Amico and Château d’Esclans, while cocktails will be created by Quattro Gatti Gin.
Founded in 1894, the American Academy in Rome is the oldest U.S. cultural institution operating abroad. It has hosted hundreds of artists, architects, and scholars over the decades, many of whom have gone on to receive major awards such as the Nobel, Pulitzer, MacArthur, and Pritzker. Today, through its residency programs, exhibitions, lectures, and public events, the Academy remains a space where disciplines meet and conversations unfold over time. On the evening following the Gala, June 5, the Academy will open its doors to the public for the annual Open Studios, offering a chance to explore the work created by the current fellows during their time in Rome.
Address: Bal Harbour Shops 9700 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33154
“No risk. No fun.” Inside the mind of Château d’Esclans’ Sacha Lichine
The invite didn’t say ‘No riff-raff’ but it could have done. For a deep dive into his super-premium rosés Les Clans and Garrus, Sacha Lichine chose exclusive Mayfair club Annabel’s to show the stylistic differences between these two wood-aged rosés. Like Whispering Angel’s Barbie-like success, Les Clans and Garrus are ‘pinks’ where you are paying for more than what’s in the bottle – it’s a lifestyle you’re tapping into, a signifier of success and good taste. Wine scribe and winemaker Chris Wilson gets under the skin of ultra-premium rosé in Lichine’s company, armed with a full-on vertical of each wine.
By Chris Wilson
“This isn’t tennis club rosé,” says Paul Chevalier, vice president of Château d’Esclans. We are gathered to taste two verticals of the estate’s famous – and famously highly-priced – rosés Les Clans and Garrus.
They may not be fit for the tennis club, but seemingly they are the perfect fit for the private members’ club, as the tasting is taking place in one of the dining rooms of exclusive Mayfair club Annabel’s (dress code: no hats, no Lycra, no heavily branded clothing; etiquette code: no photos; sub-text: no riff-raff).
Obviously everyone broke the rules on the photos, if only managing a quick pap-snap when no-one was looking. You can’t expect a room full of excited, slightly tipsy British journalists not to break the rules.
Sacha Lichine bought Provence estate Chateau D’Esclans in 2006
Château d’Esclans is best known for the sensation that is Whispering Angel, a global Provençal rosé brand that’s loved by everyone from Lady Gaga to The Beckhams, and sets you back £22+ a bottle off the supermarket shelf, and probably the same by-the-glass at the Pacha Ibiza or wherever it’s served.
Whispering Angel is made from “98-99% purchased fruit” and the current annual production is 10m bottles. It’s a pink-hued success story on a par with Barbie, and, off the back of Whispering Angel, Chateau D’Esclans has cemented its rosé reputation and been emboldened to push into the ultra-premium rosé market with its estate wines Les Clans and Garrus; both are small production wines made from 100% estate fruit.
“We’re not trying to change the world,” says Sacha Lichine, the brains behind the brands, who acquired Château d’Esclans in 2006. ”We’re just saying that rosé can be fine wine if you want it to be. We are trying to make the category better and better.”
A young Sacha Lichine with father Alexis – Sacha started running family-owned Prieuré Lichine at the age of 27
During the two hour lunch, Lichine punctuates every moment with brilliant one-liners like these; he has a snappy headline-grabbing response to every question asked and brushes off any comments he doesn’t agree with.
“Quality is what sells, not appellation anymore,” is one such remark. “Women have driven this category,” is another. The best though is “no risk, no fun,” and it’s this one that rings very true as Lichine sold a Bordeaux Château to get into Provençe and ignite the premium Provençal rosé revolution.
When he bought d’Esclans almost 20 years ago the estate was improved and upgraded, from the vineyards to the cellar. It’s now owned by LVMH, and has Bertrand Leon’s (son of original consulting oenologist Patrick Leon) steady hand on the winemaking tiller.
“We are closer to a spirit brand than a wine brand.” Sacha Lichine
Both wines are made from Grenache and Rolle (Vermentino) ‘roughly’ in a 70/30 per cent ratio. Other grapes are grown on the estate, such as Syrah and Cinsault, and used in other rosés, but Syrah is too candied and Cinsault adds nothing, it just bulks things out, or as Lichine puts it, “makes more sauce”. No sauce in the top wines.
Both Les Clans and Garrus are made from hand-picked fruit, harvested in the cool of the morning, then the grapes are cooled again before pressing in an inert closed-circuit press to avoid oxidation. 85-90% of the juice for the wine is free run, so it flows gently through the skins in the press, hence the light colour. At harvest time “it’s a race against oxidation,” says Lichine.
So far, so Provençal rosé… but it’s at the next step where the rulebook is ripped up. Fermentation in steel is the usual practice here, and that’s the Whispering Angel way, but Les Clans and Garrus are both fermented in barrel, specifically 600L French oak barrels each fitted with a cooling rod to regulate the temperature.
The wines are aged for around 11 months in oak, which is much longer than for most rosé wines; this prolonged time in oak adds texture and structure to the wines, and – in some – a touch of creaminess.
“You never want to taste wood, you want it to just create an extra layer of complexity to make it longer in your mouth and on your tongue, and that’s all that we’re using wood for,” says Lichine. “The wine has to deserve the wood as well so the yields are low,” he adds. The vines for Les Clans, for example, are 50-70 years of age and the Garrus vines a little older, both low-yielding. Garrus sees a little more new oak than Les Clans.’
“Doing it this way we create a wine that is richer and fuller and has more vigour,” says Chevalier. “The simplicity of fruit becomes more complex. The idea of ageability comes into play when the wine is made in this way.”
Many of the wines start like a white and finish like a red, these are complex rosés, and they fit wonderfully in a gastronomic context, which is probably what Chevalier was getting at with his tennis club remark. Both Les Clans and Garrus deserve a little more attention than most of the quaffable Provençe rosés on the market, and given the price tags (north of £100 a bottle for many of the vintages below) you certainly expect something more.
“We are closer to a spirit brand than a wine brand,” says Lichine, reeling off another juicy soundbite, and that’s spot on. Both with Whispering Angel and with these ultra-premium wines you are paying for more than what’s in the bottle, it’s a lifestyle you’re tapping into, a signifier of success and good taste.
And so to the wines
Below you’ll find some brief notes on the verticals of the two wines. On the whole there was a stylistic balance between them, across the two cuvées, but Garrus was slightly richer and creamier, Les Clans more fruit-forward.
Les Clans 2023
Full in the mouth, weighty. Raspberry fruit with a herbaceous edge. It has the aromatic intensity of a warm region white wine. You can certainly ‘feel’ the 14% ABV. “A very good vintage, one of the best we’ve ever had in Provençe,” says Lichine.
Les Clans 2022
Softer, more rounded. Again aromatic, but the fruit here is red cherry and pomegranate. Some mineral notes around the edges.
Les Clans 2021
More mineral, oyster shell even. Freeze-dried raspberry this time, crisper. Lovely delicacy and sweetness of fruit. Tasted from double magnum.
Les Clans 2020
Suave, smooth, ripe, Feels less ‘red’ than the others. The accents here are floral and tropical, pineapple. Some herby notes too. Tasted from magnum.
Les Clans 2017
This has aged well. More woody and savoury than the rest of the flight, but remains fleshy and full. Still fresh and immediate with good acidity. These are generous wines.
Garrus 2023
Bright and lucid with raspberry and almond notes and a crystalline tension. Elegant and as classy as you can imagine. Rich.
Garrus 2022
Generous, weighty. Lingering red fruit. Hefty alcohol at 14.5%! Definitely not to drink while playing tennis.
Garrus 2021
More like a white wine than any of the others. Yellow peach, flint and a mineral backbone are the key takeaways. Delightfully full finish with a smidge of oak creaminess.
Garrus 2020
Tasted from magnum. Muscular and punchy, a powerhouse pink. White pepper spice, toasted nuts and herbs all dance merrily along beneath the primary fruit notes of ripe peach and raspberry. Bold and serious.
Garrus 2017
Spicy and opulent with red berry fruit and a delicate acidity, still balanced after all this time. Proof, if needed, that rosé can age, and age well. Tasted from magnum.
