The introduction of the Maserati Ghibli next year will mark the first time that the Italian automaker has two four-door models for sale at the same time. This midsize sedan to the venerable Quattroporte is part of a larger effort to lift worldwide Maserati sales from last year’s 6,288 to 50,000 by 2015. While Maserati does not envision itself in the same league as BMW or Jaguar when it comes to volume, this new lofty goal will break it out of the territory occupied by such boutique makes as Ferrari and Aston M…

While the boats in the 34th America’s Cup may struggle to make the starting line, watches dedicated to sailing, and racing in particular, have arrived in greater numbers than ever before. The so-called regatta watch, which assists a skipper in timing the start so that the boat crosses the line immediately after—but not before—the gun sounds has become a specialty complication area, with enough differences between the various mechanisms to be interesting. Like all mechanical timepieces, the practical applicatio…

From September 22 to 27, Ponta dos Ganchos resort in southern Brazil is inviting 10 guests to explore the cuisine of that country’s Emerald Coast. The six-day culinary immersion (from approximately $2,900 per couple), led by the resort’s head chef, Luis Salvajoli, features numerous activities and tastings. Among them is a boat tour of the coast’s clam and oyster farms, followed by a tasting of the area’s Santa Catarina oysters, known for their salty and vegetal tones, with Moët & Chandon Champagne on the r…

The 203-foot-5-inch Sea Owl, built by Feadship and designed by Andrew Winch Designs, will certainly get attention this summer due to its rich green hull. But the lucky few who get a tour of the yacht’s interior (Sea Owl is strictly for private use, not charter) will have a hard time keeping their jaws from hitting the ground. Why? There is an abundance of intricately hand-carved wood throughout common areas and staterooms alike. In fact, the wood carvings are so detailed and elaborate that you could spend hour…

Pedigree, rather than taste, is often the decisive factor in the commercial success of a fine wine. Nowhere perhaps is this more true than in Champagne. No matter how delicate their texture or subtle their flavors, sparkling wines from other regions suffer in the eyes of the untutored for not having been produced in the precincts of Reims or Épernay. Still, one of the most refined examples released recently not only comes from Napa Valley but also bears a unique pedigree. Richard G. Peterson is one of the intr…

This year, four Northern California wineries are celebrating their 40th anniversaries—a notable achievement in a competitive Napa-Sonoma world constantly buffeted by the vagaries of nature and consumer’s desires. Davis Bynum Winery,the first to produce single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley; Chateau St. Jean, which established European-style vineyard-designated wines in California; Domaine Chandon, the first French-owned producer of sparkling wine in Napa Valley; and the family-owned Cakebrea…

The nearly 150-year-old Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, located on the southernmost tip of the Cap d’Antibes, France, has unveiled a lounge dedicated exclusively to Champagne. The outdoor space, which is open to guests and nonguests alike from mid-May through September, looks out to the hotel’s infinity pool and the Mediterranean Sea. Patrons can choose from six different blanc and rosé Champagnes by the glass as well as half and full bottles of rare vintages, including Clos d’Ambonnay, and jeroboams of 2002 Louis Roed…

The Shangri-La Group has opened its third hotel in Shanghai: the soaring 60-story Jing An Shangri-La. Located on the city’s west side, in proximity to the Jing An Temple and Jing An Park, the hotel has508 rooms starting at about $320 per night. Accommodations range from a 450-square-foot deluxe room to the 3,350-square-foot Shangri-La Suite, which will be available for booking in September. The hotel has four restaurants, and a wine bar is set to open later this year. (+86.21.2203.8888, www.shangri-la.com)</di…

The new worktables from March are the perfect way to avoid having a monolithic kitchen, because they combine function and style to create a center island that is more like a piece of bespoke furniture. Each worktable is fully customized, though standard dimensions are typically 42 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 36 inches high. Designs include the classic Work Table, with a butcher block top and a steel base; the French Country–inspired Turned Leg Table, with a marble top and carved wooden legs; and the moder…

As a follow-up to his $1.3 million Dragon surfboard, Roy Stuart has launched his newest creation, the Hotkurl, which after six months and 800 hours of labor was launched this summer. Stuart says the board—priced at $1.47 million—has a teardrop shape with a 9-inch cutaway spitfire fin, a 4-inch-diameter half-pipe vortex tunnel, and a hand-operated stainless steel vent. In layman’s terms, the board is designed to deliver unparalleled comfort as well as artistic design, as the hollowed, empress wood frame is itse…