Layne Randolph
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Articles by Layne Randolph
DIPINTO DI BLU
Photo Courtesy of Artelier Art Consiltancy “Painted blue, in the blue” is the English meaning of the Italian words “nel blu dipinto di blu” that Domenico Modugno sang in Volare in the mid-1960s. The phrase feels oddly appropriate for the world of private aviation today, where luxury cabins are increasingly becoming canvases for bespoke art and craftsmanship.
The Roman Coast, A Land Of Myths And Gods
The Garden of Ninfa is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic gardens in the world. getty The Roman Coast From Monte Circeo To Gaeta When I lived in Rome, one of my favorite getaways was a day trip to the Roman coast (what I consider the stretch running north from Gaeta, just above Naples, to San Felice Circeo and Monte Circeo). It always felt like I was discovering something different there; something uniquely Roman. It’s not only history from the Roman Empire.
The Roman Coast, A Land Of Myths And Gods
The Roman Coast From Monte Circeo To Gaeta When I lived in Rome, one of my favorite getaways was a day trip to the Roman coast (what I consider the stretch running north from Gaeta, just above Naples, to San Felice Circeo and Monte Circeo). It always felt like I was discovering something different there; something uniquely Roman. It's not only history from the Roman Empire. Across centuries, powerful Romans established seaside retreats here. Monumental sanctuaries overlook the water.
The Art of Extending Summer: Vacation Doesn’t Have to Be Over
Photo courtesy of SeeMonterey.com Not ready to see the last vestiges of summer pass you by? Stretch the season with a tasting trip through France, Italian aperitivo, stylish accessories, wines made for warm weather, evocative coastal scents—and three California escapes that can keep summer going a little longer. If the European holiday never quite happened, or ended much too quickly, there is still time to make up for it. Dress for lunch outside. Pour something cold.
The Comforting Pasta Dish Jamie Oliver Would Choose For His Last Meal
We are often curious to know what a chef would choose for their last meal, perhaps because it gives insight into the responder's tastes and values. A last meal is typically a comforting or nostalgic dish representing family or happy times. Whether choosing an exorbitant or meaningful option, simple or decadent, it tells us something about the person. After all, Ina Garten's last meal is a completely unexpected choice: french fries and hot dogs.
The Comforting Pasta Dish Jamie Oliver Would Choose For His Last Meal
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We are often curious to know what a chef would choose for their last meal, perhaps because it gives insight into the responder's tastes and values. A last meal is typically a comforting or nostalgic dish representing family or happy times. Whether choosing an exorbitant or meaningful option, simple or decadent, it tells us something about the person.
Vintage Journeys
Venice, Italy, Venissa Some destinations stay with you because they’re beautiful. The rare ones stay with you because you can feel them. In wine, we call that sense of place; the way soil, climate, and human tradition leave a signature you can taste. Travel has its own version—the moment a region stops being scenery and becomes something intimate.
Taking the Plunge
The first day of cold bathing was scheduled before dawn, and it was snowing. Many assumed, surely, this won’t happen today—not with a forecast low of 26°F, wind gusts up to 35 mph, and a “feels like” of 5°F. They were wrong. Then came the second surprise: clothing was discouraged—and on day one, first-timers arrived in swimsuits like sane, responsible adults. The veterans seemed to think stripping down in a blizzard was a small detail. After the first plunge, the newbies shed the extra layer, too.
How Amaro Went From The Monastery To The Feast’s Bitter End
MORE PICTURES AVAILABLE ON IMAGE FORUM - TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Gildas Le Roux Bottles of liqueurs are displayed in the shop of the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella on April 4, 2012 in Florence. The Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1221 by Dominican monks continues to focus on the ancient traditional methods 400 years later, using natural herbs and oils, with clients such as Catherine de Medici in the 16th century or more recently Monica Bellucci.
How Amaro Went From The Monastery To The Feast’s Bitter End Original
MORE PICTURES AVAILABLE ON IMAGE FORUM - TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Gildas Le Roux Bottles of liqueurs are displayed in the shop of the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella on April 4, 2012 in Florence. The Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1221 by Dominican monks continues to focus on the ancient traditional methods 400 years later, using natural herbs and oils, with clients such as Catherine de Medici in the 16th century or more recently Monica Bellucci.
How Amaro Went From The Monastery To The Feast’s Bitter End
MORE PICTURES AVAILABLE ON IMAGE FORUM - TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Gildas Le Roux Bottles of liqueurs are displayed in the shop of the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella on April 4, 2012 in Florence. The Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1221 by Dominican monks continues to focus on the ancient traditional methods 400 years later, using natural herbs and oils, with clients such as Catherine de Medici in the 16th century or more recently Monica Bellucci.
How Amaro Went From The Monastery To The Feast’s Bitter End
There are so many things to love about Italy. One of them is the seriousness with which Italians approach a good meal. If you have eaten in a traditional Italian home, you know the feeling of dinner unfolding in seemingly endless courses: the aperitivo, the antipasto, the primo, the secondo, the dolce, and the caffè. Just when the meal appears to be over, another bottle emerges. What lands in the glass may be dark and intense: an amaro, the herbal liqueur whose name means "bitter" in Italian.
How Amaro Went From The Monastery To The Feast’s Bitter End
Layne Randolph, Contributor Updated Mon, August 31, 2026 at 2:55 PM EDT 4 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add Yahoo on Google MORE PICTURES AVAILABLE ON IMAGE FORUM - TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Gildas Le Roux Bottles of liqueurs are displayed in the shop of the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella on April 4, 2012 in Florence.
Why Wine Lovers Are Pouring Nonalcoholic Wine, Too
Weingut Leitz's Eins-Zwei-Zero Weingut Leitz The Growing Appeal of Wine Without Alcohol Nonalcoholic wine is moving beyond its early reputation as a sweet substitute for people who cannot—or do not want to—drink. A growing group of established winemakers, wine families, and luxury companies is now treating the category as a serious extension of wine culture. Part of the reason is the consumer.
Why Wine Lovers Are Pouring Nonalcoholic Wine, Too Original
Weingut Leitz's Eins-Zwei-Zero Weingut Leitz The Growing Appeal of Wine Without Alcohol Nonalcoholic wine is moving beyond its early reputation as a sweet substitute for people who cannot—or do not want to—drink. A growing group of established winemakers, wine families, and luxury companies is now treating the category as a serious extension of wine culture. Part of the reason is the consumer.
Why Wine Lovers Are Pouring Nonalcoholic Wine, Too
The Growing Appeal of Wine Without Alcohol Nonalcoholic wine is moving beyond its early reputation as a sweet substitute for people who cannot—or do not want to—drink. A growing group of established winemakers, wine families, and luxury companies is now treating the category as a serious extension of wine culture. Part of the reason is the consumer.
Why Wine Lovers Are Pouring Nonalcoholic Wine, Too
The Growing Appeal of Wine Without Alcohol Nonalcoholic wine is moving beyond its early reputation as a sweet substitute for people who cannot—or do not want to—drink. A growing group of established winemakers, wine families, and luxury companies is now treating the category as a serious extension of wine culture. Part of the reason is the consumer.
Where Did The Pairing Of Fried Fish And Spaghetti Originate?
According to Adrian Miller, a James Beard Award winner and author of "Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time," the combination of fried fish and spaghetti tells a historical migration story. "Much like chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and okra and tomatoes, fried fish with spaghetti is one of soul food's greatest culinary combinations," he once told Heated (via Cuisine Noir).
The Cloudveil Brings Low-Key Luxury to the Heart of Jackson Hole
JACAK The first thing I noticed after landing in Jackson Hole was the land, which makes sense, given that the airport sits inside Grand Teton National Park. The road from the airport into Jackson cuts through ranchland and open country surrounded by mountain ranges. Long before reaching downtown, the landscape establishes the region’s enduring connection to the American Wild West. That feeling carries into Jackson itself.
Casanegra’s Decade-Long Gamble To Create An Andean Single Malt Whisky Original
Gabriel Williams overseeing the barrels. Williams Casanegra Inside The Williams Casanegra Gamble When brothers Cristian and Gabriel Williams began building a whisky distillery in Mendoza, Argentina in 2013, they had no established regional model to follow—and no guarantee that the project would ever produce a sellable bottle.
Casanegra’s Decade-Long Gamble To Create An Andean Single Malt Whisky
Inside The Williams Casanegra Gamble When brothers Cristian and Gabriel Williams began building a whisky distillery in Mendoza, Argentina in 2013, they had no established regional model to follow—and no guarantee that the project would ever produce a sellable bottle. More than a decade later, Williams Casanegra Distillery is releasing limited quantities of single malt shaped by high-altitude barley, glacier-fed water, historic equipment and an unusually stubborn commitment to patience.
Casanegra’s Decade-Long Gamble To Create An Andean Single Malt Whisky
Inside The Williams Casanegra Gamble When brothers Cristian and Gabriel Williams began building a whisky distillery in Mendoza, Argentina in 2013, they had no established regional model to follow—and no guarantee that the project would ever produce a sellable bottle. More than a decade later, Williams Casanegra Distillery is releasing limited quantities of single malt shaped by high-altitude barley, glacier-fed water, historic equipment and an unusually stubborn commitment to patience.
Casanegra’s Decade-Long Gamble To Create An Andean Single Malt Whisky
Inside The Williams Casanegra Gamble When brothers Cristian and Gabriel Williams began building a whisky distillery in Mendoza, Argentina in 2013, they had no established regional model to follow—and no guarantee that the project would ever produce a sellable bottle. More than a decade later, Williams Casanegra Distillery is releasing limited quantities of single malt shaped by high-altitude barley, glacier-fed water, historic equipment and an unusually stubborn commitment to patience.
Adriatic Luxury Hotels in the Pearl of the Adriatic: Dubrovnik, Croatia
When most people think of Dubrovnik, they imagine a walled city of limestone on the impossibly beautiful Adriatic Coast. Yet the former Republic of Ragusa was also once an important Mediterranean maritime power, and the wealth and cosmopolitan culture generated by centuries of trade remain visible in its Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Today, Dubrovnik’s Old City is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How Silvio Carta Turns Sardinian Botanicals Into A Spirits Portfolio
The mediterranean shrubby of the island on the hill of Castellaccio. Asinara Island. Asinara National Park. Sardinia. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Renato Valterza/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images Sardinia's Landscape Carved by Sea Winds On Sardinia's western coast, the third-generation, family-owned Silvio Carta company sits roughly six miles from the sea, close enough for the island's maritime climate to shape the plants around it.
How Silvio Carta Turns Sardinian Botanicals Into A Spirits Portfolio
On Sardinia's western coast, the third-generation, family-owned Silvio Carta company sits roughly six miles from the sea, close enough for the island's maritime climate to shape the plants around it. Juniper trees, myrtle bushes, vineyards, and aromatic herbs flourish under the influence of the Maestrale, the strong northwesterly wind that sweeps across Sardinia year-round.
How Silvio Carta Turns Sardinian Botanicals Into A Spirits Portfolio Original
The mediterranean shrubby of the island on the hill of Castellaccio. Asinara Island. Asinara National Park. Sardinia. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Renato Valterza/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images Sardinia’s Landscape Carved by Sea Winds On Sardinia’s western coast, the third-generation, family-owned Silvio Carta company sits roughly six miles from the sea, close enough for the island’s maritime climate to shape the plants around it.
How Silvio Carta Turns Sardinian Botanicals Into A Spirits Portfolio
Sardinia's Landscape Carved by Sea Winds On Sardinia's western coast, the third-generation, family-owned Silvio Carta company sits roughly six miles from the sea, close enough for the island's maritime climate to shape the plants around it. Juniper trees, myrtle bushes, vineyards, and aromatic herbs flourish under the influence of the Maestrale, the strong northwesterly wind that sweeps across Sardinia year-round.
Sardinia’s Tenute Maestrale | Wine Tourism Rooted in the Wild Mediterranean
The maestrale wind, which blows from the northwest over the Mediterranean, has shaped life in Sardinia for generations. It cools summer nights, keeps vineyards healthy by lowering humidity and disease, and fills the air with the scents of juniper, myrtle, and wild rosemary. This wind also inspired Tenute Maestrale, a boutique wine estate and lodge near the village of Donori, whose vision is deeply connected to the land.
Ina Garten Vs Julia Child: The Difference Between Their Beef Bourguignon Recipes
Julia Child in Santa Barbara - Bonnie Schiffman Photography/Getty Images Beef bourguignon is one of the quintessential dishes of French cuisine, originating from the Burgundy region in central France. The dish gained widespread popularity in the 20th century after being popularized by culinary giant and Cordon Bleu graduate Julia Child, who was also a spy for the early CIA. Ina Garten, known as the Barefoot Contessa, rose to fame in the 21st century, bringing her modern take on the dish.
How Malvasia Wine Weaves A Golden Thread Through The Mediterranean
The Mystery Behind The Malvasia Name If you have spent time around the Mediterranean, there is a good chance you have already met Malvasia. You may have tasted it in Madeira as Malmsey, rich and sweet. You may have encountered it in Istria as a dry, mineral white. You may have found it in Sicily, Catalonia, Greece, the Canary Islands, or somewhere else entirely. But what you may not realize is that these wines do not necessarily come from the same grape. In many cases, they do not.
How Malvasia Wine Weaves A Golden Thread Through The Mediterranean Original
sign to sell wine, Malvasia vineyard, Salina, Eolian Islands, Italy vente de vins a la propriete, vignoble de Malvoisie, Salina, Iles Eoliennes, Italie . (Photo by JARRY/TRIPELON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The Mystery Behind The Malvasia Name If you have spent time around the Mediterranean, there is a good chance you have already met Malvasia. You may have tasted it in Madeira as Malmsey, rich and sweet. You may have encountered it in Istria as a dry, mineral white.
How Malvasia Wine Weaves A Golden Thread Through The Mediterranean
The Mystery Behind The Malvasia Name If you have spent time around the Mediterranean, there is a good chance you have already met Malvasia. You may have tasted it in Madeira as Malmsey, rich and sweet. You may have encountered it in Istria as a dry, mineral white. You may have found it in Sicily, Catalonia, Greece, the Canary Islands, or somewhere else entirely. But what you may not realize is that these wines do not necessarily come from the same grape. In many cases, they do not.
How Malvasia Wine Weaves A Golden Thread Through The Mediterranean
The Mystery Behind The Malvasia Name If you have spent time around the Mediterranean, there is a good chance you have already met Malvasia. You may have tasted it in Madeira as Malmsey, rich and sweet. You may have encountered it in Istria as a dry, mineral white. You may have found it in Sicily, Catalonia, Greece, the Canary Islands, or somewhere else entirely. But what you may not realize is that these wines do not necessarily come from the same grape. In many cases, they do not.
How Malvasia Wine Weaves A Golden Thread Through The Mediterranean
The Mystery Behind The Malvasia Name If you have spent time around the Mediterranean, there is a good chance you have already met Malvasia. You may have tasted it in Madeira as Malmsey, rich and sweet. You may have encountered it in Istria as a dry, mineral white. You may have found it in Sicily, Catalonia, Greece, the Canary Islands, or somewhere else entirely. But what you may not realize is that these wines do not necessarily come from the same grape. In many cases, they do not.
The Hotel St. Regis Venice Shimmers During La Biennale Arte
Claude Monet by Simon Berger at The St. Regis Venice Approaching The St. Regis Venice by private water taxi along the Grand Canal feels like stepping into one of those glamorous black-and-white photographs from the golden age of travel, when movie stars and aristocrats disembarked in evening dress against the backdrop of Venice. Set directly on the Grand Canal, the former Grand Hotel Britannia has long attracted artists, writers, and travelers drawn to the city’s transcendent beauty.
Medieval to Modern
For more than 700 years, the Frescobaldi family has been a patron of both the arts and the vine. From Renaissance Florence—where they supported Brunelleschi and Michelangelo—to modern Tuscany, where they steward some of Italy’s most prestigious estates, the family has always seen art and wine as larger than commerce. They are culture and continuity. That ethos is today most visible in Vendemmia d’Artista, the family’s Ornellaia wine estate’s annual fusion of fine wine and contemporary art.
How Lazio’s Geological Heritage And Volcanic Past Shapes Its Wine
The landscape atop Sicily’s Mt. Etna feels lunar. Sparse trees dot the view, and black volcanic soil is broken only by sudden bursts of bright green pushing through the ash. So naturally, no one is surprised to discover that Etna’s soil is volcanic. The mountain still erupts with theatrical force, and wines from the surrounding Etna DOC (a region often predicted to become Sicily’s second DOCG, the highest classification) attract wine lovers with their vibrant acidity and mineral edge.
How Lazio’s Geological Heritage And Volcanic Past Shapes Its Wine
Lake Nemi sits within an ancient volcanic crater in Lazio, Italy. Omina Romana Italy’s Volcanic Wine Legacy The landscape atop Sicily’s Mt. Etna feels lunar. Sparse trees dot the view, and black volcanic soil is broken only by sudden bursts of bright green pushing through the ash. So naturally, no one is surprised to discover that Etna’s soil is volcanic.
How Lazio’s Geological Heritage And Volcanic Past Shapes Its Wine Original
Lake Nemi sits within an ancient volcanic crater in Lazio, Italy. Omina Romana Italy’s Volcanic Wine Legacy The landscape atop Sicily’s Mt. Etna feels lunar. Sparse trees dot the view, and black volcanic soil is broken only by sudden bursts of bright green pushing through the ash. So naturally, no one is surprised to discover that Etna’s soil is volcanic.
How Lazio’s Geological Heritage And Volcanic Past Shapes Its Wine
Lake Nemi sits within an ancient volcanic crater in Lazio, Italy. Omina Romana Italy’s Volcanic Wine Legacy The landscape atop Sicily’s Mt. Etna feels lunar. Sparse trees dot the view, and black volcanic soil is broken only by sudden bursts of bright green pushing through the ash. So naturally, no one is surprised to discover that Etna’s soil is volcanic.
How Lazio’s Geological Heritage And Volcanic Past Shapes Its Wine
Lake Nemi sits within an ancient volcanic crater in Lazio, Italy. Omina Romana Italy’s Volcanic Wine Legacy The landscape atop Sicily’s Mt. Etna feels lunar. Sparse trees dot the view, and black volcanic soil is broken only by sudden bursts of bright green pushing through the ash. So naturally, no one is surprised to discover that Etna’s soil is volcanic.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto
ITALY - CIRCA 2016: Vineyards near Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) De Agostini via Getty Images Reconsidering Merlot Before I understood Merlot or Bolgheri, I sensed that Masseto stood apart. Years ago, before I was a wine writer, I covered GourmetFest in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and I attended a vertical tasting of Masseto. Amid dozens of celebrated bottles at the event, Masseto was the one wine that stayed with me. At the time, I couldn’t explain why.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto
Before I understood Merlot or Bolgheri, I sensed that Masseto stood apart. Years ago, before I was a wine writer, I covered GourmetFest in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and I attended a vertical tasting of Masseto. Amid dozens of celebrated bottles at the event, Masseto was the one wine that stayed with me. At the time, I couldn’t explain why. Today, the reason is clear.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto Original
ITALY - CIRCA 2016: Vineyards near Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) De Agostini via Getty Images Reconsidering Merlot Before I understood Merlot or Bolgheri, I sensed that Masseto stood apart. Years ago, before I was a wine writer, I covered GourmetFest in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and I attended a vertical tasting of Masseto. Amid dozens of celebrated bottles at the event, Masseto was the one wine that stayed with me. At the time, I couldn’t explain why.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto
Reconsidering Merlot Before I understood Merlot or Bolgheri, I sensed that Masseto stood apart. Years ago, before I was a wine writer, I covered GourmetFest in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and I attended a vertical tasting of Masseto. Amid dozens of celebrated bottles at the event, Masseto was the one wine that stayed with me. At the time, I couldn’t explain why. Today, the reason is clear.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto
ITALY - CIRCA 2016: Vineyards near Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) De Agostini via Getty Images Reconsidering Merlot Before I understood Merlot or Bolgheri, I sensed that Masseto stood apart. Years ago, before I was a wine writer, I covered GourmetFest in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and I attended a vertical tasting of Masseto. Amid dozens of celebrated bottles at the event, Masseto was the one wine that stayed with me. At the time, I couldn’t explain why.
Merlot Beyond Bordeaux: Bolgheri, Blue Clay, And Masseto
School Drop-Offs, Coppélia, and Other Final Acts for Retiring Ballerina Megan Fairchild Forget 9-to-5. Mothering knows no schedule—often it feels more like 5-to-9 and everything in between. In this series, we look at the hectic, messy, sometimes beautiful, often frustrating enterprise of being a mother—and maintaining a life of your own. Consider it a “day in the life” for the …
Springtime Secret
Visiting Napa Valley in springtime is like finding out that Napa has been keeping a secret. With California’s Mediterranean climate, the valley is greener in spring than in summer, and the grapevines during budbreak are at their sweetest and most charming, as pops of baby chartreuse leaves reveal the first signs that the valley is waking up. This is the wine season’s prelude.
Why Sonoma Has A Rare Opportunity In A Changing Wine Industry
View of California Highway 1 along the Sonoma Coast getty Welcome To Sonoma County When I moved back to California after years in Italy, it wasn’t Napa that felt most familiar. It was Sonoma County. Not because the wines reminded me of what I had been drinking abroad, but because the life around them did, particularly the winding country roads and village-like town centers, and a coast not far away. But its wine story was very different.
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