shane eaton 3/21/26 shane eaton 3/21/26

Four Seasons at Sea

On the first day of spring — and, not coincidentally, the 65th anniversary of the very first Four Seasons hotel opening its doors — a 207-metre superyacht slipped quietly out of port into the Mediterranean. It was, by any measure, quite an entrance.

The vessel is called Four Seasons I, and it is exactly what you’d expect from a brand that has spent six and a half decades perfecting the art of making people feel looked after. Ninety-five suites, no interior cabins, a staff-to-guest ratio of one-to-one, and a transverse marina that opens across both sides of the ship for direct sea access. Oh, and eleven restaurants!

To be clear, this isn’t Four Seasons slapping its name on someone else’s cruise ship. Four Seasons I was conceived from scratch, in partnership with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri — the same storied yard that has built vessels for some of the most discerning operators in the world. The design brief was essentially: what would a Four Seasons hotel look like if it could move?

The answer, it turns out, involves floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, Tillberg Design of Sweden handling the naval architecture, Martin Brudnizki doing the social spaces, and Prosper Assouline providing creative direction. The reference point for the aesthetic was the legendary superyacht Christina O, though filtered through a contemporary lens.

All 95 suites feature generous indoor-outdoor living — terraces, many with private plunge pools — and not a single one is an interior cabin. The standout is the Funnel Suite, positioned at the forward-facing prow: nearly 10,000 square feet, with the largest contiguous piece of curved glass at sea wrapping around it in a sweeping panorama.

Back to those eleven restaurants. The centrepiece is Sedna, which hosts a rotating Chef-in-Residence series pulling talent from Four Seasons’ most acclaimed properties around the world — Christian Le Squer from Le Cinq in Paris, Guillaume Galliot from Caprice in Hong Kong, Paolo Lavezzini from Il Palagio in Florence, among others. Each engagement brings an immersive tasting menu designed around the voyage’s destinations, which is the kind of programme that makes you want to spend six months aboard just to cycle through the full roster.

Beyond Sedna, there’s Horizon Bar — open-air, overlooking the sea, with its own plunge pool — and Bar O, a design-forward lounge dedicated to craft cocktails and rare spirits. Both sound like places where an evening could very happily disappear.

For its inaugural season, the yacht explores the Mediterranean before heading to the Caribbean and Bahamas in winter. Thirty-two voyages across 52 sailings, visiting 130 destinations in more than 30 countries and territories. The itineraries mix the expected — Saint-Tropez, Bodrum, the Greek Isles — with the pleasingly off-piste: Hydra, Montenegro, the Croatian coast beyond the obvious stops.

A second vessel, Four Seasons II, follows in 2027. For now, Four Seasons I has the Mediterranean to itself.

shane eaton 3/19/26 shane eaton 3/19/26

Arcane

With over 20 years in the wine industry, Fabio Cagnetti has worked as everything from a wine critic to an exporter. After opening pioneering natural wine bars in Tallinn (2015) and Paris (2017), he published his Manifesto of Contemporary Wine in 2019. In it, he rejects the extremes of both rigid, conventional enology and dogmatic natural wine, championing a balanced approach that values both substance and style. Recognizing Milano as Italy's most dynamic city, he relocated there in 2022. By late 2024, he stepped back from his other European collaborations to focus entirely on his definitive personal project: Arcane Wines.

Arcane Wines is a wine bar, shop, and restaurant built around Fabio’s personal collection. Over the last 25 years, he has gathered 4,000 bottles, which are now available for guests to try. Amazingly, the by-the-glass selection of 13 wines changes completely every seven days, with a commitment to never repeat the same label within the same year.

If you are looking for a rare bottle at a reasonable price, there is no better choice in the city. I was most impressed with the wide variety of producers showcased at Arcane. Instead of sticking strictly to the natural or classic camp, Fabio refreshingly offers the best of both worlds without ever compromising on quality.

Expect great Italian producers such as Ar.Pe.Pe., Valentini, and Rinaldi, alongside the best of France and biodynamic producers from Slovenia. The selection ranges from great value wines, like Jean Féry & Fils from Burgundy, all the way up to 1980s Bruno Giacosa for a special occasion.

In addition to more elaborate dishes from the kitchen, you will find outstanding cheeses from Contrada Bricconi, cold cuts from Spigaroli, and bread from Trama.

Some of the excellent dishes available at Arcane

Con oltre vent'anni di esperienza nel settore del vino, Fabio Cagnetti ha lavorato in ogni ambito, da critico enologico a esportatore. Dopo aver aperto wine bar pionieristici dedicati ai vini naturali a Tallinn (2015) e a Parigi (2017), nel 2019 ha pubblicato il suo Manifesto del vino contemporaneo. In questo testo, rifiuta gli estremismi sia della rigida enologia convenzionale sia delle derive dogmatiche del vino naturale, facendosi paladino di un approccio equilibrato che valorizza tanto la sostanza quanto la forma.

Riconoscendo Milano come la città più dinamica d'Italia, ci si è trasferito nel 2022. Alla fine del 2024, ha fatto un passo indietro dalle sue altre collaborazioni europee per concentrarsi interamente sul suo progetto personale e definitivo: Arcane Wines.

Arcane Wines è un'enoteca, negozio e ristorante costruito attorno alla collezione personale di Fabio. Negli ultimi 25 anni ha raccolto 4.000 bottiglie, che ora sono a disposizione degli ospiti. Straordinariamente, la mescita di 13 vini cambia integralmente ogni sette giorni, con l’impegno a non ripetere mai la stessa etichetta nello stesso anno.

Se cercate una bottiglia rara a un prezzo ragionevole, non c'è scelta migliore in città. Sono rimasto molto colpito dall'ampia varietà di produttori in mostra da Arcane. Invece di limitarsi rigorosamente allo schieramento dei vini naturali o di quelli classici, Fabio offre una ventata d'aria fresca proponendo il meglio di entrambi i mondi, senza mai scendere a compromessi sulla qualità.

Aspettatevi grandi produttori italiani come Ar.Pe.Pe., Valentini e Rinaldi, affiancati al meglio della Francia e a produttori biodinamici della Slovenia. La selezione spazia da vini dall'ottimo rapporto qualità-prezzo, come Jean Féry & Fils dalla Borgogna, fino a bottiglie di Bruno Giacosa degli anni '80 per un'occasione speciale.

Oltre ai piatti più elaborati in uscita dalla cucina, troverete formaggi eccezionali di Contrada Bricconi, salumi di Spigaroli e il pane di Trama.