Wine and Wheels

Bicycle Garage in Japan: Bikes Underground

Eric — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:21:26 +0000

Wow, up to 144 bikes can be stored in this underground, super high tech fancy Japanese bicycle garage, and they can be retrieved in seconds. It’s like the Matrix farm, but for bikes! Check out what the underground view looks like in this, all Japanese, video.

Roundup: Bamboo Bikes While we’ve seen a few wooden bicycles before here at Wine and Wheels, I think...
Bike Hero: Bicycle Video Game This video of “bike hero” wherein the creator plays guitar hero while riding a bicycle...
Tandem Bicycle: Face to Face Bike This tandem bicycle can be ridden face-to-face, conventionally or even back-to-back as the seats rotate...

Bike Helmet Air Conditioner

Eric — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:11:22 +0000

From the Make Flickr pool, this helmet looks great. A/C for a hot day, or fume buffering for in the city cruising. About making this helmet, “openfly” writes:

I was bored one day at NYCR and started playing with my rising collections of motors.

Ended up stuffing an 18v motor into my bike helmet and putting two 9vs in series on it. Runs awesome. Surprisingly effective as a cooling apparatus and even more surprisingly effective as a fume buffer.

Probably not very safe in an accident though =P

And while you’re checking out helmets, you should see this solar powered bike helmet, or these bike helmet ear warmers.

Conference Bike: Why not meet on the go? Reminiscent of the quadcycle and even the buscycle, this creation seems like a great...
Concept Bike: Behance Bike I won’t do this any injustice with words. I think it’s beautiful. bike on the...
Pedal Power this New Year’s Eve Happy holidays everyone! When the ball drops this year in New York City, remember that...

An Introduction to Me and My Wine

Eric — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:10:43 +0000

Introductions are in order. I am Blake Lawrence; amateur cyclist, amateur foodie, amateur writer, amateur law student, full-time cynic (but not in the annoying way), and part-time Facebook addict. After deciding that blogging was in my near-future I pondered what it was that I enjoyed enough to write about habitually. Naturally I thought of my hobbies. I enjoy cycling, but not enough to write much about it – on a great week I will ride 30 miles. I enjoy wine and spirits, but have neither the liver nor the pocketbook to conjure up enough information for a weekly or even a bi-weekly blog post. After some brief searching I came across Eric’s blog here. Loving both wine AND wheels, I thought I might give this a shot. Please indulge…

Let’s start with the wine. For me, wine drinking is an experience. While a fantastic and complex wine is always a pleasure, it is never a necessity. Instead of thinking of the subtle flavors of the 2002 Rombauer Merlot that I enjoyed celebrating a birthday, I think more of the 2002 Blackstone Merlot that my now-fiancé, then new girlfriend, enjoyed on our first date. I remember more of the flavors and feelings of the Blackstone than the intricacy and nuance of the Rombauer. This is not to say that a wine-drinker should only enjoy wine that has some sentimental value attached to it. Quite to the contrary, grab a new bottle, a new vineyard, a new varietal, a new something and make an experience. While my wine critiques may be a bit on the under-developed side, hopefully they will come with a little bit of humor, a bit of thoughtfulness, and a bit of suggestion.

Now for the inner-cyclist in me. I began cycling about 4 years ago, during my freshman year of college. I own a 2004 Fuji Roubaix Sport, a triple ring that carries Shimano 105 shifters, a TruVativ crankset, Shimano Ultegra derailleurs, and Riley wheels. I have done very little in the realm of upgrades, but I have purchased SiDi hard-soled cleats to go with a slick set of Team Gerolsteiner Shimano pedals (baby blue, naturally). I really enjoy riding my bike; sadly, though, I live in a town that isn’t terribly conducive to cycling. Everything is awfully spread out – I live 15 miles from my school and 18 miles from my job. However, I will be moving much closer to both, so I hope to start biking to school and work. I went out riding yesterday and was reminded of what I truly love about cycling – the wind, the nature, the feeling of accomplishment that comes from covering 20 miles of ground. I have never been a runner, so anything above a mile or so seems like something worth celebrating. This summer I hope to bring some fun and entertaining cycling stories to life, some that hopefully readers will enjoy.

So thus far I have proven that I enjoy wine and enjoy cycling. That should come naturally from someone writing on a blog entitled Wine and Wheels. Perhaps a display of skill is in order… Lucky for you, I have purchased a superb (albeit a surprising) wine to review for this inaugural entry. For your reading, and more importantly drinking pleasure, I present the 2007 337 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon.

You read that correctly, the vintner is named 337, hailing from Manteca, California. Manteca is about 90 miles Southeast of Napa Valley, directly east of the San Francisco bay. Their Lodi selection is chosen from a special subset of their vineyard, which is regarded to be a bit more flavorful than their common stock. I have to say, this was surprising wine from the very beginning. I truly love Cabernet Sauvignon, always have. I love the dryness, the tannins, the full body. I expected all of these classics from the mid-priced California Cab that I tasted today. What I found was something different, something good.

At first whiff, this wine put off a strong dark cherry flavor that seemed almost peppery after a long inhale. After another examination, the pepper scent dissipated into a great finish of chocolate that was extremely subtle. I was most definitely ready to taste. The sip was a bit dryer than I expected, but not in an uncomfortable way. As a Cab should be, this was a dry wine. But the 337 had something different. Unlike some California Cabs, this wine was elegant, yet approachable. I didn’t feel that I needed to thoroughly dissect the flavors or attempt to define its casking method. I just enjoyed it. An oaky finish concluded a fantastic mouthful, though most of the wine’s flavor was in its tip.

The very strange thing, to me, about this wine was the fact that it actually seemed light and crisp. Strange, I know, for Cabs are usually of the heavier, more tannin-ed varietal. The lightness could stem from a flavor of citrus that I gleaned from the taste. Confused, I consulted the label to see what the vintner wanted me to taste. I found, much to my surprise, that the wine had a spiciness to it, a peppery component. While I found that in the nose, it was not exhibited in the taste. The taste of the wine would lead me to pair it not with the classic steak or heavy meat that most Cabs tend to be enjoyed with, but rather a chicken dish – and not a heavy one. This Cab would definitely work with a summer salad, rice or light pasta, even fruit salad. I would stay away from any dish that utilized a cream base, though, as the cream would overpower the subtle summery-ness of this Cab.

Overall, this was a dry but unimposing Cabernet. This came as a big surprise to me, whose experience with California Cabs and Merlots has been a spicy, peppercorn-heavy one. The label suggests a food pairing of filet or slow-roasted meat, but I would steer clear of that. Take the 337 Cabernet Sauvignon on a summer-afternoon picnic and enjoy it with something crisp, something fresh, something outdoors! Experiment with this one, it was a big shock to me.

Until next time, keep your glasses full and your sunglasses on.

Wine Kitteh Nothing better than adding dorkery to the dorkdom: our cat is named Shimano so if...

Wine and Woot!

Eric — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:23:55 +0000

Deal of the day website, Woot! finds itself in the business of wine.

It would appear I am a bit “late to the game” on this one. That’s because I am. As far as my highly informed sources can tell (a.k.a. me on a Friday night with a box of Cheezits), sometime late last year Woot.com released a little sibling: Wine.Woot!

Yes yes, I know what you’re saying, the exclamation point (or ‘mark’ for the rest of the world) was coined, used, invented, and trademarked by Yahoo! way back when. Well, whatever, Woot! seems to be pulling it off.

If you never order wine from the internet, at least head on over to their site and read the FAQs page called What is Wine.Woot, it’s relatively hysterical and hysterically relevant.

Spittoon - wine drink and food. Not an extremely well-designed site, Spitoon.biz shines in its subtitle. “We spit so you...

Up-cycle: Wine Cask Hotel

Eric — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:22:53 +0000

If those pod hotels we all hear about in Japan aren’t very enticing, here’s one better: wine casks turned into hotel rooms.

Even though I despise the whole “got milk” campaign for its degradation of the English language, here goes: Got Wine? Got Wheels? Yup.

Despite that historically the term barrel or cask seems to connote the ability to be moved by hand, these hotel rooms in Stavoren are built out of 14,500-liter wine casks, they sleep 2, and are situated nicely along some local bike paths. (But, then again, in the Netherlands what isn’t situated on a bike path!) When you are feeling claustrophobic from the completely air-tight seal of the “rooms,” the proprietors will rent you a bike.

More photos over here. Cheers.

No related posts.

Wine and Chocolate Improve Brain Performance

Eric — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:10:37 +0000

And tea, too, but who cares about that? From the Science Daily:

Participants filled in information about their habitual food intake and underwent a battery of cognitive tests.Those who consumed chocolate, wine, or tea had significantly better mean test scores and lower prevalence of poor cognitive performance than those who did not. The team reported their findings in the Journal of Nutrition.

Just don’t over do it!

link

Wine Tips: How to Read a Wine Label A good article from the Wall Street Journal food and drink section on what to...

Chain and Hub Bottle Opener

Eric — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:18:34 +0000

Hold the phones, and forget the last post, this instructable on how to make a chain and hub bottle opener is the answer to all of life’s problems. Really.

link

Bottle Opener Belt Well, gee, I know this has nothing to do with wine or wheels, but now...

Bottle Opener Belt

Eric — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:08:44 +0000

Well, gee, I know this has nothing to do with wine or wheels, but now that I think about it, this belt is still damn cool. Forget the old bike tube belt, this one is sure to please people of both sexes at the next get together.

link

Spare Tire Belt: Gift Idea Not only are these belts cool-looking, they are each made by hand to order....
Inner Tube Nano Case Ah this project is reminiscent of the glory days of Apple technology when the iPods...
Chain and Hub Bottle Opener Hold the phones, and forget the last post, this instructable on how to make a...

Inner Tube Nano Case

Eric — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:01:42 +0000

Ah this project is reminiscent of the glory days of Apple technology when the iPods would come with their own felt-type case. No need to get anything else! But, now that we’ve all realized the relative market for “protection” they come with cases no more. After you get or make a belt out of a recycled inner tube, why not cut and stitch together your very own iPod Nano case? Here’s how.

Bottle Opener Belt Well, gee, I know this has nothing to do with wine or wheels, but now...

Tips for Commuting in Cold Weather

Eric — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:35:32 +0000

Seems like every year there is the same article about how to beat the cold on a bike. Nothing new here, but perhaps a refresher is in order. From Bicycling:

* When riding in snow (or sand) it’s a good idea to let some air out of the tires. This increases the surface area and helps tires to float rather than sink. You can find how much psi to lower to here.
* Be sure to lubricate and clean your chain more often. Here are more details on winterizing your bike.
It takes longer to stop with wet brake pads. Judge your stopping distance and prepare accordingly.
* One of my favorite cycling apparel items is my balaclava. On a 10-degree morning it keeps my face from hurting and my lungs from freezing up. Some people think it looks geeky. I prefer to think of my balaclava as intriguing, or mysterious. I’ve had friends and a coworker ask if that was me riding in to work in the snow. They thought they recognized my bike but they weren’t sure because they couldn’t see my face. (See? Mysterious.)
* A good pair of thermal tights is such a comfort. I had my first experience wearing them this winter. I was amazed at how something as thin as tights could keep me so warm. On blustery days with a wind chill factor of -2 degrees I wear wind pants over the tights and life is good.
* Keep your digits from freezing. My favorite style of gloves are the lobster or split-finger type. They can take a little getting used to, but they keep your hands warmer than full-finger gloves and are better for finger dexterity than mittens. Here’s a head to toe checklist.

Stay warm! link

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Tandem Bicycle: Face to Face Bike This tandem bicycle can be ridden face-to-face, conventionally or even back-to-back as the seats rotate...
Heated Bicycle Saddle While this splendidly envisioned heated bike seat looks about as comfortable as the saddles for...