Earlier today I posted on the all-plastic wine and bottle combination. Here is a bicycle in the works that is made of all plastic. I wonder if they could fabricate a tandem that folded down into two backpacks. How neat would that be? Imagine being able to ride to the base of a mountain with your tandem partner, then hike to the summit with your bicycle and a plastic bottle of wine (and a “glass,” too!) slung over your shoulder or in your backpack. At the top, you have, quite literally, your wine and wheels.

The folding bicycle of the future is incredibly light. Because the stable frame is produced from a high-performance thermoplastic, it tips the scales at just four kilograms. That’s why the new generation of bicycles could soon become inseparable from their owners – especially as they are hardly any larger than a briefcase when folded.

Back in New York, during the summer, walking to Shakespeare in the park.

Here in Colorado, bicycling to Washington Park for a picnic.

On the west coast heading out for a day at the beach.

This new product by Australia’s Hardy Wine Company would have been a perfect companion every time.

Move over, California Rover, the number one source right now for good Merlot is Washington, that is, Washington State.

I’ve never thought about wine in a popularity sense; drinking wine has never been “cool.” Wine was never that “popular” person in the office, at college, in high school, or at any American event. And, we all know that being American is being “cool.” Don’t we? Like playing guitar, America is desperately concerned about its appearance (I know, I know, strike the irony chord here given current world affairs). If the world were a rock and roll band, America would be that guitar player who, no matter how hard he tries to tune his instrument, cares more about his hair than playing properly. Or, perhaps breaking the tie with wine, like tea, was yet one more way to set apart the burgeoning republic from its forefathers in England and Europe. In a country, though, that inherits the majority of its more “nuanced” terms and phrases from French, is wine making a come back? Will it be popular? Will it get a date to the prom? I sure fucking hope so, pardon my French. I’m tired of being offered a light draft beer that does more for my bladder than taste buds.

Trade your coffee for some Earl Grey, your Budweiser for a glass of Viognier, let’s say wine is here, that is, here in the US for good and popular and not just in the metropolises. Once we agree to this, another factor of post-industrial marketplace economy enters the conversation: competition within “wine.” The December 13th issue of The New York Times has a great article about Merlot. It decides that ever since the film “Sideways” trashed Merlot (c’mon, you’ve done it), trash talk has led to — yes — better Merlot being produced. It’s an interesting (hypo)thesis, and goes on to say that Pinot Noir is becoming the next Merlot in that the ocean of mediocre-to-poor Merlot is “simply [being] traded in [...] for a growing sea of bad pinot noir.” Will Pinot Noir take the place of Merlot on the shelf of “no thanks, but thanks” alongside the ‘Caramel Macchiato” by Starbucks and the Brita Filter? One can only wait and see. Will wine ever take the place of watery beer at the bowling alley in America? One can only hope.

Wine puns are much too tempting: if you purchase this wine rack — the “wine knot” — your holiday gift recipients will wine not at your exquisite taste and wonderful thoughtfulness.

In an ingenious interplay of shape and color, the balanced form of the Wine Knot consists of two plywood “y’s” that fluidly intersect in a simple daisy chain. The six-petaled container holds a half-dozen liter wine bottles, with storage for a magnum in the star-shaped center. Crafted in contrasting plys and supported by two stainless steel sleigh legs, this is a wine holder that ties the knot between gracious form and straightforward function.

Although, they might wine at the fact that this item doesn’t begin to ship until February, 2007. Still, I just wanted to give you a heads up, as this wine rack looks really nice.

While the rest of the office is out getting their burritos (well, here in Denver, anyway), you are there, working diligently at your work-space. What, you’re not? You need something to read, here’s the first edition of a “whenever I get around to it” lunchtime roundup on Wine and Wheels:

Bike Lab brings to regional communities an intense one week workshop with two AWESOME Artists, working with young people to design and build giant kinetic sculptures so cunning in design that they can power small mechanical devices.

Examining Wine Consumption and Violent Crime relationships?

A few weeks ago we found an interesting project: the quad-cycle. Well, move over number four, hows about 15 or so?

The lofty subtitle on the Busycle home page (redefining how we move as a culture) isn’t really far from the truth. A “traveling art project”, the Busycle:

is a 15 person 100% passenger pedaled vehicle. The Busycle, [...] runs solely on the energy of its passengers. All passengers are required to pull their weight and pedal in their seats. The pedal power then moves the Busycle from destination to destination. The Busycle’s public life involves experimental public rides that travel down city streets, where story telling is of the essence. It is our goal that by bringing art and technology clearly into the public realm and as near to the community as possible (what could be closer than riding an art project down the streets where people live and inviting them onto the art?), we will begin to stir a dialogue about the current and universal issues from which the Busycle has grown, while creating a forum for people to pause and enjoy.

You can read more about it here, and also watch a video of it in motion.

I’m not exactly sure what is happening here, but these bicycles are really, um, modified.

Pimped out?

Pimp my ride?
Pimp my bike,
pimp my velocity,
Japanese Mod Bikes,

I don’t know. See for yourself.

I remember sometime in the not-so-past recent having to make a grape juice run to the store while my very good friends were pregnant. In fact, it was for the shower. At the time, and in the place, all that was available was a measly selection of sparkling grape juices — most likely over-sugared and most definitely far from what liquid in the glass would normally taste like.

If this scenario pertains to you right now, take a peak at a nice sounding alternative (which also costs more per bottle than many wines mentioned on this site): Gewürztraminer Grape Juice by Navarro Vineyards.

And if you are a member of the “we need sparkling grape-juice group” you’ll want to locate a few of these chocolate bars. Always a sucker for the buzz words and catch phrases here at Wine and Wheels, the makers of the Oaxaca Bar don’t disappoint. Vosages Haute Chocolat!

Keep your eyes peeled fingers flexed for the arrival of a new food website today called Serious Eats. From their about page:

Serious Eats, the first website for serious eaters, consists of video, blogs, photos, and feature stories and all geared toward the foods people love. Our goal, however lofty, is to provide the best, most satisfying food- and drink-related experience on the internet.

On the list of contributors are Ed Levine, author of New York Eats, the bloggers behind Slice, Amateur Gourmet, and, well, one of the bloggers behind blogger from way back when.

While there definitely is a bit of an overload on the visual stimuli, Serious Eats looks like seriously neat a food site. It will be seriously interesting to see what they cook up.