Dr Vino's wine blog

Here’s a funny informercial for what may or may not be a good product: the Vingarde Valise, quote, luggage for wine geeks.

The campy video is kind of funny–who doesn’t like to see a case of wine kicked down a flight of stairs and live to tell the tale? Maybe he should take this to Shark Tank? I’m sure Lori, the “Queen of QVC,” would love it. (But the sharks always ask about sales, so he’d be advised to actually sell a few units first.)

Related: bringing wine home from abroad

Perhaps you are reading this on your smartphone as you push back from the gate. With the end of the FAA’s ban on the use of personal electronic devices at take-off and landing, such a scenario is now possible (though in the latest for the “death of print,” magazine sales at airport kiosks will probably fall further).

So what could be the next change in air travel: might it be the end of liquids ban? Japan has been using liquid screening since 2006; the LA Times reports that the EU will be lifting the liquid ban come January. Here’s a description of the machine that will permit travelers in Europe to carry on gels, creams and even snow globes:

The LS10 device looks like a slot machine. An airport screener places a bottle of liquid into an opening in the machine and then pulls down a large black lever, which starts the testing mechanism. The device can be used with see-through or opaque bottles, metal cans or ceramic containers.

The test takes two to five seconds per container.

The scanner equipment is made in a far-off land known as…Ohio. Even though the TSA has a comment in the story saying they won’t be lifting the liquids ban soon, it’s increasingly obvious that the technology to test liquids for explosives is available and what is lacking is simply a desire to remove the policy.

Although serving your own wine on planes is still technically forbidden, it would be a boon for wine enthusiasts to be able to bring a bottle or two on board again. It’s a lot easier if you’re bringing a hostess gift on a weekend trip or visiting a winery and just want to bring home a bottle or two, not a box worthy of checking as luggage (with associated fees, natch.)

What do you say: is the liquids ban security theater and the TSA should drop it?

Photo Credit: djbones

A news item in time for travel season: You might remember that last year France passed a law requiring two breathalyzers in each car–including rentals–at all times. The French were shocked to discover that the law passed as the result of a bare-knuckles practice known as “le lobbying.”

Well, in case you had breathalyzers on your packing list for France this summer, you can take them off because the French breathalyzer law was suspended back in January.

Meanwhile, in other news in the Department of Blood Alcohol Content, the National Transportation Safety Board here has recommended reducing the BAC from the current 0.08% to 0.05%. I haven’t read up enough on the recommendation to know if it would reduce the 10,000+ alcohol-related fatalities in the US, a tragically high figure. Intuitively, it seems the answer would be yes since four beers at 5% abv in a 90-minute period for a 180-pound male does seem like taking onboard way too much before getting behind the wheel. What do you say? At any rate, the lack of response from the wine industry has been surprising. Other industry groups, such as the Alcohol Beverage Institute and the National Restaurant Association, predictably lambasted the proposal. At any rate, we know that the policy decision won’t be influenced by lobbying…

Amtrak is known for many things but jovial passengers is not foremost among them.

Last Friday, a train from NYC to DC was waylaid with problems, causing a six-hour delay. One of the passengers was Paul Goldschmidt, owner of the right-bank estate Chateau Siaurac. Goldschmidt was on his way to a tasting at a DC wine store. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to make the event, he uncorked his wines and started pouring them for the passengers in an impromptu tasting. By the end, the passengers were singing “La Marseillaise.” And all this transpired in the quiet car!

Here endeth the feel-good story of the day.

“Delayed Passengers Treated to an Impromptu Wine-Tasting on Broken-Down Amtrak Train” [Washingtonian]
A brief passenger video appears on Facebook.

The TSA, in its infinite wisdom, has deemed corkscrews (with small foil-cutting blades as seen at right) safe to bring on planes again.

And knives! (Blades must be under 6 cm.) And whiffle ball bats, hockey sticks, golf clubs, and other items that will be fun to see jostling for space in the overhead bins.

But the big question for wine geeks is: can we please get our confiscated corkscrews back now? Oh, and when will the liquids ban be over?

“TSA Will Permit Knives, Golf Clubs on U.S. Planes” [Bloomberg]

If you’re thinking of doing the rounds at en primeur in Bordeaux, or domaine hopping in Burgundy, forget the corkscrew: the one essential thing you’ll need if you’re behind the wheel is a breathalyzer.

New legislation goes into effect in July (though enforcement with a $23 fine for not having one won’t begin until November) that requires all cares, even rentals to have a new, disposable breathalyzer in the vehicle.

France has been cracking down on drunken driving. It became an issue briefly in the last presidential campaign yet road fatalities have remained high. And it’s election year again in France and President Sarkozy is a teetotaler, law and order type. France is now the first country in the world to have such a law on the books.

It’s not as restrictive as an “alcolock” that would require a clean breathalyzer test before being able to start the ignition. The aim is to boost awareness; the blood alcohol level is 0.05%. Being caught above 0.08% BAC (the limit in many states in the US) could result in a $6,000 fine and jail time.

Breathalyzer on Amazon

Heading to visit a non-wine friend who graciously offered to pick something up for us. I don’t know the market in Florida and she didn’t indicate that she wanted to go to a specialty shop (that’s fine–not everyone can take our habit as seriously as we do). So what’s the best I could ask her to pick up at a supermarket?

It is generous of your friend to give you such a warm, Florida welcome. But it is really hard to know what’s at the store she is going to as the selection could range from dire to quite acceptable. Maybe try a throwing out a Champagne name since there are some good ones that may be available and, at least, it will add to the celebratory air. Or a domestic sparkler, such as Roederer Estate? Of course, it depends what you like or are in the mood for, too.

Perhaps the best idea is carefully put a nice bottle in your checked luggage. It will get a tossed around in transit, obviously, so make it still and make it young. Also, when visiting a different state, I always like to check out wine shops to see what their selection and pricing is like. Sometimes I find wines that I don’t see a lot at home. And when you’re on the ground, you might have a better idea of what your dinner plans are or what the weather is going to be to make a great selection. So put a shop on your first day’s itinerary, if you can.

Have you ever been itching to carry a bottle of Petrus and a can of Red Bull on a plane? Thanks to researchers at UC Davis, that might be possible. (However, as we discussed previously, don’t think you’ll be allowed to openly serve yourself the Petrus on board.)

The researchers may be able to take scanners they developed to study spoilage in unopened bottles of wine and use that technology to differentiate between explosives and toothpaste and bottles of water in travelers carry-ons. In the above video, found via the good folks at Upgrade: Travel Better, they demonstrate their scanning device with a bottle of ’79 Petrus and a can of Red Bull (hopefully not mixed together afterward!).

In its wine application, the device was originally built to test for oxidation through the presence of acetic acid and acetaldehyde, according to Augustine’s page. There’s certainly a market for that, but it has to be small compared to the market for testing an unopened bottle for TCA (often referred to as cork taint). After Augustine is done counting his millions from solving the security problems of the TSA, maybe he could turn his research to detecting TCA, which would be a boon for wineries and wine enthusiasts alike.