My review copy of Max's new book arrived just before I headed off to Tuscany, so I have only just started to read it. However rushing to judgment on the first 30 pages I think it is Max's best work so far. Its publication is timely as Australia suffers from a lethal blend of drought, over-confidence and mistakes by the large companies that dominate the Australian wine industry.

Max starts by looking at the effects of climate change in Australia and asks how can the industry best adapt.

'I visited Yalumba's huge, 265-hectare Oxford Landing vineyard an hour or so\s drive from Tony Barich's place, at the height of the vintage. It looked like most other large-scale Riverland vineyards: machine harvesters rumbled down vine rows that seemed to stretch away to the horizon. But Oxford Landing's young vineyard manager, Fred Strachan, showed me how he's changing the way he grows his grapes: using much less water, fewer chemicals, chasing lower crops of more intensely flavoured grapes.

The he drove through the fence into the neighbouring property, a big bare, red-sandy paddock. The plan, he said, is to put a new vineyard in here, plant obscure new alternative grapes and start from stratch using no chemical herbicide or fertiliser. Just organic methods. Maybe even biodynamics. And you could see the excitement in his eyes, hear it in his voice. The excitement that a Big Australian Wine Company like Yalumba should be investing in all this hippy shit. Who would have thought?

*

Let me drag this back into perspective. The Australian wine industry is not, en masse, embracing organics, ripping out its chardonnay to plant drought-tolerant alternative grape varieties or searching for a unique taste of place in its wild yeast-fermented pinot noir. There are plenty head-in-sand winemakers, still plenty of corporate wine business accountants, still plenty of profit-driven grape growers all clinging desperately to business as usual.

But as climate change bites, and as the effects of the financial meltdown continue to ripple through both domestic and export markets, an increasing number of growers and winemakers have realised that business as usual simply isn't going to cut it any more. More and more people – including, crucially, people in the largest wine companies as well as the smallest – are thinking very deeply about true sustainability; thinking about adapting to and hopefully mitigating the effects of climate change; thinking about growing grape varieties and making wine that better express their unique patch of country. There are people trying to find a way out of the fine mess that the Australian wine industry has got itself over the last 15 years. These are the people building a new sense of pride in Australian wine.'

Max Allen: the future makers – Australian wines for the 21st century, hardie grant books, £30, 439 pages, hbk

A tree in Little Brownings

It is always noticeable that a slight difference in height can make quite a considerable difference to the amount of snow that falls. As CRM headed off to Reading this morning, the snow virtually disappeared by Peckham and there was none on the other side of the Thames. Equally nothing in Reading. Once again the north Kent coast, this time extending into south London, shows that this area is prone to snow.

Going out this afternoon after the snow eased it was clear that more had fallen around the top of Sydenham Rise and Kirkdale than a little lower down in Forest Hill.

A warning of bad weather to come in the coach Sunday from Suvereto to Pisa

Across London: Dawson Heights towards Stratford etc.

Towards the Hornimans Museum and beyond

Trees in Little Brownings

SE26: Snow covered tree

Little Brownings' tree

As forecast, after a light dusting of snow overnight, steady snow here from just before 8am.

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As great as we think e-paper and other thin, flexible, ultra-portable gadgets are, the one problem that has foiled more of these projects than anything else is the power source. Most batteries require some amount of bulk, making them impractical for use in flexible and lightweight objects. But a team of materials scientists at Stanford have succeeded in creating a paper-thin battery that could be the answer to all of those nagging problems and finally usher in the era of e-paper, powered packaging and electronic newspapers.

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The battery is made up of a series of tubes – carbon nanotubes, to be exact. A solid support structure was coated with carbon nanotubes and then the nanotube layer was covered with a layer of lithium compound. The resulting double-layer film was put onto both sides of a piece of paper, resulting in a 30 micron-thick battery that is ultra flexible and more effective than other thin batteries. In trials, the almost-paper-thin battery didn’t degrade in performance even after 300 recharging cycles. The fact that the batteries use regular paper and simple fabrication techniques means that it is possible to put them into almost everything– “smart” packaging could be coming sooner than most of us would like to imagine.

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The traditional computer mouse may not be dead just yet, but touch pads are quickly becoming the inputdevice of choice for plenty of computing enthusiasts. That might be the case even more so now that a clever modder has figured out how to make a touch pad out of little more than a piece of paper and some graphite from a pencil.




The graphite acts as an electrical conductor after it is scribbled onto the piece of paper. Four voltage dividers are clamped on to the corners of the paper and the user wears an anti-static wrist strap to ground his hand. When his finger touches the touch pad, it completes and circuit and allows the attached Arduino to calculatethe finger’s position on the field. Pretty amazing invention – as long as you don’t mind graphite all over your finger.

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Touch screens have made their way into all kinds of gadgets and all parts of our lives, but we want more. We want to take the touch screen to the next level, maybe even move it around and slap it onto different surfaces just to get the ultimate in portability. A Portuguese company called Displax is developing a product called Skin that would turn any non-metal surface – flat or curved – into an interactive touch screen. Are we on the verge of the affordable touch-screen television, kitchen counter computers and stellar presentation tools?

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Skin promises to put interactive displays in entirely new places and expand the possibilities of touch screens. The polymer sheet is a mere 100 microns thick – about the thickness of a single human hair – and contains an embedded grid of nanowires. Fingers placed on the sheet cause an electrical disturbance, which the microcontroller analyzes to figure out where the input devices (i.e. your fingers) are on the surface. According to the company’s reps, the responsiveness is awesome – something we’d love to be able to say for some of the touch screen gadgets currently in our pockets.

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The Skin screen could be placed on just about any object, transparent or opaque, and can even be used through glass. That means that the film could be stuck onto one side of the glass and users could interact with it through the other side of the glass. The touch screen is already making its way into consumerproducts, where it promises to blow other touch screens clean out of the water. So far, no word on whether stick-on, peel-off computer screens will be popping up in stores anytime soon.

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I’m guessing that most bike locks can be taken off using some fast-filing skills or some very sharp Sawzall.

However, what if there was a way to make it very inconvenient for a thief to get to a bicycle because it was high up on a lamppost?

This is apparently the idea from Conrad, a German toy and model company who made a very interesting bike lock made from a motorized skateboard. You can watch a video of their accomplishment after the jump. Just be warned that most of the video is in German with some sporadic English.

You will note the hexagonal shape seems to embrace the lamppost. I am assuming that lampposts are of a standard circumference. Anyway, it is then as easy as mounting the bike on the frame. Then, at a touch of a button on a remote control, the bike goes up like it is in an elevator.

No thief is going to be climbing a lamppost to steal a bike, it is just too much effort and way too public of a crime to get away with. Yes, the only person who will be climbing this pole to get to a bike is the owner with the busted remote control.




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You know that a video game is super popular when it has its own unique accessories. PDP has made several of them, like their Nunchuk for Epic Mickey plus all their Tron Legacy peripherals, put out even before the game or the movie has been released.

PDP has also made the Headbanger Chat Headset, which is specifically designed for Call of Duty: Black Ops. I had a chance to check out the game over the weekend, and the game certainly lives up to all the franchise hype.

This Headbanger is designed for the Wii version of the Call of Duty: Black Ops game and is also compatiblewith Conduit 2. It has a “Noise-canceling microphone provides crystal-clear sound and high-quality voice input”.

It is not wireless, but it does have a 10 foot long cord. So for those who want to do their Black Ops with a group of friends, you got a peripheral for it. Just pretend its a Bluetooth headset with a wire.

You should be able to get the Headbanger Chat Headset at the PDP site for about $24.99 in either black or white. Good luck fighting zombies in the Pentagon with John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro. I actually believe that is one of the campaigns.

Towards east and north east London around 4pm Monday 29th November 2010

Unlike Scotland and parts of the north of England, no snow here yet in London, although some quite heavy showers are forecast over the next 24 hours.

On 16th November the INAO announced that the wine commission (actually Le Comité national des appellations d’origine relatives aux vins et aux boissons alcoolisées et des eaux-de-vie de l’INAO – should you need to know) had agreed to promote Haut-Poitou from VDQS to full appellation contrôlée status. They also agreed to the promotion of Côtes d'Auvergne. Both decisions need to be ratified by the French Minister for Agriculture. This is somewhat of a formality, although the process can take up to around six months.

By my reckoning this leaves three remaining VDQSs in the Loire – Fiefs Vendéens, Coteaux d'Ancenis and Gros Plant. My guess is that the first two are very likely to be promoted to AC status, whereas it is much less sure for Gros Plant, whose producers originally opted for vin de pays. The VDQSs are due to disappear next year.

'Wines of Haut Poitou granted AOC status

17 November 2010

The wines of Haut Poitou have been granted Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status, after decades of effort by the regions vineyards to meet the stringent criteria required.

Haut Poitou is an area of some 800 hectares situated to the north of Poitiers, covering some 40 communes (38 in the Vienne and 2 in Deux Sevres), where winemaking can be traced back to Roman times.

After WWII, wines from the region were marketed under the name Neuville du Poitou by the cooperative of wine growers, and in 1970 the product achieved the Appellation d'Origine Vins Délimités de Qualité Supérieure status, in recognition of quality of wines from the region.  Since 1989 the wines have been marketed under the brand ‘Vin du Haut-Poitou.’

White wines from the area can be made with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc grape varieties.   Red and Rosé wines can be made with Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Merlot Rouge, Cot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay de Chaudeney and Grolleau (according to the official Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) criteria).'

From the Guide2 Poitou Charentes.

2009 Sancerre Domaine Gérard Millet

This is a typically rich example of a 2009 Sancerre from the sector that was badly affected by hail with overall yields often well below 30 hl/ha. Gérard Millet's domaine is in Bué and this Sancerre is distributed through Rémy Pannier, part of the Saumur based Ackerman group. The Millet 2009 is lightly aromatic with grassy aromas, mouthfllling yellow plum fruit but it still has some freshness in the finish. Although Loire classicists are likely to prefer the lean 2007s and 2008s, this Sancerre will please those who like some roundness in their Sancerres. My guess is that the 2010 Millet will again be leaner and more minerally.

The 2009 Domaine Millet, Sancerre is £11.49@Wine Rack.

**

2008 Haut Poitou – Pinot Noir, Gamay and Cabernet Franc

This is a typically easy-drinking red from the Western Loire's most southerly vineyard with its bright red fruit flavours and acidity – typical of the 2008 vintage. It ought to keep two or three years and the acidity is likely to soften, although I think this is best drunk young to enjoy the bright fruit. Produced by the Cave du Haut-Poitou in Neuville-de-Poitou.

Haut-Poitou was promoted by the INAO along with the Côtes d'Auvergne from VDQS to appellation contrôlée status on 16th November. Both decisions await ratification by the French government.

The 2008 Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Haut Poitou is £6.99@Wine Rack.

Rubbia al Colle

I'm often amazed at how poor the English translations provided by wineries can be. This is understandable if it is a small winery run by one or two people but completely crazy when it is a big fancy winery where money appears to be not a concern.

My favourite mis-translation is 'defecate' when they really meant let the juice settle following pressing. This rather bizarre error appears to come from a mis-translation of 'decantation' and it is one that I have come across more than once.

Of course it is easy to poke fun at mistakes but ridicule undermines a company's image and makes them look unprofessional. It is a completely false economy not to pay for a good translation.

On Saturday afternoon the FIJEV group visted Rubbia al Colle, which is one of the four wine states that makes up the Archipelago Muratori.

The explanatory sheets handed out for the tasting come from their website. I was very taken by the notion of sane and, presumably, insane vines and assume that any insane would benefit from a careful cure. To be fair cure may just be a typo that hasn't been picked up. Overall the English on the site is quite clunky and doesn't seem to have been done by a native English speaker.

 Money spent on mongrammed corporate logos but presumably not on translation

'Their presence is essential for the sanity of the vines and for the production of grapes that are the purest possibile expression of the land. Such careful cure of the quality of the grapes allows yeasts and lactic bacteria to be controlled without the use of chemical products in complete respect of the wine's naturalness.'

My thanks to Justin Roberts for this site for duff translations from Spanish to English.

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For wheelchair users, having a functional and easy-to-use chair is a must. But the best chairs are often far beyond the financial capabilities of most families, leaving many users with labor-intensive non-motorized wheelchairs. Designer Ju Hyun Lee proposes a simple alternative to pricey electric wheelchairs: an add-on device that gives power to conventional wheelchairs.

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The NEWS (New Electric Wheelchairs) device fits over the wheels of a non-motorized wheelchair, with a control bar that sits above the user’s lap. It provides power to the chair, making it easier for the user to get around without help and without the tiring repetitive motions of propelling the wheelchair with muscle power.

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The brilliant design would be less expensive than buying a new motorized wheelchair, but would provide just as much power to get the user to where they need to go. Once attached to the chair’s wheels, the NEWS can be pushed down to the floor to allow the user to exit the chair easily. Simple joystick controls make it easy to get around. Though still a concept, this revolutionary idea could one day provide increased mobility in nursing homes, hospitals, and private homes without the exorbitant cost of motorized wheelchairs

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From the childhood hobby of making and sailing paper boats has sprung a truly unusual art project from German conceptual artist Frank Bölter. As part of the Drift 10 art exhibition in London, Bölter folded a massive origami boat with the help of some members of the public, then launched it into the waters of the Thames, hopped in and enjoyed a relaxing ride.

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The paper boat was reinforced with some metal poles to hold its shape, but otherwise was composed entirely of folded reinforced paper of the kind used to make juice and milk cartons. Given the highly appropriate name “HMS Origami,” the 5.4 meter (17.7 feet) boat was sturdy enough to support one passenger in the calm waters of the Thames.

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Although the boat wasn’t technically paper – at least not in the way that most children’s folded boats are – the origami boat is still an impressive feat of artistic experimentation. Bölter was confident enough in the water-worthiness of his craft that he laid back and read a newspaper, enjoying a leisurely sail while onlookers watched in wonder.

---

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Could a “re-birthing” experience be the future of weird recreational activities? Or maybe it will be the future of emotional therapy. Either way, Columbian designer Nelson Ayala is counting on someone wanting to experience a simulated birth experience, because that’s just what his Nato Station chair concept would provide.

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The experience starts off with a user sitting in this womb-like chair and putting on a helmet. The helmet scans brain waves at the beginning of the simulation and throughout to determine how the experience is affecting the user. The helmet also works to block out most outside stimuli and create a profound feeling of relaxation.

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Slowly, the darkness and stillness inside the “womb” gives way to gradually increasing light and sounds. The user can hear sounds comparable to those heard in a mother’s womb: her heartbeat, her intestinal processes, and the muffled sounds of the outside world.

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The chair is heated to provide the comforting warmth of the womb, and the entire setup moves to mimic the subtle movement felt by a fetus. The user is completely disconnected from the everyday adult world and transported to a simple time before the outside world intruded on profound peace and comfort.

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At the end of the simulation, the user is oriented in the typical birth position, making this “second birth” complete. Users who undergo the simulation – if the Nato Station is ever produced – will no doubt come out of it feeling like they have a new lease on life. The designer sees a market for the unusual chair in locations typically associated with stress and  sensory overload such as shopping malls and airports