So this will be the only post for Wednesday as I will be at MacWorld. While they have connectivity from the show floor I doubt if I will have the time to post anything. Besides checking out the new gear, gizmos and the like, I am going to be sure to swing by the IntelliScanner booth and take a look at the Wine Collector.

A barcode scanner that is combined with a wine database, you can scan the retail barcode on the label for automatic identification of the name, varietal, winery, country, type, color, and region. Portable and refillable, unlike this bottle of Joseph Phelp’s Insignia I am drinking. Built for the serious hobbyist or collector, you can scan the wines as they move in and out of the cellar, store tasting notes, and add new barcodes from the Internet. If you have a lot of wine in storage, this is a great inventory management device. I, on the other hand need a bigger glass recycle bin.

Drinking alcohol thru a straw has never been more sophisticated than with this matching set of silver straws from Christofle. While I prefer to sip my Sophia mini’s with the a straw, I can imagine that if you and yours did not want the telltale signs of lipstick on the edge of your fine flutes, then these straws are perfect. And you wont have to re-apply the lipstick as often either.

Storage is always an issue when you are enjoying wine. We have a rack on the wall for easy access when we are just hanging out. But this wine rack is so elegant that it found its way into the living room. Made from 2 pieces of walnut and birch, it holds seven of your most favorite bottles and keeps them well within reach, for those unexpected holiday guests.

UPDATE: Charles and Marie are making the Wine Knot available from their online store. Soup Du Jour is a limited opportunity to get your knot on!

&design creates some really great products using iconic sensibility and modern influence as a starting point to their designs. And on the top of my list is their candles. I am not sure how to buy these, but you can see their other work and contact info here.

Our friends at uncrate showed us this wine storage unit for the serious collector. The Monogram Walk-in Wine Vault comes complete with a cooling system, an inventory management system and storage for over 1000 bottles. Its wine inventory software allows for the capture and storage of your collection, matching it to keywords for easy searching. You can also access your inventory data via a web interface.

At only $35,000 each, this stainless steel vault is easy to install and portable so that when you move from your mansion in the Hampton’s to a nice little beach front in Malibu, you can take it with you.

Brought to you by the good people at GE.

Ralph Steadman rules. Period. And while you are online shopping for others, buy this book for yourself, open a bottle and sit back and travel with Ralph as he tours the wine countries of the world. He interviews a lot of people, walks a lot of vineyards and drinks a lot of wine. This book is not only an exciting read filled with perception and irony, but a visual treasure to thumb thru as that last bottle begins to blur your vision and free your mind. The Grapes of Wrath was one of the primary influences in my love of wine.

Great art and equally great writing provide insight into an industry that at most times seems stuffy, snobby and “member’s only”. Ralph’s irreverent writing makes the wine world accessible, inviting, and something that I want to participate in. I bet Naomi at Roshambo Winery has a copy or two of this book in her library!