giro d vino

Today I rode the Giro D’ Vino with Stanley and Jiro. I rode this ride once before and found that it was a nice chill ride, a great way to end the season. Last time I rode it, the weather was pretty bad, cold and cloudy the whole day, and it even rained for a bit. This time the weather was perfect all day.

We arrived a bit late, right as the cyclists were lining up for the mass start. Instead of parking in the parking lot, they had us park on the side of the road right next to the vineyard.

The last time I did the ride it was a 100km ride. This year they shortened it to 75km, which is just under 50 miles. There are over a dozen wineries in those 50 miles.

The first of many tastings.

Somehow biking and wine works out to be a great combination. Seriously, everyone is so happy during this ride.

See the huge smile on Stanley’s face as he rides?

Jiro is all smiles, even though he’s got a long wait ahead of him for this tasting.

All that wine made me happy too, but it also made me quite sleepy. Thankfully there was coffee available at some of the stops. This espresso shot helped tremendously.

Riding through rows of vines is quite nice.

I like biking because it feels like you’re flying over pavement.

The food at the end was okay, typical biker fare, salad, pasta and chicken. They give you a nice commemorative wine glass.

All the wine purchased during the ride is delivered to the finish line for you. I ended up purchasing three wines, a Tempranillo, a Zin and a Port.

Things I’m thankful for:

• flying over pavement on my bike
• nice fall weather
• biking buddies
• free wine tastings for Giro D’ Vino riders (even out here in Lodi the tastings aren’t free anymore)