Happenings at TWC

Wine Labels – What They Do or Don’t Tell You
A recent article in Wine Enthusiast magazine caught my attention and prompted this Carl’s Corner edition. One of my favorite wine writers, Paul Gregutt, wrote about The Dos and Don’ts of Wine Labels with a focus on what makes a good wine label. I have borrowed liberally from his article with the focus on what is required on a wine label, what would be useful to consumers, and what wineries rarely tell us. So, pour yourself a glass of good Texas wine and grab a few wine bottles to look over their labels as you read further. Continue »

Meet the Staff: Holiday Edition
With Thanksgiving in a couple of days and the rest of the winter holidays just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share some of our staff’s holiday memories and traditions. So, I surveyed my colleagues and found out some interesting tidbits about their holiday favorites. Continue »

Holiday Wines for the Festive Table
Gathering with family and friends at Thanksgiving is one of the most treasured and time-honored traditions we have in the United States of America. A big part of my Thanksgiving tradition is lots of wonderful food accompanied with good wine. There are a number of excellent holiday wine choices available at 4.0 Cellars – see the list below. Continue »

The Holidays Are Coming!
Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re starting to see inklings of the will-be-here-sooner-than-you-think holidays. City workers in Fredericksburg have been busy for the past couple of weeks decorating Main Street and Marktplatz, and shops are changing their window displays to include lots of red and green. Neighbors around the corner from us have already decorated their house with colored lights outlining their walls and roof. And whether you’re ready or not, holiday music will be pouring out of speakers everywhere. Continue »

Wine Club November, 2019
Well, the weather has finally given some indication that summer is over and fall is on the way to the Texas Hill Country as temperatures have cooled, some rain has fallen, and the grape harvest is finally nearing completion. It is time to start thinking about the upcoming fall and winter holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Attending a November Wine Club Pickup Party would be a good way to get in the mood, and learn about some delicious wines to select for the holiday parties and dinners. Join other 4.0 Cellars Wine Club members for the November 4.0 Wine Club Release parties scheduled on Sundays, 3-Nov, 10-Nov, and 17-Nov. If you would like to join the party and share time with lots of other club members, check the website (www.fourpointwine.com) and make your reservations. We would love to share your company, and remember that you can enjoy the 30% discount on wine purchases on-site on Club Sundays or online during the week-days in between. Continue »

Best in Show…4.0 Style
What do a piñata, four pugs, and the Big Bad Wolf have in common? Well, they all attended our annual Howl-o-Ween and Wine celebration and dog costume contest on Sunday, and if you weren’t here for the fun, you missed a wide variety of dogs in some very creative costumes. Continue »

Montepulciano - 4.0 Cellars Italian Style 2019
A new release Montepulciano from Lost Oak Winery is now being featured in the 4.0 Cellars Tasting Room. Montepulciano is the second most planted red grape varietal in Italy. It is growing in popularity in Texas, too. Montepulciano is believed to have originated in the Tuscany region of Italy, but today is mostly found in the regions of Marche and Abruzzo located to the east of Tuscany, across the Appenine Mountain range. Because of its tolerance to heat and dry conditions, Montepulciano is generating interest from Texas winegrowers ranging from the Hill Country to the High Plains. Continue »

T-Shirts, Tutus, and Tiaras: Anything Goes at the Cellars
I spent this past weekend with a friend in New Orleans. At one point, we found ourselves gawking at a table full of expensive tiaras, surrounded by women trying them on. As we walked out of the store, my friend wondered who in the world needs a tiara…besides, of course, a princess. I had to laugh because I’ve actually seen a surprising number of tiaras in my time at 4.0. But I’ve seen much more than that in our tasting rooms, too. Continue »

Come Celebrate Texas Wine Month at the Cellars
October has always been my favorite month. When I was young, I loved it for my birthday and Halloween. As I got older and moved away from Texas for a while, I loved it for the arrival of fall leaves, watching UT football from afar, and celebrating many friends’ birthdays and my wedding anniversary. Now that I’m back home in Texas and living in Fredericksburg, I can add Oktoberfest to the long list of things worth celebrating in October. Continue »

Rhône White Grapes in Texas 2019
As I am organizing several wine tastings for Industry meetings that will include several Rhône white grape varieties, it seems appropriate to focus on these grapes that are doing extremely well in the Lone Star State. Texas grape growers and wine makers are planting and vinifying more white grapes that originate in hotter climates, such as the southern regions of France near the Mediterranean Sea coast. The best-known of these grape varieties include Viognier (vee own yay), the key grape in the northern Rhône appellation of Condrieu; Roussanne, an important component of white blends in the southern Rhône appellation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Marsanne, a primary grape in white blends from the famed northern Rhône appellation of Hermitage. All three of these grapes have become well-established here in the Lone Star State. Continue »