Happenings at TWC
The Texas Cheese and Wine Experience (or Fun in the Board Room!)
I genuinely enjoy many things about my job at 4.0: getting to know new customers, chatting with club members, working alongside my colleagues (many of whom I call “friend”), serving at special events, and learning about and tasting a wide assortment of Texas wines. But one of my favorite “tasks” at 4.0 is leading cheese and wine pairings. While Carl leads most of these pairings on Saturdays, I (and the other Leads) get to step into that role on weekdays and when Carl is away. And let me tell you, there’s rarely a dull moment during a pairing. Continue »
Sep 18, 2019 at 12:31 PM
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What to do with Leftover Wine
What is “leftover” wine? For some, it is hard to imagine such a thing. This is a subject that has been addressed previously, but we still often get questions about it from customers at the 4.0 Cellars tasting room. So, here is my take on Leftover Wine. Continue »
Sep 11, 2019 at 1:22 PM
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When Leaders and Wine Collide
For those of you involved in some way with the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, the Leadership Gillespie County (LGC) program will be familiar. This annual, community-based program gives citizens of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County a chance to network and learn about, among other things, local industries, schools, government, and non-profits. Since its inception, LGC has graduated over 500 people. At its root, it’s a breeding ground for our future leaders. Continue »
Sep 4, 2019 at 12:05 PM
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Wine Club September, 2019
4.0 Cellars Merlot 2017 TX High Plains (by Lost Oak Winery) R/M • Grape(s): Merlot 100%, Bingham Family Vineyards, Meadow, TX, Terry County • Harvested in Aug-2017; fermented in SS tank; barrel aged 11 mo. in French & American oak; bottled at 14.2% ABV, <0.1% RS (DRY) • Dark ruby color; black cherry & ripe persimmon fruit mingle with vanilla, tobacco, & peppery notes; hints of smoke on the well-balanced finish with sturdy, ripe tannins; pairs well with Texas steaks & most grilled meats Continue »
Aug 28, 2019 at 12:01 PM
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Let the Wining and Dining Begin! (on September 21st)
I love all of our events at 4.0: Wine Club Sundays, Brunch and Learn, Wine and Dine Showcase, Howl-o-Ween and Wine, Wags and Wine…we’ve got lots. But there’s one event in particular that I insist on working each year: our annual Wine Club Winemaker Dinner. Continue »
Aug 21, 2019 at 12:53 PM
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4.0 Cellars Grape Harvest 2019
Those of you who have visited or even driven by 4.0 Cellars probably noticed grape vines growing near Hwy 290, in front of the three Logo tanks at the entrance to the tasting room and patio area. These are Black Spanish, or Lenoir, vines, a hybrid grape that grows well in the hot, more humid climates of Texas. The vines were planted in 2013 by folks from Lost Oak Winery, one of our partner/owners, and were intended to be a “show” vineyard, a garden really, so that visitors could see and appreciate grapevines. Continue »
Aug 15, 2019 at 12:09 PM
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Summer's End at the Cellar
While August is a busy time for many, you might be surprised to learn that it’s a relatively calm time in our tasting room. But really, it’s the calm before the storm…also known as fall here in the Texas wine country, our busiest time of year. Continue »
Aug 7, 2019 at 1:05 PM
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Black Spanish Grapes – Update Aug-2019
Black Spanish grapes are common to southern states that tend to have hot growing seasons with higher humidity. Here in Texas, Black Spanish has been planted extensively from the Hill Country eastward to the Louisiana border, and southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The grape, also known as Lenoir and Jacquez, is relatively hardy and disease resistant, making it popular in areas where more traditional vinifera grapes are difficult to grow. This is the grape variety growing in the small 4.0 Cellars Vineyard, that will soon be harvested and used to produce a Portejas. Continue »
Jul 31, 2019 at 8:30 AM
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Never a Glass Unpolished
While most of our customers picture us standing behind a bar, there’s a place in the tasting room where we each spend a good amount of our 4.0 time: the polishing place. This is where we make sure that the glasses we hand to our customers are streak and spot free. And we have a whole system in place to ensure clean glasses. Continue »
Jul 24, 2019 at 12:22 PM
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Dirt Can Make Wine Better
After spending time in the vineyard these past two weeks, irrigating, spraying, clearing weeds, and watching the grapes begin to turn from vivid green to soft pink and purple colors (veraison), I began to once again think about the upcoming harvest and the many tasks that will be required to convert these 2019 grapes into a wine and put that wine into a bottle. It is certainly true that the dirt in which the vines are planted plays a role in generating the quantity and quality of the fruit, but there is another type of “dirt” that plays a role in making quality wine. That dirt is an activated clay material (a special kind of dirt) known as bentonite. Bentonite is used in winemaking to clarify wine by attaching to particulate materials and to protein molecules that come from grapes. Bentonite has myriad other uses, including: moisture absorbent in cat litter, thickening agent in drilling muds, binder material in metal casting, water-barrier sealant layers for ponds and landfills, and, with its powerful absorbing properties, a purification & decolorizing agent for numerous liquids, like vegetable oils, dirty water and many beverages. Continue »
Jul 17, 2019 at 12:39 PM
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