Happenings at TWC
Vintage 2017 – The Best Ever in Texas?
By now you have probably heard accolades and high praise from Texas growers and vintners about the bountiful and high quality grape harvest for 2017. The fruit was ripe, rich in color and flavor, and “California-esque” according to some. This bodes well for the 2017 vintage white and rose’ wines that will be released in 2018, and the red wines that will follow in 2019. My recommendation is to get your cellars and your bank accounts ready for some wonderful wines from 2017. Was this the best Texas vintage ever? Let’s look back and consider that question. Continue »
Dec 20, 2017 at 7:00 AM
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Sparkling Wines –Holiday Treats
With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, this seemed like a good time to highlight sparkling wines. Sparkling wines can be produced by a number of different methods, from essentially any grape, be white, rosé or red, and range from sweet to totally dry. And, they usually conjure up visions of celebrations and special occasions. Continue »
Dec 6, 2017 at 2:57 PM
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Holiday Wines and the Thanksgiving Feast
When most of us think about Thanksgiving, family, friends, and that traditional feast all come to mind. It is certainly a special time of the year, and one of the most treasured traditions here in the United States of America. For me, and many others, that Thanksgiving feast will be accompanied by several special bottles of wine selected to pair with all those amazing food items that tend to be served during the holiday. Continue »
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:59 PM
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Sulfites - Why are they in my Wine?
Over the past several weeks, the subject of preservatives in wines has been raised several times during tastings at 4.0 Cellars. By far, the most common and important preservative used for and found in wines are sulfites. The sulfite ion is an effective antioxidant, and is used to help preserve numerous prepared food products. It has been some time since last writing on this subject, but since there remain many questions about sulfites, as well as many misconceptions, this edition of Carl’s Corner is focused on sulfites and their key role in the wine industry. Continue »
Nov 8, 2017 at 9:20 AM
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Mac & Cheese - Comfort Food Extraordinaire
With delicious raw milk cheeses from Veldhuizen Cheese Farm in Dublin, Texas, available at 4.0 Cellars, a favorite offering to customers is the Texas Cheese and Wine Experience. These pairings require advanced reservations and are typically limited to 12 people for each session, regularly scheduled at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm daily, plus private sessions typically scheduled at 3:00 pm or after. These sessions include 5 different cheeses paired with 5 wines (usually 2 white and 3 red) from the 4.0 Cellars winery partners: Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery and McPherson Cellars. The pairings are guided by a knowledgeable 4.0 staff member, and normally last about 45-50 minutes. Continue »
Oct 25, 2017 at 7:00 AM
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Piquepoul Blanc – A Rising Texas Star?
White grapes indigenous to the Rhône Valley in France were the subject of a previous Carl’s Corner in May-2017. Because these Rhône white grapes originate in hot, arid climates, such as the southern regions of France near the Mediterranean Sea coast, Texas grape growers and wine makers are having success in growing and vinifying them. The best-known of these include Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. But, that previous post focused on lesser-known varieties of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino (Rolle) and Piquepoul Blanc. Piquepoul Blanc, a grape with much potential in Texas, will be highlighted in this post. Continue »
Oct 11, 2017 at 7:00 AM
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Muscat – A Lot of Options for Texas
Varieties of Muscat represent some of the oldest and most widely planted grapes in the world. It is estimated that over 200 different grapes claim the name, or at least a heritage related to the primary members of the Muscat family. Only a few of these grapes are widely used for wine production in the world’s major wine regions, primarily Muscat blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Fleur d’Oranger, Moscato Giallo, Muscato di Scanzo, Muscat of Hamburg and Muscat Ottonel. Continue »
Sep 27, 2017 at 7:00 AM
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Montepulciano vs. Montepulciano
Recently, while hosting cheese and wine pairings, I have had several guests at 4.0 Cellars get excited when served a Montepulciano wine because they, at some point in the past, visited the village of Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy. However, the Montepulciano grape that makes the wine is quite different from, and not connected to Montepulciano, the place. Read on to understand this interesting point of confusion in the wine world. Continue »
Sep 13, 2017 at 9:10 AM
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Wine Club September, 2017
It’s time for another 4.0 Cellars Wine Club Release. The Wine Club Pickup Parties are scheduled on Sundays: 10-Sep & 17-Sep. There is also a Wine Club Winemakers’ Dinner scheduled on Saturday, 16-Sep. 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 or online) on Club Sundays and during the week in between. Continue »
Sep 1, 2017 at 8:43 AM
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Aging Wine – Some Guidelines
How long will a wine age? Don’t wines get better with age? There are no simple answers to these questions, but the following guidelines should help you understand the topic of aging wine – all wines, not just Texas wines. Continue »
Aug 16, 2017 at 7:00 AM
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