Happenings at TWC
4.0 Cellars Grape Harvest 2020
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 mostly Black Spanish, or Lenoir, vines, a hybrid grape that grows well in the hot, more humid climates of Texas. The original 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. Over the past few years, several vines have died and been replaced with Tannat and Tempranillo, creating what is now a field blend vineyard. Continue »
Making the Most of It
To say that our current situation “stinks” is kind of an understatement. Like all tasting rooms in the Texas wine country, here at 4.0, we’ve spent the past month or so trying to decipher messages from the governor, TABC, and TWGGA (Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association) about what we can and can’t do in terms of serving and selling wine. Continue »
Developing Virtual Tastings for 2020
During this strange and restrictive Coronavirus shutdown of winery tasting rooms, several new approaches, including on-line purchases, direct shipping, and curbside pickup, have been taken to keep businesses operating and provide Texas wines to fans, interested customers, and loyal wine club members. After a couple of starts and stops that allowed limited customer tasting opportunities, the most recent TABC (Governor Abbott) edict has clamped down to eliminate any on-premise consumption on a winery’s property. Even though we are all capable of managing a clean, healthy environment and social distancing requirements, the shutdown restrictions remain despite our most fervent protests. Continue »
Virtual Tasting #2 White Wines
Our very own Caroline and Martin will lead you through the tasting. We have paired two bites with each of these wines. One quick pantry snack item you mostly have on hand and the other bite has been created by our Chef Amber. Continue »
Cooking Through Covid
This week, our “Cellar Scooper” shares something she’s learned about herself during this pandemic. Continue »
Virtual Tasting #1
Our very own Caroline and Martin will lead you through the tasting. We’ll be sampling these bites (created by our very own Chef Amber!) paired with some truly fabulous wines. Continue »
When You Can’t Come to 4.0, We Bring 4.0 to YOU!
“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!” If you’re a Monty Python fan (or were at some point), you know this phrase. As teenagers, my friends and I uttered it often to explain away anything disappointing or frustrating. It’s literally been on the tip of my tongue for the past four months but never more so than in the past couple of weeks since the governor announced a re-closing of bars and tasting rooms. Continue »
Texas Cheeses for 2020
For a number of years 4.0 Cellars has offered a Texas Cheese and Wine Experience featuring cheeses from Veldhuizein Cheese Farm in Dublin, TX, matched with wines from our three owner/partners – Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, TX, Lost Oak Winery in Burleson, TX, and McPherson Cellars in Lubbock, TX. With downtime during the Corona-virus shutdown and slowdown, opportunity arose to consider and taste additional cheese selections to feature in these pairings. The plan is to continue using some of the more popular Veldhuizen cheeses, and add some new and different options from the following producers. Continue »
Wine Club Sundays and Our Current Normal
With the pandemic still impacting what we can do here at 4.0, our newest catchphrase is “Every day is a new day.” Balancing the Governor’s recent decrees with TABC’s expectations and what we hear is going on in the tasting rooms around us means that we are constantly evaluating and adjusting what we’re doing in our own tasting room. How many people can we have in our main tasting room at once? Can we sell glasses of wine yet? How many people are allowed to gather in a group? Are we at 50% capacity or 75%? Continue »
Great CheeseBurgers on the Grill
With warm weather that seems to be around most of the year here in the Texas Hill Country, backyard grilling becomes an important part of our lives. Steaks, chicken, ribs, salmon, shrimp, sausage, and, of course, burgers are all targets for grill treatment. While hosting 4.0 Cellars Texas Cheese and Wine Experience pairings, discussions often relate to foods that use the delicious Texas cheeses offered. My favorite is Mac and Cheese and these recipes have been posted in previous Carl’s Corner editions. However, another topic that often arises during these cheese and wine pairings is how to prepare a delicious cheeseburger on the grill. So, here is the recipe and a discussion of my favorite method, along with some side dishes that also work well on the grill. Continue »