Happenings at TWC
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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Blended Wines in Texas
One often finds a number of blended wines in Texas tasting rooms these days, and you may have wondered why that is the case. There are probably many reasons, but three key ones come to mind: 1) winemakers can often enhance the quality and flavor of a wine by making blends, 2) Texas grape growers are still experimenting with different varieties in their vineyards to find which work best, and 3) having multiple grape varieties that adapt and react differently to the highly variable Texas weather conditions can often be extremely beneficial. Continue »
Aug 2, 2017 at 12:55 PM
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Proper Temperature for Wine Enjoyment
With the hot Texas summer upon us, the thought of sipping a chilled wine on the patio or by the pool is most appealing. However, it may come as a surprise that many of us drink our wine at a temperature too cold to truly enjoy all the aromas and flavors that wine has to offer. It has often been said that in America we tend to drink our white and rose’ wines too cold. Conversely, we also tend to drink our red wines too warm. So, here follows a discussion of temperature and the role it plays in optimal enjoyment of wine. Continue »
Jul 20, 2017 at 9:23 AM
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Nero d’Avola – A Sicilian Connection
Nero d’Avola (also known as Calabrese) is an important and widely planted red wine grape variety on the island of Sicily. The name literally means “Black of Avola”, highlighting the grape’s extremely dark color. Although the grape may have originated in the Calabria region of mainland Italy, its strongest presence today is in Sicily. The primary growing areas are located in the countryside near the town of Avola on Sicily’s southeast coast – a key trade region in the Middle Ages. Since that time, and up to the present day, Nero d’Avola has most often been used in blends to add color and body to lesser wines, especially those from mainland Italy. Continue »
Jul 5, 2017 at 7:44 AM
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Symphony Grape Variety
Since 4.0 Cellars currently offers a bright, fresh summer white wine that contains the Symphony grape, it seems an appropriate time to tell you about this little-known grape. The wine of interest is the 2014 Lily by Brennan Vineyards. Symphony is a Californian crossing of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris developed in 1948 by the late Harold Olmo, professor of viticulture at UC-Davis. As its pedigree suggests, it is an aromatic variety with aromas of peach, apricot and lychee with slightly spicy flavors. Symphony is mostly used in white-wine blends, where it contributes to the aromatic profile of the final product. A few varietal examples of Symphony are made in California, typically produced as off-dry or late-harvest wines. Continue »
Jun 21, 2017 at 7:35 AM
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Diurnal Temperature Variation – What and Why?
Let’s think about two questions. Why are 75-80% of the wine grapes in Texas grown on the High Plains, especially in Terry County? Why are pinot noir and chardonnay grapes not more commonly grown in Texas? There are probably a number of ways to answer these questions, but a key factor in any answer would relate to diurnal temperature variation (DTV). Continue »
Jun 8, 2017 at 2:00 PM
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Rhône White Grapes in Texas
Texas grape growers and wine makers are planting and vinifyingt 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 include Viognier, 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. Continue »
May 25, 2017 at 1:37 PM
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