Times Ten At Top Chef Challenge!

Fort Worth, TX Magazine put on their own version of Top Chef Challenge on Thursday. Times Ten was the exclusive wine provider for the event. So, Dustin and I attended the competition to answer any questions there may be regarding the wine, and more importantly, snag some good food! We had a blast watching the chefs create their masterpieces. The secret ingredient was a rack of lamb; the savory smells wafting throughout the showroom were quite inticing. And lucky us, not only did tons of guests drink our wine, but we spotted two of the chefs sipping our Cab throughout the competition. They just so happened to be the top two qualifying chefs- coincidence? I think not!

We are so excited to see Chef Blaine and Chef Donnatella can do in the final round!

Donnatella imbibes a glass of x10 Cab while hard at work

Winners' Circle...cheers!

Fun WIth Bottling

After two exhausting days of bottling this week, our warehouse is filling up. We now have 8 pallets of 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 pallets of 2007 Merlot. Our good friend Jimmy Jenkins at Fort Worth Screen Printing dropped by to check out the organized chaos. Using his handy dandy iPhone, he put together a great little video of the bottling process. You can also see Andrew's OSHA stretches on our Facebook page- always a good laugh. Oh! And we're always looking for volunteers for our next bottling!

Ten Times the Wine!

I am so pleased to announce that we have finally started production here at Times Ten Fort Worth! We brought in 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Merlot from California.

Before any juice could touch our tanks, we had to scrub the inside of the tanks to ensure that they were free of anything detrimental to the wine. Bill, who helps Chris out in our cellar, did a great job getting those tanks squeaky clean. Dustin and I arrived early to sanitize the hoses so that everything that the wine came in contact with was safe.

Chris and Dustin hook up the pump

A huge tanker truck rolled up and had to squeeze down our back alley. It was pretty interesting to see a semi fit between freshly laid cement and a tree. Fortunately, he made it- thanks to years of experience. We hooked up our hoses and let the wine flow!

Truck driving skills at their finest

Opening up the valve. Yay wine!

Quality assurance

More quality assurance by Steve

Dustin and Chris enjoy some of the Cab

The fun part of wine making. Cleaning!

After everything was pumped into the tanks it was time to clean up. I showed off my squeegee skills that I picked up at Benton-Lane.

Bottling commences next week. It's hard labour, but good times are always had.

Times Ten Fort Worth

In case you're wondering where I've been, allow me to explain myself and apologize for my prolonged absence.

For the past two years I have been working part-time at Times Ten Cellars in Dallas. Several months ago, an opportunity arose for me to become involved in the opening and running of a second winery in Fort Worth. So, as of August, I have been crazy busy prepping the space and getting organized for the opening. Well, we are FINALLY here! Thursday evening we had a very successful soft opening. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram came to shoot the space and do a write up. I also invited Kevin Buchanan, a fellow blogger to come in and do a small write up on his blog Fortworthology.com. And wow, he did such a wonderful job! Check out his post today: http://fortworthology.com/2009/09/11/times-ten-cellars-has-soft-opening/

Kevin is an amazing source for new restaurants and retail opening in the Fort Worth area, and he has shown much love to the 7th St. area, so we were ecstatic to have him stop by the winery. Loved the photos he took!

Be sure to stop by the shiny, new winery and come say hi! We're in the Cultural District, so you can make a day of it by seeing a museum exhibit, not even a mile away, and finishing off the evening with a glass of wine.

I am about to embark on an eight week winemaking internship in Oregon, so the next several posts will be dedicated to my trip up there...stay tuned!

Memorial Day at the Vineyard

Hope everyone had a fabulous and RELAXING holiday weekend! I hauled it out to Southwest Texas to do a little work on the vineyard. We dug holes and moved rocks- it was fabulous! We camped on site and were privileged to see some gorgeous sunsets, a few rainbows, and storms roll in off the mountain. We also took a couple of quick trips into Marfa and Terlingua, Texas. What funky little towns! Below are a few pictures from the weekend. 

A storm passing by Cathedral Mountain. It finished raining just in time to see a great sunset. A little brisket and Carignane for dinner, and smores fireside, made for a lovely first evening.

The next day we were hard at work planting 500 new vines- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc varietals. The white boxes on bamboo stakes protect the new vine for almost a year.

Of course we made time to play as well! We found an old frame and took plenty of goofy shots with it. Our fearless winemaker leads the group. You have no idea how long it took to get this right- and it still isn't perfect!

A glass of Grenache overlooking the vineyard. We surveyed our handy-work from atop a rock near the campsite and toasted each other on a job well done. Oh, and yelled at the javelina to get out of the vineyard.

Southwest Texas truly is a beautiful place to visit. Most people are surprised to see mountains and such unique plant life. The scenery is simply stunning. I highly recommend the trek out there to Big Bend or the Davis Mountains area. You'll come across some fantastically strange towns with true characters residing in them. I'm now sunburnt, sore, and exhausted, but it turned out to be a productive yet relaxing weekend.

Penne Pomodoro Lakewood

I love Lombardi and his Family Concepts. Taverna, Toulouse, Cubanita, Sangria, Penne Pomodoro- I could eat at each restaurant every night of the week. Penne Pomodoro has always been a mainstay for brunching on Sunday. However, we had to drive to Snider Plaza (a whopping 15 minutes away) to get there. And with their $1 mimosas and bloody marys, it made getting home a little more difficult. 

But, now all our life problems have been solved! Penne Pomodoro has moved to Lakewood (a mere 3 minutes away)! Our little neighborhood is burgeoning with Italian restaurants, and we need another like a hole in the head, but at least we're finally getting high quality Italian. So last night we ventured over there to check out the new scene. We started with some appetizers they carried over from Taverna- focaccia and bruschetta. For an entree, I had the pizza bianca with prosciutto, which was delish! Plenty of house specials were offered, all of which sounded tasty. They are featuring gluten-free pasta and several other gluten-free items. Which is great for those who either want low-carb pasta or are actually allergic. 

Lombardi typically goes into spaces that include a patio, or at least have patio potential. Alas, this little space, does not. I was hoping for at least trattoria doors, but they're non-existent. However, this may be due to some crazy Dallas city codes, because I know we ran into several strange ordinances when times ten was being built.  I guess we'll have to make due with the mural of White Rock Lake. Or, simply walk over to the winery afterward and sit on our patio! 

The space that they went into was formerly Kitchen  1924, which received all kinds of rave reviews, was successful for a short while, then shut down. And before Kitchen 1924, it was La Dolce Vita, which actually was open for a good while. On both occasions, I felt the food was overpriced for the quality. This was especially true for La Dolce Vita- as I would have rated that food mediocre at best. So, here's hoping Lombardi can break with tradition and have Penne Pomodoro become an East Dallas institution! He's already on the right track with a time-proven template. 

Be sure to support your local businesses in this economy, when you can!

Big Blend : Big Bend

It has arrived...the event of the season. Big Blend:BigBend! 

May 21st, silent G imagery and times ten cellars are joining forces to bring you their works from beautiful Southwest Texas. times ten is releasing a new blend from their vineyard outside Alpine, TX, while silent G is debuting their photography taken in the national park. Join us at the winery for sips and snacks Thursday evening. Below is the invitation with all the details:

Chicks for Congo

Looking for something non-traditional to do this Cinco de Mayo? Help a sista out! Three ladies, including our very own beautiful and talented Kelly Cruse, are traveling to the Congo to assist genocide survivors and refugees. They will be providing grief counseling to families who have lost relatives in the genocide, rape and mutilation counseling, and displacement counseling. They will be hosting a fundraiser party on Tuesday, May 5th at times ten too. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door, but the girls will gladly accept any additional donations! You will enjoy the entire selection of times ten wine, as well as our local band Matt Thompson and the Eastwood Band. Please come out and show your support for these lovely ladies and their phenomenal cause! Below are all the details- hope to see you there!

Date: Tuesdsay, May 5, 2009

Time: 7pm- 'til they kick us out!

Place: times ten too 2018 Kidwell Dallas, TX 75214

Wine Down Wednesdays

Every second Wednesday of the month, we host acoustic bands to come play in our private party building at 2018 Kidwell (adjacent to the main winery on Prospect). It's a smashing success! Young people from all around the area come in for good wine accompanied by good music. Last month, we were mentioned in Daily Candy! And judging by how many people said they were here because they saw the article, I think we're in for even more popularity! Thanks, DC! Here's a link to the article, see you tonight!

Times Ten in the Observer!

We're hot, sweaty, bruised, and tired. It's threatening to rain, the air is dripping with humidity. Unbeknownst to any of us, a photographer from the Dallas Observer shows up! OMG! Where is my make up when I need it! Oh, and my hair, it's fuzzed way out- ugh! And just my luck, I show up in two of the photos. But, on the bright side, x10 was featured and shows some of the ins and outs of the bottling process. Click here to check it out!

Times Ten Cellars 2007 Cathedral Mountain

Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah, Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc, UNITE! Times Ten Cellars has released it's first vintage ever from our very own vineyard in West Texas. After a minor mishap with the labeling, it's back on the shelves! Woohoo! This Spanish style blend is earthy with the spiciness that is characteristic of Spanish wines. With a hint of fruit, the taste finishes smooth and light. Great paired with tapas, Spanish cheeses, and pizza. Though still young, only bottled in November, and still undergoing a little bottleshock, it is delicious to drink now, but will be even better in six months to a year. However, even as I type, it is drinking better every day. I have hidden a bottle from myself to pull out for my 26th birthday in July. We'll see how long that lasts, since I did the hiding. :)