Before opening Perspective Cellars, we had to spend time choosing the wines that we’d offer to our guests. It’s one thing to have wines at home for your friends when they visit, but how do I chose wine for people I haven’t even met yet? We started by researching where a grape or a traditional blend originated. We then looked at areas around the world that are currently popular for that grape. And, finally, we looked at Texas producers who are making wines from these grapes.
Of course, right off the bat, we could eliminate some grapes, because we knew they cannot grow well in Texas. Take Pinot Noir, for example. An excellent wine, but its just too hot in Texas. And Cab Sauv is a struggle. But the Spanish grapes are doing great.
So where do we go from here? Road trips around the state to try wines, of course!
Then, we line up wine from the originating region, from Texas, and from another popular new world region. We taste them all side-by-side, and narrow it down.
The fun part is – I mean the hard part – is that the lineup needs to be done regularly. Wines sell out and we have to redo the lineup. Or a wine we thought would be popular, doesn’t end up selling well, and we need a replacement. As the seasons change, the wine choices will need to be tweaked.
It’s a tough job. But for you, our guest, we’ll take on the challenge!
