Times Ten Cellars – Fort Worth Review

Address: 1100 Foch Street Fort Worth,Texas 76107.
Phone Number: 817-336-9463
Tasting Hours: Tues-Wed 1:00-10:00, Thurs 1:00-11:00, Fri-Sat 1:00-12:00, Sun 3:00-9:00

Region: Texas
Reviewer: Adria Schmedthorst
Review Date: 5/9/2012
Reviewer: Adria Schmedthorst
Rating: 5

The Review

Times Ten Cellars offers a comfortable yet sophisticated winery experience in the heart of Fort Worth.

The Place: &nbspA cross between a hip urban lounge and a Napa winery, Times Ten Cellars puts a stylish spin on the traditional Texas winery. Located only minutes west of the high rises of downtown Fort Worth, Times Ten is the trendy newcomer to the city’s wine scene. With its dark concrete floors, black lacquer table and bar stools, and wrought iron chandeliers, the winery is both casual and classy.

Intimate seating areas flow throughout the winery with dark red drapes creating private nooks to enjoy Times Ten’s excellent wines. Cushy black leather chairs invite you to sink in for a few minutes or a few hours, while the slow beats of jazz drift through the room.

The Experience: &nbspFind a comfortable spot on one of the leather sofas to unwind. Or, better yet, pull up a stool at the chocolate colored concrete tasting bar, the place to be at Times Ten. From here, you can choose any four wines to taste for only $8 and listen as Gino describes their individual qualities.

Armed with stories of how each wine is made and inside tips on choosing the best, Gino entertains visitors with interesting antidotes and keeps them coming back for more. As you enjoy your wine, Gino will even point out which ones come from their own Cathedral Mountain Vineyards in Alpine Texas, whose rolling hills you can see in the portraits surrounding the room.

The glass wall behind the bar provides a glimpse into Times Ten’s barrel room. When asked how he comes up with his wines, Times Ten’s winemaker, Dustin, laughs and says, “A lot of hard work and a lot of mistakes”.

At Times Ten, winery guests laugh together at Gino’s jokes, suggest their own personal favorites, and become good friends with their fellow guests if only for a few hours. With its warm colors, smooth lounge music, and friendly staff, Times Ten delivers one of the best experiences Texas wineries have to offer.

The Wines: &nbspAt Times Ten, Dustin’s hard work pays off with some truly wonderful wines produced from both California grapes and grapes from their vineyard in Alpine Texas. House favorites are their Pinot Noir and their Blend X, an intermingling of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Or, take home a bottle of one of Times Ten’s limited release wines like their Cathedral Mountain Tempranillo for $26 or their peppery Cathedral Mountain Syrah for $18.

Insider’s Tip: &nbspAlthough there are no official tours at Times Ten, both Gino and winemaker, Dustin are happy to let you visit their barrel room to get a glimpse of their production process.