One day, perhaps, I’ll figure out how the multi-national wine companies make brand decisions. For example, why would the company that owns Chateau Ste. Michelle also own two grocery store brands, Columbia-Crest and 14 Hands, that make the same kind of Washington state wine that sell for about the same price?

Until then, I will appreciate the value and quality that these wines offer. The 14 Hands ($12, sample, widely available) was just as pleasantly surprising as the Columbia-Crest cabernet was, making it yet another example of the first rule of wine writing — taste the wine before you decide whether it’s worth writing about.

Look for lots of cherry fruit in the 14 Hands, though the fruit is not as sweet as in similarly-priced California cabernets. It also has some heft and the appropriate tannins, and people who are determined to notice chocolate in cabernet will probably pick up a little of that, too. In this, the wine reflects Washington state’s style and terroir, which doesn’t happen much in $12 wine. Though it’s not as big a wine as its corporate sibling, the 14 Hands is definitely cabernet and not cabernet lite.

Call it a safety wine — something you can buy or order when you’re stuck somewhere and the wine selection is decidedly limited. It will pair with most red meat dinners, as well as a very gooey sausage pizza.

The empty 35,000 square-foot former AMC Theater at Central and Walnut Hillspace will be demolished to make way for a Dave and Buster’s flagship restaurant.

Four hundred dance students are participating in the W.T. White Dance Explosion.

Help Mom branch out — but don’t foist something on her she may not like — with these three suggestions.

The deli chain Baker Brothers is opening this July in the Corner at Preston Center, a redevelopment project at the southwest corner of Luther and Westchester.

Rosebriar Holdings acquired the property in April 2011 after the 24-Hour Fitness moved out, leaving empty space for new tenants. The buildings and facades have been redesigned and modernized.

The center is now 87 percent full, says Adam Sumrall, director at Rosebriar Holdings.

Baker Brothers is a fast-casual yet upscale deli that serves oven-baked sandwiches, pizzas and stuffed baked potatoes. It has locations throughout Texas.

Dough Pizzeria, the Preston-Forest establishment that makes authentic Neapolitan pizza, has just rolled out its spring menu in keeping with its mantra of fresh, local and seasonal Italian fare.

The restaurant expanded here from San Antonio last summer, and the owners have worked to make special dishes just for Preston Hollow. Keep an eye out for the Advocate‘s May issue to learn about Dough and other neighborhood pizzerias.

Now, for the spring menu. Here’s a sampling of what’s new.

Fior di Latte Burrata: house-pulled mozzarella filled with stracciatta, a shredded mozzarella mixed with heavy cream, served with baby heirloom tomatoes, pesto basil and finished with basil oil, salt and pepper, and a side of flat bread

Bocconcini: a combination of house-pulled mozzarella bocconcini, locally grown tomatoes, slow roasted garlic, balsamic and basil pesto vinaigrette and house Pugliese

Veggie pizza: San Marzano tomato sauce, house-made mozzarella, slivered garlic, oak roasted mushrooms, eggplant and peppers

Sausage and Rabe pizza: extra virgin olive oil, ricotta, hot Italian sausage, broccoli rabe and red chili flakes

Spinach and Pancetta salad: baby spinach, a hardboiled egg, gorgonzola, crisp apple, toasted walnuts and warm pancetta vinaigrette

Roasted Romaine salad: oak roasted romaine hearts, crispy pancetta, semi-dried tomatoes, marinated onions and citrus vinaigrette

Total Wine, a large regional chain, is supposed to open in Dallas shortly. Throw in Trader Joe’s, which is supposed to open this fall, and Spec’s, Texas’ largest chain, which opened at the end of last year (as well as all of the current retailers), and we have an abundance of wine choices — not just more than we’ve ever had, but lots and lots more.

Which will not only drive the retailers crazy (and probably put a couple out of business), but give consumers more choice and lower prices. How can I argue with that?

Case in point is the Vin Gourmand ($13, purchased, available at Spec’s), a white Rhone blend. It’s a style of wine not much sold here; Dallas is an oaky California chardonnay kind of town when it bothers with white wine, and that’s usually an afterthought to red. And, when you do find a white Rhone, it’s usually a couple of dollars more than in the rest of the country. So, when I saw the Gourmand and for less than elsewhere, you can imagine how quickly I scooped it up.

My enthusiasm was amply rewarded. This is quality wine at a terrific price — a blend of grenache, roussane and viognier that is fresh and clean, with lime and apricot fruit (the latter from the viognier). It’s not overly complex, but it’s not lacking in a middle or finish, either, and even has a bit of stoniness on the end. This is perfect warm weather wine that will pair with almost any kind of summer food. Given that we’ve already been in the 90s, this is a a welcome addition. Highly recommended. 

Whether you made money or paid money to the IRS this year, celebrate the end of the dreadful process with a free cup of coffee and biscotti at Whole Foods (ours is at Preston and Forest or Park Lane, depending on your morning commute).

All Whole Foods locations will be handing out free 12-ounce Allegro drip coffee and a non-fat biscotti while supplies last 8-10 a.m. Tuesday. So, swing by on your way to work tomorrow morning (if you’re not already at work by then) and enjoy something free for a change.

We already knew of Total Wine and More‘s plans to open near our neighborhood. Advocate columnist Jeff Siegel reported on this last January. The retailer officially announced Tuesday that it would open in the Best Buy shopping center at Park Lane and Central early this summer.

This will be the first Texas location for Total Wine, a large chain with 79 locations nationwide. The store carries wine, beer and spirits and features a walk-in cigar humidor.

During a #winechat discussion last week about local wine, one of the questions I got was how regional wine producers could make it easier for Americans to drink wine that wasn’t called chardonnay, cabernet, and merlot. Many regional wines are made with grapes most consumers aren’t familiar with, like blanc du bois, viognier and tempranillo; hence, they’re reluctant to try them.

My suggestion: Don’t call the wines by their varietal name, which too many wineries feel compelled to do for reasons I’ve never been able to figure out. Call them something fun or interesting or inventive.

Case in point is the El Posadero ($10, purchased, available at Central Market), a tempranillo blend that is more or less the Spanish equivalent of U.S. regional wine. It comes from a less respected region around Madrid, and not the better known tempranillo appellations of Rioja or Ribera del Duero. This means the wine starts out with an image problem, especially for U.S. consumers. Calling it El Posadero goes a long way towards fixing that. Even if you don’t know what El Posadero means (innkeeper, actually, and there’s a picture of an inn on the label), it sounds Spanish and intriguing.

And it’s a pretty nifty wine, too. The El Posadero is blended with syrah, but doesn’t have as much fruit as I thought it would (and is actually a little old-fashioned in spirit). Look for an almost spicy wine with some cherry fruit and lots of acidity — practically sour cherry tart. It needs food, like smoked chicken or beef, but that’s part of the appeal of the wine.