Winery Visit - "Attimo Winery"

Attimo Winery is located about 5-7 minutes off 81 near Christiansburg, Va. It is tucked way back on a rural road that seems like it will wind through the hills forever. The road is lined with houses until the winery suddenly appears.

Entrance to the winery

Without knowing anything about the winery, it was obvious that it was relatively new. The grape vines were teeny tiny. They were cute!

The Vines

More vines behind the building

The tasting room and restaurant

The winery was actually located in a separate building that we were not able to see. There was a "tour" we could take, but the facility was relatively small and the tour cost $10. It didn't really seem worth it at this juncture. We did however do the tasting and liked one of the wines so much that we each got a glass at the end with a cheese tray!

We tasted 9 wines total. I will list them below and put my comments next to each.

1. "Sonnet 98" Vidal Blanc (2010): The nose had vegetable and floral notes and a sweet palate. The fruit flavors were slightly subdued and there was an overwhelming alcohol flavor. This was slightly underwhelming to me.

2. "I do" Traminette/Petit Manseng (2010): I had never heard of either of these grapes before. The nose was very similar to a riesling in my opinion. It had floral and citrus notes and also an odd bitter flavor. A little sweet for me, but nice!

3. "Deep Silence" Cabernet Franc (2010): This wine was a delightful surprise! I have had a few other cab francs at other VA vineyards, so I am familiar with the flavors. This one was very nice! It had a vegetable quality on the nose, great tannins, great legs, a wonderful peppery flavor, it was very round and well balanced. This is the glass we bought at the end!

4. "AD 325" Chambourcin (2010): This is another grape that I had never heard of! The wine had a VERY deep purple magenta color. It was really quite amazing! The flavor wasn't quite as amazing. It was harsh, sharp, bitter, spicy, with an overwhelming alcohol flavor and strong tannins. I wasn't a fan.

5. "Sweet Berry Sunset" Raspberry/Red Blend: A dessert wine! Woo-wee! Very strong raspberry smell and flavor. Almost a jam quality. I also got some strawberries in it too. Very tart and sweet. Not for me!

6. "Sudden Downpour" Apple/White Blend: Another dessert wine. This one was even sweeter than the last. The winery actually offers this wine to be served in a glass with a caramel laced rim. Very decadent! Someone at the table next to us got a few. The apple definitely came across on the nose and the palate. It made my mouth itch a little like apples themselves usually do. Too sweet for me.

7. "Masquerade" Chardonnay (2010): The nose on this was nicely oaked with good fruit. It had that wonderful butteriness that I love in chardonnays. It had a nicely pronounced alcohol setup with nice fruit flavors. Tasty!

8. "Vertex" Cabernet Sauvignon (2010): I was a little disappointed with this one. The oak and currant flavors were strong but the fruit flavors were not. Both the tannins and the alcohol were super overwhelming. I was hoping for something a little better than this wine turned out to be.

9. "Seduction" Fortified Wine (2010): This "port" had tinta madera, touriga nacional, and souzao grapes in it. I am personally not a fan of port. I think I would say it was bad no matter what. The brandy was really strong in both the smell and flavor. It was very sweet with a really strong raisin smell and flavor. It actually smelled like the cereal Raisin Bran Crunch, which was bizarre. Definitely not a fan of this one.

Tasting sheet

My tasting sheet

The atmosphere of the place was nice! Definitely had a "new" feel. The staff was very nice and welcoming. The inside was nicely decorated as well.

Nice wine storage area inside

We liked the Cabernet Franc so much that we bought a glass! Then we saw other people had cheese trays so we thought we would get some of that too! The tray had rosemary bread with a dipping oil, some olives, swiss, gouda, and parmesan cheeses. It was absolutely fabulous! Not a bad way to kick off the weekend!

My boyfriend, Chris, enjoying the wine

Me with my glass of Cabernet Franc

Mmm, cheese and wine