Attimo Winery Visit--March 26

Attimo Winery Visit

Christiansburg, VA

Monday March 26, 2012

The entrance!

The vines--The owner (who went to VT!!!) said it took 6 years to let the vines grow before they could start making wine. So they have only been in business about a year now! 

A lovely barrel at the entrance.

Wine glass to taste the wines! 

Here was our menu of wines we tasted. They were as follows:

Masquerade (Chardonnay): Dry, smooth and oakey; pairs well with cheese plates and creamy foods.

Sonnet 98 (Vidal Blanc): Dry, Crisp, hints of fresh greens; pairs well with our Caprese salad.

I do (Traminette/Petit Manseng): Semi-sweet, distinct citrus notes; pairs well with macadamia salad, light desserts and spicy Asian food.

Deep Silence (Cabernet Franc): Dry red, intense berry flavors and light smoky pepper finish.

AD 325 (Chambourcin): Dry red with bold flavors and cherry undertones; pairs well with hearty foods. Their most popular seller.

Vertex (Cabernet Sauvignon): Dry red, rich wih black currant flavors and French oak notes, pairs well with rosemary walnuts.

Sweet Berry Sunset (Raspberry/Red Blend): Semi-sweet, intense berry and fruity flavors, pairs well with any chocolate dessert.

Sudden Downpour (Apple/White Blend): Sweet, apple wine with bourbon notes and earty tones with a clean finish; excellent mulled.

Seduction (Tinta Madera/Tourigna nacional/Souzao): Sweet, vintage ruby port. Direct from Portugal, hints of raspberry and raisins. Pairs well with Aged cheeses and brie. 

After trying all the wines, my favorites were "I do" and the dessert and the port wine. They were definitely all the sweetest. I loved that "I do" was sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet. It had an amazing smell also. I actually decided to buy a bottle! I decided that while the dessert wines were fun to taste, I probably wouldn't drink them much, and I would have bought a bottle of the port also, but it was their most expensive bottle ($26, still a rather good deal I know). It was very good. I was expecting something super intense, and it was, but it was also somewhat sweet and smooth and very welcoming. I loved the subtle fruity undertones it had.

It's clear that I enjoy sweet wines, but it was also a lot of fun trying the reds. I honestly did not try a wine I did not like. I probably could not have drank a whole glass of the vertex because it was very strong with an odd aftertaste, but other than that, I probably would drink all the others. The AD 325 was a rich, royal purple color and tasted earty/intense but was very drinkable to me. It did not overwhelm my pallet like I thought it might. I really enjoyed it. The 3 friends I was with each bought a bottle of the AD 325 because they liked it so much.  I also enjoyed trying the Deep Silence. It was a Bordeaux style red aged in oak, and had a sweeter taste to it than most reds. It was very drinkable to me and I enjoyed it. I could have bought a bottle of that too! They were all so good it was hard to decide!

Me trying the wines!

Our extremely knowledgeable host/owner of the vineyard

This is where we sat and tried the wines. They serve food here as well if you want to come for lunch or something. They also have a patio outside where you can sit. 

The bottle of wine I came home with! I can't wait to drink it!

Arrington Vineyard Visit: Nashville, TN

Winery Visit: Arrington Vineyards 

Nashville, TN

Saturday March 10, 2012

 It was my sister's bachelorette party weekend in Nashville, TN and we wanted to visit this winery for a day of fun. We took a party bus to and from to be safe and have a designated driver! This is us on our way to the vineyard relaxing and talking. I took this picture so I am not in it!

These gorgeous barrels were at the entrance of the vineyard. I thought this gave it a fun winery feeling. I was excited to get the opportunity to visit a vineyard after being in this class this semester.

 Luckily, it was a gorgeous day in Nashville. This is a shot of the vineyard looking down on it. Behind us is the actual building. There are numerous picnic tables for people to sit outside and drink wine/eat lunch.

 This is me and my sister enjoying the beautiful day outside! I am on the right. 

Because it was a special occasion, we got a private room to try our wines. They gave us a list of the wines we could try, and we got to choose 7 to try choosing from reds, whites, and desserts. I chose to try 2 reds, 3 whites, one rose, and one dessert. The ones I tried are as follows:

Stags White 2010-- The description on our sheet was: A refreshing white wine with a juicy fruit cocktail aroma and nectarine, green apple and citrus fruit flavors. --This is the vineyards most popular white wine, and I really enjoyed this wine. It was a blend of several grapes and for that reason, it tasted pretty complex to me while still remaining smooth and somewhat sweet (I like sweet!). I ended up buying a bottle of this that we drank during our lunch picnic. It was $19.99 for a bottle so not the cheapest but okay because I don't go to a vineyard everyday!

Viogner 2010-- The description of the wine: Full bodied wine with aromas of honeysuckle and peach followed by nectarine, melon and citrus flavors. -- This wine was interesting. It was very sweet and reminded me of honey. I liked the aftertaste as well.

Riesling 2010-- The description of the wine: Fruity, off-dry American style Riesling, bursting with lemon and green apple flavors. --I love Riesling usually as long as it is not too sweet, and this Riesling was perfect. It smelled fruity like sour apples or something, and tasted sweet while also having a somewhat dry taste to it. I LOVED this wine but ended up not buying a bottle because the other girls did not want this one for lunch. It was $17.99 a bottle

Firefly Rose 2010-- The description of this wine: Medium bodied dry Rosé wine with aromas of strawberry jam and cherry pie followed by Bing cherry and plum flavors. --I really enjoyed this Rose. I have not been exposed to a ton of Rose's and I think they are an amazing mixture of flavors. It was sweet, but not as sweet as some whites. I also love that it is served chilled because I prefer my wine a bit cold. The aftertaste was great.
Red Fox Red 08--The description of this wine: Aromatic notes of wild strawberry and black tea are followed by flavors of mixed berries, vanilla and black plum. --This is one of the vineyard's most popular reds. It definitely had a distinct flavor that I did enjoy. It tasted very fruity, while still remaining dry. I could definitely taste the alcoholic factor in the wine, and the aftertaste was strong. I did enjoy all the different flavors, especially a taste of vanilla.
Syrah 08-- The description of this wine: Rich, sweet aromas of blackberry, vanilla oak, and allspice are followed by flavors of juicy raspberry, blackberry, clove and cocoa. -- This wine was intense! Besides tasting very alcoholic and dry, it also had a taste of spice to it. I actually thought this wine was very interesting and fun to try. It was different from what I have normally tried, and I am glad I gave it a try!
Blackberry 2010-- The description of this wine: Aromas of blackberry cobbler and blackberry preserves are followed by luscious marion blackberry flavor; the sweet finish lingers on and on. --This was a dessert wine and absolutely wonderful! I had never tried an actual dessert wine until this trip. It was so sweet while not being too sweet that it made you feel sick. It tasted exactly like blackberry cobbler or something to me. I loved it!! I am definitely going to start exploring dessert wines more after tasting this one.

Me with my sisters trying the Stags White!

Vintage Cellar Tastings--March 18

Wine Tastings at the Vintage Cellar

Simonet Blanc de Blancs 

Name: Simonet Blanc de Blancs
Variety: Sparkling
Region: Elabore
Country: France
Year: n/a
Price:  $7.95

Winery Review:
On the nose, there is some bread-yeast and some toast, same on the palate. Great for an everyday bubbly or for mimosas!!

My Review: This was an interesting sparkling wine. It tasted very dry to me, similar to the bready taste mentioned in the review. It was kind of festive to drink, but I expected a sweeter taste I did not find. I tried without food.

Tierra de Luna Torrontes- Chardonnay

Variety: 80% Torrontes, 20% Chardonnay
Region: Mendoza
County: Argentina
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95

Winery Review:
Fresh and crisp, with floral aromas and flavors of quince and pear, this wine is a versatile companion to informal meals, and is excellent as an apertif.

My Review: I found this wine crisp and refreshing to the taste. I enjoyed the sweet aftertaste. It was also somewhat dry so was not overwhelmingly sweet or anything. I enjoyed it and would have it again. I tried without food.

Estrella Merlot

Name: Estrella Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95

Winery Review:
This ruby colored merlot has raspberry jam aromas with a subtle hint of spice. Layers of vanilla, plum and fig are revealed that linger ever so slightly on the palate.

My Review: This wine had a pleasant, fruity aroma. The body of it was very smooth and did not taste too acidy (how I sometimes perceive red wine). It was a pretty pleasant wine overall, not my favorite but not bad.

Doural Red Tinto

Variety: Red blend
Region/country: Portugal
Year: 2009
Price: $8.95

Winery Review:
This Portuguese tinto (red) blend exhibits a deep red color with violet hues. The nose is vibrant and fruity. The palate offers notes of spice, cherry, and dark berry supported by good structure. Pairs well with red or game meat, cheeses and fish.

My Review: The wine had a very fruity, pleasant nose. The wine seemed to have different flavors present, one being a strong spice taste that I noticed. It was not my favorite wine, but would maybe be better if tried with food. 

Oxford Landing Estates

Variety: Viognier
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95

Winery Review:
88 Points, Wine Spectator
Bright and lively, this white is appealing for its pear, lychee and sweet spice character, which comes together smoothly against a silky texture.

My Review: I enjoyed the sweet, smooth body of this wine. I thought it had a pretty good flavor to it. It was sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet which I appreciated. It was a good price also.

Wine's I tasted over Spring Break

Tastings over Spring Break

Acrobat Pinot Gris

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Oregon

Country: USA

Year: 2009

Price: $12

Critic Review: Crisp entry with nice balance between acidity and residual sugar, round and full mid-palate, clean refreshing finish

My Review: I like this wine a lot. It was from my parents and probably a bit nicer than the wines I usually drink at school. It tasted smooth and refreshing with a sweet aftertaste. I enjoyed it a lot and had it with appetizers.

Apothic Red 

Variety: Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2010

Price: $1o.99

Critic Review: Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

My Review: This was an interesting blended red wine. My dad has recently gotten into drinking red wines after drinking solely whites for some time, and this was a red wine he had at home. I actually enjoyed this wine, and felt it had a lot of different flavors going on in it. 

Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Napa Valley, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2010

Price: $11.99

Critic Review: Aromas of lime, kiwi, citrus, melon and a touch of grass are complemented by flavors of grapefruit, lemon, mango, and guava in Ferrari-Carano's 2010 Fumé Blanc. Cool, stainless steel tank fermentation gives this wine a crisp freshness while the subtle oak character from barrel aging adds complexity and depth.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine, as I do more sauvignon blancs. It had a fruity flavor to it, as well as a somewhat tart grapefruity flavor.  It tasted crisp and refreshing and I will most definitely buy it again! I did not have it with food but it would be great with some light fish or chicken. 

Cavit Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Trentino, Fruili and Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $5.99

Critic Review: Crisp and refeshing light white with a bursting bouquet of guava and green apple that shows flavors of citrus green apple and a slight minerality

My Review: This wine was not very good. It was cheap and I think I got what I payed for. I did not enjoy drinking it very much. It had a weird aftertaste and was not smooth. 

Chateau St. Jean Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: Napa Valley, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2009

Price: $10.95 (on sale)

Critic Review: This Merlot has blackberry and lavender aromas, jammy fruit flavors and hints of spice. Layers of cocoa powder, clove, and plum last throughout the finish. 

  

My Review: I thought this was a pretty good red wine as red wines go. It tasted somewhat  rich and had a smooth aftertaste. My friend who is a red wine drinker bought this bottle, and I have to say I might buy it myself some time. It was definitely enjoyable to drink.