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!