Attimo is in Christiansburg, VA and has been opened since 2011. They have a sizable vineyard, that we were unable to really see. What we were able to view from the parking lot and tasting room was covered in snow. Anyway, that doesn't stop the Spanskis from enjoying a vino or two. One thing my dad noticed right away was the chicken wire surrounding one of the houses. He was fascinated by it, and I think it was the first question asked. The woman stated it was not used to keep anything contained, but that the neighbor has been sick of patrons of Attimo wandering onto his land after a few glasses. We also learned that the neighbor had a donkey. That's awesome.
What I really appreciated about Attimo was that every wine is named for a specific purpose. They have names like "Off The Cuff" which describes the last minute recipe change. So we sat down, and realized how hungry we were. We decided to each do 8 tastings and we got 2 "tapas." We decided on a cheese plate and an Asian meatball dish. I don't really eat meatballs, but at the encouragement of my dad's recommendation, I did sample it with some of the wines. Here is my 8, and then I did have a sip of my parent's glasses if they chose something different. All for wine education. My dad, who I am learning is secretly an expert on all things, is really talented at tasting wines and being able to distinguish flavors. He was super helpful. Thanks, Dad (even if he will never read this)
Yesterday's Song (2012) Chardonnay
Nose of pear, and you smell the bite of alcohol. It has a bit of a greenish hue. We definitely noted a crisp taste, and maybe a pear and apple. Fairly dry, but I enjoyed it.
Off The Cuff (2013) 80% Riesling/20% Chardonnay
We learned that this is called Off The Cuff because they wanted to make a full Riesling, but it was just too sweet. This my mom and I really enjoyed, and I learned that she likes Rieslings, but not many other sweet wines. I don't get it. Anyway, it had a sweet lemon nose, almost like a lemonade. It was much sweeter than the Yesterday's Song, but kept a similar color. I also liked their bottle, with their buttons, or cufflinks label. Pretty cool.
I Do (2013) Traminette / Petit Mensang
This had a floral and tropical nose, maybe something like a pineapple. The family agreed this would have been a great white wine for our aunt's Hilton Head wedding last Memorial Day. It didn't have too sweet of an ending. My dad thought the tasting was ok, but he didn't know if he could have drank an entire glass of it. I had it with some creamy white cheese, and it was nice.
Wonder (2013) Viogneir / Vidal / Traminette
This was an interesting wine to learn about. The woman told us that this has tannins added, but no sugar added, so they call this the "diet wine." My mom and I were sold from there. For not having any added sugar, this had strong flavors of caramel. This was different from anything else I had tasted. I think I really liked it, but I do not think I would have been able to drink an entire glass. My dad, always creative, thinks that this would go very well with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Just Kissed (2013) Vidal / Raspberry Blush
So this was a Vidal with some Raspberry puree added. Super interesting. It smelled of straight raspberry fruit. This concerned me a little, because I was afraid it would taste like juice, not wine. It surprised me, and did indeed taste like wine. It was semi-sweet, and definitely noted raspberry, but not horrible. My dad hated it, but my mom and I thought it was interesting. It was kind of an orange-pink color, which was also interesting.
After Midnight (2012) Merlot / Blackberry / Zinfandel
This was a light red color, and a much needed change from all the whites and the blush. I tasted this with some meatball, and it was fantastic. I will have to try more wine with food. Changing my life. It was fairly sweet, and had some peppery taste, which I think paired so well with the meat. Because it was sweet and peppery, that was a bit weird, so I worry how it would taste without food. My mom thinks it tasted like concord grape juice, and she didn't eat it with any food. That was really interesting to know, so I need to try it without food. But not for $17.
Deep Silence (I didn't ask the year) Cabernet France
This was a cold fermented wine, which I learned affects the phenolic content in wine, which affects the flavor and mouthtaste. This had a pepper taste that seemed to stay around. This was also good with cheese. My parents seemed to think this tasted of cumin. To be honest, I don't know my spices, so I guess I agree with them. It was pretty dry. Not bad.
Charisma (2010) Tinta Madera/Touriga Nacional/Souza
So this was my random fortified wine choice, that I am so glad I tried. I was the only one in the family to select this one, so I wish I would have been able to get family input. It smelled like a box of raisins, that mix of cardboard and dried grape. It is fortified with brandy, and it tasted pretty sweet with some hints of chocolate maybe. It definitely had alcohol in it; that was noted for sure. It was fun to end on, so I appreciated that.
All in all, I was super impressed with Attimo. They've won a lot of awards, especially in the state, which is cool for being such a young vineyard. It was my first winery tour, and I cannot wait to visit more.
