Last month, on Saturday February 22, 2014, myself and a few of my friends went to Attimo Winery for a tour and a tasting. This was my 2nd winery visit, but my first to Attimo. Attimo is located in Christiansburg, VA. This is the second largest winery in the state of VA at 17 acres with some 15,000 vines on property. They have been in operation for around 8 years and been open to the public for the past 3.
I didn't even realize we had a winery this close to Virginia Tech. I was weary almost right off the bat because I was concerned about the terroir of South Western Virginia. I had every right to be worried because, if the weather at Virginia Tech was any indication of the weather experienced by the land, animals, and fauna here at Attimo, the wine here might be heavily dependent on a good vintage. With that in mind, I enjoyed my 30 min drive to Attimo from Virginia Tech with my friends.
Attimo Winery - Tasting and Dinning Building, Christiansburg, VA
Attimo Winery - Fermenting/Ageing/Storage Building
The post-harvest vineyard.
Inside the wine tasting building, above the fire place, they displayed all the medals won by each of the wines Attimo produced over the years.
We were lucky enough to be able to meet and talk to the Wine Maker. He looked like a guy in his early 40s. He said she's usually traveling most days of the month. He travels around the US and to other countries on business and works as an assistant wine makers at different wineries. After checking our ID's he took us out to the vineyard to teach us about the vines at Attimo. We learned how all vines have been grafted with american vine roots to fight off phylloxera. The Wine Maker also mentioned that this winery produces about 70 tons of grape a season at about 25lbs of grape per vine. They grow Cabernet Sauvgnon, Cabernet Franc, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Harvested vines with grafted roots that are resistant to phylloxera.
After the tour through the vineyard, he took us to the fermentation/storage building. He showed us where the grapes are crushed and then where they are stored in oak barrels or approved plastic containers. The Wine Maker mentioned that he's a business man, and realized he could make more profit off of his used oak barrels if he sold them to be made into furniture rather than recharing or trashing them. He also uses wood chips in the plastic containers to impart wood/oak flavors. This winery uses plastic containers instead of steel because they were cheaper. The Wine Maker also mentioned that these plastic containers are approved and don't impart any plastic aromas or flavors into the wine.
Wine ageing in oak barrels.
Wine ageing in plastic containers.
A barrel of Chardonnay (Yesterday's Song) with slightly higher pH than the Wine Maker was looking for. It is waiting for additional processing.
The whole process from harvest to bottling takes August to July the next year for both whites and reds. In the future, they plan to expand and import more grape varieties and expand their facility.
After the tour, we got to taste some of the standard and reserve wines on the tasting.
Name: Yesterday's Song
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $18
Professional Review: This delicate Virginia Chardonnay remind you of the vivid moments of old times. This Chardonnay is mellow with a soft bouquet of honey, vanilla and green apple.
My Review: I got light hints of wood and acids on the nose. I didn't think this wine was well balanced on the palate. All I tasted was a good burn throughout my front, mid and back palate. Acids are the backbone of a great white wine and I thought this lacked those essential acids. I did have a good long finish though. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Sonnet 98
Variety: Vidal Blanc
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $17
Professional Review: This Vidal, with its floral bouquet and vanilla undertones brings to mind crisp spring mornings and the first spring flowers bursting forth to find the sun.
My Review: I got lots of fruits and flowers on the nose. On the palate I got specific hints of apple and strong acids on the mid palate. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Off the Cuff
Variety: 67% Riesling, 33% Chardonnay
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $16.50
Professional Review: Not every moment if life is planned. In fact, some of the best times are spontaneous and unscripted. This unscripted blend is mellow, slightly sweet, and bring to pair well with a variety of life's unplanned events.
My Review: I got tons of sugary berries on the nose with crisp, clean hints of sweetness on the front palate that disappeared on the mid palate. The wine was dry and didn't have much of a finish. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Just Kissed
Variety: 80% Vidal Blanc, 20% Raspberry Grape Wine
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $16
Professional Review: Kisses are an integral part of the human existence. To gently touch your lips to a surface in an expression of adoration is one of the most basic moments we have. This delightful wine, with its floral aromas, is beautifully accentuated by the kiss of a light sweetness and dainty color.
My Review: Now I had an interesting smell of cascade dish detergent and light hints of flowers on the nose. I could taste a lot of sugar on the front palate and lots of acid on the mid. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Blaze
Variety: Vidal Blanc, Traminette
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $22
Professional Review: It is what gets inside you and lights you up. Blaze is made in the noble Kakhetian style where the white grapes are left on the skins during fermentation. This gives the wine a copper-colored white wine with high levels of tannins and a sharp, fiery flavor.
My Review: Lots of big flowers on the nose. I got hints of jasmine and papaya. On the palate I got cool, crisp acids that cut just right with the right amount of tannins. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: After Midnight
Variety: Merlot, Blackberry Grape Wine, Zinfandel
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $17
Professional Review: After Midnight is a time for quiet, understated actions. When the sky is dark and smoky, beings can glide past each other nearly unnoticed. This deep , mellow red blend is reminiscent of night in both color and tone. The sweet, fruity flavors hint toward late night treats.
My Review: Now I got nothing on the nose with this one. It was just very dormant and I couldn't get any aromas out. I didn't get a lot on my palate either. I got lots of tannins, it was slightly sweet and full bodied, which I enjoyed. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Bull Frog Symphony
Variety: 50% Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourch, Merlot, Zinfandel/Sangiovese
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $18
Professional Review: Anyone that has spent time near a lake, pond or stream knows the calming sound of the bull-frog symphony. Often a single frog will begin, and then slowly others will join in, or answer. Soon, the night air is filled with this cacophonous melody. Our red table wine began much the same way: as six individual grape varietals. Each was harvested, fermented, and finally blended together to form the symphony.
My Review: OAK, tobacco on the nose with a great balance of the tannins and acids on the palate. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Deep Silence
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $19
Professional Review: This smooth and smoky Cabernet Franc is calming with traditional flavors of pepper, blackberry and currant. This is a dark, serious wine that turns your reflections inward. Cabernet Franc can be paired with Mediterranean dishes and goes well with ham, pork and veal.
My Review: I got a very vegetal, grassy aroma and almost nothing on the palate. It was just dry to the bone. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Aviator
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $25
Professional Review: The aviators of the early nineteen hundreds were pioneers and were known to defy all odds to fly. This Cabernet Franc is a reserve wine that is heavily oaked with French oak, with smoky and mocha undertones and hints of leather aromas.
My Review: I got lots of oak and wood on the nose and had heavy tannins, oak woody flavors with a great finish. You could tell this wine was born, raised, went to school, worked, retired and died in an oak barrel. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: AD 325
Variety: Chambourcin
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $17
Professional Review: This Chambourcin, like Constantine brings together a rich, brilliantly colored wine with bibrant aromatics and slightly-sweet flavor. Chambourcin is best served with dark chocolate or with a rich chocolate dessert, as the flavors of the wine and chocolate intermingle exceptionally well.
My Review: Now this wine was fruity on the nose but was bone, bone, bone dry. Didn't have much else on the palate. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Name: Sudden Downpour
Variety: 50% Apple Wine, Vidal Blanc, Viognier
Region: Christiansburg, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $15.50
Professional Review: A sudden downpour often catches us entirely by surprise, and leaves just as quickly. While this surprise may be inconvenient, it is not always unwelcome, making us feel refreshed and invigorated. This sweet apple wine, blended with white table wine embodies that quality of surprise, with warm, vanilla notes drawn from the aged bourbon barrel. The tart, crispness drawn from the apple, refreshes the palette and readies the mouth for another sip.
My Review: Now the sudden downpour was a great wine on the nose because all I could smell was honeyed bourbon. I'm a liquor fan so I liked ending this winery visit and tasting with this wine. On the palate I got hints of apple. I had this wine at a tasting without a meal.
Even though with was my 2nd winery visit, this was the first one I had with a tour of their facility. It was very informative and would like to go back when there are more grapes on the vines.
