Attimo Winery Visit

Valentine's Day would be nothing without wine. For my present (which I specifically asked for from my sweetheart), we visited the Attimo Winery this past Saturday afternoon. Driving through the snow covered hillsides, I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my Valentine's Day weekend.

We were lucky that the driveway to the winery was even cleared. However, we immediately got to experience the beautiful scenery.

When we first arrived to the winery, you could see where the vines grow each year. Even though they were covered with snow, I could tell that this would be a magical place to spend a spring afternoon getaway.

The tasting room had a feeling I don't know how else to explain other than, welcoming.

After we arrived, we were not quite sure which building was the tasting room. However, once I spotted the cute flag that was out front explaining how it was "Wine Time", I knew we were in the right place.

This was "The Flight" wine tasting option that my sweetheart chose. He chose After Midnight, Sunset Berry, and Sudden Downpour.

Once seated, the staff was delightful and explained all of the different options that we had to chose from. Since it was my Valentine's Day present, I had the opportunity to partake in the full wine tasting that included eight wines of my choice. My boyfriend on the other hand participated in what they called a "flight". This type of wine tasting is when you chose three wines to sample, but you receive full glasses for each. He chose three of the sweeter/fruitful style wines. Both tastings cost $5, but one of us had to stay sober enough to drive home!

Attimo, means "moment" in Italian. Therefore, the waitress explained that each wine of theirs is named after a particular moment in time.

These were my choices for the wine tasting. The wines on the right were an extra $1 per wine, because they were considered "reserves".

At many of the tastings that I have been a part of, I have never gotten the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal while trying these wines. At Attimo, we chose three appetizers that we thought sounded good and had the chance to taste these wines with each separately.

We chose the homemade meatballs, bread with dipping oil and Gouda cheese, and hummus filled cucumbers with cherry tomatoes. All three appetizers were delightful.

For my tasting, I chose eight wines that I want to share with you separately in a list form. They were extremely busy and the atmosphere was so elegant that I did not want to ask to take a picture of each wine, but I will describe them each briefly.

1. Yesterday's Song - Chardonnay
-This wine sat in oak for 3-4 weeks, with a light fruity yet floral nose. I could taste the butter pushing through with a crisp citrus finish.

2. Sonnet 98 - Vidal Blanc
-They described this as a dry wine but I must say that I felt the first wine was much drier. It had a grassy meadow nose with a smooth mid-palate. This would be a great wine for a spring picnic.

3. Off-the-Cuff - Riesling/Chardonnay
-I enjoyed this wine from the bouquet to the smooth finish. This would be great to take to a dinner party or give as a gift for those who enjoy light white wines.

4. I Do - Traminette/Petit Mensang
-The smell of this wine was of Valentine's Day lollipops. It had a sweet honeysuckle bouquet along with a bite at the very end (almost as a surprise), with hints of tropical fruit. This wine is used for many weddings.

5. Just Kissed Blush - Vidal/Raspberry
-I chose to take this wine home with me. The smell was as if I broke open a mango and put my nose straight into it. This would make for a great base for Sangria, and the fruits did not make it too sweet for a dinner wine. This would pair well with lighter green salads and vegetables.

6. After Midnight - Merlot/Blackberry/Zinfandel
-Even though the description said that it was a sweeter red, the black pepper was obvious on the nose. The first sentence out of my mouth was, "Holy wow!" I don't even know if that is a sentence. This wine contradicted itself and I was impressed.

7. AD 325 - Chambourcin
-This blush wine made the cheese much drier. It had a dry feeling from the initial blast and the smell was of black currant and pepper. I enjoyed the contrast from the other wines and it had great body.

8. Blaze - Vidal/Traminette
-This was one of the reserve wines that I wanted to try because it is one of two wines on the east coast that are made "Georgian Style", fermenting the stems and skins as well. This means that the wine is considered a noble wine. Personally, it was fun to go out on a limb and try this new type of (orange) wine, however the smell mimicked that of an old gym shoe and the taste was dull and boring.

These bottles only show a few of many awards that this winery has to show for itself.

When speaking with our waitress after the tasting, she explained that this winery in particular is one of the only places in Virginia that can say that each and every wine they have produced has won a medal, multiple of them gold medals. By the end of this tasting, we could not help ourselves but to take home two bottles to enjoy on another special occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and hope to do it again someday soon, even not for a grade.