Winery Visit - Attimo Winery

On Saturday February 22nd, 2013, I went to visit the Attimo Winery with a small group of friends. We only went to do a tour and did not participate in a tasting, but we learned a lot about how the grapes were grown, processed and even bottled. Attimo Winery is located off of Childress Road in Christiansburg, VA, about 30 minutes from Virginia Tech. Attimo was founded 8 years ago, but have only been open to the public for 3 years. They have 17 acres of land with 15,000 vines on the property. The winery also leases 15,000 vines. The only grapes that are not grown at Attimo are Merlots, Zinfandels, and Apples. The winery considers themselves to be about 95% organic because they usually are all organic but have to use normal sprays when necessary. Overall, the winery produces 50-60 tons of grapes per year and are all picked by hand. This amounts to 4500/5500 cases per year. 


Our tour guides name was Rik Obeso and is the owner and founder of the winery. He travels around the world and is rarely in the states during this time since the quiet time for the vineyard is December, January and February, but takes his wine to several wine competitions around the world, which he does very well in. He chose this location in Virginia because of the lack of rain that this particular area in Montgomery County gets per year, which is very good for growing grapes. This location is in a double rain shadow it only receives 16-18 inches of rain per year, which is very similar to the amount that Napa gets in California. Rik explained that the worst part of this region is the frost.

Rik is talking to us about the Vidal Blanc vines that have just been pruned. They try and keep about three buds on each of the vines in order to have a starting point for the grapes for the next season.

The Vidal Blanc vines (above) is twisted with a graft, which is below the soil that is meant to help resist worms and avoid diseases to the grapes. Once the vines have grown and there are a bunch of grapes and leave on them, Rik had said that you would not even be able to hear someone else if they were standing only three rows away due to the thickness and amount of the leaves.

These barrels are filled with wine of different varieties.

Once we left the vines in the vineyard, we went to a building that had barrels that were filled with different wines. Every tank or barrel is labeled with the pH, which is on the blue painters tape, and also the sugar in fermentation. Some of the different pH values include 2.9-3.1 for Riesling and 3.1-3.3 for Whites. Citric acid is added back into wine if there is a lower pH.






Bottling times for whites and reds is different as well. For whites, the grapes are crushed and then pressed. Bottling then occurs in April, so the wine is in the barrels from September to April. For red wines, the grapes are crushed, then they are fermented and use dry ice to cool it. The wine is then bottled in July so the grapes are in the barrels from September to July. To give the wine a more "oaky" flavor, they force oak into the barrels by putting oak chips and shavings in panty hose. This allows them to use the barrels as long as possible, which is about 3-4 years. After that they must get new ones which are about $1300. Rik makes furniture or other things that he can sell out of the oak barrels in order to get some of his money back from buying new barrels. They use American, French and Hungarian oak. They also have plastic containers to hold wine that are cheaper, leave a lower carbon footprint and last about 10-12 years. This is similar to stainless steel but age the wine like a barrel does. Rik explained how they had to follow a cycle because of the Virginia Winery Distribution Company. There are three tiers that have to go in order from manufacturing to the distributor and then to the retailer. It must go in this order instead of just having the winery sell straight to the retailers.

Rik talking to us about the barrels.

Attimo Winery with a lovely sunset.

These are some of the awards that the wine has gotten.

Overall this was a great experience and our tour guide was incredible. My favorite part was actually being in the vineyard and looking at the vines. I think that it would be really neat to stand in the vineyard in about six months to see how much of a difference it is with nothing on the vines to having them full of grapes and leave. It is very interesting learning about how each winery produces their wines because it is a little different at each place. I would recommend going to get a tour and am excited to go back and taste some of their wines.

Tasting - Barefoot Refresh

Name: Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink
Variety: Blend of Pinot Noir Rose and Moscato
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $8

Winery Review:
This lively blend of Pinot Noir Rosé and Moscato is perfect for an afternoon at the ballpark. Refreshingly light-bodied, this fruit basket of a flavor showcases notes of raspberry, orange and freshly picked berries. Enjoy over ice.
My Review: This is a really fun wine to drink when having a party or some friends over. It is definitely not a very spectacular wine but has some sparkle to it and lots of fruity flavors. I got a lot of strawberries, pineapple, peach and even some orange flavors out of this wine. It is really easy to drink a whole bottle of this wine and could be used as dessert after a large dinner.

I did not taste this wine with food.
 

Tasting - Verdi Spumante

Name: Verdi Spumante
Variety: Spumante - Champagne/ Sparkling
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Country: Italy
Year: NV
Price: $8

Winery Review:
Deliciously sparkling and zesty, it has a soft and fruity flavor. Serve chilled to fully enjoy its balanced, clean, delightful taste. Verdi Spumante is a perfect crowd pleaser for every occasion. Its elegant taste appeals to all…and its re-sealable cork closure preserves the sparkle until you’re ready for the next glass. This malt beverage with natural flavors is the new fun drink alternative and the fastest growing sparkling Italian Spumante in the U.S.!

My Review: This wine was not one of the best ones that I have had. I thought that it was a very boring sparkling wine and did not have much going for it. It was overly sweet and did not really have that much "sparkle" to it compared to other sparkling wines. I did not drink this wine with any food so that may have been a huge factor in not liking it, but I think that it tasted like straight sugar water. Possibly mixing it with orange juice or lemonade would be better.

I did not taste this wine with food.
 

Tasting - Fulkerson Diamond

Name: Fulkerson Diamond
Variety: Diamond
Region: Seneca Lake, New York
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $8

Winery Review:
Aromas of soft and clean green grape and stone fruit lead you to a burst of fresh citrus, green grape flavors and a hint of pineapple on the finish. A romantic wine to enjoy on a picnic or by the fireplace.

My Review: Diamond is another wine that I really enjoyed because of its balance of sweetness. It is a little drier than the rest of the wines that I have been tasting so far, and it was great with Thanksgiving dinner. It was a very soft wine and tasted just like a big, juicy green grape, just as the winery review suggests. There are slight tropical fruit flavors as well, but not as strong as the green grape. It paired nicely with turkey and cranberry sauce.

I drank this wine with Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Tasting - Four Chimneys Eye of the Bee

Name: Eye of the Bee
Variety: Semi-Sweet Red Wine
Region: Seneca Lake, New York
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $12

Winery Review: No. 1 Best seller - all-time favorite. This Four Chimneys semi-sweet original suggests fresh picked grapes and honey-on-the-comb. A lovely rose-colored aperitif.

My Review: Eye of the Bee is one of my favorite wines that I have tasted that has not been a typical Moscato or Riesling that I usually like. This wine is a little different in that it is made at a 100% organic winery, so you can kind of taste a slight difference in the wine. It is very smooth and is almost like a juice. This wine is made with honey and tastes like a bowl of fresh, sweet berries with honey on top of them. I think this wine would pair nicely with a dessert such as pound cake or angel food cake.

I did not taste this wine with food.
 

Tasting - Steeple Jack

Name: Steeple Jack
Variety: Moscato
Region: Southern Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $7

Winery Review:
The Ballast Stone refers to the ships that used deliver Ballast Stone from the UK and fill up with wool and grain for the return trip. These days it refers to the winery owned by the Shaw family with vineyard holdings in McLaren Vale and Currency Creek. This premium wine offers quality at a price to please. This fresh, spritzy style is full of floral and tropical fruit flavours, before a sweet palate that’s balanced with a clean, acid finish.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine because it had a little bit of a fizz to it even though it is not a sparkling wine, which gave it a little more personality. The nose was not very strong on it and had hints of sunshine and a dry fruity smell. On the palate it was not dry at all and tasted like a mixture of pineapple, apricot and a small amount of mango. It was very refreshing and I would say on the sweeter end of medium sweet. It was not too sweet, but definitely sweet.

I did not taste this wine with any food.

My Personal Experience with Wine

     Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were always special in our family because we had our cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents all come over for the holiday. All of that was great, including the food, but even as children we were allowed to have a glass of wine with dinner. This is where I was introduced to wine and where I grew a fondness for it. I grew up in a family that enjoys wine with meals on a daily basis and not only enjoys drinking it, but also learning about where it came from, how to cook with it and what to eat it with.

     I have enjoyed drinking wine up until this point in my life, but I have already learned that I never correctly tasted wine. I would just drink what I thought tasted good and would never analyze the smell, body, color or taste. Sweet and moderately sweet wines are what I typically enjoy the most, but there are wines that I think are too sweet. Usually I tend to like white wines more than red wines, but that may also be because I have not had enough red wines to know if I really do not like them. My mom is a huge fan of extremely dry red wines so that turned me off to red wines in general.

In this class I am excited to be able to taste a lot of different wines to be able to expand my palate as well as find other wines that I enjoy. I am excited to learn how wine is made, other than just smashing grapes because I already know there is an art to making wine. I am eager to learn about the different varieties of wine and how they differ from each other. Pairing wine with food is another part of the class that I am interested in because I really do not know anything about what wines go with what dishes. Even though it is the beginning of the semester, I have already learned so much about wine and how to drink it and what to look for when drinking it, and can not wait for the rest of the semester to unfold!

Tasting - Barefoot Moscato

Name: Barefoot Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $7

Winery Review: The wine presented a mostly clear and clean appearance with mild color typical of a Moscato.  Though not a sparkling wine, it was a little bit bubbly in the glass. A clean crisp aroma of light pear was immediately noticed and was pleasant.  On the palate, the Barefoot Moscato was sweet and crisp.  The sweetness did not overpower the enjoyable tastes of lemon and orange citrus, as promised from the bottle. The mouthfeel had a texture of satiny smoothness with a finish that landed mostly in the cheeks and somewhat less on the tongue.  The finish was short and delicate. 
My Review: This is one of my favorite wines because it is so cheap and it has a little sparkle to it. It is really sweet and light, which pairs very well with some light snacks such as cheese and crackers. I had this wine with some sun dried tomato and basil cheese. You can tell by the nose on this wine that it is very sweet and smells like vanilla icing. It tastes like a combination of orange and lemon, with some sweet grapes added to it. Like the winery review suggested, there is a slight bubble in the wine even though it is not a sparkling wine. It adds some personality to the wine. I really like this wine and it has been one of my favorites for a while.

I tasted this wine with sun dried tomato and basil cheese and crackers. 

Tasting - Horton Cabernet Franc

Name: Horton Cabernet Franc
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Region: Orange Country, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $12.99

Winery Review: Aromas of violets and tar combine with spicy oak flavors in this robust wine.  Horton Cabernet Franc was the first in the United States using the traditional blending variety, Tannat (16%).  The result is a wine with a firm structure, ripe fruit and a spicy finish. The flavor of this wine is medium to full bodied, and for us was quite delicious.  It does posses the spicy oak flavor as described, and finishes smooth but not weak.  We enjoyed this with a variety of cheeses and this wine served as a very nice compliment.
 My Review: When we first opened this wine, the nose was very strong and had a booming body. It was very rich with rose and earthy smell. When we first tasted the wine it was very acidic and not good at all so we let it sit for about an hour to let it breathe. After tasting it again it tasted like a mixture of chlorine, grass clippings and flowers. I did not really enjoy this wine because it was possibly too bold and dry for my palate but maybe it would be better with food or even if it sit out for a few more hours.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting - Danzante Pinot Grigio

Name:  Danzante Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region:Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia known as the "Tre Venezie"
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $6

Winery Review: Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. 

My Review: This wine was delicious and it was the first time I had really enjoyed a Pinot Grigio. The nose was very soft and was not very acidic like some of the previous wines I had tasted. This wine had a very strong body for a white wine but was not overpowering. It was floral and fruity with sunflower and dried pineapple on the palate. I would like to try this wine with a chicken dish or a light salad to see how well it pairs. 
I did not taste this wine with food.  

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. - See more at: http://www.danzantewines.com/pinot-grigio.html#sthash.28P0Kncm.dpuf

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. - See more at: http://www.danzantewines.com/pinot-grigio.html#sthash.28P0Kncm.dpuf

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. - See more at: http://www.danzantewines.com/pinot-grigio.html#sthash.28P0Kncm.dpuf

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. - See more at: http://www.danzantewines.com/pinot-grigio.html#sthash.28P0Kncm.dpuf

Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 boasts a luminous straw yellow with generous gold highlights. The bouquet is rich with aromas of tropical fruit such as papaya and pineapple, followed by delicate floral notes. The aromatic fruitiness continues onto a generous, full-bodied palate that is wonderfully fresh and lively. A dynamic finish ends on a subtle note of crisp fruit. - See more at: http://www.danzantewines.com/pinot-grigio.html#sthash.28P0Kncm.dpuf

Tasting - Chateau Morrisette Red Mountain Laurel

Name: Chateau Morrisette Red Mountain Laurel Sweet Red Table Wine
Variety: Red Wine Blend of native grape varieties
Region: Southwest Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $9

Winery Review: This is a distinctive dessert wine made from a blend of native American grape varieties. It exhibits flavors of fresh grapes and cherries that are complemented by a sweet, smooth finish. A nice accompaniment for chocolate desserts, delicious poured over pound cake, or served as an aperitif.

My Review: I really did not enjoy this wine as much as I thought I was going to. My first impression of the smell was that it smelled slightly like cough syrup mixed with fruit salad. As I tasted it, the wine was very sweet, maybe a little too sweet even for someone with a giant sweet tooth. I got hints of raspberry and blackberry and maybe even some raisin flavors. If this wine was a little drier or eaten with some dessert I may have enjoyed it slightly more. 

I tasted this with out food.

Tasting - the Little Penguin Riesling

Name: the Little Penguin South Eastern Australia Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: South Eastern Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $6

Winery Review: The Little Penguin Riesling is crisp with soft citrus and lime flavors and a zesty finish. The wine is great by itself or with any number of food, including Caesar salad or chicken piccata.

My Review: I really like this wine to drink by itself. I thought that the nose was very refreshing and had hints of apple in it. As the winery review had said, I thought that it had a very crisp taste and was slightly floral with some apricot in it, but I would not say that it is an extremely sweet wine.
I tasted this on its own without food.