Winery Visit - Attimo Winery

Attimo means "in the moment"

On April 13th, 2012 my friend (and classmate) Jordan and I traveled to Christiansburg to visit Attimo Winery. Attimo winery was a completely different experience from Chateau Morrisette from the beginning. First of all the wine is not made at the winery so we were not actually able to see the barrels and other machines that they use. Rik and Melissa (the owners) actually make the wine at their house right down the street where they used to also hold their tastings before the Tasting Room was opened in July of 2011.

Attimo Winery Tasting Room & Restaurant

Attimo Winery has an interesting background story. Rik and Melissa are graduates of Virginia Tech which is when they fell in love with Southwest Virginia. Rik had always had an interest in wine and spent a lot of time travelling around the world before they settled down and decided to open their own vineyard. They started planting vines in 2006 and opened the business in April 2011. I was really intrigued by how the tasting was done. Instead of standing at a bar we actually sat down at a table for this. Rik often travels to Eastern Europe where he picked up on this style of tasting.

Comfortable atmosphere inside of the tasting room

Jordan and I chose one of the tables in the tasting room and the owner Rik immediately introduced himself to us. After we met him, we were introduced to our server, Ryan, a senior Hospitality and Tourism major at Radford. They had a menu featuring items like cheese platters, a Cuban pulled pork sandwich, personal pizzas, etc. Jordan and I had already eaten before so we just stuck to the tasting. Ryan taught us something very interesting about wineries and restaurants - farm wineries are not allowed to serve food so the restaurant is a completely separate business entity. We tasted nine different wines all named original names:

Jordan and I during the wine tasting

• Masquerade 2010 (Chardonnay): Aged in oak for seven months before it's bottles. Dry, smooth, and oakey.
• Sonnet 98 2010 (Vidal Blanc): Named after Shakespeare's Ode to Spring. A perfect wine for spring weather - dry, crisp, floral, and hints of fresh greens. I really enjoyed this wine.
• I do 2010 (Traminette/Petit Manseng): This wine signifies marriage. Very popular among people getting married. Semi-sweet, distinct citrus nose. My favorite wine out of all of the ones we tasted.
• Deep Silence 2010 (Cabernet Franc): Named after long days of work and class when you want to just go home and relax in silence. Dry red, intense berry flavors and light smoky pepper finish.
• Vertex 2010 (Cabernet Sauvignon): This is Ryan's favorite wine. Dry red, rich with black currant flavors and French oak notes.
• AD 325 2010 (Chambourcin): This is the wine used to make the wine stain on their tasting menu. This wine is made in fluid cool barrels that mimic geothermal properties. Intense, robust wine with a very rich color. Ryan warned us that this wine will stain anything and everything. Bold flavors and cherry undertones.
• Sweet Berry Sunset (Raspberry/Red blend): Semi-sweet, intense berry and fruit flavors. Pairs well with chocolate. When a glass of this is served they dip the rim in chocolate and freeze them. They use Brix chocolate (named after the sugar content in grapes) which is formulated to pair with specific types of wine.
• Sudden Downpour (Apple/White Blend): Sweet, apple wine with bourbon notes and earthy tones. This wine is aged in a used Kentucky bourbon barrel. Similar to the previous wine, this wine is served with a wine glass where the rim has been dipped in caramel and cinnamon.
• Seduction 2010 (Tinta Madera/Touriga nacional/Souzao): Sweet, vintage ruby port. Direct from Portugal, hints of raspberry and raisins. This wine has a higher alcohol content (18%) since it is fortified with brandy. One of the most interesting wines I have tasted this far.

Brix chocolate used for the Sweet Berry Sunset wine

Overall, I was very pleased with my experience at Attimo Winery. I loved being able to sit down during the tasting and while I did not leave with any bottles (a little beyond my ideal price) I plan on asking for a bottle of I Do for graduation. I look forward to seeing Attimo winery again in a few weekends at Fork and Cork!

Tasting - Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia

Name: Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia
Variety: Moscato

Region: Not listed

Country: Italy

Year: Not listed

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.

My review: I'm always pleased with the Moscato provided at the tastings that I have been to. This Moscato featured honey and apricot aromas with apricots in the taste as well. Very sweet and fruity which my palate loves. A very well balanced wine. I did not pair this wine with food, but it would pair nicely with a pound cake with honey drizzled on it. 

Tasting - Montebuena Rioja Crianza

Name: Montebuena Rioja Crianza
Variety: 100% Tempranillo

Region: Rioja

Country: Spain

Year: 2007

Price: $6.95

Wine critic review: 100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My review: Definitely get your moneys worth with this wine. A great price for a great wine. I found this wine very satisfying with cherry very prevalent on the nose and red berries and a hint of pepper present in the taste. Fairly dry, but with a refreshing finish. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Varas Vinho Tinto

Name: Varas Vinho Tinto
Variety: Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%)

Region: Libson

Country: Portugal

Year: Not listed

Price: $5.49

Wine critic review: This smooth Portuguese red is a blend of Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%). The vineyards are located near Lisbon, planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in oak barrels.

 

My review: I was definitely able to pick up on this wine being aged in oak barrels. This wine was very smooth and was an interesting blend for sure. I tasted blackberry and black cherry in this wine and smelled aromas of these two fruits as well. I found it to be pretty tannic but also as previously mentioned very smooth. i did not pair this wine with food, but I think it could go well with red meat.

Tasting - Oveja Negra Syrah-Cab Rosé Reserva

Name: Oveja Negra Syrah-Cab Rosé Reserva
Variety: Syrah-Cab

Region: Not Listed

Country: Chile

Year: 2010

Price: $6.95

Wine critic review: Oveja Negra Reserva Rosé is bright cherry-red in color and has an attractive nose with aromas of raspberries and strawberries as well as plum and a bit of green apple. Crisp and juicy on the palate with a slight sweetness that accompanies the red fruit flavors. Pleasing natural acidity with mediumhigh intensity, nice persistence, and a fresh finish.

My review: One of the best wines I have tasted in a while! Beautiful color with a nose full of strawberries and raspberries. Very crisp and not too acidic. A little sweet but not overpowering. Very fresh finish and honestly refreshing overall. I am definintely going to go back and buy this wne at some point. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio

Name: gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Delle Venezie

Country: Italy

Year: 2010

Price: $8.95

Wine critic review: gPG is from the delle Venezie regions of northeastern Italy. A clean and crisp palate with plenty of texture and weight follows aromas of apples and zesty lemons. It's perfect with grilled white fish or light risotto.

My review: Super clean and crisp wine. Very refreshing and features tastes and aromas of apples and citrus. Very stong finish that left me wanting more. I did not pair this wine with food but per suggestion from the critic review I think it would pair nicely with grilled white fish.

Tasting - Primo Amore Moscato

Name: Primo Amore Moscato
Variety: Moscato

Region: Puglia

Country: Italy

Year: Not Listed

Price: $8.95

Wine critic review: Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Fruity and very inviting, with intense scents of peaches and exotic fruit. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic.

My review: I have and always will be a HUGE fan of Moscato. I especially liked this Moscato because of the heavy peach taste. This wine was very refreshing and I could easily see drinking it outside on the porch in the evening with a yummy slice of peach cobbler. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Faraway Farms Shiraz

Name: Faraway Farms Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz

Region: Not Listed

Country: South Africa

Year: 2008

Price: $5.95

Wine critic review: Fresh, modern style, with lots of plum pudding, sweet chocolate, mocha, blackberry and boysenberry flavors supported by round, sweet tannins and toast.

My review: The mocha and chocolate tastes in this wine were a little too much for me as I typically prefer fruitier wines. I did pick up on some blackberry but it was overpowered by the other flavors. Very tannic and smooth. I did not pair this wine with food but because of the severity of the chocolate and mocha I think it would obviously be paired great with chocolate.

*** Unable to find a picture

Tasting - Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha

Region: Not listed

Country: Spain

Year: 2009

Price: $6.95

Wine critic review: Bright ruby color. Primary dark berry aromas are simple but offer very good purity and focus. Juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors are youthfully tangy, with good back-end acidity adding snap. The clean, brisk finish leaves behind notes of sweet dark berry preserves and cracked pepper. 

My review: Another very dry wine. Burnt rubber and smoke were present in the nose which was an immediate turn off for me. Not very smooth either. Acidic wine with strong tastes of blackberry and black cherry. A little too bitter for me. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Oak Vineyard Chardonnay

Name: Oak Vineyard Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Nape & Sonoma

Country: United States

Year: 2010

Price: $5.95

Wine critic review: Quite an interesting Chardonnay, in an era when so many are too sweet and extracted. There’s plenty of orange and apricot fruit flavor, but also a brilliant streak of minerality, like a lick of cold steel, and the overall taste is dry. Really easy to like, with lots of complexity to warrant repeated sipping. 

My review: Being a fan of sweeter wines, I wasn't too fond of this Chardonnay. There was some fruit flavor present but not nearly enough to please my palate. This wine was also very dry and complex. While I didn't enjoy this wine, I can think of a few friends who would and I plan on recommending it to them. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Western Cape

Country: South Africa

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: OBiKWA Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal summer wine and smacks of crisp tropical fruit with a smattering of gooseberries and fig. If you're planning a night out with mates - don't forget to bring along a bottle of this yummy potion!

My review: Very enjoyable wine; tart but smooth. Strong tropical nose with an intensified fruity taste. Very crisp finish as well. Would like to try this wine on a day when it's nice outside with some fresh fruit. I did not pair this wine with any food.

Winery Visit - Chateau Morrisette

On Friday, March 23rd, 2012, five of my friends and I went to Chateau Morrisette in Floyd, Virginia for a tour of the winery and a wine tasting. This was my first time visiting a winery and let's just say it had an interesting start. Instead of printing off the directions on the website, I decided to rely on my GPS as I always do. Unfortunately, the GPS took us a back roads way which lead us around mountains and 15mph turns for about half the trip. This caused us to be late to the 11:00 tasting, but the other car full of friends went on without us and we were able to catch up to them in the tour.

Chateau Morrisette

Chateau Morrisette has a beautiful location off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 13-acre property has a restaurant, wine tasting room, wine-making facilities, and a gift shop with a lot of cute wine items. I was surprised to learn that not many of the grapes they use are actually grown on-site. The majority of them are shipped from grape growers throughout the region. The grapes are picked as soon as they reach the appropriate sugar level and then shipped to Chateau Morisette where they are destemmed and crushed. After the grapes are crushed using the machinery located to the side of the building, they are moved inside where the wine is processed, fermented, stored, barreled, and eventually bottled.

Steel containers is where the wine-making magic happens! Some of the containers are so cold that frost forms on the outside of them!

The oak barrels where the wine is aged often adds flavors to the wine itself.

Before heading to the tasting room!

After the wine is aged in barrels, it's ready to be bottled. Every bottle at Chateau Morrisette is bottled using a cork, which as we learned in class isn't the best form of enclosure as screw tops are better at keeping bacteria out. At the end of our tour, our tour guide Roberto led us to the tasting room where we participated in a sampling of 12 wines (was supposed to only be 10 wines but Roberto liked us). We started off with dry wines and worked our way to sweet wines:

• 2010 Chardonnay: This wine was not oaky at all as it is aged in stainless steel. Featured aromas of green apple, citrus, and melon ans tastes of citrus, pear, and honey. Very silky and creamy in texture. Would pair well with crab, lobster, and other seafood.
• Independence: I very much enjoyed this wine. A unique blend of Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Riesling (60%), and Chardonnay. Absolutely refreshing and packed with lively fruit such as grapefruit and melon. Roberto recommended pairing it with a cheese and fruit platter, tuna salad sandwich, and for those who like spicy food (me!) jack and jalapeno pepper cheese,
• 2010 Chambourcin: Roberto gave us a unique experience by letting us taste a bottle that had been opened for 3 days and letting us taste a freshly opened bottle. The 3-day old bottle was rough on the palate and coarse. However, the freshly opened bottle was smooth and enjoyable. The aroma in itself was much stronger and featured plums and berries. This wine was silky and soft, not rough and coarse.
• 2010 Cabernet Franc: Dark berry and delicate cedar aromas. Plum and black cherry flavors with a velvety texture. Lingering finish with notes of cocoa. Roberto recommended pairing it with mushroom dishes or chocolate. I was not a big fan of this wine.
• 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine was not on the list, but we had a Cab fan with us so Roberto let us try it. I enjoyed this wine; it was multi-leveled and complex. Rich blackberry aromas and dominant taste of plum and cherry again. A little taste of spice and cedar as well. An enjoyable wine.
• 2008 Petit Verdot: A bolder wine but more delicate in flavor as described by Roberto. Traces of vanilla emerging from rich, dark fruit aromas, Hint of mocha in the finish. Would pair well with steak or sharp cheeses.
• The Black Dog: Another wine that was not on the tasting this, but Roberto let us try. I actually had this wine a few weeks ago but it was under the name Hokie Red. A wonderful combination of Chambourcin, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Very smooth red wine with a medium body. Would pair well with light hors d-oeuvres.
• 2010 Vidal Blanc: Refreshing flavors of citrus and apples augmented my grapefruit, melon, and floral aromas. Medium-bodied and smooth with an aromatic finish. Roberto recommended pairing it with chicken picatta.
• Blushing Dog: I was a very big fan of this wine. Very sweet blush wine made from a blend of Vidal Blanc and Traminette, with a little touch of Chambourcin. Floral aroma and a crisp acidity. Would be a nice wine to drink outside on the porch on a day with good weather. Roberto recommended pairing it with spicy food.
• Sweet Mountain Laurel: Not a fan of this wine at all. The aromas turned me off immediately. Gave off scents of diesel and tar. Too acidic for me as well. Roberto referred to this wine as "Welches on steroids."
• 2010 Frosty Dog: Loved this wine! I've never tasted an ice wine before so I was excited to try it. Aromas of citrus, apple, and orange accentuated by lively acidity. The finish features honey, pear, and some mango flavors. Roberto said this wine can be used to replace a dessert and is also delicious drizzled on cheesecake.
• Blackberry Wine: This is the wine I ended up leaving with. Sweet and smooth packed with vibrant blackberry flavored. Has a beautiful color and little pieces of blackberry floating inside of it. Tastes good lightly chilled with grilled or spicy food

During the tasting Roberto recommended what he calls the "3 Sip Pour" - The first sip is used to rinse out the previous wine, the second sip introduces the new flavor, and the third sip drives it home and cements it.

I was truly blown away by what a wonderful time I had at Chateau Morrisette. Our tour guide, Roberto, was beyond great and provided us with a wealth of information as well as kept us entertained with his jokes. One of my favorite things he said that day was, "Sometimes people ask me how many days will a wine stay good once it's open. And I say I don't understand the question." A true believer in finishing the bottle the day you open it. My kind of guy :)

Us and Roberto

I have already recommended to many of my friends to make a trip out to Chateau Morrisette. It's definitely worth the little bit of a drive and I couldn't have been any more impressed!

Geography of Wine students

The mascot dog - Lucky

Tasting - Estrella Merlot

Name: Estrella Merlot
Variety: Merlot

Region: Napa, California

Country: United States

Year: 2009

Price: $5.95

Wine critic review: This ruby colored Merlot has raspberry jam aromas with a subtle hint of spice. Layers of vanilla, plum and fig are revealed that linger ever so slightly on the palate.

My review: Very heavy raspberry aroma and taste in this wine which I really enjoyed. I also caught a hint of vanilla which paired very well with the raspberry taste. Moderate body and overall a good wine for an even better price. I did not pair this wine with any food.

Tasting - Doural Red Tinto

Name: Doural Red Tinto
Variety: Red blend

Region: Not listed

Country: Portugal

Year: 2009

Price: $8.95

Wine critic review: This Portuguese tinto(red) blend exhibits a deep red color with violet hues. The nose is vibrant and fruity. The palate offers notes of spice, cherry, and dark berry supported by good structure. Pairs well with red or game meat, cheeses and fish

My review: I really enjoyed this red-blend tinto. Fruit was obvious on the nose with a hint of spice and wood as well. The taste was predominantly cherry, again with a little bit of that spice from the nose coming through. A moderate body and very smooth to drink. I did not pair with food, but I think it would be good with steak or roast.

Tasting - Oxford Landing Viognier

Name: Oxford Landing Viognier
Variety: Viognier

Region: South Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2009

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: 88 Points, Wine Spectator - Bright and lively,this white is appealing for its pear, lychee and sweet spice character, which comes together smoothly against a silky texture.

My review: Like the previous wine I tasted, I just found this wine to be average. Very fruity on the nose and with a little taste of spice. Relatively smooth wine with a light body. Would consider buying it but only because it is a reasonable wine for it's price. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Tierra de Luna Torrontes-Chardonnay

Name: Tierra de Luna Torrontes-Chardonnay
Variety: 80% Torrontes, 20% Chardonnay

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2009

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: Fresh and crisp, with floral aromas and flavors of quince and pear, this wine is a versatile companion to informal meals, and is excellent as an aperitif.

My review: I enjoyed this wine, but it was not anything special. A hint of pear on the nose and a taste of sweetness. Light body and a little dry, but overall a decent wine. I did not pair this wine with any food.

Tasting - Simonet Blanc de Blancs

Name: Simonet Blanc de Blancs
Variety: Sparkling Wine

Region: Elabore

Country: France

Year: Not Listed

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: On the nose, there is some bread-yeast and some toast, same on the palate.  Great for an everyday bubbly or for mimosas!!

My review: This wine tasted extra dry to me and the breadiness mentioned in the review was definitely present to me. I usually don't care too much for dry sparkling wines, but I did enjoy this one. Sparkling wine is one of my favorites and I would love to try this wine with a mimosa as recommended. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Ebano Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Name: Ebano Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Variety: 100% Tempranillo

Region: Ribera del Duero

Country: Spain

Year: 2007

Price: $7.95

Wine critic review: 87 Points, Robert Parker - The 2007 Ebano 6 is 100% Tempranillo aged 4 months in French oak. Dark ruby red in color, it displays a pleasant bouquet of cedar, spice box, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium- to fullbodied on the palate with savory flavors and plenty of spice, this racy, vibrant Tempranillo has enough structure to drink well over the next 5-6 years and is a very good value.

My review: I was not a huge fan of this wine. The black cherry and spice combination was a little too strong for me. A very structured wine nonetheless. The nose featured cedar and blackberry, smells I am not too fond of. I know some of my friends would enjoy this wine, it just wasn't for me. I did not pair this wine with food.