Winery Visit: Attimo Winery

On Friday February 15^th I visited the Attimo Winery located in Christiansburg, VA. At this point I had tasted wines at the Vintage Cellar but had never been to a winery and experienced a tasting there.

The view driving up to the winery

The Attimo winery is a very new winery, it has only been open for two years. The winery is located at 4025 Childress Road Christiansburg, VA 24073. The owners are Virginia Tech grads, Rik and Melissa Obiso, who decided to move back to Christiansburg and start a winery. Rik spends a much of the year in Georgia (the sovereign state near Turkey and Russia) where he learned the art of wine making and old world techniques. Melissa runs the restaurant portion of the winery. The name Attimo is an Italian word meaning moment. Every wine at the Attimo winery is named after a moment in life, making their wines very personal and giving them individual meanings.

A view of the vines in the background

The first thing we did when we entered the winery was participate in a wine tasting. These are the eight wines we tried:

Yesterday’s Song: This is a Chardonnay that is dry, crisp, and lightly oaked with pear notes. The grapes are grown in Charlottesville. I found it to have an apple scent, crisp green pear taste and a medium finish.

Sonnet 98: Named after Shakespeare’s sonnet, this Vidal blanc is dry, crisp, and floral, with hints of fresh green. The grape is grown at the Attimo winery. I found it to have a harsh acidic smell but a surprisingly sweet and sugary taste.

Off-the-Cuff: This Riesling and Chardonnay mix is semi-sweet and fruity. I found it very sweet.

Just Kissed Blush: This raspberry vidal blanc mix was also very sweet. It had a huge raspberry taste and was almost reminiscent of syrup.

After Midnight: This wine is a semi-sweet red with fruity flavors and a velvety texture. I thought it was a very versatile wine. I could drink it with brunch, alone, or with many different dinner entrees.

Bull Frog Symphony: This wine is a blend of six different wines. It is a dry red blend. I found it to be light but with a very peppery punch.

Deep Silence: This cabernet franc is a dry red with intense berry flavors and light smoky pepper finish. I found it smooth.

AD 325: This Chambourcin is a dry red with bold flavors and cherry undertones is fermented in concrete. 

The dining area where we did the wine tasting

Brochure with wine descriptions

  
After the tasting, Rik took us on a tour to show us how he makes the wine. While the grapes are growing the Obiso’s highly trained border collies patrol the area to keep out everything from rabbits to deer. Then, when the grapes are ready volunteers from Virginia Tech and seasonal workers help pick all of the grapes. Then Rik uses a manual powered press to mash the grapes. Depending on the type of grape, he then barrels them in different types of barrels.

Manually operated press

Wooden barrels used for oaked wine

After the tour, we tasted the reserve wines. The reserves that we tried were: 

Masquerade: This chardonnay is dry, smooth and very oaked. I tasted the buttery flavor that came from the oak. 

Aviator: This cabernet franc is aged for a year it has a smoky smell and rich distinct mocha flavors with oak. 

Vertex: This cabernet sauvignon is grown in Hampton Roads. It is a dry red with rich and black currant flavors and French oak notes. 

Seduction: This is a sweet, fortified red, vintage ruby port aged twenty-two months. It comes direct from Portugal with hints of raspberry and raisins.

In a few months the newest reserve, called Blaze, a Vidal and Traminette blend, will be available. Blaze is an orange colored wine. We were told it will be dry and fiery, definitely a unique wine.

Both Rik and Melissa were very knowledgeable about winemaking and the wine at their winery. To find out more about their winery, visit their website at www.attimowinery.com. I had a great time at the Attimo winery and am considering bringing my parents there when they visit this spring. Although we did not try any of the food, the menu looked very good and I would love to pair some of their wines with dinner.