Visiting Attimo Winery

I visited the Attimo Winery with Renee Robus AKA my partner in Wine.

Unfortunately we did not get to tour the winery because of the day that we went so we ended up asking a ton of questions about it. 


History: The winery was started in 2008. It was initially just a hobby by the vineyard owner who wanted to make her own wine. Eventually however she began to sell it and it went from being a hobby to being a career. The house that we did the tastings in was initially not apart of the vineyard and all of the tastings were actually done in the living room. Once the owner had become comfortable with her business however she expanded her vineyard as well as purchased the house that is used for the tastings. 

We inquired about their grapes and were told that most of the grapes are grown on site directly behind the tasting house or at their satellite location in NOVA. Additionally the grapes that they cannot grow in Virginia are imported from California. 


The winery was named Attimo because it means "Moment" in Italian. This is because the owner believed in remembering moments instead of days or times. Each of their wines is named after a moment that the owner or someone in the owners life experienced. I really liked the names of their wines, the reasoning behind it and the thought that went into each wine. 

This is a list of the wines that are available to taste and on the left hand side are the wines that we tasted. We sampled 8 wines and each of them was good. I don't believe that there was more than one that I did not enjoy. 

We sampled the following wines:

Yesterdays Song: This wine was named after the owners grandmother who could remember song tunes but not the lyrics. The nose had a delicious apple pear combination that blended well with a bit of oak. It was perfectly sweet with just a hint of sour.

Off The Cuff: This was a Riesling and it too shared the apple and citrus notes of the last wine. It is blended with a chardonnay however to cut some of the sweetness. The flavor was crisp and refreshing and was easily drinkable. 

Wonder: This was another strong apple driven wine, however this gave off an earthy/grassy smell as well to accompany the fruity component. The taste was light and some of that grassy smell came through on the back of the palette. The finish was very dry.

I Do: This is their signature wedding wine. The nose of this wine smelled very sweet, however there was also a subtle hint of ammonia that was slightly put-offish. The flavor though was deliciously sweet with just a hint of dry that really made for a good wine. I honestly could consider this wine for a special event just because of its drinkability. 

After Midnight: The most noticeable component of this wine is definitely its strong blackberry nose. Blackberry wine is blended into this and it makes it a huge factor in both flavor and taste. However behind the blackberry are the smells that you would find typical in a Merlot (black cherry, caramel etc). This wine tasted amazing, with strong hits of blackberry in the beginning and long drawn out finish. 

Deep Silence: I loved the scent of this wine as it was very strong with berries. Blueberries being the easiest to detect for me, but followed closely by blackberries and a small whiff of strawberry. The flavor was something else however, it was really smokey and honestly repelling for me. It was dry and did not have enough flavor to justify how dry it was. 

AD325: AD 325 is the year that the bible was written and it was written in ink that was made from the grapes that this wine is made of. The smell of this wine was inviting and warm, caramel and black cherries graced the start of the nose as it faded into black currants and a hint of cinnamon. The color was gorgeously dark and the flavor was sweet but with a mask of bitter dryness that allowed it to keep a strong complexity about it. 

Sudden Downpour: Finally their dessert wine. It is an apple wine that has been oaked in bourbon barrels. It smells like cinnamon applesauce and has the same light brown color. It did have a small bourbon undertone to the smell that added a kick that was unlike anything I've smelled before. The flavor was amazingly not too sweet because it was blended with a white wine. It was mellowing and relaxing and honestly the perfect dessert wine because it was not too sweet but just the right amount. 

Before leaving we asked what type of grapes were grown on site and unfortunately the woman facilitating our tasting did not know specifically which grapes were grown on site. She did mention that the grapes for deep silence were grown on site so I would assume Cabernet Franc is grown, as deep silence is a Cabernet Franc. We also know that some of their wines are oaked but we do not know what type of oaking takes place. 

The bottling process and location were not mentioned.


Finally it can be seen from the wine tasting picture above that several of their wines have won awards. They are the wines denoted with the double cross, but to list a few are deep silence, I do, and off the cuff. 



I had to have one of their stemless wine glasses so I purchased it when I paid for my tastings. I really enjoyed the Attimo winery. It is a really small winery but it is a lot of fun, very affordable and very down to earth. The people there were friendly and helpful and I will definitely going back on a weekend. 

Wine and Cheese II

Sunday Night April the 26th my partner in wine Renee Robus and I got our wine and cheese on for a second time.

Our wines and cheeses were as follows:


Gallo Family Chardonnay
and Bruschetta Jack

The Chardonnay had a delicious nose of apples and citrus. Lemons were very present on back end of the nose and there was a small hint of melon that added the perfect amount of complexity. There was a good deal of oaky smell that made its way through the nose and made a strong appearance in the flavor as well. The cheese pairing for this wine was not ideal unfortunately. The Brushetta aspect of the cheese was really mild and creamy and I think that it would have blended better with a complex red wine instead of an in your face chardonnay. The Chardonnay was sweet and sour and had a lot of zing, while the cheese was really mellowing and it caused for this clash of flavors that fought a battle right on the middle of the tongue. I will say that the "Jack" part of this cheese, AKA the spices were a great complement to the zing of the chardonnay and those two aspects did get along quite well. However overall I think that we could have paired better. 

Gallo Family Merlot
Smokey Chipotle Cheddar Jack

The Merlot presented with fantastic notes of black cherry, caramel and cinnamon. It had a very warm smell about it that I usually associate with red wines. This Merlot was the perfect blend of sweet and dry and that is something that you will very rarely hear me saying. We pairing it with Chipotle Cheddar Jack was slightly confusing for me. The dryness of the wine did not allow the taste buds to escape the onslought of spice from the cheese and so it seemed that the wine and cheese clashed. It was even more confusing however because the creamy texture of the cheese did blend well with the thick complexity of the Merlots texture. I am not sure whether I think this paired well or not. I find that I am quite neutral on it and that I could take it or leave it. There are definitely better pairings out there. 

Cooks California Chardonnay Brut
and Garlic and Herb Jack

Finally the Brut. This wine was fairly similar to the first wine that we paired. However there are some differences to note. There was a more noticeable note of pears in this wine that really brought about a difference that necessary. It was also a champagne so the bubbles created this odd sensation when they mixed with the cheese that was almost like a palette cleanser. Finally there was some notable toasty smell on the nose like a nice piece of breakfast toast.  This pairing experienced the same downfall that the first pairing suffered from unfortunately. The jack was a good deal sharper the bruschetta and paired well with the Brut. As before the spicy notes in the cheese were sort of "put out" by the crispness of the wine and it created a great blend in the mouth. The flavor of the cheese itself was just sharp enough that it was able to be tamed by the Brut but not so mild that I would have preferred a red. 

The more wine and cheese I seem to pair together the more I am realizing I would much rather pair a red wine with almost any cheese. It seems like no matter what the cheese is, I don't enjoy it with a lighter colored wine. I really enjoyed doing this again though and probably will continue to after this class because it is not only fun but is educating for my taste buds. 

Tasting - Bera Asti 2011

Name: Bera
Variety: Asti
Region: Neviglie, Piemonte

Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: Regular Price $9.95

Winery Review

90 pts, Decanter Magazine

Bera is a soft and plush wine with creamy foam, lemony mousse and loads of fragrant peach blossom, honey and sweet almond on the bouquet. You’ll love the intensity of elegant,  fresh, rich flavours and vibrant acidity.

My Review

This wine was very light and sweet smelling. It had a great lemon nose that accented beautifully by peaches and a slight jasmine note. There was another floral component that I wasn't quite able to pick up but it was all tied together beautifully. The flavor was sweet and refreshing. The lemon really comes through on the mid range and just makes this feel like the perfect wine for a special occasion. 

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Tarima Monastrell 2013

Name: Tarima
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Alicante
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: Regular Price $9.95

Winery Review

90 pts, Stephen Tanzer

Bright purple.  High-pitched red and dark berry scents show good clarity and pick up a licorice nuance with air.  Tangy and focused on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and spicecake flavors with an exotic touch of candied violet.  Closes spicy and long, with silky tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip.  This is a fantastic value.

My Review

This wine was pretty entertaining to get a whiff of. It reminded me slightly of Jagermeister because it shared that black licorice smelling component. Coming in the background was the supporting cast of blackberry and cinnamon. This wine offered so many smells that I was having difficulty picking them out. The taste was extremely acidic and had a long oaky finish that I really enjoyed. 

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Coreto Tinto 2013

Name: Coreto 
Variety: Tinto
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: Regular Price $6.95

Winery Review

Caladoc , Alicante Bouschet , Castellan , Pinot Noir , Tinta Roriz , Touriga Nacional.  Great as an aperitif, is a perfect wine for the day-to-day. Excellent addition to dishes with meats, stews, roasts, barbecue, pasta, pizza, vegetarian dishes, Mexican food, Chinese, Thai and cheeses. Excellent with food or by itself. You can follow for example, roasts, barbecue, pasta and vegetarian dishes or made of cheese. Serve at a temperature of 14-16ºC which enhances the fruity, also being much more enjoyable in warmer weather, on a terrace or a party. 

My Review

This wine smelled strongly of black cherries. It also gave off a warm soft caramel note that pulled the rest of the scents together. I honestly was not too impressed with the nose on this wine, but I was also able to pick out a small blackberry component. The taste was very light and soft and had a long finish that was full of fruity complexity that I was not able to pick up on straight off the nose. It was definitely a surprise from a taste perspective. 

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Tarima Blanco 2013

Name: Tarima
Variety: Blanco (70% mereseguera, 20% viura and 10% moscatel)
Region: Alicante
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: Regular Price $8.95

Winery Review

(70% mereseguera, 20% viura and 10% moscatel):  Light yellow.  Perfumed aromas of Meyer lemon, melon and white flowers show good clarity and a hint of ginger.  Juicy, open-knit citrus fruit and peach flavors are firmed by a zesty mineral quality and a touch of white pepper.  The melon note repeats on the clinging but slightly warm finish.

My Review
The nose on this wine was exceptionally fruity. There smell of lemons and peaches is very evident directly off of the nose of this wine. It finishes softly with a slight hint of a flowery note that really brings the fruits together and gives the smell a really balanced feel. The taste was really smooth and had a strong ginger component that I really enjoyed being a big fan of ginger. 

I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Dom de la Condemine Macon-Peronne “Le Clou” 2012

Name: Dome de la Condemime
Variety: Macon-Peronne "Le Clou"
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: Regular Price $19.00, Sale $7.95

Winery Review

Made from 100% Chardonnay. Sustainable agriculture: very low use of chemicals.  Their philosophy is to produce a wine in the traditional style of Mâcon, with minimal intervention and not use of Oak.  The soils is made of Clay and Limestone (Argilo-Calcaire) and the parcels are located right next to Viré Clessé Appelatio.  A light golden hue, floral aromas. Intense, clean and fresh on the palate. Citrus notes, bold acidity. Excellent match to seafood with butter or cream sauces or rich blue cheeses.

My Review
This wine boasted some delicious lemon even a hint of lime notes on the nose. After the lemon faded I smelled a hint of green apple. I really enjoyed the smell of this wine as it finished nicely with a small buttery finish that really just made me think of movie popcorn butter. The flavor was crisp and clean and was the perfect blend of sour and sweet. 


I did not eat food with this wine.