Sunday, April 26, 2015

Attimo Winery

About a month or so ago, my friend Janna and I went to Attimo Winery. Normally, a tasting at Attimo is $5 for 8 wines, but because Janna has a Virginia Wine Pass (http://virginiawinepass.com/), we had 16 tastings for free! Yep, we're just that good. We didn't have the opportunity to physically tour the winery, but we got a lot of information on how some of the wines were made. I'll keep my descriptions brief since there are 16 of them!



Yesterday's Song, Chardonnay, $18: I thought this was a very oaked chardonnay, especially on the back end. This isn't surprising, as I've come to find that I'm not a big fan of chardonnays unless they're unoaked. It also had a nice pear flavor to it, and a toasty finish.

Sonnet 98, Vidal Blanc, $18:  The biggest flavors I got from this wine were: asparagus, lemon, and butter. It had a surprising earthy component to it, but you can't go wrong with that flavor profile!

Off-the-Cuff, Riesling/Chardonnay, $17: This wine had a tropical feel to it that I wasn't expecting. I tasted a lot of mango and pineapple.

Wonder, Viognier/Vidal/Traminette, $19: I didn't know what to expect with this wine since I don't have very much experience with any of these varietals, but this is one of my favorites! I guess it was a little bit oaky, but that was balanced out with the lovely melted heath bar flavor to it. It wasn't overly sweet, but it tasted like toffee and it was delicious.



I Do, Traminette/Petit Mensang, $17: This is one of the wines they designate for weddings, which personally I find a bit disappointing because I wasn't a big fan of the wine. It had a lot of rotten vegetable smells on the nose, but the palate didn't really make up for it. Janna aptly described the nose as "after-eating-asparagus-pee".

Just Kissed Blush, Vidal/Raspberry, $17: The notes I took for this wine just say "Raspberry. Raspberry. Raspberry." I don't mean that in a bad way, but that's the main (if not the only) flavor you get from this wine. But overall it's very light and drinkable.

After Midnight, Merlot/Blackberry/Zinfandel, $17: This wine was deliciously fruity and luscious. The best thing I could compare it to would be a raspberry vinaigrette, because you can taste the fruit but it's not overly sweet. Definitely one of my favorites.



Bull Frog Symphony, Blend, $18: This is essentially Attimo's experiment wine. They describe it as "dry red blend, peppery, and eclectic", which had me looking forward to it throughout the entire tasting. I wasn't dazzled by it, to me it just tasted like a generic red table wine.

Deep Silence, Cabernet Franc, $19: This wine is stored in American Oak barrels surrounded by dry ice, which I thought was pretty interesting. To me, this tasted like toast with strawberry jam on it, which isn't too bad of a flavor profile.

AD325, Chambourcin, $18: Wet rock and cinnamon on the nose, but light cherry on the nose. It wasn't a heavy wine at all.

Sudden Downpour, Apple/White Blend, $16: This wine was made in the most unique way I've ever heard. The grapes are kept with wood chips that you'd use on a barbeque for a time, then the wine is stored in bourbon barrels instead of your standard wine oak barrels. It's then aged in neutral plastic barrels. The resulting flavor can really only be described as apple pie. It's very sweet, so make sure you don't take a big sip!

Masquerade, Chardonnay, $20: So, funny story. Masquerade was created by accident. It was originally Yesterday's Song, however a barrels of that wine were lost at their storage facility (shared with other wineries, at the time the Chardonnay wasn't made on site). They were eventually found 7 months later. What happened to the flavor of the wine? It had a smooth, creamy texture to it and was much better than Yesterday's Song! In my opinion, the mouth feel of the wine masks the oak flavors, making it much more drinkable.




Vertex, Cabernet Sauvignon, $21: The most important note I have about this wine is that if you want to drink it, open it a few hours earlier. It's got too powerful of a flavor profile to be consumed immediately!

Charisma, Tinta Madera/Touriga Nacional/Souzao, $26: This is a port wine from Portugal that is sent to California to be fortified with brandy, and is obviously not produced on site. To me, it just tasted like raisin infused brandy, but it smelled much sweeter and fruitier.

Tropical Getaway, Chardonnay/Vidal/Riesling, $21: This Members Only wine was VERY sweet! It tasted like a mango syrup to me, It would actually probably be really good for cooking.

Promise, Syrah/Zinfandel/Cab Sauv, $25: Another Members Only wine. This was one of my favorites. Honestly, I don't have many notes for it because I drank it too fast! It had lots of robust fruit and berry flavors to it. It was very drinkable all by itself!

Overall, it was a great day! Attimo is a very cozy place, run by really nice people. It felt really nice to support a local winery. I can't wait to go back!




Tracy's first wine dinner

A few weeks back, I had some wine class buddies over and treated them to a pairing dinner! It was my first time hosting a dinner party so I was pretty nervous, but luckily I managed to not burn the house down! Overall, it was a great night with friends! I'm really proud the pairings I selected worked really well together! 

The 3 wines we had were: Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneti La Selvanella, Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, & Lodali Moscato d'Asti. The Chianti was paired with a bruschetta, the Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with pasta and red sauce with italian sausage and ground beef, and the Moscato was paired with brownies AND strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce (I.Love.Chocolate.)




First Course: Chianti Classico Vigneti La Selvanella and Bruschetta



Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneti La Selvanella
Sangiovese
Tuscany
Italy
2008
$22

Shop Review: The nose is complex, pervasive and elegant, its fruit notes mingling with very intense, unusual mineral and smoky sensations. The gutsy palate displays well-balanced acidity, sweet, tight-knit tannins that are never woody, and extraordinary length.

My Review: My friend Dante actually brought this bottle back from Italy after a family trip. Luckily for us he was willing to share :) It had a delicious cherry flavor to it, in an incredibly drinkable way. It had a full, balanced body -- nothing was overpowering at all. I actually high fived Dante for buying it after my first sip. Even though it's entirely drinkable on its own, It was even better with the bruschetta. I think the balsamic vinegar in the dish is what made the pairing work so well. I also just love bruschetta, so I'd probably eat it with just about anything. 



Second Course: Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon and Pasta in Red Sauce w/ Italian Sausage and Ground Beef
 


Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Lodi, California
USA
2011
 $12

Shop Review: The Gen 5 Cabernet is solid and firm on the palate; well balanced; displays attractive black fruit flavors that show excellent ripeness

My Review: Cab Savs make me a bit nervous because I'm always nervous that they're going to be too dry or heavy. This wasn't the case with the Gen 5! I tasted a lot of pleasant cherry and raspberry flavors, with the perfect amount of pepper. It was also great with the pasta, I think the fat content of both types of meat helped mellow out the tannis.


Final Course: Lodali Moscato d'Asti























Lodali Moscato d'Asti
100% Moscato
Piedmont
Italy
2014
$11

Shop Review: A delightfully aromatic wine, with loads of fresh fruit flavors bursting from the glass. It is sweet, but beautiful balanced by the wine's effervescence and acidity. Being frizz ante, it has only about half the effervescence of a sparkling wine, and is hard to resist. This wine makes a wonderful accompaniment to many desserts, especially those with fruit such as peach, pear, apple, and berries.

My Review: Note to self -- learn what "frizz ante" means. The moscato was nice and crisp and fizzy like a good moscato should be! I don't know if I'd be willing to drink it on its own, it's pretty strong, but it paired very well with the brownies! I think the chocolate mellowed out the strong flavors in the wine. We also tried it with strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce, and it was AMAZING. Yes, we had 2 desserts. Just like the review said, it paired very well with fruit.


Sunday, April 19, 2015


Jam Jar
Sweet White (Moscato)
South Africa
2014
$8.95

This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.

First of all, how cute is this label?? For me, this was a standard moscato with sweet peach flavors. This would be great with all types of desserts, but unfortunately I didn't get to have it with any food. It's also good all by itself. 

Rare Red Blend


Rare Red
Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot blend
California
USA
2013
$9.95

A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.

This was a strong, fruity wine. It felt like it had a lot of heat to it, I'm not sure if that was a legitimate pepper flavor or the alcohol content. I think this needs to be paired with something to tone it out, maybe pasta? It'd be interesting to try it with food.

Breca Tovana Old Vine Garnacha


Breca Tovana
Old Vine Garnacha
Munebrega
Spain
2013
$8.95

Gnarled vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain’s winemaking tradition and produce small clusters of perfectly ripe Garnacha grapes. Aromas of blackberries, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit. Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine.

I got a lot of cherry flavors with this wine. It had a yummy berry flavor to it. It was a little heavy in tannins, but I think that works for this wine. I didn't get to have it with food, but it would make a good dinner wine. Maybe it would even be good with chocolate!

Marques de Caceres Verdejo


Marques de Caceres
Verdejo
Rueda
Spain
2013
$9.95

Vivid straw colour. Fresh, clean and intense bouquet enlivened by notes of citrus fruit with a depth of pears and apples. Deliciously fresh and full in the mouth where racy, focused flavours deliver notes of minerals, lemon rind and green apples. Good length and a refreshing finish. Has all the character of the best from its appellation.

This is a light wine with a nice citrusy finish. The pear and apple flavors are very present but not obnoxiously so. Very good for casual sipping during the summer, I'd classify it as another good porch wine. I didn't have it with food, but I liked it on its own. 

Dibon Cava


Dibon Cava
Cava Blend: 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada
Catalonia
Spain
2013

$9.95

Made from 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada, the nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness. Cava, Catalan sparkling wine, is made mostly in the regions of Penedes, and the capital of cava is Sant Sadurni d´Anoia. Dibon is located in Vilafranca del Penedes, aproximately 20 Km from Sant Sadurni. The Dibon vineyard is in the process of becoming fully organic. It consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

This is a very dry sparkling wine with a nice citrus flavor to it. It's definitely very crisp and refreshing, maybe I'll have some when I'm in Catalonia this summer! I didn't have it with food, but it was pretty good on its own.