On Saturday, February 6, 2016, my best friend Brianna and I went to
Whitebarrel Winery in Christiansburg, VA. This was a special event: Wine and Chocolate Pairing and we bought our tickets in advance for $15 each. We found out about this event on Facebook and because the ticket was not too pricey, we decided to go together! This was my first time visiting a winery and we had a wonderful evening tasting six different wines with sweets and learning about their wines.
The welcome sign by the entrance, where we checked in.
Back in 2006, under the name of Attimo Winery, Richard Obiso began planting vines in an open field off of Childress Road. Their first harvest occurred in 2010 and they opened its doors to the public in 2011. They initially produced eight original wines and expanded the company to Charlottesville and Richmond that same year. Richard Obiso, originally from New Jersey, holds two Ph.D.s in biochemistry and microbiology from Virginia Tech. He has been the winemaker and the owner from its opening in 2006. In October 2015, he rebranded the winery and changed its name to Whitebarrel Winery in hopes of expanding and becoming more well-known from other areas.
We arrived when the sun was beginning to set.
The silhouette of the mountains created this beautiful view from the wine house.
We had the privilege of meeting Charles Salyers, the distributor of Whitebarrel and he spoke with us about the winery.
The main grapes they grow in their field include:
Cabernet Franc,
Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Viongier,
Vidal Blanc, and
Sauvignon Blanc. They now also grow their own raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry bushes to mix with grapes to produce wines. Typically bottling occurs in September and sometimes in another month if needed. Bottling trucks come to the winery and on an average, it takes one to three days to bottle all the wines. According to Charles, the distributor, it takes two days to bottle 2,500 cases (12 bottles in a case).
My best friend Brianna and I by the fire place in the tasting room with our wine glasses.
Because the winery has been rebranded, stores/restaurant such as Kroger, Macado's and Vintage Cellar will continue to sell Attimo brand wines until they are all sold out. Whitebarrel Winery also participates in local events such as Blacksburg Fork and Cork, Cheese Festival, Food Truck Rodeo, and Christiansburg farmer's market.
Posing by the white barrel for which the winery is named.
Attimo/Whitebarrel Winery has won over 250 awards and mentions overall. These annual wine competitions are held through the American Wine Society and the Virginia Governor's Cup. Their number one white is currently the Vidal Blanc and their number one red is Chambourcin ($19/bottle). One of their speciality drinks is Red Wine: Hot Cocoa, which is made with Chambourcin ($7/glass).
Some of their many metals they have won hanging by the fire place.
Posing by their 13-acre vineyard.
Inside of the tasting room. They also serve light bites ranging from $5 to $17.
Six Pairings:
Vidal Blanc: This is an off-dry, crisp and refreshing white wine which has floral bouquet and vanilla undertones and fresh greens and herbs. This wine pairs well with creamy, nutty chocolate such as Ferrero Rocher. After eating the chocolate, the wine becomes much smoother in texture on the tongue and brings out the floral flavor more. This white wine also pairs well with seafood, baked ham, and chicken. It was called Sonnet 98 under
Attimo Winery. $18/bottle. 2013.
BIN #997: This wine has raspberry undertones and a sweet fruity flavor. When pairing chocolates with sweeter wine, it goes well with milk or white chocolate. They paired it with Lindt's milk chocolate truffles and it brought out the raspberry flavor more in the wine and made it very smooth. $17/bottle.
BIN #260: This deep, mellow red blend has a sweet start, with a dry finish and velvety texture. It is considered a sweet red table wine which consists of 80% merlot and 20% raspberry grape wine. It paired well with cheesecake brownies, because the raspberry flavor became more evident with the smooth texture of brownies. This wine apparently also goes well with steak, as it smooths out the tannins and blends the raspberry flavor with the meat. It used to be called After Midnight under Attimo Winery. $18/bottle.
BIN 127: This is a white wine that is blended with mango concentrate. It is a dessert style wine and the mango flavor gives this wine a very smooth texture inside your mouth. Although it pairs well with white chocolate, it is already flavorful on its own and Charles said it would serve as a dessert if you are too full to eat after a meal. I had never had wine with mango flavor and this was definitely my favorite because I love white wine and mango. $18/bottle.
BIN #214: This is a blend of red wines and it offers smooth, fruity, dark jam flavors with smoky, peppery flavors on the finish. This red wine pairs well with Lindt's Chili Pepper Chocolate bar because it brings out the smoky, peppery flavors more in the wine. When this winery used to be called
Attimo Winery, this wine was called Bull Frog Symphony. $20/bottle.
Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine used to be called "Vertex" when it was sold under Attimo Winery. It has rich tannins, black currant, and smooth French oak flavors. It pairs very nicely with steak, hearty meals, and chocolate, such as chocolate covered cherries. Out of all six pairings, this pairing was the best, because the dry, bold red is not as approachable as other types of wines on its own, but when it is paired with food or chocolate, it brings out the deep flavor in the wine. $25/bottle.
A shelf filled with other products on sale such as cutting boards, candleholders, and coffee table books. We also found a HokieBird cadet!
Whitebarrel Winery is currently in the process of creating a restaurant, which they plan to open by March 2016. They hope to hold their wine tastings out on the deck, that way other events can be held at their current tasting house. They use a biodynamic method to make their wines, which utilizes pesticide on vines but also frequently check each vines and may harvest early or later depending on the pests.
Whitebarrel Winery is one of 255 wineries in Virginia. Currently there is only one winery in the state that is fully organic. They are also planning to open an inn with six/seven bedrooms by the end of 2016 and its current office will be moved to its original house up the road. They use oak in their wines and most of their wines are barrel fermented. The oaks in the barrel last up to five years and if they are chopped up, they will last even longer. Sauvignon Blanc uses French oak, which creates a deep, rich tannin flavor in the wine overall.
Along with their numerous future plans, they are also planning on planting eating grapes (different from wine grapes) to serve on their Charcuterie Board (house selection of cheeses and meats paired with Italian bread, olives and a pâté spread). They are also planning on harvesting their own honey so that they can produce wines with honey and also sell it to other local stores and wineries.
Wall decorations with wine bottles, dried plants, and wood pallets are all around the tasting room
This winery visit with six pairings of wine and chocolate was absolutely an amazing experience! One of my close friends who is also in this class also came to the event with her boyfriend and we had the pleasure of meeting the wine distributor and sit and talk with him for over half an hour. We learned a lot about their winery and about their future plans. They have various events throughout the year and I would love to come back here once the restaurant opens! Their upcoming events include but are not limited to Valentine's Date Night (February 14th), Wine Education Course (February 29), Barrel Tasting (March 16), 5th Anniversary Party (April 1st), and Mother's Day Brunch (May 8th).
Whitebarrel Winery is approximately 20 miles from Blacksburg and it seems to be expanding every year. I am excited to go back and sample more wines from this local winery!
My friends and I with our wine tastings inside the tasting room.
