Iandoli’s offers cafe fare in winery setting

Not far outside of Radford, on Childress Road, sits Attimo Winery , a pleasant place to stop on a weekend drive. The winery, owned by Melissa and Rik Obiso, was started in 2006. Nestled among houses are 11 acres of young grape vines striving to become a vineyard . Some of the vines produced grapes in 2010, and new vines are planted each year.

But our visits to Attimo were to taste some of the food offered by Iandoli’s, the kitchen inside the wine shop. Iandoli’s offers cafe fare from a seasonal menu, as well as catering for private events.

The wine shop is dominated by a large tasting bar. Modern tables and chairs have a few folding card tables among them to accommodate visitors. The shop sports wine accessories and racks of bottled wine under a high ceiling, while large windows allow a view of the vineyard and the spacious porch.

Upon arriving, we were greeted with the question, “Are you here for a wine tasting?” When we said we just wanted a glass of wine and a bite to eat, we were allowed to find a table for ourselves and our guests. A wine list was placed before each diner and, after at least a 15-minute wait, menus appeared.

Wine glasses with the Attimo Winery logo were placed in front of each guest. Our server was eager to take our wine order but not too concerned about food orders. At other tables, guests were enjoying glasses of wine, but very little food was observed.

Sections on the one-page menu, which was sparse but with enough selections for lunch or a light dinner, were labeled “Simple Moments,” “Carpe Diem,” “Eureka ” and “Pizza Moments.” We started with glasses of wine and the “In the Moment Cheese Plate” ($9). Our designated driver ordered a Coke, which arrived in a can with a glass after our wine was poured and extensively described. Our friend had to ask for ice.

From the Carpe Diem section we ordered a quesadilla ($5), a Cuban pork sandwich ($6.50), and a chicken and pesto sandwich ($6.50). We sipped our wine, which was delightful, and our cheese plate arrived complete with three varieties of cheese (standard-fare cheddar, Gouda and Swiss), some slices of fresh bread, a vinaigrette for dipping and a small ramekin of olives. Laughter wafted over from other tables as we sipped wine and battled over the cheese and olives.

Servers seemed to be busy providing wine tastings to other tables as our glasses went dry and the cheese plate became empty. Again, the wait for service got to be a little long. Once our food arrived, the plates were pretty and the sandwiches substantial. Unfortunately, the Cuban pork sandwich featured dry pork with not enough sauce to moisten it; the chicken and pesto sandwich suffered the same shortcomings. We all tried the quesadillas, made with black beans and cheese, and decided they were the best choice of the day.

From the Eureka section of the menu, we ordered a dessert plate ($4) that featured several bite-sized cheesecakes. Because they were very similar to a store-bought product, we all suspected they had arrived at Iandoli’s frozen. When we asked later, we were told they are not made in-house.

We visited a second time hoping for better food. Once again, because we were not going through a wine tasting, our table service was slow and an afterthought.

We ordered a 10-inch gluten-free pizza with marinara sauce, pepperoni and black olives ($7). It was the only pizza we have ever had topped with pepperoni the size of small buttons, and there were not very many of them. The cheese overwhelmed the sauce and meager toppings, and we did not bother to eat the crust, which was mealy and flavorless.

We will likely drop by Attimo Winery again to sip a glass of good local wine with some bread and cheese, but we doubt if we’ll visit for a meal. It should be noted that visitors are allowed to bring picnics to enjoy with the wine.

In all fairness, Attimo is a winery focused on producing reasonably priced, excellent wine. Designate a driver and sip away.

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