First Bite: Vino Volo in Tysons

By:  Jennifer Duff
Capital Cooking Contributor

How often do you see a glass of wine on the menu that you'd like to try, but you aren't ready to invest in ordering the whole glass?  It happens to me all the time.  I see a wine that I think I might like, but when the server comes over to take the order, I immediately revert back to my wine comfort-zone.  Well, now is your chance to be brave -- with some help from Vino Volo at Tyson's Corner.

The concept behind Vino Volo (derived from "wine flight" in Italian), is to give wine drinkers a chance to explore different wines through wine flights.  Some of the wine flights on their menu are fixtures while others vary with the season.  Each flight showcases three different types of wine, and helpful sommeliers are on-hand to steer you in the right direction depending on your preferences.

Vino Volo also features a wine shop, so if you taste something you really love, you can buy bottle right there.  Great for impulse buyers like myself who came home with a few "treats" for the family. 

In addition to wine, Vino Volo offers light bites and larger plates to enjoy as you taste your way through various wine regions.  While charcuterie and cheese plates show up on the menu as the the traditional 'wine bar' fare, they also incorporate some tasty snacks that stand out from the rest like truffled popcorn (which I was tempted to smuggle out in my purse) and marcona almonds, carmelized and delicious with a light rosemary flavor. 

The full plates on the menu look rich and tempting (read: seared beef with brussels sprouts) and if the lamb meatballs with mint pistou were any indication of a pattern, it would be hard not to stay for a full dinner (and possibly another wine flight).

During the grand opening celebration, Vino Volo Founder and CEO, Doug Tomlinson highlighted that the concept behind Vino Volo is to "make wine approachable and fun for everyone."  I'll raise a glass to that.