On my way to Slovenia for a visit to the Vinska Klet Goriska Brda winery, I had a stopover in Philadelphia before flying to Venice. In this case it was a long layover, and usually that means a drink and something to eat. True to form I ended up at Vino Volo right in the Philadelphia airport. It turned out to be a good thing, and here’s why.
It’s both a restaurant and a wine bar, with a very good wine list full of choices from all over the world. You can get wine flights consisting of three wines at very reasonable prices. You can also create your own flights, as they serve all their wines in 1/3 glasses. This is a great way to expand your wine horizons, and I used their flexibility to try three different 1/3 pours . These were my choices:
2012 Vinum Cellars Petite Sirah Clarksburg– dark purple red with dark fruits and meaty tones. Plum is 
evident. Medium bodied with a mineral finish, and a touch of vanilla. I would say excellent except it might be a touch over-ripe. 13.5% alcohol.
2012 Cantore Di Castelforte Aglianico Donna Elena – dark red and quite floral, with almost candied fruit tones on a very expressive nose. Medium bodied, the wine is not as big as some Aglianicos I’ve tried. This is a great sipping wine. 14% alcohol.
2013 Ontanon Tempranillo Rioja Pholos – brilliant ruby and a lighter style, carrying 13% 
alcohol. Medium bodied with a nose of red fruit. A little late tannin joins the party. Good acid and a nice overall balance make this an excellent food wine.
Overall I very much liked Vino Volo. Considering I had an excellent Tuscan Chicken sandwich,
Excellent sandwich here
with red pepper aioli and fresh greens, as well as the three wines for $24 at an airport, I was not disappointed. The rest of the menu looked equally enticing, and the sandwich really was quite good. The available list of small plates looks delicious, and I met several people who were regulars and were ordering their favorite dishes. Actually my sandwich was anything but a small plate, and plenty big enough for a full meal. I would certainly go back. I should also mention the service was equally good, and the staff knew their wines.
A votre santé!
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