We held our July meet-up at Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard in Louisa, VA, and it did not disappoint. Formerly Cooper Vineyards, Fifty-Third is well known for its rosé and other award-winning wines. In the 2022 Governor’s Cup, it took home silver awards for its 2019 Chambourcin, 2019 Merlot, 2019 Petit Verdot, 2019 Romulus, and 2019 Two Springs.
This was everyone’s first visit to the winery and we all agreed the wine was fantastic, as was the service. While the space is pretty small, our group of seven didn’t feel like crowded at all on a Saturday when business was pretty steady. There is limited indoor seating, patio seating, and seating at picnic tables or in the field where you can set up your own blankets and chairs.
Fifty-Third had a great variety of choices for all wine lovers and we tried reds, whites and sweet options. We were excited to try the rosé because we’d heard so much about them. Two are currently available – 2021 Barrel Aged Rosé and 2021 Gentle Press Rosé. Both medium-bodied with low acidity and beautiful coloring, the Genltle Press was the group’s favorite of the two (though we enjoyed both). With aromas of watermelon, strawberry, and cherry, it was a perfect rosé for summer sipping. Other standouts were the 2019 Norton, 2021 Chardonel, Rhapsody, and Sweet Louisa. The Rhapsody is a semi-sweet white wine with notes of honeysuckle and peach. Sweet Louisa is a sweet read (a rarity in Virginia wine) with notes of cranberry and dark cherries and flowers.
We carried our own snacks, but the winery does have meat, cheese, and other treats for sale.
The tasting room associates were helpful with providing us information on the wines and pleasant throughout setting up our visit and the day of. This was a ten of ten experience and we’ll definitely return.
Black Women Who Wine 