We adore this place. It's the perfect distance from Richmond. The venue is adorable. My favorite part is the staff. Every time we make the trek out to Fifty-third winery the staff are so sweet. When they are busy they are quick to help get you your next bottle. When they aren't busy it's so fun to hear about their enthusiasm for the wine, the process and their varieties. We've met multiple employees and always have a great experience. They always make me laugh. They are attentive and well informed. We finally, after two years of coming here every few months, joined as members. My boss actually is a member too, which is so fun to meet up as families. There are multiple seating options. The patio/balcony is my favorite. The tables in the lawn are perfect if you want more space. And there is plenty of room for your picnic blankets or your own chairs. I love that they have the grape vines too. So many wineries in and around Richmond are missing that vibe. 10/10 Will recommend. read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

Exceptional wines, friendly service and a very relaxing atmosphere made for a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon. read more

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I discovered this winery today and had a great time speaking with the friendly staff and trying some of their wines. I decided on the 2oz flight of 4 tastings, and they let me try several wines beforehand to help me narrow down my choices. I don't like oaky or tanniny wines, so here's what I ended up trying: Rhapsody (my favorite by far), Chardonel (sweet with a tart apple like finish), Gentle Press Rose (ok, not as much flavor as the first two) and Merlot (smooth with a dry finish). There was indoor and outdoor seating. I chose to sit outside, which had a view of some of the vineyards. There were families and others on the deck enjoying the nice day. I enjoyed this winery and plan on returning. read more

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Good selection of wines. Associates were helpful in helping us find the wines that we liked. We decided on a flight, which are 4, 2oz pours. All were good. A great place to go for peace and a serene view. I will be returning. read more

We had never visited and went on a Sat late afternoon. This winery is farther off 64 than it looks, through winding country roads. However the winery was beautiful. A new building overlooking vineyards. Just gorgeous ! However, that's where this beautiful review ends....first the service is horrible. The older staff had the worst trouble with their iPads, and could not keep up with the younger crowd. There were no lines and people kept cutting in front of one another. If you are going for a tasting? Stop! This is not a winery set up for tasting. No one knew where to go, or who was serving what. The absolute worst run winery I have been to. I noticed most people bought a bottle and took it to their observation deck or outside grounds. However, the wine I finally tasted after being there for 25 min at 4:30pm was extremely basic. No depth. (Perhaps people brought their own wines and enjoyed the scenery) We even ordered 2 cheeses and we were given packs of unopened cheese from the store. Hmmmm...bring your own guys. On my VA wine tour, this is a skip. read more

Stopped in shortly before closing and the hostess was lovely and welcoming. We enjoyed the red flight and picked out three favorites to take to our lake house. Highly recommend! We did not have food. Just the oyster crackers that came with the flight. Enjoyed taking pictures with the huge stuffed bear and shopping for cute gifts. read more

How many times have you gone to a winery and liked everyone of their wines on the tasting flight? Crazy, but absolutely true. I loved Fifty-Third Winery. The scenery is absolutely stunning. Thank you to Tony, for helping us with our wine flight selections. She was so much fun and her wine recommendations were spot on. We also ordered a cheese and pepperoni platter. It was very good. The winery looks new and is well organized. Our flight and food came out quickly and efficiently. This is a bit of a drive, but if you are looking for great wine, excellent service, and tasty food selections, then Fifty Third winery is the place to go. I also wanted to mention that their prices were great. Thanks Fifty Third Winery for a spectacular time. read more

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Great wine, wonderful and very pleasant staff. Wonderful place to relax and enjoy a great glass of wine. read more

Beautiful scenery, great service, friendly and clean environment. The cheese and wine were both delicious.

Really liked the more intimate nature of Fifty-Third compared to a lot of the other larger wineries you'd find in Northern VA. The staff is very friendly and helpful in explaining the wines, and you can't go wrong with any of them! The Chardonnel is a great crowdpleaser for white wine lovers, and the red options are very good. We had some guest winemaker wines (by Joy Ting), and they were very cool to try due to their limited production. Loved sitting outside and looking out across the field. Bought a bunch of bottles to take home, and definitely will be back when in the area! read more

My wife and I are members of several wineries and this is by far our favorite. Great wine and a great staff. You need to try their taste the future or other special event. read more

A winery/vineyard that will always remain in my Top 10. Fifty-Third is really a total package. A vast and quality wine list for anyone looking to have dry reds to sweet whites. Fifty-Third not only has tasty wines but an ever growing footprint. This gives plenty of space indoors/outdoors for wine club members and visitors to enjoy the sites and sounds. The owner, staff and winemaker are on another level with how important they make you feel while visiting - yet another reason to make a person want to visit and hang out. Zero pretentious vibes here!! Food trucks and live music are occasional and never make the ears bleed here (at least not during my visits lol). read more

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Beautiful views. We dropped by one day for a tasting. We found one or two of their local varietals to be interesting. Try a tasting with some crackers and cheese and enjoy their outdoor seating overlooking the vineyard. Come for the view. read more

Attentive service, beautiful views, nice wines, and still small enough to be "homey" (not overrun with buses of people and oodles of rambunctious children). I am not going to be apologetic about my view on this - while some may like a lot of hustle-bustle and don't mind waiting in lines, masses of people, and a playground full of kids running all over while sipping on a glass of vino, not me. Somewhere betwixt and between is the sweet spot, and 53rd hits it. They allow you to bring your own food (and we did) as nothing beyond small, prepackaged nibbles are offered. However, I would gladly trade the presence of food for scenic views and welcoming hosts with good wines accompanied by a dose of serenity. There is seating inside and out, and wine flights as well as wine by the glass. A delightful afternoon not far from Richmond. Family owned, and by folks who really care about customer service. I'm so glad this sunny (and near-enough) place was recommended to me, and I now recommend it to you, the reader of this review! read more

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Date of visit: June 30, 2020 I just had to rave about 53rd again!! We have come several times and still love being here...love the wines...the atmosphere...the people who work here! We had a very rough June 30 (our anniversary) trying to find a new (to us) winery to hang for the day. After a horrible experience (at Veritas Vineyards), we knew to come back to 53rd! Here we sat for over an hour and enjoyed a bottle of wine and were encouraged to sit back, relax and enjoy. And so we did! We will continue to come here time and time again! Thank you! read more

This winery definitely deserves 5 stars. 1st time my mother and I got to visit and let me tell you they exemplified in customer service. Both Tony and Marie made this a special experience, they took a lot of time helping us with the wine tasting, specifically with the Rosés and made it one we will never forget! Also, totally recommend The Graze snack box! read more

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We are red wine drinkers. The whites were good but the red blends were very smooth and had a wonderful, but lite oak finish.

Wine club pick up day is a hit again. Staff is fabulous and knowledgeable. Just come. You'll love it. read more

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Really lovely. Cooper Vineyards (now named Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyards) is a relatively small but really nice vineyard between Charlottesville and Richmond. The wines are excellent (the reds and dessert wines are head-and-shoulders above their whites - if you're doing a tasting, this means the best comes last), the scenery is good, and the people are extremely friendly. Some people will bring their dogs, which is a blast. One warning: food options are kinda limited (all are prepackaged), so it might be hard to camp out here for a while. This isn't the kind of place I'd plan to grab lunch. read more

This is one of my favorite wineries in Virginia! Great quality so close to Richmond. It's a great way to get out of the city without going to far away. Not only is their wine fantastic, but the scenery and live music make it a great place to bring a picnic lunch and hang out all afternoon. Make sure you try the Albariño, noche, and petite Verdot! read more

This venue is amazing. The wine is top notch. Low renin in some so you won't feel yucky tomorrow. Always lots of pups to love on. Wine club members get 2 complimentary glasses a day-yes two!!! read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

Came by to meet some friends on a beautiful Saturday and luckily snagged a table under an umbrella. They boast some pretty beautiful view of the vines all around you and lots of green space! In COVID times, we got a few bottles just to share and they let us keep all the small glasses to take home too. We tried the viogner and the rose, which were both very refreshing on a hot day. They weren't too sweet or too dry - a good in between, and pleasing for all palates. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in the area and looking for a place to have a relaxing picnic. You can definitely bring your own lunch and snacks! Dog friendly too with lots of space! read more

Second time visitor to this place, which is not only one of the older wineries in Virginia (#63!) but also boasts the most "Green" tasting room on the east coast! At 20 acres of vine/6000 cases a year, they are mid-sized by Virginia standards. Bobby my tasting associate was awesome; he talked me thru not only the history of the place but all of their wines. He was also kind enough to give me re-tastes, so I left happy (and with a bottle of Cab Franc). The tasting menu was pretty extensive - 13 wines (!) for $10, which is an awesome deal. Whites/Rose: The 2013 Vidal Blanc was very light and floral; one of the nicer Vidals I've had in a while. The 2014 Estate Chardonnay was very tart, while the 2014 Chardonnel (hybrid) had a nice melon nose. The Cooperage Blanc was white blend of Viognier and Rkatseteli, which gave it a nice bite. Reds: The 2013 Cab Franc was a clear winner for me; nice body and peppery nose. The 2013 Cooperage red blend had a nice nose but the taste didn't do anything for me. The 2014 Chambourcin was very dry with a cherry palate. I also liked the 2013 Norton Reserve, which had a nice chocolate finish. Sweet/desert wines: I'm not a sweet wine drinker but hey - I'll try it if you give it to me. The Sweet Louisa (Concord grape) was - as the name implies - too sweet for me. The Seismic Sangria, "Vida" desert wine, and "Rhapsody" Vidal/Chardonnel/Viognier blend were OK. The only one I didn't like was the Noche Chocolate/Rasberry wine, which was basically a tootsie roll in a glass. read more

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Went on a Friday for a girls day. This place used to be called Coopers Vineyard. Great place for covered outdoor seating. There are a few picnic tables out on the lawn. Lots of room for social distancing. You don't taste inside right now. Just get a glass, bottle or flight and take outdoors. You can bring your own food. I tried 2 flights. The second one I believe I hit it spot on. It was a way to try a little of whites and reds. I've posted a picture. read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Tastings - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

We popped in here for a day date on a Saturday around 2, and they were really busy. We ended up heading to the bar to do a tasting, and it took a bit for us to be acknowledged, which was a bit odd - most places will at least give you a tasting menu and let you know they'll be with you in a minute...It did give us a chance to look around a bit though. Once our tasting kicked off, the woman doing it was hilarious. I don't do sweet wines, and normally am a red-drinker, but their whites really stood out above their reds for me. I can't wait to come back for a bottle and to enjoy that patio! read more

I came here on Saturday with a group of friends for my "bachelorette weekend" and I just had the best time! We did a tasting, and not only are they generous with their pours, but we liked every single wine we tried! Soon they are changing the name to Fifty-Third as they were the 53rd licensed winery in VA, so the glasses we got to keep after our tasting all said Fifty-Third :) I ended up getting a bottle of their Noche wine to take home - it seriously tastes like chocolate with hints of raspberry. It was delicious! The ambiance of the winery is really nice too - they have picnic tables outside and a cute little deck area to sit at where they had live music for the afternoon. My friends and I had a great time drinking wine and chatting. We will definitely be back again! read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

This is my favorite Vineyard! I've been to my fair share of Virginia Vineyards, but this one still reigns supreme. Cooper's Eco Friendly tasting room is absolutely gorgeous. The landscape and building itself is crisp and clean just like their wine. I consider myself to be an off-dry wine drinker, but I can honestly say I enjoy 12 out of the 13 wines on their tasting menu. The Chardonnay is light and airy, The Rose' is sultry and smooth and the Cabernet Franc is voluptuous and vivacious. Outside of the wine being amazing the staff is also very knowledgeable and friendly. They make you feel welcomed as soon as you walk through the door. ( I've been to several wineries and some of their staffs are a tad pretentious) I wish I could give this place 10 stars! They never disappoint me. read more

Really pretty views. We felt safe with the COVID-19 restrictions in place. I'm a dry red wine fan, and I thought the wine was okay. I did a red tasting and liked about half of the wines. read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

Cooper is worth the drive. I saw the review that complained about the tasting room...by this time next year, you will whine no more as they've broken ground on a big new tasting room. Cooper participates in a lot of regional wine events, and I loved the Lucy's Weekend they held this past spring to benefit the SPCA. During the fall, they have two free holiday tasting weekends: one near Thanksgiving and one right before Christmas. They've won awards for their Viognier, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc but everyone I know goes for the fab Sangria. You can even bring home a party pack of it that includes three bottles of wine and the awesome limeade-orangeade mix. read more

What a beautiful winery! 53rd was a great place to spend a fall Saturday! Pet and child friendly was a huge plus. The picnic tables were further than 6 feet apart and a staff employee wiped everything down between uses. You can also bring your own chairs/blanket too. We brought a picnic and split a bottle of wine. I appreciated being able to do something so "normal" but feel safe while doing it. read more

Excellent wines, especially enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and Petit Verdot.

This is now our favorite Virginia winery. We showed up on a rainy day shortly after they opened. Toni with an "I" was our wine hostess. She was amazing. She talked about about the different wines and was very friendly and knowledgable. I have been to almost twenty Virginia wineries and this is the first time I actually liked all but one wine on the tasting menu. We enjoyed the tasting room and the wine so much we are now members and look forward to our next trip to pick up more wines from here. I also truly love the effort they put into their newsletter that you get with the bottles of wine from the wine club. Such a nice touch. Highly recommend Cooper Vinyards. read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Tasting room. - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

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We enjoyed a fabulous tasting with Sheila today. She was very accommodating to our red only request. The Petit Verdot was out of the park as were the Norton and Cab Franc. We had a great day at the 53rd and will be back soon. read more

Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Louisa, Virginia

One of our favorite new wineries close to Lake Anna. We've tried a number of the wineries in the area and this one had the best atmosphere, so many great wines to choose from and entertainment on the weekends. A perfect combination of sweet and non sweet wines, where most of the wineries close to the lake tend to be sweet. We are not big on sweet wines. The Chardonnay and Norton were fantastic. The staff was super knowledgeable and friendly. We immediately signed up for their wine club and have been back multiple times since. read more

Came here while visiting friends while at Lake Anna. This was place is awesome. Our tasting was done by Molly. She was very nice and explained everything. As far as I'm concerned, all the wines were great. We bought the Viognier/Chardonnay to drink while there as well as take one home. The red highlight was the Norton 2014, but anyone of them would had worked. read more

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The best part about Cooper Vineyards is the Noche. This award-winning dessert wine is made with Norton and infused with the essence of chocolate. Since they've come out with it a few other wineries have tried to make a version and Cooper's still reigns king. It is chocolatey and indulgent without being too sweet or syrupy as some dessert wines can be. It's good straight as dessert or drizzled over berries, ice cream or cheesecake. Yum! The rest of Cooper's wines get better every year, but they just aren't my favorite. I'm definitely looking forward to the construction of the new tasting room, as the current one is kind of small and dingy. Cooper does host lots of fun events like an annual Mini Cooper Ralley, chocolate and jazz events and animal-centric fundraisers. It's also nice to have a winery that's not too far from Richmond. read more

Part of the reason my family visited Cooper Vineyards, is because we share their surname, and I'm so glad we strolled in on the 4th of July. Syrah, Coopertage, and Petit Verdot were a few of the red wines we sampled. The Syrah was a bit spicy, but all worth trying. Of the sweet wines we sampled, were Rhapsody and Noche-Chocolate. Let me tell you, the Noche-Chocolate is definitely a dessert in itself. If you can't stop in, you can certainly purchase wines online: www.coopervineyards.com read more

Virginia wines has gradually gained a good reputation over the years and I believe that Cooper Vineyards is an asset to the ever-growing and exciting Virginia wine industry. It's a LEED-certified building (environmentally constructed with energy-saving features) with a beautiful interior tasting room that's modern and airy, a small outdoor patio space (I think they set up tastings on the patio when it gets busy), live music on weekends, and gorgeous grounds. It's dog friendly so bring your pooches - any size! You can tell the owners are huge dog lovers and theirs is usually running around the Cooper property. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable and I have discovered that the best time to go here is around 3:00pm-4:00pm (Cooper closes at 5:00pm); there are far fewer customers and you'll likely have a staff member who will provide full attention and maybe offer more generous pours since it's the end of the day. For $10, they provide a full tasting of their wines and I usually end up sampling about 10-12 wines. They offer a good variety of whites, reds, and dessert wines including the Noche which goes perfectly with dark chocolate and a wine that taste likes Skittles; there's definitely something for everyone. They provide crackers/pretzels during the tasting to cleanse your palate but I strongly suggest that you bring your own picnic; you can dine on the patio or even take your picnic to their grounds so you're closer to the vineyard itself. Definitely check out Cooper during your next Virginia wine tour! read more

First LEED-certified tasting room on the East coast, and the fourth in the U.S....nothing to sneeze at! The previous tasting room was in their kitchen, and although it was intimate, it was cramped. The new tasting room is airy, bright, and gorgeous, but the intimacy that I was used to is gone. Pros and cons, I suppose: Cooper makes great wine all around (visit this place if you like sweet wines, although there are plenty of dry options too). And their new tasting room has received a great deal of publicity. A couple we bumped into drove from Winston-Salem, NC (apparently the heart of North Carolina's wine country, from what we learned) just to see the tasting room. Cooper is further out from the other Charlottesville-area wineries but in easy driving distance from Richmond. Worth a visit! read more

Im not sure where to even begin! I have nothing but WONDERFUL things to say about Cooper Vineyards I recently hosted my friend's bridal shower here. The small private room that is available for rent was great. The price was unbeatable! It was a little on the small side, but included a large roomy balcony as well as audio/visual hookups, music etc. The location is beautiful, the grounds are amazing to see and the building is fantastic. Very modern and sleek on the outside, still modern on the inside, but warm and inviting as well. And its LEED certified, which is something very important to me. What i really cant say enough things about is the staff. Everyone we encountered was warm, welcoming, friendly and more than willing to help setup/rearrange/move tables, etc. I really cant say enough about how great they were. John who in charge of our tasting was the best part. Hes extremely knowledgeable about the wines and the history of the location as well as some of the surrounding areas. He has a great sense of humor, warm personality and made the overall experience a true joy. He went above and beyond what i had expected in every way. I would 100% reccommend Cooper to anyone who is considering hosting an event here, or even someone just stopping by to experience their tasting room. With it being just a short distance away from both Richmond and Charlottesville, it is definitely worth the drive. read more