{"id":9599,"date":"2026-09-14T19:27:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T19:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/9599\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T19:27:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T19:27:15","slug":"virginia-winery-has-honed-its-theme-family-friends-and-food-to-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/9599\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia winery has honed its theme \u2014 Family, Friends and Food \u2014 to perfection"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"53rd Winery and Vineyard is located in Louisa, Virginia, just a short drive from Richmond, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg. It\u2019s open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Facebook)<\/p>\n

David and Susan Drillock got their first exposure to wineries while living in California in the late 1980s, where they enjoyed touring the wine trails there.<\/p>\n

Those visits made an impression, which they brought with them when they relocated to Virginia in 2014 from their farm in New Jersey with their draft horses, miniature donkeys, four Newfoundlands, a Pekingese and barn cats, according to the history tab on the winery website. After 36 years, Dave had retired as Chief Financial Officer of Cytec Industries Inc. Susan had been a surgical intensive care nurse before retiring.<\/p>\n

A year later, they purchased what was formerly Cooper Vineyards in Louisa, Virginia, which was renamed 53rd Winery and Vineyard. A member of the Virginia Wine Trail, it\u2019s open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except for a couple of holidays, offering wine by the flight, glass, or bottle on the deck or in the tasting room. The address is 13372 Shannon Hill Road, a location centered among Richmond, Fredericksburg and Charlottesville and near Lake Anna in rural Louisa County.<\/p>\n

David said the first person he hired after buying the business was Chelsey Blevins, and for five years she worked as an apprentice under winemaker Graham Bell before taking over that role in 2019.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the website, she says: \u201cMy goal for Fifty-third Winery is to artistically craft the essence of my home, Virginia, in the form of wine. I want to capture Virginia\u2019s rolling hills covered in clover, the mineral driven granite mountain sides, the soft summer rain and transform them into a tangible form for everyone to enjoy. I truly believe that world-renowned wines can be crafted here in Virginia, and I am devoted to proving it true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her talent and hard work is reflected in the results of the Virginia Governor\u2019s Cup, including two golds in 2023 (2019 Rock Ridge and 2021 Cabernet Franc) and 2024 (2021 Cabernet Franc Reserve and 2021 Two Springs), and three golds in 2025 (2021 Rock Ridge, 2021 Romulus, 2023 Albarino) and 2026 (2021 Merlot, 2023 Romulus, 2023 Two Springs, which also was part of the Governor\u2019s Case).<\/p>\n

Wines range in price from $21.95 to $38.95, with discounts for club members.<\/p>\n

Sent several questions about the winery and the philosophy there, David returned these responses.<\/p>\n

Says owner David Drillock of the winery philosophy, ‘Sharing life with folks over a great glass of wine and just getting away from the daily grind of life.’<\/p>\n

Q, Can you give me the lowdown on the vineyards and the grapes you are growing there?<\/p>\n

A, The winery now consists of 86 acres, with 26 acres planted to different varietals over two separate sites. The winery site is in Louisa, Virginia, a traditional farming community nestled on an ancient volcanic ridge. The soil is red clay with sandy loam on top of, according to county records, ancient schist. This site includes 15 acres planted to Albarino, Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Petit Verdot and Vidal Blanc. The second vineyard is located on the owner\u2019s farm in Greene County in the Monticello AVA where the soils are clay with sandy loam and shale and granite rock. Good air drainage, weak soils and south facing make this an excellent site for vinifera grapes.<\/p>\n

The varietals planted are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Viognier. The goal of the owners is to create 100% Virginia quality wines that express their varietal character. We also source grapes from specific growers in Virginia such as Norton, Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc.<\/p>\n

Sticking with the vineyards, the vines in Louisa have been mostly replanted except for a small block of Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Petit Verdot. The vines at our farm range from 14 to 5 years old. Due to the elevation and excellent cold air drainage, the vines in Green Country hold up well when challenged by weather. Some losses, but most vines made it through the recent freeze. In Louisa, half the vines are 5 years old and younger.<\/p>\n

\"\"David and Susan Drillock purchased the winery in 2015. <\/p>\n

We had significant die-back of approximately 7,500 vines because of the recent freeze. Its important to note that we have not had a \u201cnormal\u201d growing season since 2021. The young vines were severely stressed over several years. 2022 was marked by frequent rains leading to heavy disease pressure, 2023 and 2024 were drought years and 2025 was heavy spring rains followed by two heat domes. In 2026 we had a very cold winter followed by a couple of 90-degree days in later February leading to early budbreak, a frost in March and freeze late April. It was pretty discouraging to see the green vines do so well only to get hit hard by the late April freeze. It hit 22 degrees in Louisa and some parts of Virginia got even colder. The young vines had no reserves left to survive. We are replanting, but the varietals will change for later-budding varietals, hybrids and vinifera.<\/p>\n

Q, What is the vibe you both have been trying to create there? Do your business hours change in the winter or stay the same?<\/p>\n

A, We are open 7 days a week year round, 11am to 5pm, closed New Years Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. We haven\u2019t changed them since acquired in 2015.<\/p>\n

We are a winery and just want to be a winery.<\/p>\n

As far as a vibe, if someone is looking for a party place, it\u2019s not us. We subscribe to the theme of Family, Friends and Food. Sharing life with folks over a great glass of wine and just getting away from the daily grind of life. The winery is a collection of individuals who simply want to produce quality wine with great authentic and welcoming service in a clean and inviting environment. And we love sharing our stories with our guests. No weddings or non-wine related events. Our event focus is wine-related, for example, food and wine pairings, specials guests, barrel tastings, etc. When one drives in, it\u2019s like driving into a meadow of vines with a sign greeting our visitors, \u201cWelcome to Our Winery.\u201d Our is the inclusive word.<\/p>\n

Q, Tell me about the Two Springs that earned a spot in the Governor\u2019s Case. How long have you been making it and has it evolved at all? Oh, and how big is your wine club?<\/p>\n

A, Two Springs is one of our two \u201cflagship\u201d red wine blends. Both blends come from the grapes in the Green County Monticello AVA Vineyard. Two Springs is a Cabernet Franc-dominant blend with Merlot or Petit Verdot added for complexity and depth. The name Two Springs comes from the two mountain springs that border each side of the vineyard. The other blend, Romulus, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with Petit Verdot added, although the composition can change each year. The name Romulus comes from our Clydesdale horse, who when standing in the fields grazing brings thoughts of presence, stature and strength, yet very easygoing. We thought it a good fit for a Cab Sauvignon-dominant blend. These wines, like all our wines, are craft-driven, not recipe-driven.<\/p>\n

\"\"Two Springs is one of 53rd Winery and Vineyard\u2019s two flagship red wine blends.<\/p>\n

They have certainly evolved as the grapevines age. We want them fruit-forward, with a balance of tannins and acidity to keep them fresh. <\/p>\n

Our wine club is approximately 725 and the tenure is above national statistics.<\/p>\n

Q, Since we\u2019re talking about wines, have you added much to the list\u00a0since you bought the place, and what are a couple of the favorites?<\/p>\n

A, In terms of what we added to our wine list, let me start with our three ros\u00e9s. When Chelsey [Blevins] began as our winemaker [in 2019], I went to her and asked if she was interested in making ros\u00e9 wine. I wanted to make a ros\u00e9 made from Chambourcin and a traditional Provence-style using Cabernet Franc. She set the chemistry and we picked when we hit those targets. These were game-changers. She was also the driver behind the two flagship red blends I mentioned earlier. Chelsey has also taken our hybrid varietals, Chardonel, Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin to new heights, and her Norton wine is well-known for its quality.<\/p>\n

All this is why our wine club members stick with us, but I have to add that our tasting room staff is a big part of our success. I get as many 5-star reviews for our staff as well as our wine. I am proud of that!<\/p>\n

Q, I know the industry has a number of challenges. What do you still enjoy about it and what are a couple of the biggest challenges you feel like you face there?<\/p>\n

A, There are several challenges out there. Big picture, wine consumption [and all alcohol] is going down for a number of reasons: Boomers drinking less, young people starting later, GLP-1 weight loss drugs, legal marijuana\/CBD and a rising Prohibitionist movement. On a tactical level, there is too much wine leading to heavy price discounting. It is hard for newer regions like Virginia, or any on the East Coast, to break into the mainstream. We are mostly smaller wineries, and it is hard to get the attention of wine enthusiasts with so much other wine flooding the market. Even wholesale is difficult to break into. Also, smaller wineries are a lot more work for a distributor and they are suffering from consumption declines, too. Finally, the share of Virginia wine sold as a percent of all wine sold in Virginia is less than 5%. We must increase that!<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t match the big regions\/wineries on recognition yet, but we can, and are, competing on quality. Virginia has a lot to offer in terms of tourism and we must work together for us to become a wine destination, not just a wine curiosity!<\/p>\n

Let me end with this. When my wife and I purchased the winery, it needed a lot of help. We made investments in plant, equipment and people. It\u2019s often called \u201cmy favorite off-the-beaten-path winery.\u201d But it is situated between the capital, Richmond, and Charlottesville, and minutes from Lake Anna, a growing resort area. We are blessed with a great, dedicated team and now have a growing reputation for quality wine with a friendly, authentic staff.<\/p>\n

A winery is a lot of work and challenges, but I still very much enjoy working in the vineyard, telling our story to customers and seeing them enjoy our wine with family and friends. Can we have a normal growing season??!!! I forget what it felt like!!!<\/p>\n

\"\"Winemaker Chelsey Blevins is a Virginia native and a James Madison University graduate. <\/p>\n

Let me add a few words about our winemaker, Chelsey Blevins.<\/p>\n

Chelsey and I met in 2015 in a viticulture class at a local community college. She was 23 at the time and worked at Barboursville Vineyards in the library tasting room. The prior year, after graduating college with a psychology degree, she worked at Horton Vineyards assisting with harvest. I could see she was passionate about working in the industry so I asked her if she was interested in being an assistant to our winemaker at the time, Graham Bell. She had so much passion and enthusiasm I thought it was well worth a try and she would learn a lot from Graham. Chelsey was the first person I hired after acquiring the business. She\u2019s grown a lot and become a leader!<\/p>\n

ALSO READ<\/p>\n

What has changed at Lost Mountain since the sale? At least \u2018farmingwise, nothing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Performance in Paris blind tasting event celebrates \u2018how far Virginia wine has come\u2019<\/p>\n

Va. producer gets great news, times two, in what has been a rewarding 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

53rd Winery and Vineyard is located in Louisa, Virginia, just a short drive from Richmond, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg. It\u2019s open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Facebook) David and Susan Drillock got their first exposure to wineries while living in California in the late 1980s, where they enjoyed touring the wine trails there. Those<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9600,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[3175,3173,3171,3174,3172],"class_list":["post-9599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-virginia","tag-virginia","tag-virginia-dining","tag-virginia-food","tag-virginia-grocery-stores","tag-virginia-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117271045396930444","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}