Lake Anna Wineries for a Group Tasting Day

Wineries near Lake Anna at a glance

The lake sits where three counties meet, so there are wineries on every side of it. A local Lake Anna guide groups them by county: Spotsylvania, Louisa and Orange. The four below are the ones whose own websites we checked for this guide.

Hours and prices change with the season. Use the table to plan, then confirm on each winery's site the week you go.

Pick two wineries, not four

For 10 to 20 people, two wineries in one afternoon is the right number.

Every stop with a big group takes longer than you expect. Parking, getting everyone inside, ordering, a restroom break and rounding people up at the end can take 30 minutes on their own. Add a tasting and you are close to two hours a stop. Four stops turns into a long, tiring day, and the last tasting is the one no one remembers.

A simple shape that works:

1. Late morning: first winery, when it is quieter and staff have more time for a group.
2. Lunch: a real meal, either at a winery that allows outside food or back toward the lake.
3. Mid-afternoon: second winery, ideally one with outdoor space where people can sit.
4. Back at the house by late afternoon for dinner, so no one is on the road after dark tired.

If you want three stops, make one a short, self-guided flight rather than a full tasting.

Call ahead and book for the group

Call or email every winery before you bring a group of eight or more, even if you can't find a group policy online.

Fifty-Third Winery is the clearest. Its site says, "For groups of eight or more, please call in advance to arrange your visit." It offers self-guided flights of four wines with no reservation, traditional tastings of eight wines at the bar based on space and staff, and private tastings with light fare that you book by phone. Its site shows two phone numbers in the text and link, so check which one is current.

Lake Anna Winery and Southern Revere Cellars do not post group rules on the pages we checked. Southern Revere points private parties and events to its email. A short call or email solves this:

• How many people are in your group, and what time you will arrive.
• Whether they want a reservation, a deposit or a set tasting for groups.
• Whether a limo, van or small bus can park and drop off.
• Whether you can bring food, a cake or a birthday sign.
• Whether children and dogs are welcome, and where they can be.

Food, kids and dogs

Ask about food first, because the rules differ more than anything else.

Southern Revere Cellars says guests may bring their own food, such as picnics or birthday cakes, but outside alcohol is not allowed. It also hosts rotating food trucks. Fifty-Third's private tastings include light fare. Barboursville Vineyards offers a seated food and wine experience, the Library 1821 Experience, at a range of prices, and has a restaurant on the estate. For the other wineries, ask before you pack a cooler.

Kids. Southern Revere welcomes guests under 21 when they stay with an adult over 21 at all times, including in the playground area, and asks families to keep children away from farm equipment. Lake Anna Winery's site mentions seating for adults and kids. If your group includes young children, plan a stop with outdoor space and bring snacks and water.

Dogs. Southern Revere welcomes leashed dogs and has water bowls. Lake Anna Winery mentions seating for dogs. Ask the others before you bring a dog, and leave dogs at home on a hot day if they will wait in a car.

Getting everyone home safely

Decide how the group gets home before the first pour, not after the second winery.

The CDC says most states set the legal blood alcohol limit for driving at 0.08 g/dL, and that "impairment starts at lower BAC levels." Its advice is direct: "Plan ahead. If you plan to drink alcohol or use drugs, make plans so that you do not have to drive." Rural roads around the lake are dark at night, winding in places, and shared with farm traffic, which makes this more important, not less.

Ways groups handle it:

Ride-share coverage around the lake can be thin, especially in the evening, so don't count on finding a car at the end of the day. If you hire a driver, ask each winery whether it has rules for buses or limos before you book.

When to go

Fall weekends tend to be busy at Virginia wineries, so call two to three weeks ahead for a group tasting from September through November.

Spring brings green vines and fewer crowds. Summer is hot, so start early and pick wineries with shade. Winter is quiet; it is a good time for a seated tasting indoors, but check holiday hours, since Fifty-Third, for example, closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Thursday and Friday afternoons are often calmer than Saturday. For a group with flexible days, a weekday tasting gets you more attention from the staff and an easier time parking.

Winery events such as live music, paint and sip nights and holiday weekends can fill a tasting room. They are fun with a group, but they make it harder to get a table for 15. Check each winery's events page for this year's dates before you plan around one.

Planning the rest of the trip

A winery day fits best as one part of a lake weekend, with a boat day, a state park day and a slow morning at the house around it.

Our guide to things to do at Lake Anna covers the lake itself, and day trips from Lake Anna covers Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Montpelier and Richmond, several of which pair well with a winery stop on the way back. For a reunion built around the lake, see the Lake Anna family reunion guide.

A shared house makes the tasting day easier. Everyone leaves from one place, the drivers are sorted in the driveway, and dinner is waiting when you get back instead of a search for a table for 15. See our Lake Anna destination page and the Lake Anna 6-bedroom lake house. Pets are welcome, up to 3 per stay with a $100 pet fee per stay, and service animals are always free.

The bottom line

Pick two wineries near the lake, call ahead for any group of eight or more, ask about food, kids and dogs, and settle the ride home before the first tasting. Lake Anna Winery, Southern Revere Cellars and Fifty-Third Winery make an easy afternoon close to the lake, and Barboursville Vineyards is worth a longer day. Confirm hours and prices on each winery's site the week you go.