Old 502 Winery is a beloved and highly well-known wine company and winery located in none other than Louisville, Kentucky- where it gets its name from the 502 area code. Old 502 sells wine to companies and distributors across the country and has become a national brand recognized in the industry since they opened their doors in December 2012. In March 2018, the company was able to open their first tasting room in downtown Louisville in the Over the 9 Building. Today we want to share some of the insights we got from their team on a recent visit to their tasting room.
The 502 Approach to Wine
The Old 502 Winery likes to think of themselves as an “anti-winery”. They want to break away from standards of conventional wineries. They are the only urban winery in Kentucky, meaning they do not have an actual vineyard that they use to make their wine. They do all of their winemaking in their Louisville winery location, in the heart of downtown. One of their main focuses is on the customer experience. They want to have that “neighborhood wine bar” feel as locals stop in on their way home from the office after a long day. You don’t have to drive 30 minutes outside of the city to get that winery experience that we all enjoy.
What Does it Mean to Be An Urban Winery?
We recently sat down with Old 502 Winery’s Marketing Director, Rebecca Hill, to hear her take on their approach to winemaking. Similar to a brewery, they enjoy having their tasting room right where the residents of Louisville live, work, and go for entertainment. Because they are an urban winery, they are not bound to a specific harvest for their grapes. They source grapes by the season- from California in the fall to South America in the spring. However, they still stay true to their local roots and source half of all grapes from local farmers around Kentucky to make their unique, bold-flavored wines.
Aside from their local location, Old 502 participates in other local events to stay true to their state and heritage. They have a special bottle in their collection dedicated to The Kentucky Derby called Run For The Rosé. In addition, they are a main sponsor of the Kentucky Derby Festival. The company tries to travel to as many local events as possible in surrounding cities around the state, including Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Maysville, Newport, and Nicholasville.
Funky Labels that Stand Out and Tastes to Match
Old 502 is known for standing out among the hundreds of other local brands around the city. They use contemporary art and branding to grab their audience’s attention when they are browsing the shelves at their local wine and spirits shops. However, their flavor and wine itself is what keeps their customers happy and coming back for more.
They currently have a team of 4-5 staff members that does everything from the actual winemaking to marketing. Rebecca told us that they collectively collaborate as a team to come up with their unique names for new wine releases. They then work with an advertising team to create fun, outside-of-the-box designs to match those names. Then Louisville Label steps in.
“It’s nice to be creative when it comes to our naming our wines because then it feels like it is everyone’s wine.” –Rebecca Hill, Marketing Director at Old 502 Winery
Louisville Label and Old 502 Winery have been working together since their start in 2009. We print all of their labels and have provided them with custom labels upon request, such as The Pride Festival hosted in Louisville. We also offer speciality custom labels for events, weddings, etc that can be purchased in bulk for a discounted rate.
Old 502 Winery is a proud partner with Kentucky Proud. Starting in 2020, they will be releasing holiday gift baskets in conjunction with Kentucky Proud, especially for Derby season. This year they are selling 1, 2, and 3-bottle gift baskets with a customizable option for the 3-bottle version including Ghiridelli chocolates.
Their Top Wines
Their most popular, top seller is the Bourbon Barrel Red, which is aged for a short time in actual bourbon barrels. They also have a stronger version of this blend called Bourbon Barrel Black. Another fan favorite is Kentucky Lady which is their third bestseller and the sweetest white wine they have in their wine collection. One of their most popular red wines is called Bore Dough, perfect to pair with pastas, cheeses and meats- as the names suggests. The current staff favorite is White Noise, a traditional white wine. Lastly, one of their seasonal releases, Holidaylicious, is a top seller during the holiday season! It is the perfect festive wine to bring to any holiday gathering you have this fall and winter.
You can schedule a wine tasting here or visit them during Happy Hour on Wednesdays through Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. They also have popcorn and a meat and cheese board available for purchase during your tasting or while you are enjoying a glass of their delsiocus vino!
For any additional information on Old 502 Winery, you can contact their staff here. If you would like to see how Louisvile Label can become your label printer in Louisville, reach out to us now! We love working with local brands across the Bluegrass in any industry.
