Freemark Abbey Winery

About Winery and Wines

Few Napa Valley wineries can rival the rich and storied history of Freemark Abbey. It all began in 1886, when Josephine Tychson established the original winery along Route 29 in St. Helena where Freemark Abbey still stands. She kicked off a history of innovation, becoming one of the first woman winegrowers on record. Though many consider our library wines a religious experience … we’ve never actually been run by monks. The current name of the winery was created in 1939, when the three owners – Charles Freeman, Markquand Foster and Abbey Ahern – combined their names to form the moniker “Freemark Abbey

In the 1960s, Freemark Abbey Winemaker Brad Webb, (subsequently known for his time at Hanzell) pioneered a number of methods that have since become California winemaking standards. Case in point, his use of non-malolactic fermentation for Chardonnay is still used at Freemark Abbey today. In the 1970s, Jerry Luper (of Château Montelena and Diamond Creek fame) worked his magic on the red wines, cementing Freemark Abbey’s position as a world-class Cabernet house. Freemark Abbey has been fortunate to have Ted Edwards as winemaker since 1985. His creative approach combined with the sheer length of experience with the vineyards of Napa Valley – the Rutherford Bench in particular – makes him one of the region’s leading winemakers, most notably for his Cabernet Sauvignon.