Wine Tasting at Freemark Abbey Winery

In my opinion, Spring is by far the best time to visit wine country. The hills are blooming with wild flowers, the weather is warm with a cool breeze, and you’re beating the summer rush. With 400 wineries stationed in Napa Valley, it’s no wonder why people from across the globe rush to Napa to indulge in vino. Freemark Abbey is one of those wineries that is intriguing visitors roaming through the valley. Kara and I were fortunate to receive an invite to check out the wine room at Freemark Abbey. So we decided to clear out a Saturday to make a drive up to St. Helena.

When driving up, we realized we couldn’t of picked a better day to go. The weather was perfect and the drive was smooth. After an hour and a half, we arrived at Freemark Abbey which is located right off of St. Helena Highway. As we drove up what immediately struck me was the gorgeous stone architecture of the winery. While we waited on our host in the tasting room, the receptionist treated us to a glass of rose. We were then greeted by Grace Hoffman, the VIP Wine Educator and wine blogger! As she poured us flights of wine, Grace educated us on the intense history of Freemark Abbey. Turns out Freemark Abbey was founded in 1886 by Josephine Tychson, the first female winemaker in Napa Valley. Talk about girl power!

Since then it has undergone different ownership and opened it’s first wine tasting room in 1949. Besides the tasting room, the property features a wine library, a market cafe, a restaurant that serves California-inspired yakitori, barrel room, and a members’ lounge. Kara and I got to enjoy our flight in the courtyard. It was nice to enjoy the weather among the blooming flowers, and with a great view of the revived estate.

After a few glasses of wine, Grace took us over the the wine library which showcases a bottle from every single year since the 1960s. The wine library, as well as several other rooms, are open for private parties. If you’re looking to gather a group of friends for a day trip to St. Helena, Freemark Abbey would be a great stop. You could take a sip of history by sampling a bottle (or two) from their wine library, stroll through the gardens, then head over next door to their restaurant, Two Birds One Stone.

Overall, Kara and I had a great time. I would definitely return for a glass of the Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, my absolute favorite out of the wines that we tried. Big thanks to Freemark Abbey and Grace for hosting us!

xoxo Justina