Freemark Abbey Winery

My friend and I visited on a Monday. Alex fit in our tasting same-day and was a really tremendous host. Very enjoyable to try the different wines and hear his tasting notes.

The winery is beautiful. Kate provided us a top notch wine tasting comparison experience and taught us so much about winemaking. Tasting room was delightful with plenty of room in a classy yet cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend trying a tasting here.

Stunning. Amazing wine, excellent tasting service, very educational. Such a lovely visit. The staff was wonderful and so knowledgeable. Our first stop of the day and a great one.

We had a nice wine tasting with Anne. It was lovely to talk about Germany and her experience. It was nice to hear a lot of California and its wines. Taste a lot of special red wines. Thank you and best regards from the Germans.

An amazing place with true Napa history. These wines are so well made and age gracefully for years. A must see for wine lovers and collector's.

You must go here for great wine!!! Freemark was spectacular. Our host Grace had great passion and knowledge. Wonderful experience!

What a great experience! So much history about the winery, our sales associate was awesome, he was very knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you Presley for making our tasting remarkable. We had a great time!

Did the wine trolly tour this was our first stop, favorite place we visited all day! The hospitality from arrival to leaving was amazing! The wine was also the best we had all day! They may not be the biggest but they are the best! Highly recommend when next in Napa we will sure come here for a private tasting! Thank you for a great morning the Brits loved it …. 08/26/23

I'm not a wine drinker, just don't like the taste of it, but the wine here change my mind. The wine pairing dinner we had here hosted by Michelin Star Chef John Tesar & Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli from the Food Network Series Chopped was amazing. Menu: Veal Meatballs paired with 2023 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Shrimp Toast American Bison Tartare paired with 2022 Napa Valley Viognier Chili Lobster paired with 2020 Carneros Chardonnay Risotto Al Merlot paired 2019 Merlot Bosche Fire Roasted Flat Iron Steak paired with 2014 Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon & 2014 Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon Gianduja Bavarois paired with 2016 Cask 86, Dessert Wine All tasted great and the wine was amazing!!! Staff was very nice and friendly!!!

If you're a RED wine lover, this is a winery you must experience. The service and knowledge of the team is quite amazing. Cleanliness is definitely present. The grounds are perfect for a short stroll. Todd is truly missed!

Beautiful grounds and friendly staff! My friends and I wandered over after enjoying lunch across the street. We were enjoying the grounds and taking some pictures when two staff members came to say hi to us. They welcomed us in and offered a pour of two wines to taste. The red were jammy and full bodied. We looked around inside and it's beautiful. The members' only tasting room looked impressive. I'd love to come back for a tasting!

Wine tasting! This winery was the first place on our full day wine and food event package. It's a beautiful 30 minute drive from downtown Napa. The building is historic and gorgeous. The gardens and interior ambiance are stunning. Kim was the onsite wine expert that coached us through their featured wines. She's incredibly knowledgeable and made the experience fun and memorable. The white and red wines were all high quality and delicious. The wines were complex and ranged from dry to lightly sweet blends. Parking is ample and the bathrooms are clean and accessible. We recommend this venue and their wine tasting experience!!

The quality has gone down and this tasting was expensive. Lovely atmosphere.

We came here as the first stop on our trolley wine tour. It was a very beautiful winery. The tasting was red heavy which wasn't ideal for me. The staff was very informative and helpful and we enjoyed our time here.

Wine was not to my palette, but maybe it might be for others. Bright, jammy, and young for most of the wines tasted. The service was okay, not the best. Kim was nice, but didn't pay any attention to our table, it was more of a pour and quick description of the wines and went to chat it up with another table. The estate was nice, but the experience was not great.

Wow.I couldn't wait to get home so I can write my review. Did a trolley wine tasting with my BF for his birthday. And it was the best one yet! I'm not a wine drinker, but when I tried some of the wines here, it was amazing. I also got to learn which wines go well with different meals. The hosts were amazing. The atmosphere was beautiful.

My parents turned 60 and decided to treat themselves to a wine club membership here at Freemark Abbey. Who is the most excited about this? I am! Turns out members can call ahead and make reservations for their guests to enjoy the membership as well. Whoo hoo! Privileges include: * Complimentary tasting for Wine club member and up to three guests * Access to private picnic garden * 20% off wine and 25% off case purchases Our experience began in the members only tasting room with the most divine charcuterie platter I've had and the wine... wow the wine! Definitely worth the $100+ dollar per bottle price tags. We enjoyed tasting the same varietal different ages. Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet 2004 & 2015. Both delicious! The tip of the day went to our host who suggested a stop across the street at Brasswood Bar + Kitchen for hand pulled mozzarella served on crostini. Our calendars are marked for the next wine release party on March 7th. See you there!!

I brought some friends in the wine and food industry with me to a sit down tasting with one of the best guys in the business running it - Russell. The guy is smooth and comfortable and ran a great tasting! I used to buy Freekmark Abbey way back in the late 80's, 90's and 2000's for various restaurants I've worked at in Pittsburgh, Philly, L.A., and San Francisco. They make outstanding wines - have a full range. Their entry level is excellent compared to say another winery's 'Coastal' or Private Reserve (not private and not reserve Mondavi). What's even better is their mountain fruit wines like Howell Mountain would cost a hundred dollars more at most wineries in Napa. $85 is still expensive, but $185 is cost prohibitive. We all had a great time, guys that work at other wineries "Tamber" guy, an owner of Occidental Cigar Bar in San Francisco, a Captain at Ruth's Chris steakhouse - career professional waiter/steward and some friends from back east. Everybody loved Russell Flood's presentation and we all bought wine. I don't understand how you can not have a great experience here, however, I would definitely ask for Russell and tip the man, he deserves it!

I would like to recognize Kim at Freemark Abbey for providing a very nice tasting experience for my husband and I. In the past year, we have made an effort to visit the wineries associated with the Judgement of Paris. Freemark Abbey has been on our list of places to visit for a while. I'm glad we found a video on YouTube to watch about the history of the winery and how it all started with Josephine. We liked the atmosphere of the winery and we were thankful to have a lovely table to ourselves. The printed list of wines had our names on it and it was a special touch. Among the experiences we've had in Napa Valley, this was close to our favorite. We were there to sample and taste their wine and we were really impressed with everything. The wine was very good and we liked having two samples at once to make a comparison. It was a nice touch that helped us figure out what we liked and why. We talked to Kim about our choices and she had a lot of knowledge about the wine, how and where the grapes are grown and how that all influences the taste. We felt that unlike other places in the valley where the tasting has a bar-like atmosphere, this was really focused on tasting the wine. We thoroughly enjoyed the wine and the tasting experience. Kim also recommended Brasswood for lunch and it was a fantastic recommendation.

Fantastic winery! David was a great host! He was extremely knowledgeable, and friendly. Beautiful atmosphere in the tasting room. The wine was incredible. We stopped here on a recommendation and Freemark Abbey did not disappoint! Thank you!

A great tasting menu especially if you love Cabs and reds. You get a great range of lighter reds to very robust full reds. We loved the 130 anniversary blend! Tony our host was wonderful.

What a great experience with even better wine. Presley truly made it memorable. Looking forward to coming back.

Our host was Presley! Did 3 wine tastings today but Freemark Abbey was our first stop. Before leaving Presley was joking how we started with the best winery first. Oh how true that ended up being!!! :) Presley is knowledge about the wines, history if Freemark Abbey, and is able to describe them to all levels of wine enthusiasts. We enjoyed his customer service and company. The wines were tasty. My fav was the red blends. Cant wait to go back!

The Napa Valley is one of the most gorgeous places to visit when you are in the San Francisco Bay Area. Freemark Abbey is located on the corner of Lodi Lane and Highway 29 in St. Helena. The tasting room is gorgeous and spacious. The staff is extremely knowledgable and super friendly. The Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely one of the best Cab's you will drink in the valley. They are so popular, I usually see their wines in some of the finest restaurants in San Francisco, LA, Vegas, and New York. We always have a great visit at Freemark Abbey, because the Staff goes that extra mile. They allow you to taste an older wine to compare to a younger Cab that they have open. The wine club (we joined) is easy and doesn't require a huge commitment of wines to take every year. I love the reasonableness of their tasting fees and the fact that they take care of their customers that buy wine and join the club, and actually waive the tasting fee. I am super familiar with Freemark Abbey because through the years I have purchased bottles at their winery and stored them in the wine fridge. I was given a 1983 Cabernet as a gift and opened it 35 years later. It was still delicious, my point is that their wines age very well. The Merlot, Cab Franc, Ted's Blend, Chardonnay, and Viognier are all great wines also. They have a restaurant/ BBQ place on the property called Roadhouse 29, I have not tried that, but next time I am in Napa I will give that a try.

1 star for the service not for wine since we didn't get to do the tasting. We went here before for tasting but didn't join the wine club at the time. Husband wanted to come back, retry the wines as they were good the last time we had it. He was ready to sign up for wine club member as well. We came at 3:10pm on Monday Nov 21th without reservation. They turned us down even though they close at 4pm. Their reservation system has all the time from 2:30, 2:45 and 3pm open means they are empty and no one was inside when we came. Yes, it was our fault for not making reservation as we had all other reservations booked up until then but we went out of our way to drive there as husband wanted to retry and sign up. They could have accommodate a quick tasting and could have won a club member. Anyways, we will not be back and you just lost one potential wine club member.

Wine was great - I like the side by side tasters. The pourer was very engaging and friendly. Tasting was $35 but ours was waived because we bought some bottles. Thought that was very generous because Napa typically doesn't do things like that. It wasn't very crowded on a Sunday but I think typically you need a reservation.

Yummmm!!! We stopped in for a tasting after picking up a few cheeses nearby and boy did they pair nicely with Freemark Abbey Cabs! If I was to join another wine club, this would surely be it. Great service, we enjoyed our cheese and crackers while sharing the Cab Tasting. Some of which, like most tastings are still young, but others are ready to be consumed by the bottle right now! 2012 "Teds Blend" Cab is delish! Really they are all and the grounds and new building are fantastic. I can see myself visiting over and over and maybe even signing up for their wine club. Great service, great tour, great wine!

We meet the sommelier for Freemark Abbey at another tasting and she was nice of us to give us a complimentary tasting. Never one to turn down free wine we stopped by the next day and had a lovely time. The tasting room is unassuming and the wines are delicious. We felt like we found a hidden gem! We look out for Freemark Abbey on menus and in wine stores now and usually end up ordering!

Unbelievable!!! Gary really set the tempo and kept us engaged. The wine was outstanding and we ordered 6 bottles and became a wine club member! The atmosphere is very inviting and the music had me tapping my feet (all genres). I would recommend this place to everyone!

Beautiful location, sat outside in the garden area which was absolutely beautiful. The staff were very friendly and informative making the tasting very fun and enjoyable for the group. The wines were delicious, wish there was something to nibble on to enhance the flavors even more. But we really enjoyed our time at Freemark Abbey. Would recommend stopping by...

Came for a tasting and realized this place was swanky once they asked if we had a reservation. What? We're in Napa and tasting wines.. a reservation? *pinkies up* I feel bad, we don't recall our wonderful winetender's name, but she was super educated on wines and not pretentious at all! She lead us through the tasting with ease - This is the FIRST winery to create a non malolactic fermentated chardonnay that I actually LOVED! This was the ONLY time I understood when other wineries would try to tell me to "appreciate the grape" when that grape usually lacked flavor & substance, the wine here did not and we definitely left with a bottle of that! Once she got to the port tasting, my husband and I slyly give each other the "Oh brother, here comes the chocolate candy bullshit" look as she set 2 chocolate heart truffles in front of us. However, instead of her asking us to taste the chocolate first, she tells us to appreciate the port first, bite the candy and then try it again without the sweetness in the port. *kisses fingertips* Yaaaasss honey! that's the stuff! It was a delicious port and a See's candy heart so, this was port done CORRECT! She was sweet and waived our tasting & really was a great way to spend our Valentines day! They get packed so, reservations are recommended.. absolutely divine wines!

What am I doing here?! You know it isn't necessarily for the wine, since this is probably my second time walking into a winery in my lifetime. Don't remember much of first experience other than it was a quick "in and out", not the burger place. Well, the Golden State Warriors formed a wine society and, these days, everything in the Bay Area related to the Dubs is gold. This low key winery right on highway 29 hosted a season ticket holder event in late September here. Upon walking the steps and entering the expansive greeting area (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Rof9XQS03x_lEOO9co7_Rg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), I was charged by the warm yet rustic atmosphere with high ceilings and low key lighting. After wandering through several rooms on the main floor, we walked downstairs where the event was held. The Warriors brought their most recent awards (https://www.yelp.com/user_photos?select=ny6D5X-lYADfwZuIOen4Kg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) and positioned them for a great photo opp for all attendees. The event also provided some food to enjoy with their wine selection and, just my luck, it came from a long bookmarked restaurant in the winery named Two Birds One Stone. After enjoying some of this, my friend noticed another private room tucked away on the side near the courtyard entrance. The sign read society members only but several non member wine enthusiasts strolled in and enjoyed tastings of their premium selection. Former Warrior Adonal Foyle took several photos with guests, the host, and the 'Adonal size' bottles. After my friends tried a few of these wines, we walked outside to their courtyard area where they had a few games set up on their lawn area (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=e9RX-t_5OfNYfqDJiBEZ_A&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). There were outdoor tables and chairs for guests to enjoy the wonderful weekend weather. We strolled up a path on the left and saw what is likely a part of their vineyards, facing the hills (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=2UYP--auJJa7Iy9vp3mLaQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). To the right, there was another building, with restrooms on the ground floor and more tasting rooms, tables, and chairs upstairs. We walked up just to take a glance and some guests were ordering wine from the staff there. This two plus hour tour was relaxing yet very impressive and gave me an education on wineries and the allure of wine tasting in Napa these days. I'm not your target audience, but still I was very impressed by the atmosphere and staff. Especially in being patient to this newbie. *** Was fortunate to visit prior to the recent fire catastrophe in the area. Prayers to all businesses affected by this.

I've tried Freemark Abbey wines but never had an opportunity to visit this historic winery. But that opportunity came this past weekend as the Warriors Wine Society 2017-18 Season Tip-Off event was held at Freemark Abbey. Several buildings encompass the winery grounds. The event was held in the building where the TwoBirds/One Stone restaurant was located. Checked in at the upper level Great Hall, there was wine station set-up there for your first tastings. We proceeded to the lower level Barrel Room where two tastings stations were located and a station with paired bites from TwoBirds/One Stone with Freemark Abbey wines. The delicious tastings were wagyu short rib sliders and green onion-ginger meatballs. Of course, we were there to see and get our pictures taken with the "Larrys", the Warriors Championship trophies from the 2014-15 season and the latest 2016-17 season. Warriors legend Adonal Foyle was on hand to meet and greet Warriors fans. We went to the Wine Library room as was greeted by Nat, who gave a nice description of the Freemark Abbey wines and their winemaker, Ted Edwards. The "Ted" Cabernet and Sycamore Cabernet were delicious. In the Courtyard and lower lawn, there was a Pop-A-Shot and Corn Hole games set-up. It was nice to be able to wander and enjoy the wineries expansive grounds. It was great to have been able to come to this Warriors event and experience Freemark Abbey winery. I will certainly be back again for wine tasting in a future visit.

I loved Freemark Abbey so much I joined the wine club! Trust that this says quite a lot because the wine is on the pricier side, and I'm pretty cheap. What can I say? Russell was an excellent salesman, and the wines really sang. The three of us did a sit down tasting, and Russell made sure to throw in plenty of extras for "shits and giggles." One of them, the Restoration red blend, I absolutely fell in love with. Same goes for the Partners blend. Both are club member only wines, and both were pricey enough that the member's discount made a big difference. So I had to join. Freemark Abbey is known for their red blends and cabernets, but the white wine lover in your group will be happy too. My friend brought home a very nice bottle of Viognier from the winery. I would highly recommend trying Freemark Abbey when you're in Napa.

Amazing, amazing, amazing! Wine doesn't get much better than this, you guys! Find someone with membership here and get them to take you. I had the cab, merlot, chardonnay, and a few more wines on the menu - I'm struggling to remember them now - and there wasn't one that I didn't think was well-above average. The cabs they have, in particular, were out of this world. They were very robust and flavorful. The view we enjoyed while sipping had beautiful pink dogwoods and a nice view of some vineyards. Diane, our wine guide, was very attentive and knowledgeable. She always seemed to know when to come out to the patio to give us our next tasting. I had a fantastic time spending the day enjoying wine in the company of fantastic people and passionate winemakers!

Thanksgiving tasting today, 8 tasters for $30 (that includes tax) Such an awesome service and great culture! If I lived in the area, I would consider this as a member. The wines did leave a darker stain on my teeth afterwards but that could be fixed-just need to take that into consideration if you have other plans.

Let me say that Robin the Somm was AMAZING! We had a delicious and wonderful tasting and she provided history, education, and witty good fun. She was an absolute delight. We absolutely love having her lead us through the tasting. When I told her I struggled with drinking reds and only drank whites she made it her goal to turn my palate. Let's just say I walked out with a bottle of red. My 2 friends from out of town were with me and they were so incredibly pleased with the service, attentiveness, and quality of wines. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the family, property, and creation of the wine. I would def come back again if I could get a reservation with Robin. PROS: - Great service - Modern and rustic design of building with an original building - Great Somm that provided excellently serviced attention - Get to sample at least 5 wines for a tasting - Reds are delicious -Can set reservations - Has a restaurant attached CONS: - Pricey, Tasting start at $35 and then $55. On the higher end of doing tastings - A bit darker inside, more than I'd like - Modern aesthetics is cool but a bit too much for my personal taste - Didn't experience an outside patio

What a perfect day! Grace was awesome. We learned so much about freemark abbey and the area in general. The wines were all fantastic so excited about the few that we chose to take home. Thank you Grace for making the start of our 30th anniversary day even more special! A new fan of freemark abbey wines especially Josephine!

Why do you go to Napa Valley? The wine! This place had the best wine of any winery I went to over the week. I thought every wine we tried was remarkable. We did an upgraded tasting that covered a large range of wines and some very unique. We also found the staff to be very nice engaging. They were personable with us which made the experience all the better. Simply put, while the grounds are not the most stunning, the wine itself was phenomenal.

This is my second trip to Freemark, and the first since they remodeled a few years back. The newly designed, two floor tasting room is one of the nicest in the valley. They did an incredible job maintaining the history even through an expansion. And their staff is outstanding! Our tasting was run by Logan. He was one of the more knowledgeable and friendly professionals we've encountered while tasting in Napa. He took time to understand our pallets; our likes and dislikes, and designed a tasting that he thought would accommodate each of us. Freemark has a ton of varietal wines and incredible vintages as well. If you're looking for some light and fruity wines, I doubt this is the place. But if you're looking for something that is bigger and more dimensional, I'm not sure anyone can compete with them. I look forward to being back next year so I can experience them again.

Great service. We sat by the fireplace in leather chairs and it was a wonderful experience. I loved the Oakville Cabernet. Tastings are good value.

Lovely tasting experience on the peaceful patio. Joel is a great host. Nice wines! Last-minute appointments taken.

This is a premiere winery in the Napa Valley area. Reservations are highly recommended for a sit down presentation of the wines in a simple, relaxed setting. Gloria was our Freemark Abbey connoisseur and she did a fantastic job of blending the wine background history with the wines we were tasting. My friend recommended this winery as part of our Sunday tour and she hit a bullseye with this selection. In fact, she was so impressed with the tastings and the wine selection, she became a member on the spot. I purchased two bottles myself ("Josephine", named after the original owner, and "Ted's Blend", both robust red wines!) This wine is not easily procured outside the winery or the Napa area itself. If you are into exceptional red wines, book a reservation for a tasting ($25 and $35 tastings; we did the $35 tasting) when visiting the Napa Valley area. Also, the tastings are complimentary if someone signs up for a membership.

Had a great wine tasting experience and enjoyed the wine! Howell Chardonnay was a delight! The employees were charming and made the experience one of our favorite places to visit!

We walked in for a tasting after eating at two birds Judy was so awesome and knowledgeable! We had such a good time and I really can't recommend this place enough! Must try!

Freemark Abbey's wine stood far above that of the five other wineries I tasted at during my trip through Napa. They offer four different tasting menus, at varying prices and with different selections of wine. No matter what variety you enjoy you will find that you have plenty of options here. Our server was both knowledgeably and friendly, and certainly added to our great experience here. We were so impressed that we all bought several bottles of wine. I picked up some Sauvignon Blanc, and my companions picked up a couple bottles of Cabernet. I would highly recommend you add Freemark Abbey to your list of destinations!

Beautiful wine tasting area. Spacious, high ceilings, modern and rustic at once. Wines are very very dry. You can taste for 20.00, 30.00 or 40.00 depending on what you're interested in. Pours are regular one ounce and the service is fine. I hear you can order fries from the neighboring restaurant and they will deliver them. We didn't try this, but sounded very tempting.

10/5 stars this place gave such great hospitality and great wine but the star of the show was Kim Johnson! She was so knowledgeable, engaging, and great for conversation! She made our experience so great here! Highly recommend this place and Kim. Thank you Kim!

I had not been here before so it was on my list. We came in right before opening and got such nice treatment. They do a really nice comparative tasting for 35$. They will put up the 2018 Sauv Blanc against a 2018 Viognier so you can taste the differences in each which is cool. They go down the list say merlot against malbec and so on. Our girl Robin was awesome and went off the list to go with what our palates enjoyed. We loved the 2018 Viognier $32 or wine club $25.60 and of course, they ran out due to a wedding the previous day so they were happy to ship them back to us. I also enjoyed the Rutherford Cab 2014. It was awesome. Try the 2009 Bosche' Cab which was fantastic. $185 a bottle. The 2015 Restoration Red for 100$ was great also. We both liked the 2017 Spring Mtn Chard too. $50. $40 for WC member. The 2014 Sycamore Vineyard Cab was awesome and it is part of the wine club. Their WC is about $300 a shipment. 3 times a year, 4 bottles each shipment. Red only.They also have a higher end WC too. It is a beautiful property and we really enjoyed tasting here.

Booked ahead for valentines weekend The wines are good. Been to a dozen wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Freemark Abbey does not stand out as top rank. The winery had no vibe. No energy. It felt like a forgotten place. The wines were good, but compared to their competitors seemed over priced. I would not mind buy the wines retail or in a restaurant. But I will go someplace else next time in Napa

Pretty disappointed in my most recent visit to Freemark Abbey. In the past, I've always enjoyed coming here because I enjoy their wines and have felt like I've had good, knowledgeable service. My most recent visit though was really not great. We arrived and were rushed to a table, but then sat there for maybe 10 minutes before someone came over to greet us. It seemed like our host was phoning it in. He didn't seem happy to have people there and kind of just went through the motions. I also didn't like that he didn't listen. He asked us 3 separate times about joining their membership; we told him when we arrived and each time he asked that we were already members. I'd like to think this was a one off, but our email communication with Freemark has been about the same lately. They've lost their personal touch for sure. While I enjoy their wines, I don't know that I'll be back for a tasting after this last experience.

********************* 1287 ********************** Freemark Abbey Winery, located between St. Helena and Calistoga in California's Napa Valley, literrally across from the Culinary Institute of America, traces its roots to 1886. Today, Freemark Abbey produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling, as well as very limited production wines, such as Viognier, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc. Depending on conditions, the winery sometimes makes a late harvest Riesling known as "Edelwein Gold". Did you know that the winery won the New York Wine Tasting of 1973, a wine competition of 23 California, New York, and French Chardonnays? The blind tasting brought together 14 wine experts, including France's Alexis Lichine. Freemark Abbey Winery achieved international recognition when it achieved sixth place in the historic "Judgment of Paris", placing ahead of two French and two other California wines. impressive. They offer 2 tastings daily, allow walk in, but reservation on the weekend is highly recommend. According to their website: - Classic Tasting: $20 per person - 30 min You select four wines from our daily menu of current Napa Valley releases - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and, of course, our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. - Cabernet Comparison Tasting: $30 per person - 60 min Cabernet Comparative Tasting was made for Cab Lovers! This in-depth 60 min tasting walks you through our current release Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon releases from the historic Bosche and Sycamore Vineyards on the Rutherford Bench. Designed for wine aficionados of all levels, this tasting is a must for fans of Cabernet Sauvignon. I visited here with a few friends over the weekend for their Josephine release party. Nice tasting room, beautiful outdoor patio for us to smoke cigar, Davidoff was sponsored the event. Wines flowing all afternoon long, and we got to taste a few vertical of Josephines 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well 8 other red and white wine. Barry Dodds, the Estate Manager, Grace @Cellarmistress, and everyone at the event were so kind and gracious, we couldn't ask for a better time here.

Wow. That escalated quickly. Here's the scene: We had just finished up a fabulous tour & tasting at Castello di Amorosa, and a pretty darn good tasting at Madrigal Family winery. I was with a group of 11 for Lil' SIL's birthday. We were in good spirits, definitely in a wine purchasing mood. We picked Freemark Abbey Winery as our next destination due to ample parking, beautiful facility, and the possibility of eating at their restaurant, (which sadly, had just closed a few months before.) There were two buildings: to the left, the Joe Schmo tasting room, and to the right the VIP baller-den. With a group our size, we were pointed toward the VIP! Promising! Potential! We go in for our tasting. The room was beeeautiful: big stone fireplace, comfy couches, lots of windows letting in sunlight. ($20 for regular tasting, $30 for the reserve tastings. Pours were meh.) Diane was our original pourer, and she was great: told us a bit about the history of the winery, answered questions, etc. Very personable. At this point, Lil' SIL was even considering joining the club! There was one other couple with us in the tasting room, we ended up knowing them from our hometown. (small world!) All was well. Then, Guy came in and stepped behind the bar. Not as friendly as Diane. We believe his name was Mike. Tall, big guy, wearing a too-casual button up black and white shirt. Took over some of the pouring. Now, side note: as previously mentioned, we were already 2 wineries deep. However, these visits were spread out over the course of 5 hours, we'd all eaten snacks between, and were absolutely behaving like adults. (My Mom and Dad in law were there, for Yelpsake!) PickyEater, Big BIL and Big SIL were sipping and talking about the Oakland A's. Mike walks over, and in mid-conversation took PickyEater's glass AWAY from her (with wine still in it!) and unceremoniously tells her, "You're cut off." Poured her glass OUT. In front of everyone. Turned to Diane, *pointed*(!) at PickyEater: "We legally can't serve her anymore. It's the law." Breaks squealing. Crickets. TOTAL PARTY KILLER. In the setting in which we were, (VIP tasting room, classy winery, paying customers) his behavior was startlingly, deafeningly, WILDLY out of place. She was absolutely not making a spectacle of herself, slurring her words, etc. But ya know what? They have to be safe. Liabilities and all that. I get that. However, even if Mike had thought she was dunzo, he gave absolutely no explanation, showed no courtesy to her or our group. That's how you do your customers? SO unprofessional and cold. She was SUPER embarrassed and confused. Weeeell, that was the end of that. We quickly left: my BILs are kind of protective, and upon seeing PickyEater's eyes well up in embarrassment they were immediately heated. We left without purchasing the wine we had wanted, and Lil' SIL bdaygirl *certainly* did not join the club. (sorry, Diane) Birthday over. Time to go home. VERDICT: While the wines were good, the tasting room was beautiful and Diane was nice, Guy sealed the deal: NOPE. With a gabillion wineries in that area, bad customer service is not only shocking, but a deal breaker.. I will definitely not be going back, nor will anyone in our group.

GM Gary Geiger is absolutely everything here. Freemark is a wonderful casual escape. Whether you're enjoying some wine by the vines or listening to live music on the lawn or patio deck you are sure to have a memorable experience.

Beautiful renovation at Freemark Abbey!!! The staff is very knowledgeable about the history of the winery, the types of climates for each grape including soil types and location. Friendly staff that is very welcoming. In addition, there is also a restaurant on the property which waives corkage fees for napa/sonama wines. If you enjoy bold Cabs then definitely try the Bosche and Sycamore. Their Josephine red blend is also excellent. Good time of year for a visit!

Is yelp only required for us to only write where we been to? I just got back from Hawaii and the last dinner I had was the Freemark Abbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 red wine dry. I cannot stop dreaming about it. I had it at Morton's Steakhouse in Honolulu, Hawaii. It went well with my Filet Mignon, Single Cut Steak. Im also not a red wine person even though I do drink it at times. I usually drink the white wines the most. But this particiular red wine, I will definitely try it over and over again. The smell was delicious and so is the dry taste. It went down smoothly. Since Saint Helena is not that far, I will make the effort to visit this winery. I just needed to share that this wine was definitely delicious to me. I went to their web site and saw that the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is not on the list anymore. I sure would try and taste the rest that is on the list.

Having just had lunch at Silverado Brewing Company, we figured we'd stop by Freemark Abbey right next door and see how their wines hold up. Between me and my friend, we went through just about the entire list of whites and reds including their 2003 Petite Syrah. It had a light pungency on the nose, long firm tannins and notes of leather. The Dessert Riesling was also quite good and reminded me exactly of the "lemon water" my mom used to make when I was younger with water, lemon & honey. The consistency was a little on the syrupy side and the wine had a nice tart finish. All the other wines were more or less average though, hence the mere three stars. I do want to add that the lady behind the counter was very gracious and the venue is very cozy with a roaring fireplace and peaceful outdoor patio surrounded by a lovely view of the area.