Freemark Abbey Winery

Infobox Winery
winery_name = Freemark Abbey Winery
winery_
location_city = St. Helena, California
location_country = USA
appellation = St. Helena AVA
former_name = Tychson Cellars, Lombarda Cellars
other_labels=
year_founded = 1939
first_vintage =
key_people = Ted Edwards, Managing Partner
Tim Bell, Winemaker
parent_company = Legacy Estates Group
cases_per_year = 40,000
signature_wine = Chardonnay, "Edelwein Gold" Reisling
varietal1 = Chardonnay
varietal2 = Merlot
varietal3 = Sauvignon Blanc
varietal4 = Cabernet Sauvignon
varietal5 = Merlot
varietal6 = Riesling
varietal7 = Viognier
varietal8 = Petite Sirah
varietal9 = Cabernet Franc
varietal10 = Sangiovese
other_product1=
other_product2=
other_product3=
other_product4=
other_product5=
homepage= http://www.freemarkabbey.com
distribution national
tasting= open to the public

Freemark Abbey Winery, located between St. Helena and Calistoga in California's Napa Valley, 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".

History

The winery was first built by Josephine Marlin Tychson, the first woman to build and operate a winery in the state. The winery was originally named Tychson Cellars and it produced Zinfandel, Riesling, and "Burgundy". Josephine Tychson sold the winery to her foreman Nils Larsen in 1894. Larson in turn leased the property to Antonio Forni and later sold it to him in 1898. Forni renamed the winery Lombarda Cellars after his birthplace; Lombarda Italy. He concentrated his efforts on making Chianti and other Italian style wines which he marketed to the numerous Italians that had moved to Barre, Vermont, the site of America's largest marble and granite quarries. Forni was forced to cease operations when Prohibition began.

In 1939, three businessmen from Southern California, Albert "Abbey" Ahern, Charles Freeman and Markquand Foster purchased Lombarda Cellars. Together they reopened the winery and renamed it Freemark Abbey (a combination which includes a portion of each partner's name). During the 1940s and 1950s the partners sold the majority of their wines to retail outlets in San Francisco. The winery went through several hands in the early 1960s before being purchased by a group of seven partners in 1966. After the purchase, the new owners made major improvements to the facility. This core group owned the winery until 1991 when they sold it to the current owner, The Legacy Estate Group.

Awards

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.

ee also

*California wine

ource

*Taber, George M. "Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Wine Tasting that Revolutionized Wine". NY: Scribner, 2005.

External links