Freemark Abbey Winery

Freemark Abbey Winery is a historic Napa Valley wine producer located between St. Helena and Calistoga in California. Its roots reach back to 1886, when Josephine Marlin Tychson established what was then known as Tychson Cellars. Tychson was among the first women in California to build and operate a winery. The original estate produced wines including Zinfandel, Riesling, and a style described at the time as Burgundy. Tychson sold the property to her foreman, Nils Larsen, in 1894. Larsen later leased the winery to Antonio Forni and sold it to him in 1898. Forni renamed the operation Lombarda Cellars, reflecting his Italian birthplace, and focused on Chianti and other Italian-inspired wines. He marketed these products in part to Italian communities associated with Barre, Vermont, a major center of the American marble and granite industries. Lombarda Cellars ceased operations after Prohibition began, reflecting the severe effect of national alcohol restrictions on American wineries. The property was revived in 1939, when three Southern California businessmen—Albert “Abbey” Ahern, Charles Freeman, and Markquand Foster—purchased the former Lombarda Cellars. They reopened the winery and created the name Freemark Abbey by combining elements of the partners’ names. During the 1940s and 1950s, the winery sold most of its wines through retail outlets in San Francisco. The business changed hands several times in the early 1960s before a seven-person ownership group acquired it in 1966. That group invested in substantial facility improvements and provided the foundation for the modern winery. The 1966 ownership group retained the winery until 2001, when it was sold to The Legacy Estate Group. Legacy Estate later expanded its portfolio and attempted to consolidate Freemark Abbey with other wine assets, including Arrowood and Byron. The strategy proved unsustainable: in 2005, Legacy Estate Group filed for bankruptcy and its assets were sold at auction. Freemark Abbey subsequently became part of Jackson Family Wines, the privately held wine company associated with the family of the late Jess Jackson. Freemark Abbey’s current portfolio centers on Napa Valley varieties and includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery also makes limited quantities of Viognier, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, while conditions in suitable vintages may permit a late-harvest Riesling known as Edelwein Gold. Its identity combines a long-running Napa Valley estate tradition, a documented connection to women’s early participation in California winemaking, and a premium-varietal portfolio operated within the Jackson Family Wines group.

Freemark Abbey’s history begins in 1886 in Napa Valley, where Josephine Marlin Tychson built and operated Tychson Cellars. Her role is notable in the context of California wine history because she was one of the first women in the state to establish and run a winery. Tychson Cellars produced Zinfandel, Riesling, and wine identified as Burgundy. In 1894, Tychson sold the winery to her foreman, Nils Larsen. Larsen subsequently leased the operation to Antonio Forni and transferred ownership to him in 1898. Forni renamed the property Lombarda Cellars after Lombarda, Italy, his birthplace. He shifted the winery’s emphasis toward Chianti and other Italian-style wines, marketing them to Italian immigrant communities and related consumer networks. Prohibition brought Lombarda Cellars’ operations to an end. The winery was re-established in 1939 after Albert “Abbey” Ahern, Charles Freeman, and Markquand Foster acquired the former Lombarda Cellars. The three partners reopened the facility and named it Freemark Abbey, a composite name drawn from their names. In the 1940s and 1950s, the winery’s wines were distributed primarily through San Francisco retail outlets. Ownership changed several times during the early 1960s. In 1966, a group of seven partners acquired the winery and undertook major improvements to its facilities. This ownership group held the property for approximately three and a half decades. In 2001, it sold Freemark Abbey to The Legacy Estate Group. Legacy Estate Group later pursued a broader consolidation of wine properties, including an attempted combination involving Freemark Abbey, Arrowood, and Byron. The expansion placed financial pressure on the group. Legacy Estate Group entered bankruptcy in November 2005, and its assets were sold through an auction process. Freemark Abbey emerged from that process as part of Jackson Family Wines, the privately held wine enterprise associated with the Jackson family. The winery is located between St. Helena and Calistoga in Napa Valley. Its production is based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, with very limited releases of Viognier, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. In vintages and conditions that permit it, the winery also produces Edelwein Gold, a late-harvest Riesling. The brand therefore combines a nineteenth-century Napa site, a succession of historical ownership eras, and a modern portfolio focused on established California wine varieties.

1. 2005Jackson Family Wines acquires Freemark Abbey assets

   After Legacy Estate Group’s bankruptcy and asset auction, Freemark Abbey becomes part of Jackson Family Wines.

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2. 2001Sale to The Legacy Estate Group

   The long-term ownership group sells Freemark Abbey to The Legacy Estate Group.

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3. 1966Seven-partner ownership group acquires the winery

   A seven-person group purchases Freemark Abbey and makes major improvements to the facility.

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4. 1939Freemark Abbey is founded

   Albert Ahern, Charles Freeman, and Markquand Foster purchase the former Lombarda Cellars, reopen it, and introduce the Freemark Abbey name.

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5. 1898Lombarda Cellars is created

   Antonio Forni acquires the property, renames it Lombarda Cellars, and focuses on Italian-style wines.

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6. 1894Ownership passes to Nils Larsen

   Tychson sells the winery to her foreman, Nils Larsen.

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7. 1886Tychson Cellars is established

   Josephine Marlin Tychson builds and operates the winery that forms the historical foundation of Freemark Abbey.

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A historic Napa Valley winery with a premium, estate-oriented identity, centered on classic California varieties and supplemented by small-production and condition-dependent wines.

• Cabernet SauvignonRed wine

  Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Freemark Abbey’s core Napa Valley offerings and a central expression of the winery’s premium California wine identity. It belongs to the estate’s principal varietal portfolio alongside Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

• MerlotRed wine

  Merlot is a regular red-wine category in the Freemark Abbey portfolio. It complements the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon program and forms part of its established Napa Valley range.

• ChardonnayWhite wine

  Chardonnay is one of Freemark Abbey’s principal white-wine offerings. It is produced as part of the winery’s mainstream Napa Valley portfolio, which also includes Sauvignon Blanc and selected limited-production wines.

• Sauvignon BlancWhite wine

  Sauvignon Blanc is a core white-wine offering from Freemark Abbey. It sits alongside Chardonnay as one of the winery’s regularly produced white varieties.

• Limited-production winesSpecialty wine

  Freemark Abbey’s limited-production range includes Viognier, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. These wines extend the portfolio beyond the winery’s principal varieties and are made in comparatively small quantities.

• Edelwein GoldLate-harvest Riesling

  Edelwein Gold is a late-harvest Riesling that Freemark Abbey makes only when seasonal conditions are suitable. Its production is therefore vintage- and weather-dependent rather than guaranteed every year.

• 2005Join Jackson Family Wines after Legacy Estate bankruptcyM&A

  The Legacy Estate Group entered bankruptcy after an unsuccessful effort to consolidate several wine properties.

  What changed. Freemark Abbey was sold through the group’s asset-auction process and became part of Jackson Family Wines.

  Aftermath. The winery continued under the ownership of the Jackson family’s privately held wine group.

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• 1939Reopen the winery under the Freemark Abbey nameStrategy

  The former Lombarda Cellars property had ceased operations after Prohibition.

  What changed. Albert Ahern, Charles Freeman, and Markquand Foster purchased the property, resumed winemaking, and adopted the composite Freemark Abbey name.

  Aftermath. The renamed winery became the basis of the modern Freemark Abbey brand.

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• 2005Freemark Abbey becomes part of Jackson Family Wines

  Following the bankruptcy and auction of Legacy Estate Group’s assets, Freemark Abbey joined Jackson Family Wines.

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1. Freemark Abbey Winery
2. Freemark Abbey Winery official website