St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Freemark Abbey with a Private Chauffeur
A 140-year-old St. Helena winery that poured two wines at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Josephine Tychson founded the winery in 1886, one of the first recorded women winemakers in Napa Valley. In 1899 Antonio Forni built the stone winery that still stands, from stone quarried nearby, and in 1939 new owners named it Freemark Abbey after themselves: Charles Freeman, Marquand Foster and Albert Ahern, known as Abbey.
It opened one of Napa Valley's earliest tasting rooms in 1949, and from 1967 it trained so many winemakers that it was nicknamed the University of Freemark. At the 1976 Judgment of Paris it was the only winery with both a red and a white in the tasting.
The Jackson family has owned Freemark Abbey since 2006, and winemaker Kristy Melton leads the single-vineyard Cabernets, Bosché and Sycamore. In 2026 the winery celebrates its 140th anniversary.
Tasting Fees
Free for the 30-minute Napa Valley Original Tasting at the bar, Thursdays and Sundays. $50 for the seated Appellation Tasting, $76 for the Library Tasting and $100 for the Cabernet Comparison, each about an hour. $250 for the Decades Tasting.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3022 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seated tastings by reservation; walk-ins can join the bar tasting when space allows.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon, including the Bosché and Sycamore vineyards
Founded
1886
Good to Know
Online bookings for up to 4 guests; call for larger groups. Tastings are 21 and over.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a St. Helena hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt luxury resort on Main Street, is about 5 minutes from Freemark Abbey, and Harvest Inn, set among gardens at the south end of St. Helena, is about 10 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Freemark Abbey
The seated Appellation Tasting ($50) or Cabernet Comparison ($100), each about an hour.
11:25 · Ehlers Estate
Next door. A certified organic estate with a stone winery from 1886, owned by a foundation that funds cardiovascular research. The estate tasting with a walk of the grounds is about 90 minutes ($125). By reservation, up to 6 guests.
1:05 · Lunch at Farmstead
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on Main Street in St. Helena, a farm-to-table restaurant open daily. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:20 · Charles Krug
About 5 minutes away. Founded in 1861 and owned by the Mondavi family since 1943, Charles Krug calls itself Napa Valley's oldest winery. The Cabernet Connoisseur tasting is about an hour ($75); the estate tasting is $50. By appointment.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Markham Vineyards
Adds about an hour. Taste in one of the valley's landmark stone cellars, built in the 1870s. Walk-ins are welcome; open until 5:30 p.m., with tastings from about $55.
About $225 to $300 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Freemark Abbey?
Seated tastings are by reservation, and walk-ins can join the bar tasting when space allows. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Freemark Abbey?
$50 per person for the Appellation Tasting, $76 for the Library Tasting and $100 for the Cabernet Comparison, as of September 2026. The bar tasting is free on Thursdays and Sundays.
Was Freemark Abbey in the Judgment of Paris?
Yes. At the 1976 tasting it was the only winery with both a red and a white wine.
Where does the name Freemark Abbey come from?
From its 1939 owners: Charles Freeman, Marquand Foster and Albert Ahern, known as Abbey.
Who owns Freemark Abbey?
The Jackson family, since 2006.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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