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The history of Freemark Abbey began in 1886,when Josephine Marlin Tychson became the first woman to build and operate a winery in California. The historic site where Josephine's winery, Tychson Cellars, once stood is now known as Freemark Abbey. Today Freemark Abbey is proud to continue the legacy of winemaking that Josephine began so many years ago. Josephine, a native of San Lorenzo, California and her husband, John Tychson, a Danish immigrant, moved to St. Helena in 1881. They hoped that the Napa Valley's climate would help John, who suffered from tuberculosis. In addition, the couple decided to pursue their dream of making wine from their own vineyards. For $8,500, they purchased 147 acres north of St. Helena, which later became known as "Tychson Hill". The first vineyards on the Tychson land were most likely planted in 1875, five or six years before the couple acquired the property. With only a horse and plow, the Tychsons began to expand these vineyards, adding approximately ten acres of vines each year. Despite his failing health, John Tychson began to develop plans for a winery on the property. Unfortunately, he never lived to see his plans take shape. Shortly after her husband's untimely death, Josephine realized his dream. In 1886, she began construction of a fifty square foot redwood winery which would grow to hold a capacity of about 30,000 gallons. In addition, she hired Nils Larsen, an experienced vintner, as her foreman. With Larsen's help, Josephine successfully produced wine for the next eight years. A report of the California Board of Viticulture Commissioners from 1891 shows that her vineyards had increased to 65 acres and that her winery had crushed 110 tons of grapes in 1890. Tychson Cellars produced Zinfandel, Riesling, and a Burgundy blend. In 1894 Josephine sold the winery to Nils Larsen, her foreman. In turn, Larsen leased the winery to Antonio Forni, a good friend of Josephine's. Forni later purchased the property in 1898. Forni is responsible for building a new winery on the old site of the Tychson structure. He called his new winery Lombarda Cellars, named for his birthplace in Italy. Forni once served as mayor of St. Helena and was also a saloon owner. Forni developed a unique method of selling his wine. He knew that many Italians had moved to Barre, Vermont, the site of America's largest marble and granite quarries. Here he could take advantage of the Italian's love of wine as well as high wages paid to Italian stonemasons. He produced Chianti and other Italian style wines. Within a few years Lombarda Cellars had Barre's wine market to itself. Forni used the original Tychson building on the property for many years, but in 1899, he doubled his capacity with the construction of a new stone structure. Stones from the hills of nearby Glass Mountain were used to build his new winery. Freemark Abbey uses this building today for production and barrel storage. He continued to expand the winery until the advent of prohibition in 1919. Like many other vintners in the Napa Valley, Forni was forced to cease production at Lombarda Cellars. Years later, 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). Throughout the 1940's and 50's, the new winery primarily sold its wines in San Francisco retail stores where a longstanding presence began to develop for Freemark Abbey's label. In the years that followed, Freemark Abbey went through a period of several different owners until 1966, when the following partners purchased the winery: John Bryan, Dick Heggie, Bill Jaeger, LaurieWood, and the late Chuck Carpy, Brad Webb and Jim Warren. In 1993, Winemaker Ted Edwards also became a partner. After the passing of Managing Partner Chuck Carpy in August 1996, Edwards assumed the role of managing partner in addition to maintaining the responsibilities he has held as winemaker since 1985. The winery's assistant winemaker, Tim Bell, was promoted to winemaker in 2000, and Edwards assumed the role of Winemaster. Freemark Abbey currently crafts approximately 40,000 cases of wine each year, almost five times the capacity of the original Tychson Cellars. Today, Freemark Abbey produces three Cabernets, a Napa Valley Cabernet, and the vineyard designated Bosche and Sycamore Cabernets. We also produce Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling, as well as very limited production wines, such as Viognier, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc. Given the right climate and harvesting conditions, the winery also makes a luscious late harvest Riesling known as "Edelwein Gold".