Heading north out of St. Helena, the town’s namesake mountain looms at the top of Napa Valley. Vineyards line each side of Highway 29, the picturesque, two-lane road that winds its way up to Calistoga and Mount Saint Helena, while wineries of different eras and architectural styles dot the landscape. It’s a stretch of Napa Valley that embodies California wine country. Just a few miles out of town, past a slight incline of 29 that levels off at Tychson Hill Road, sits one of the valley’s most historic properties, Freemark Abbey Winery. The 19th century stone building practically hugs the road, a graceful and solid presence for over 130 years. Among St. Helena wineries, Freemark Abbey is as familiar to visitors as any.
