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. 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.