With the 2019 announcement at Freemark Abbey that its longtime winemaker, Ted Edwards, was transitioning to an emeritus role and Kristy Melton, would assume the Winemaker position Ted had held for an astonishing four decades, it was one of the most significant developments at the St. Helena winery since the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976.
Whether contemporary, pre-Prohibition, or late 19th century, history has always played an important part at Freemark Abbey. As one of Napa Valley’s oldest estates, how it could it not? Now, with past catching up to present in the winemaking transition, it’s important to recognize the role Ted has played since he arrived in 1980—not just as a winemaker all of that time, but also as a passionate viticulturalist and an ambassador for the Freemark brand.