Now open to the public and by appointment only, consumers are invited to taste at this iconic winery’s hillside cave. Open Monday through Sunday, from 10 – 5pm.
Sebastopol, CA, July 13, 2016 — Freeman Vineyard & Winery’s proprietors, Ken and Akiko Freeman are pleased to announce the long awaited opening of their cave tasting room located at their winery just outside the charming town of Sebastopol.
“Over the years we have received thousands of requests from our friends and interested consumers who wanted to visit but we needed to modify our cave to accommodate visitors and get the necessary county permits. Today, we are beyond thrilled to be the only high-end winery offering a cave tasting experience in West Sonoma County. In the world of wine, context is so important and it means so much to us to share our beautiful winery with the people who love our wines” says owner Ken Freeman. Founded over fifteen years ago, Freeman Vineyard & Winery has a storied history as an apple farm when the Russian River Valley was known as the “Gravenstein Capital”. The iconic red barn was transformed into a winery where some of the early Williams & Selyem vintages were first made. Later, the fast rising cult winery Kosta Browne also crafted their wines in the early years before Freeman production filled the cave chambers.
Guests at Freeman Vineyard & Winery will be guided through the award-winning portfolio of wines while also learning about the history of this region, hailed as one of the best areas to grow Pinot Noir in the world. Akiko Freeman, winemaker and tasting cave curator has limited all the appointments to six people per tasting. Akiko Freeman remarks “Despite requests from larger tour groups, we want our tasting to be an intimate experience. Exploring wine is a personal journey and I believe you need all your senses to be delicately treated. Our quiet and cool cave is the perfect combination.” Following the tasting, you can meander the hillside Gloria Estate Vineyard right above the cave or cool off in the towering Redwood groves.
Tasting appointments are $30 per person and include current releases from the Freeman portfolio of wines (below). Due to high demand, it is strongly suggested that appointments should be made at least 3 weeks in advance to secure preferred timing: http://www.freemanwinery.com/provenance/experience.
- Ryo-fu, Russian River Valley Chardonnay, $42
- Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $44
- Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, $45
- Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $58
- Gloria Estate, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $62
- Akiko’s Cuvee, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, $72
Where Freeman wines can be found:
Freeman wines have a global reach and are served in some of the finest restaurants across the US such as Eleven Madison and Jean George in New York City, Gary Danko in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa and famed Les Crayères, in Reims, France.
Chris Gaither, Head Sommelier, Restaurant Gary Danko remarks “Freeman wines exhibit a balance and elegance that pair extremely well with Chef Danko’s cuisine.”
“Year in and year out Freeman produces the very best pinot noir and chardonnay from the Russian River & Sonoma Coast.” Jeff Nace, Owner & Sommelier – Neptune Oyster, Boston
Accolades:
The White House State Dinner Menu Is Making Us Very Hungry and Very Jealous, PEOPLE Magazine, April 28, 2016
Ryo-fu Chardonnay was featured at the White House State Dinner welcoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the United States, April, 2015
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/04/28/white-house-state-dinner-menu-japan-2015/
The Small Sonoma Winery with Asian Ambitions, Le Pan, May, 2015
http://www.lepanmedia.com/the-small-sonoma-winery-with-asian-ambitions
Seven Great California Pinot Noirs to Try this Year, Forbes, April, 2015
http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2015/04/13/seven-great-california-pinot-noirs-to-try-this-year/#323257a249d3
About Freeman Vineyard & Winery:
Founded by Ken and Akiko Freeman, Freeman Vineyard & Winery is dedicated to crafting elegant cool-climate California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a sophisticated Burgundian style. Believing in the vast potential of the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley appellations to produce wines of complexity and refinement, the Freeman’s focus on producing some of the finest Pinot Noirs from their own vineyards as well as a small portfolio of acclaimed partner vineyards. Gloria Estate Vineyard sits adjacent to the winery in the Russian River Valley and Yu-ki Estate Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast just outside Occidental – both are planted with Pinot Noir. These sites share many common elements that define excellence in cool-climate viticulture, including hillside locations with coastal fog, Goldridge soils, proper clonal selection and stressed vines producing extremely low yields of nuanced fruit.
