Freeman Winery

Freeman’s is a hidden gem! I have had the pleasure of visiting this lovely vineyard twice and each time was a dream. Ken really takes his time with your party to answer questions and let you sample his amazing array of wine.
They have a beautiful grassy area where you may bring a picnic and enjoy your libations.
I look forward to my return.

Fairly new as wineries go. An investment banker and his wife making good Russian River Pinot Noir. Lots of fruit, very different from the earthier styles of Burgundy that Im used to but it’s smooth and very enjoyable. unlike the fruit bombs that I’ve tried from NorCal I like that Freeman sits in a very good middle ground.

Introduced to this winery by a friend of mine (T.J.)… Absolutely AWESOME pinots! the Akiko was our favorite. Immediately bought a case! Same friend introduced me to August West! Another fabulous pinot that I must get! Ed Kurtzman is involved with both. The cave… the team… everyone super friendly, laid back. Also loved their «red-​wine-​drinkers» chardonnay! Grounds were very relaxing… will be back.

We were greeted immediately by a very friendly staff person upon the arrival of the eight of us in three separate vehicles. One of our companions had booked a tasting for us prior to our arrival. Reservation group size is four but Freeman accommodated the eight of us.
After an explanation of the winery origins, we were led into the cave to begin our wine tasting experience. We sampled a flight of five varieties ranging from a Chardonnay, a rose, and their Pinots. It was leisurely and private. Just the eight of us.
As with many of the small boutique wineries in Sonoma, Freeman also harvest grapes grown elsewhere but crushed and bottled on the premises. In addition, they offer Estate wines.
Hubby and I bought two bottles of Pinot Noirs, Russian River and Estate and our companions did likewise.

If you want a large-​scale Costo-​selling winery, this is not the place for you. The award-​winning Pinots speak for themselves in this classy little low-​key winery. The presentation starts outside for a little bit but is mostly conducted in their cave which, by the way has been verrry tastefully designed and has MUCH Feng Shui happening.
Freeman takes a über friendly and waaaay laid-​back approach at presenting their winery, but don’t let their chill fool you… their Pinots are super-​finely crafted and OMG-​good! The 2010 Keefer Ranch, to be specific, has got to be one of, if not THE best Pinot in the universe.
Yes…make an appointment and dont forget to bring your taste buds. Freeman Winery is the place for Pinot and definitely worthy of using the Visa card :)

If you like your wineries small, unpretentious, and handmade, make an appointment and go get your Freeman on.
The Keefer Ranch pinot and their mineral-​rich Chardonnay are two of the best that this entire area has to offer. No doubt.
Not cheap, but worth every penny.
And…Nick (the host) is gracious, knowledgeable, and as helpful as they get.

Freeman is my ideal tasting experience. If you love pinot noir, you’ll have trouble not popping open a bottle as soon as you get home. If you don’t like the high-​brow, viticultural information dumps that are commonplace with many finer wineries, you’ll love Freeman’s knowledgeable yet responsive staff, who tailor the discussion to your preferences and still educate you about their philosophy and business. We made small talk and laughed just as much as we discussed winemaking. Freeman wines are not only exquisite, they are very affordable for this level of quality ($ 40 – 46). I highly recommend making an appiontment… soon.

Make an appointment — this place is absolutely worth the trip! I would give them 6 stars if I could. The location, the tasting room, the friendly and informed host, the individual attention, etc. make this place a must-​see.
Husband and I had a short tour, then a private tasting. Each wine was fantastic — I even liked with Chardonnay, which I NEVER do! We could definitely have walked away with a bottle of everything we sampled. Instead, we settled on 2 bottles of the 2009 Akiko’s Cuvee Pinot (93 points on WS) and 1 bottle (94 points) of their 2009 Pinot Noir (no tasting of this, but can imagine it’s amazing just based on the ones we did sample). Note: Only 1 bottle per person of the 2009, but it was nice to hear that they held a few cases for tasting room visitors. Very nice touch to hold some back for visitors instead of everything going to wine club members or distributors. We’ll definitely be back!

In my opinion Freeman is a MUST! Freeman has some of the best wine in the area. The owner, Ken, is RIDICULOUSLY nice. I called ahead to arrange a tasting. We we arrived, I felt like Ken was an old friend. He walked us around the grounds, explained the process of making Pinots (which we already knew, but was still nice to see their facility) and then brought us into the caves for our tasting. The cave is so neat… and so cool, which naturally keeps the wine cool. Their Chard is TO DIE FOR. Not «okay» or «buttery» at all. I could sip that back quick and easy. Seriously good. But honestly, I LOVED everything he poured. They make great wine. I agree with John’s comments (below) about Sebastopol. They have great wineries. Spend a day checking them all out!

I’ve been winetasting quite a bit in Sonoma and Napa and definitely give 5 stars to Freeman Winery. They don’t have a tasting room or license, so you have to contact Ken Freeman in advance to set up an appointment, but it is worth it! The Sebastopol area has some of California’s best wineries (e.g., Iron Horse, Martinelli, Lynmar, Hartford Court, Scherrer, Merry Edwards) but even among these great wineries I would highly recommend Freeman as a stop.
Freeman Winery is a small family-​owned winery that produces amazing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the winetasting experience is fantastic. The venue is really nice, and Ken will give you a tour of their facilities, cave, and do some barrel tasting, and they have a large picnic table there which is perfect if you bring a lunch.