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In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with Akiko Freeman, Founder, Owner, and Winemaker of Freeman Vineyards & Winery.

Born in Tokyo, Akiko Freeman first came to the United States in 1985 as an exchange student. Shortly after she met Ken Freeman, her now husband and partner in Freeman Vineyard & Winery. Today she has become a celebrated winemaker at Freeman Vineyard & Winery in Sonoma County. Akiko’s passion for wine was inspired by her grandfather, a professor at Tokyo University, who introduced her to the elegance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Akiko’s artistic sensibilities were shaped by her grandmother, a master of Kodo, the Japanese art of appreciating fragrance. This tradition of “listening to scents” profoundly influences her approach to winemaking, where she seeks to tell the story of the land and the vintage through each bottle.

After earning her master’s degree in Italian Renaissance art history from Stanford in the mid-1990s, Akiko traveled throughout Europe and as far as South Africa to explore the great winemaking regions of the world. She and her husband, Ken Freeman, established Freeman Vineyard & Winery in 2001, driven by a shared dream of crafting expressive cool-climate wines.

Under the mentorship of acclaimed winemaker Ed Kurtzman, Akiko honed her craft and assumed full responsibility for winemaking in 2010. She now oversees every aspect of Freeman’s production, from organic vineyard farming—including the estate’s Gloria and Yu-ki vineyards—to blending and bottling. Her refined palate and vision have elevated Freeman wines to exemplify the best of New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Freeman Vineyard & Winery

Freeman Vineyard & Winery was founded by Ken and Akiko Freeman in 2001, but the seed was planted 16 years earlier. In 1985, while crewing a yacht on its way to the Caribbean, Ken was forced by Hurricane Gloria to head to port near his hometown of Scarsdale, N.Y., where a friend happened to be hosting a party. This was where Ken saw Akiko, newly arrived in the United States from Japan, and their love story began.

While the couple was initially brought together by a hurricane, they were also bound by a shared passion for refined, cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Driven by the firm belief that California is capable of producing wines every bit as complex and compelling as those of Burgundy, they explored more than 300 properties before choosing a site on which to build their dream. Their search ultimately led them to western Sonoma County, with its steep hillside terrain and cooling ocean breezes.

From the first vintage, the Freeman style went against convention. While others pushed the limits of ripeness, Akiko and consulting winemaker Ed Kurtzman sought balance and refinement. Today, the winery is defined by those same pursuits, with Akiko at the helm as winemaker, and Freeman is recognized internationally as one of California's most acclaimed small producers.

And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!