When Fess Parker was cast in the Walt Disney Studio's role of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950's, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. So too did the purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley change the course of the Parker family's history.
Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape growing region Fess and his son, Eli Parker originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard, sell the fruit to local producers and see how the industry progressed. Fess' daughter Ashley, explains what happened next as "Fess is from Texas, so he can't do anything small."
The Fess Parker Winery has since grown from an initial planting of 5 1/2 acres of White Riesling to over 700 acres currently. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Viognier are among the varietals grown that form the cornerstone of the production program.
Working as a family has always been of particular importance to the Parkers. It gives Fess and his wife, Marcy great pleasure to see their children and even grandchildren working together in the business. Eli initially supervised the planting of the estate vineyard and construction of the winery. His desire to try his hand at winemaking led to enology and viticultural classes at U.C. Davis supplemented by 5 years of "hands-on" experience.
Jed Steele joined the team in 1993 for a period of three years, working with Eli to tap his innate talent. Wines produced under the Fess Parker label were finally being recognized for their style and quality. Reviews such as 90 points in the Wine Spectator for the 1993 Syrah and the '93 American Tradition Reserve being named "…one of the five best Syrahs in the world" by The Boston Globe cinched Eli's role.
Shortly thereafter, he was named President and Director of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations. Ashley Parker likes to joke that she was written off the back label in the summer of 1989 when she returned to work in Washington D.C. Upon returning to California however, Ashley helped to run the office, poured in the tasting room and represented the winery at consumer and trade events all over the state. In early 1998 she rejoined the winery on a full time basis as Eli's partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams.
The winery building itself is an architectural standout and one of the most popular destinations in the Santa Barbara wine country. Ideally located on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, the winery is surrounded by an acre of landscaped grounds flanked by vineyard on both sides complete with a dramatic mountain backdrop.
The presence of Fess and Marcy as the founding visionaries of the Fess Parker Winery is an enduring and important one. They are extremely active on the vineyard side of the family business in addition to operating Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn and Vintage Room Restaurant in Los Olivos. By providing upscale accommodations, fine dining and award-winning wines, the Parker family's dream of a world-class wine country experience in Santa Barbara County is now a reality.
2004 represented a landmark year for the Parker family. It was the 50th anniversary of the debut of the Davy Crockett series on NBC in which Fess Parker starred, the 15th anniversary of the winery and a very special birthday for Fess, however the years remain a family secret!
