Fess Parker

It occurs to me that I am old.  Most of you probably have never heard of the actor Fess Parker, or if you have, you have relegated him to the annuls of the bygone era in which he performed.  In other words, he was someone your grandparents remember.

Or maybe you've heard of Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard but never gave a thought to the historic figure whose name now lives on in this industry.

Fess Parker was huge in the entertainment culture of fifty years ago.  He starred in Disney pictures in the fifties and early sixties before becoming TV's Daniel Boone through most of that decade.  He was a larger than life Texan and a cinematic hero, at least for kids growing up at the time. 

Parker left acting in the early seventies, went into real estate and did well.  In 1988 he purchased the 714 acre Foxen Canyon Ranch in the Los Olivos District within the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA in Santa Barbara County.  He began planting Riesling grapes in '89 and poured his first wines two years later.

Today Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards has 110 acres planted in Riesling, Syrah and Viognier.  They also market a Napa Cabernet and a Pinot Noir sourced from nearby Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley.  In total 75% of Parker wines are sourced from Santa Barbara County vineyards including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that go into a sparkler.  One-third of Parker production over all is varietal Pinot Noir, 30% is Chardonnay, 20% is Syrah and 10% is Riesling.

And that brings us to the Fess Parker Riesling on our shelves right now.  We bought it initially three months ago and blew through it in no time.  It didn't hurt that we tasted it out here in the store.  Everyone loved it.  

Considering the lack of popularity for Riesling in general, we think the wine's reception was due to its inviting style.  It was different.  Its slightly off-dry style is prefaced with fresh friendly floral aromas leading into a bounty of fruity notes (with lychee nuts!).  We can't help but think some of their Viognier juice found its way into the blend.  And it doesn't hurt that its pricing is quite friendly too.