Fess Parker: The Man, The Memories, The Winery

Portraying Disney’s Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, Fess Parker was a towering figure in television. He was also towering in real life! When you met Fess, you definitely had to look up, as he was 6 ft, 6 in. tall. What you saw in his later life was a lean, athletic-looking man with twinkling eyes, a ruddy complexion and ample white hair.

Tim Snider and Fess Parker with our club Founders Bruce and Pam Boring.

What is our favorite Fess Parker memory? It could be the sing-alongs he and his wife held at his Fess Parker Inn & Restaurant in Los Olivos, just a few minutes from their winery. That little town is western to its core, and the folks who sang with Fess will never forget those evenings. It could be the warm welcome he would give to people visiting his winery, the firm handshake, the sense of pride.

Fess surprised everyone in Santa Barbara when he bought land for a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. He had a been a fixture in the city for many years as a property developer, so the move was quite a switch. This was in the early days of Santa Barbara winemaking, and it would be fair to say some were skeptical.

We recall Fess as very focused on his new enterprises and eager to bring his family on board. He did this very successfully, not an easy task for any family, with his son taking on winemaking and his daughter in administration. Our last visit with Fess was at his winery, taking pictures outside on the spacious lawn. He laughed and joked and was patient when we asked for several shots. What do we remember most about Fess? Warmth, a sense of humility and a welcoming spirit.

The wine from Fess Winery is exactly the type of wine we search for throughout wine country to include in our monthly wine clubs: Handcrafted wine from small, family wineries.

Do you love learning about wine? Join the wine club!

Since 1990, it’s been our wine club’s mission to help artisan wineries share their small-batch wines with wine enthusiasts everywhere. At The California Wine Club we happen to think these wines simply taste better than the mass-produced wines that dominate store shelves.

We visit the wineries, meet the families and winemakers behind the wines and then invite them to share their favorite wines with our wine club members. Every wine featured in our wine of the month club comes from a real-working winery.

Come join our adventure!

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