Fess Parker, 2007 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbera County

Santa Ynez Valley is just 35 miles from Santa Barbara. The Valley includes the cities of Solvang and Buellton as well as the townships of Ballard, Los Olivos, Sant Ynez and Los Alamos.

Source: 80% Rodney’s Vineyard, 20% Camp Four Vineyard Both in the Santa Ynez Valley
Blend: 96%Viognier, 4%Roussanne
Barrel Aging: 9 Months in 1 year old & older French Burgundy oak barrels
Case Production: 3690 Cases

TASTING NOTES: This refreshing Viognier offers aromas of white peaches, vanilla, cashew, Maui Gold pineapple and white flowers. Flavors of pineapple, stone fruit such as white peach, vanilla and butterscotch will be found on the palate. This wine has great balance with fresh acidity that leads to a zesty finish!

Fess Parker, TV Star / Fess Parker, Winemaker
When Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950’s, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. The characters Fess portrayed, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, inspired generations of Americans. Throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s Fess was at the pinnacle of a television career that has an unprecedented impact upon American popular culture. But is was Fess’ entrepreneurial spirit that prompted his leaving Hollywood to go into business for himself. The traits that Crockett and Boone embodied - integrity, resourcefulness and good humor -- carried over to Fess’ personal life and formed the foundation upon which the family business was built.

The purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley changed 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, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “ Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small.“ The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.

Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since it’s inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one. First-class hospitality has always been at the core of their ventures, first as hoteliers and eventually with the opening of the winery.


 Rodney's Vineyard: The estate vineyard, named in honor of Fess’s late son-in-law, was the first vineyard developed, and it surrounds the winery. With a total of 118 acres planted — approximately 31 acres on the valley floor, and the balance on the expansive upper mesa behind the winery — this vineyard provides the foundation of our Rhone wine program and has already produced several award winning Syrah and Viognier bottlings.

BLAIR FOX - Head Winemaker
Blair Fox was recently awarded the Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year Award at the 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition!
Graduating from UC Davis in 1999 with a combined degree in Viticulture and Enology, Blair Fox gained winemaking experience at Sunstone Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley (1999-2001), and at Haselgrove Winery – a custom-crush winery in McLaren Vale, Australia (2003). He also traveled through France’s Rhône Valley before returning to his hometown of Santa Barbara. He then joined Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard as Associate Winemaker, overseeing the Rhône varietal wines. Fox had previously consulted in the vineyard for the winery’s 2002 harvest. “Having focused on the winery’s estate Syrah and Rhône varietal vineyards, I’m excited to add on the responsibility for Ashley’s and Bien Nacido vineyards and control the Burgundian part of our portfolio (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay),” said Fox.

“The vineyards and clonal selection here are of such high quality, and the Parkers are a great family to work for.” Fox continues the stylistic direction set by Eli Parker when capturing the terroir of the vineyards. (Information found on the Fess Parker Website - also note that Blair Fox also is the owner/winemaker of Blair Fox Cellars).

Critical Acclaim for the 2007 Viognier:
"A very fine Viognier, one of the best of the vintage, that takes the variety's exotic, sometimes over the top richness and controls it with crisp coastal acidity and a deft touch of minerals. Elegant and interesting, it displays utterly dry flavors of Meyer lemon, lime, fig, date, honeysuckle, vanilla, spice and flint flavors. Drink now for freshness." 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast

Audelssa 2006 Syrah, Maelstrom, Sonoma Valley

While the Audelssa Estate Winery has been producing outstanding wines for more than a decade, it remains one of the best kept secrets in both Sonoma and Napa. Few secrets can be kept forever, and with each passing day this small producer's reputation continues to climb amongst seasoned oenophiles and first-time visitors to the area. This summer is an excellent time to become acquainted with a property Robert Parker calls "outstanding."

Audelssa is fortunate to occupy 125 of the most scenic mountainside acres in all of California. Situated at 1,800 feet above Sonoma Valley, the Audelssa's neighbors include the famed Monte Rosso and Bismark Vineyards. Magnificent views of the valley and the entire San Francisco Bay leave a lasting impact on the visitors fortunate enough to reserve an appointment to tour the winery and vineyards. winecountrythisweek.com

Audelssa—the name an abridgment of the Schaefer children—is a winery that truly echoes its circumstances. The dream vineyards are incapable of replication; even the label reveals an image that could either be the extreme elevation or the strong winds that blow harshly on the terrain. But it is the allowance of these conditions that really produce Audelssa wines; Erich prides himself on his ability to stay out of the way. Since California—unlike France—can let grapes ripen, Audelssa Estate Winery can allow the vineyards to grow good, clean grapes that are expressions of the intense site, a goal for any winery with some moxie.  from Cellar Tracker Wiki Articles

Proprietors: Dan & Gloria Schaefer
Winemaking: Erich Bradley
100% Syrah
Case production: 202 cases
14.9% Alcohol
Aged 18 months in 100% French Oak, 30% New Oak

Audelssa prides itself on "Extreme Viticulture". They say "sometimes the most distinguishing element of a vineyard is the intense nature of its site". The syrah grapes that are used for the Maelstrom is grown on the Mountain Terraces Vineyard located on the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains and is one of the most distinctive vineyard sits in California. Cascading down 1200 vertical feet the vineyard overlooks the Sonoma Valley and on a clear day you can see San Pablo Bay, as well as San Francisco. The soil that spans the acreage is composed of Rhyolite, and Basalt. The sever terrain naturally limits crop size, yielding fruit with extraordinary concentration and complexity of flavor. The Maelstrom wine is made employing minimalist winemaking techniques designed to allow the vineyard to be expressed in the wine.

Tasting Notes:
This is a masculine wine, bold and full bodied with a translucent garnet color. Notes of elegant cherry candy fruit with an undercurrent of light iodine, mineral and leather express the nature of the earth that it was grown in. The fruit, earth and game components of the wine intertwine to become rich and balanced. Enjoy this wine now or over the next 8 - 10 years.