Fess Parker Winery Kicks Off 35th Anniversary Year in a Big Way

'Big Bottle Bash' in Los Olivos Features Large-Format Library Wines

A few of the large format library wines poured at Fess Parker’s Big Bottle Bash | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg

The new year marks the 35th anniversary for Fess Parker Winery, and the family-owned winery kicked off the celebration with a Big Bottle Bash on Saturday, January 13. I was among the lucky guests in the production room in Los Olivos who were treated to a wide variety of rare selections from their library inventory of large-format wines, including magnums, 3Ls, and even a 5L or two!

I started out my sampling with bubbles. The 2015 Fesstivity Anniversary Cuvée (1.5L) tickled my taste buds deliciously, and the 2016 Fesstivity Anniversary Cuvée (1.5L) was smoother and an even better representation of why the 17th-century monk Dom Pierre Pérignon so famously followed his first sip of Champagne with the words, “Come quickly, I am tasting stars.”

Also on the menu, poured by winemaker Blair Fox — who could impressively recite from memory the weather, time of harvest, and other growing conditions from each year — was the very smooth 2012 Pinot Noir, Pommard Clone (1.5L); the 30 percent whole-cluster 2016 Pinot Noir, Parker West (1.5L); the robust 2018 Pinot Noir from Sanford & Benedict (1.5L); and my personal favorite pour of the day, the fruit-forward 2017 Pinot Noir, Ashley’s 30th Anniversary (1.5L).

The cozy porch at Fess Parker Winery in Los Olivos and special edition T-shirt for Fess Parker Winery’s 35th anniversary | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg

There were lots of other great things to try (including several syrahs and cabs I sadly had to skip in order to continue with the rest of my day). I did, however, have a bit of the 2019 The Big Easy (1.5L), a longtime favorite wine which indeed does go down easy, particularly paired with the excellent chili, that just happened to be handmade by Spencer Shull, Fess Parker’s grandson.

Stay tuned for more information on the anniversary year’s festivities. I’m told we can expect some exciting new experiences, events, and even a new proprietary red blend to be rolling out this year. For more information, see fessparker.com.

The drive to Los Olivos is always a stunner | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg
Foxen Canyon Road is the home of some of Santa Barbara County’s oldest and most distinguished vineyards | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg