Family-Driven Sparkling Wine from Fess Parker

Spotlight on Santa Barbara County Bubbles in Edible Santa Barbara – read the whole article.

Fesstivity sparkling wines are a collaborative effort for Parker siblings Eli Parker and Ashley Parker Snider. Their Blanc de Blancs, Brut Rose and Blanc de Noirs have proven to be great expressions of their shared vision of fresh and exciting wines from the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, AVA.

Since the early bottlings in Santa Barbara County in the early 2000s, a new generation of producers has been crafting its own sparkling traditions from scratch. Every bottle tells a story—of family, of land, of ambition. At Riverbench, winemaker Clarissa Nagy and her team have woven sparkling into the winery’s very identity, debuting the county’s first sparkling Pinot Meunier and building a lineup of eight traditional-method styles from sustainably farmed estate fruit. In the Sta. Rita Hills, Flying Goat, Sanford, Fess Parker and others continue to honor classic Champagne techniques, while newer producers bring fresh energy and surprising grape choices, proving that bubbles can thrive on creativity just as much as tradition.

In 2015 the Fess Parker family launched their small-batch sparkling label, Fesstivity, built around Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and their first Blanc De Blancs and Brut Rose. But the story goes back much further. Founded in 1989 by actor-turned-winemaker Fess Parker—famous for his roles as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone—the winery began with an estate vineyard in the Foxen Canyon area of Santa Ynez Valley, crafting Rhône and Burgundian wines.

We celebrate everything with bubbles. Sparkling is just the right thing to do. — Ashley Parker Snider

Ashley Parker Snider, daughter of Fess, says it was her mom, Marcella, who had a love for Champagne. “She was one of those very classy ladies of the time, a bit of a diva, but more subtle,” Ashley remembers. “And she always knew what she wanted.”

Marcella was a singer in Colorado, then Los Angeles, where she met Fess. As they created a family and a winery together, she maintained a Less is More mantra, emphasizing discipline and creating things that last. But she was also all about celebrating life’s moments, big and small. It was Marcella who nurtured Ashley’s love for wine, encouraging a legacy of working hard and building the Parker family business.

In 2008, the The Parker West vineyard was planted in the Sta. Rita Hills with southern exposure and just 11 miles from the cold, Pacific Ocean. As this vineyard matured, they identified it as the ideal source of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for Sparkling Wine. Ashley and her brother Eli decided to launch their Sparking Wine program, naming it after the elegant, celebratory style their mother embodied: Fesstivity.

“The whole idea of Bubbles was a nod to my mom,” Ashley says. “It’s a way to celebrate all of life’s little things, and to come together.”

She explains that the traditional method is a complicated process, and the juice has to be touched about 20 times before it gets into people’s hands. It’s clear this whole ritual continues to honor Marcella. “We do everything we can to keep the price non-ridiculous, so people can afford to get it in their glasses. And enjoy it.”

The Parkers keep Marcella’s and the family’s tradition going and celebrate family with bottles of sparkling put away the year new members are born. “We celebrate everything with bubbles,” Ashley says. “Sparkling is just the right thing to do.” Of course, weddings, holidays, and the usual events, but also when friends need comforting, and hard times need some soothing.

Every wine at Fess Parker is made in-house in the méthode champenoise, with extended bottle aging en tirage for added texture and complexity. Their small-production Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Brut Rosé and Brut Cuvée, sourced from Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyards, echo the sophistication of Champagne with a Central Coast soul.

Their inaugural 2018 vintage of Fesstivity’s “Anniversary Cuvée” was released in honor of Fess Parker Winery’s 30th anniversary and marks their 35th year as a family owned and operated winery.

Fesstivity Sparkling Wines are available in all Fess Parker locations: downtown Santa Barbara tasting room, Epiphany/The Bubble Shack in Los Olivos, and the Fess Parker winery on Foxen Canyon, just north of Los Olivos.