Fess Parker: From Davy Crockett to Winemaker

If you were around in the 1950’s and 1960’s you’re probably familiar with actor Fess Parker and his roles in the television series Daniel Boone and the Walt Disney anthology, Davy Crockett.

Parker has long since retired from television and turned his attention to winemaking. He currently owns Fess Parker Winery and Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, California, and despite being in his mid 80’s, reportedly still has an active role in overseeing the facility’s winemaking operations.

I first tried his red wines at a festival in Vancouver, BC earlier this year and was impressed by their color and taste. The 2004 Rodney’s Vineyard Syrah is one of the darkest, most intensely flavored wines of this varietal that I’ve ever encountered. The only problem is that it runs in the neighborhood of about $45 a bottle – a bit pricey for many of us to purchase with any level of frequency.

Fortunately, he also produces something called a Frontier Red that generally costs about $13 to $15 a bottle. I recently enjoyed the Lot 61 “vintage”, which is a delicious blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Mouvedre, Cinsault, and Carignane that’s packed with plump, dark fruit flavors and plenty of spice and toasty oak on the finish. It’s a perfect wine to serve during the barbeque season.

Note that Frontier Red lot numbers will change as new releases enter the market. Lot 71 is also currently available and may have slightly different flavor characteristics than Lot 61 or other prior releases.