February 2, 2022, Los Olivos, CA – The Fess Parker family is pleased to announce the installation of new 548.4 KW solar panels on their Santa Barbara County production facility, furthering the family’s ongoing efforts in sustainability and conservation.
Launched in the 1980s by the late Fess Parker, the multigenerational family owned and operated business continues its legacy of cultivating exceptional Rhône and Burgundian wines from Santa Barbara County, driven by their commitment to quality and stewardship.
In more recent years, recognizing that great wine is made in the vineyard, the Parkers have increased efforts to restore and preserve the natural environment. Their family vineyard, Rodney’s Vineyard – a fruit source for the Fess Parker Winery and Epiphany labels – has earned a great reputation for its quality Rhône varietals, thanks in large part to the Parker’s dedication to improve and preserve its natural ecosystems in order to produce the healthiest grapes possible. The family also remains committed to sourcing grapes from vineyards that adhere to not only their rigorous standards of quality, but also those defined by such certification bodies as SIP and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA).
The installation of a new solar power system on the roof of their Santa Maria production facility is yet another step towards conservation, increasing the sustainability of the winery’s operations by producing roughly 98% of the total energy used annually. Consisting of 1,371 400-watt SolarEdge Inverters and Optimizers, the system will produce 818,000 kWh each year, which equates to 14,000,000 car miles offset, 31,000,000 pounds of CO2 offset, and 15,000 trees saved annually.
“As a family owned and operated business, practicing sustainability now and for future generations is a guiding principle in every facet of our operation,” says Tim Snider, President. “We are always seeking to incorporate new and familiar ways of minimizing our impact on the environment and become a cleaner, more resilient winery, not just for our immediate benefit, but for the long-term.”
In addition to sustainability efforts in the vineyard and winery, Fess Parker Winery provides safe and fair working conditions for employees and is proud to offer competitive wages and benefits, including a profit sharing program distributed across all divisions of the organization. The company also provides employees several development opportunities to aid in professional growth and education.
“Every decision we make is for the health and well-being of the grapes, the environment, our employees, and the community-at-large,” adds owner Ashley Parker-Snider. “Minimizing our environmental impact by conserving resources is a necessary step toward a better future and one we deem is of the utmost importance to our multigenerational family business.”
About The Fess Parker Family Portfolio
Since the late 1980s, Fess Parker and his family have cultivated a world-class hospitality portfolio around the beauty and bounty of Santa Barbara County. The Fess Parker Winery is focused on the grape varieties best suited to the region’s unique growing conditions – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhone wines – with its vintages consistently earning 90+ point ratings from top critics around the world. In addition to a waterfront hotel in Santa Barbara, the family honors their late patriarch’s legacy by hosting guests at the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos, the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. For more information, please visit www.fessparker.
