Fess Parker The Big Easy Red

Fess Parker The Big Easy Red is a Rhône-inspired red blend from Santa Barbara County, California, bottled at 14.9% ABV in a standard 750ml format. The 2021 vintage earned 95 points from Vinous, while multiple vintages have consistently scored 92–93 points across Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Vinous, and Jeb Dunnuck—a rare level of critical consensus for a California red blend at this tier.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.9%  |  Origin: Santa Barbara County, California  |  Rhône-Style Red Blend  |  Producer: Fess Parker Winery

Production & Heritage

Fess Parker Winery, founded by the legendary actor and entrepreneur Fess Parker in the early 1990s along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in Santa Barbara County, has become one of the region's most recognized estates. The Big Easy is composed of 52% Syrah, 28% Petite Sirah, and 20% Grenache, sourced primarily from Rodney's Vineyard on the Fess Parker home ranch (74%) and Camp 4 Vineyard (26%)—both estate-controlled sites in Santa Barbara County. The wine is aged for 21 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, with only 15% new wood, a restrained approach that preserves fruit intensity while avoiding the heavy-handed oak signature common in many California red blends.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with concentrated blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry compote, layered with black pepper and smoked meat. Beneath that primary fruit wave, subtler notes of espresso, mocha, and toasted oak emerge gradually.

Taste: The entry is lush and full-bodied, with ripe black and blue fruits dominating—blackberry, plum, and blueberry forming a dense core. At mid-palate, flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, and baking spice unfold alongside earthy undertones of tobacco and leather. An impressively chalky texture adds structure and grip, keeping the richness grounded and preventing the wine from tipping into heaviness.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering cracked pepper, dried thyme, and a caramel-edged sweetness that fades slowly. The tannins are firm but polished, leaving a savory, smoked-meat quality that invites another sip.

How to Drink The Big Easy

This is a wine built for the table. Serve it at 60–65°F with 30 minutes of decanting to let the layered aromatics fully open up. A standard Bordeaux glass works well, though a larger-bowled Syrah glass will showcase the nose more dramatically. Given its voluptuous body and structured tannins, The Big Easy is best enjoyed alongside hearty food rather than as a stand-alone sipper.

Best For

• Pairing with a weekend barbecue or smoked brisket dinner
• Gifting a Rhône wine enthusiast looking to explore California interpretations
• Building a cellar-worthy Santa Barbara County collection—the blend has shown vintage-to-vintage consistency
• Hosting a blind tasting comparing California Syrah-based blends against Southern Rhône bottlings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Big Easy taste like? The Big Easy delivers a dense, layered profile of ripe blackberry, blueberry, and plum supported by dark chocolate, black pepper, espresso, and savory smoked-meat undertones, all framed by chalky, well-integrated tannins.

How does The Big Easy compare to Penfolds Grange? Multiple critics have described The Big Easy as Fess Parker's "Grange-inspired" wine, referencing its Syrah-dominant blend, full body, and layered complexity. However, Grange is a significantly more expensive, age-worthy Australian Shiraz, while The Big Easy offers a more approachable, ready-to-drink style at a fraction of the investment.

Is The Big Easy good for sipping neat? Yes, though it truly shines alongside food. Its bold fruit, firm tannins, and 14.9% ABV reward a slow, attentive pour—ideally after decanting for at least 30 minutes.

Where is The Big Easy made? The Big Easy is produced by Fess Parker Winery in Santa Barbara County, California. Its fruit is sourced from two estate-associated sites: Rodney's Vineyard on the Fess Parker home ranch and Camp 4 Vineyard, both located in the county's warm interior valleys.

What foods pair well with The Big Easy? Smoked beef brisket or ribs match the wine's savory, peppery character. Braised lamb shanks with herbs echo its thyme and leather notes. Aged cheddar or Gruyère complement the dark fruit and tannin structure. Dark chocolate desserts mirror the mocha and cocoa flavors. Grilled portobello mushrooms provide an earthy counterpoint to the wine's richness.

What sizes does The Big Easy come in? The Big Easy is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is The Big Easy worth the price? The Big Easy positions as a mid-premium California red blend that consistently outperforms its price tier in critical scoring, with multiple vintages earning 92–95 points from respected publications. For a wine drawing comparisons to far more expensive bottlings, it represents strong value within the Santa Barbara County category.

Why The Big Easy?

What separates The Big Easy from the crowded field of California red blends is its restrained winemaking paired with exceptional source material. The 21-month aging program using predominantly neutral oak (just 15% new) lets Rodney's Vineyard and Camp 4 Vineyard speak clearly, rather than burying fruit under toasty vanillin. The result is a wine that has drawn direct critical comparisons to Penfolds Grange—one of Australia's most iconic Shiraz bottlings—yet remains accessible in both price and drinkability. With the 2021 vintage reaching 95 points from Vinous and a track record of 92–93-point scores across four major publications, The Big Easy has established itself as one of the most consistently praised Rhône-style blends in Santa Barbara County.