When actor Fess Parker bought the 714-acre Foxen Canyon Ranch in 1988, the plan was modest: raise cattle, plant a few vines, and build a legacy. He wanted a family business that would survive him. Decades later, the quiet retirement project has mutated into a sprawling, multi-vertical empire that spans wine, high-end beef, and hospitality.
The wine division remains the anchor. Eli Parker, Fess’s son, took the helm as head winemaker in 1995 and earned the San Francisco International Wine Competition’s Winemaker of the Year title in 2006. His focus on estate-grown Rhone and Burgundian varieties paid off. In 2022, Wine & Spirits Magazine ranked the winery among the Top 100 in the world. The estate’s Rodney’s vineyard also secured Sustainability in Viticulture certification in 2020, reflecting a shift toward solar energy and eco-friendly packaging.
Beyond the vines, the family diversified aggressively. Katie Parker McDonald, a granddaughter, runs the FP Ranch Beef program with her husband, former pro bull rider Rocky McDonald. They manage a grass-fed Wagyu operation using DNA testing and selective breeding to produce meat ranging from USDA Prime Plus to Japanese A5 standards. Meanwhile, Fess Parker’s daughter Ashley Parker Snider and her husband Tim Snider oversee sales and marketing, while their children Spencer and Greer have joined the team.
The business structure is strictly familial. Granddaughter Amanda Parker manages the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos, and grandson Kristopher Parker runs Third Window Brewing Company nearby. Since Fess Parker’s death in 2010, his descendants have maintained active oversight of every facet, from soil management to cattle genetics. The 714-acre estate operates as an integrated, self-sustaining unit, a far cry from the small hobby farm Fess Parker originally envisioned.