After some indecision on Sunday morning, we decided to head nearly 100 miles down to the Santa Maria region for the day.  The drive is pleasant, but we’d advise getting a good map before you head down that way.  Freeway exits are erratic and none of our GPS devices seemed to find the places we were looking for.  But we persisted.

After a quick stop in the town of Arroyo Grande, next to 101, to pick up a winery map, we headed out Foxen Canyon Road to the Fess Parker Winery.  Yes, it’s that Fess Parker.  Buy a coonskin cap in the gift shop/tasting room ($15, a real bargain) and amuse all your friends. We did.  But whatever else you do, taste the wine!   We were especially impressed by the 2006 pinot noir (Pommard clone). Cloves, smoke, and tobacco leaf nose followed by black cherries, oranges and cranberry.  The tasting room hosts $49 per bottle, but it’s listed on the web site at $58.  Hey, this is good stuff, but we found ourselves thinking the price was way above our tasting abilities.  Far more approachable (and affordable) was the 2006 syrah (Santa Barbara County).  At $25 per bottle ($24 on the web site) it’s quite a bargain.  A smoky nose is quickly replaced with blueberries and licorice on the tongue.  Unique and a pretty good deal.  We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the 2007 viognier (Santa Barbara County).   This time the web site and my notes agree: $24 per bottle.  A classic lighter style of viognier without the overpowering aromas seen so often.

The real bargains at Fess Parker may not even be available in the tasting room.  The 2008 riesling (Santa Barbara County) is light with a good acid balance often missing from California (and German) Rieslings.  The winery’s tasting notes say “Lychee nut, white peach and citrus on the nose and mouth”  At $14 a bottle it’s a steal.  As is the Frontier Red ($12 per bottle).  This wine is 60% syrah.  It’s a blend of the leftovers after making the more expensive vineyard appellation and regional-varietal appellation bottlings.  And it’s delicious.  What with Novy discontinuing their leftovers red -- Novy Family Three Mile Creek -- we found Fess Parker Frontier Red just in time.  (If you try to order from the web site, Frontier is a separate label.  Click on the Family of Wines link at the top of the page to see all the labels.  Interestingly, one of their labels is Parker Station, a pinot noir we have enjoyed on a number of occasions. At $14 per bottle it’s also a pretty good deal.)