Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name (as requested) | Fess Elisha Parker Iii |
| Also known / nickname | Eli Parker |
| Parentage | Son of actor and entrepreneur Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (1924–2010) and Marcella Belle Rinehart Parker |
| Primary occupations | Winemaker, winery executive, family-business steward |
| Known projects | Family winery operations; Epiphany (boutique label) |
| Base of operations | Santa Barbara County, California (family estate and tasting rooms) |
| Children | Amanda (daughter), Katie (daughter) — part of the extended Parker family network |
| Public net worth | No authoritative public personal net-worth figure published |
A cinematic first-person note — why this story matters to me
I’ve always loved stories that arrive like a movie: wide, bright California sunlight spilling across an old ranch, a wooden tasting-room bar, and a name on a marquee that once belonged to a cowboy on the small screen. When I first started reading about Fess Elisha Parker Iii, I wasn’t just chasing vineyard notes or vintage years — I was following a family narrative that threads Hollywood lore into rows of Syrah and Chardonnay.
Think of it this way: if the Parkers were a film trilogy, the first act would be the actor-father who became a brand, the second act would be the transformation of that brand into a place — a winery, an inn, a lived-in estate — and the third act is the contemporary custodianship: Eli and his sister, keeping the lights on and the barrels full. I want to take you into that third act, because that’s where the intimate work of legacy actually happens.
Family portrait: introductions at the tasting room door
Family is a cast of characters, each with a beat and a camera angle. Below is a compact roll call — names, relationships, and the small italic notes that tell you how they show up in the story.
| Name | Relationship | Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| Fess Elisha Parker Jr. | Father | The actor who became a household name (Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone) and later an entrepreneur — his life (1924–2010) set the stage for the winery legacy. |
| Marcella Belle Rinehart Parker | Mother | Marcy, who stood alongside the actor and raised the next generation that would steward the estate. |
| Ashley Allen Rinehart (often seen as Ashley Parker Snider) | Sister | Partner in the family business, visible in marketing, hospitality, and the day-to-day of the winery operations. |
| Tim Snider | Brother-in-law | Appears in company and leadership contexts — part of the operational backbone that keeps the enterprise running. |
| Amanda | Daughter of Eli | Next-generation family member — part of the Parker family network and its private life. |
| Katie | Daughter of Eli | Another of Eli’s children, part of the family timeline and gathered memories. |
There are, of course, grandchildren, staff, friends, and a wider community that treat the Parker name like an anchor — not celebrity as spectacle, but family as institution. Numbers are simple here: two siblings in the public family narrative; at least two daughters attributed to Eli; one storied patriarch whose lifespan (1924–2010) brackets the modern era of the estate.
Career and craft — vinification, labels, and keeping a family brand alive
If the word “winemaker” conjures a romantic recluse in a cellar, the reality for Eli is more corporate-poetic: part artisan, part manager, part legacy-guard. He has been described publicly as a winemaker and an executive within the family’s wine and hospitality holdings — a role that blends vineyard decisions with tasting-room calendars and brand stewardship.
A few career touchstones to anchor the arc:
- Eli has worked as the family winery’s head winemaker and in senior executive roles that oversee brand, operations, and product lines.
- He helped initiate a boutique label — Epiphany — a focused project aimed at Rhône-varietal expressions; that label represents the experimental, small-batch side of the family portfolio (an example of the family doing both boutique and larger-scale hospitality).
- Operationally, the family enterprise runs multiple tasting rooms and hospitality venues in Santa Barbara County — a regional presence that requires both oenological skill and business acumen.
Numbers help make the picture concrete: two siblings are regularly mentioned in public family bios; decades separate the patriarch’s Hollywood peak (1950s–1960s) and the contemporary winery era; boutique label runs and special releases are often produced in limited cases — the kind of detail collectors love.
The public ledger — money, reputation, and what’s unknown
Here’s the candid part — the ledger that reads “publicly unknown.” There’s no reliable, sourced public net-worth figure for Fess Elisha Parker Iii specifically; the Parker name is attached to real estate, hospitality, and a recognizable brand, but personal wealth estimates are private. In storytelling terms: the family estate is a visible set, but the bank box is locked.
What we can say with confidence: the Parker family transformed celebrity pedigree into a tangible, acreage-and-wine business. That takes capital, time, and a small army of practical choices — from planting hectares of vines to staffing tasting rooms, from launching a small-label experiment to running guest accommodations.
Anecdotes, rhythms, and an insider vibe
If you want the color — imagine a late-afternoon wine release party where the room is half locals, half tourists who came because a TV rerun taught them the name. Eli stands near a barrel, unassuming, explaining a bottling run with the cadence of someone who inherited both the love and the workload. He’s not reciting a scripted line from a Western; he’s mapping soil profiles and explaining a harvest date like it’s a plot twist.
I love that tension: the Parkers are both marquee and mechanics. Pop culture gives them the opening credit; the day-to-day winemaking pays the bills and preserves the land.
FAQ
Who is Fess Elisha Parker Iii?
Fess Elisha Parker Iii — known colloquially as Eli — is the son of actor Fess Parker Jr. and a third-generation steward of the Parker family wine and hospitality enterprise in Santa Barbara County.
What does Eli do professionally?
He has worked as a winemaker and senior executive for the family winery, involved in product development (including a boutique label) and operations.
Who are the key family members?
His father was actor Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (1924–2010); his mother is Marcella Belle Rinehart Parker; his sister is Ashley Allen Rinehart (often Ashley Parker Snider); he has daughters named Amanda and Katie.
Is there a published net worth for Eli?
No — there is no authoritative public personal net-worth figure available for Fess Elisha Parker Iii.
What is Epiphany?
Epiphany is the family-associated boutique wine label tied to Eli’s winemaking projects, focused on small-batch, varietal-driven releases.
Where is the Parker winery located?
The family’s winery operations are based in Santa Barbara County, California, with tasting rooms and estate properties associated with the Parker name.
How many siblings does Eli have?
Public family narratives regularly cite one sister, Ashley, though the broader family includes multiple relatives and descendants.
Is the Parker family still active in the winery?
Yes — contemporary accounts describe Eli and his sister as active in running the family’s wine, hospitality, and related ventures.
