(L-R) Winemaker Kale Anderson, Owner Fred Eppright and his wife Paula, Managing Partner Trey Eppright of Parable Wines

Parable Wines, A Tale of Napa Valley’s Newest Winery
​June 1, 2024

It’s rare to witness the birth of a brand, especially in the world of wine.  By the time a winery appears on your radar, usually the business is in place, all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed, and it’s a matter of getting the word out.  Yet this March, Parable Wines crossed the threshold from dream to reality, officially launching their family wine project among the gilded vineyards of Napa Valley.

(L-R) Kale Anderson, Fred Eppright, Paula Eppright, Matt Eppright, Trey Eppright, and Brian Kelleher of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

This Calistoga-based winery is a true passion project of Trey Eppright, whose winemaking dreams convinced his father, Fred, to go into the wine business.  Fred Eppright, a savvy Austin, Texas real estate investor, is a businessman first, telling Trey that, “If you can find something that makes sense, bring it to me.”  Fred saw an opportunity, to add a different dimension to the family enterprise.  Fueled by Trey’s passion, Fred funded the dream, building a wine business from the ground up.  The Epprights surrounded Parable with the best people for the very best chance of success, headed by veteran wine manager Brian Kelleher.  Renowned Napa Valley winemaker Kale Anderson came onboard, having worked with other illustrious Napa Valley wineries, such as Pahlmeyer and Clif Lede, and currently with his own business, Kale Wine Consulting.  And the grand adventure began.

Kale Anderson, Brian Kelleher, and Trey Eppright of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

With Fred's blessing, Trey moved to Calistoga from Austin in 2021, and discovered a property that held a lot of promise, the old Dutch Henry Winery that had burned down in the 2020 Glass Fire.  The 10-1/2 acre property had 2-1/2 acres of replanted Cabernet Sauvignon, an existing wine cave, and soon to be rebuilt tasting room.  But it was going to take time to get the vineyards up and producing the type of wine that Trey longed for.  So the Epprights leaned on Kale’s local expertise, to find fruit from select prized vineyards in Napa and Sonoma from which they could produce small lot Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  Currently, three single vineyard Chardonnay and two Cabernet Sauvignon wines are made at The Wine Foundry, a custom crush facility near the city of Napa.

Trey Eppright with Parable Wines' first label

Now, if you think this is a vanity project, think again.  Trey has been preparing for this moment for years, a serious student of wine.  Enchanted by Champagne at 15, Trey explored the world of wine through books and Wine Library TV with Gary Vaynerchuk, starting at Episode 180 and continuing through Episode 1000.  Although Trey had blueprints for a different life plan, he never lost sight of his first love, wine.  Over a decade ago, on a trip through Napa Valley, Trey rekindled his passion, and then diving deeper the following year in a visit to Bordeaux, Trey experienced an epiphany, “I decided that I wanted to be in the wine industry one day.”  His father, Fred, agreed to support this endeavor with the caveat, “Make it a success”.  And so the story of Parable Wines took flight, with Fred’s vision of a strategic addition to the family real estate portfolio, and Trey’s dream of winemaking.

​Before Parable came live in March, the Epprights, Brian Kelleher and Kale Anderson met with the LA Wine Writers over a four course lunch at AOC Brentwood.  Billed as “A Hell of a Story”, Parable’s journey was shared, along with their five wines, and hopes for the future.

First, of course, why the name “Parable”?  Describing a parable as a “timeless narrative that offers profound insights into the human experience”, on Parable’s website, it’s defined as “a silent teacher, that conveys universal truths, through metaphors and symbolism, guiding individuals on a journey of enlightenment”.  Trey referred to the classic tale of the frog and the scorpion, allowing the wines to express their true nature, without interference, telling their own story in the glass.

Greeted with the 2022 Parable Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, it’s an acid-driven wine in the vein of Burgundy.  For Trey, he wanted to make a different Chardonnay than what Parable was already making.  The Ritchie Vineyard is made up of calcareous soils, a Grand Cru site that has chalky soils, lending itself to the winemaking choice of fermenting in a concrete egg.  More minerality is expressed than sharp acidity, which “highlights the fruit rather than get in the way of it.”   Aromas of ripe pear, golden apple and Meyer lemon, alongside jasmine and honeysuckle floral notes accent the toasted almond and baking spice, adding depth and complexity to the wine.

The first course, an assortment of appetizers included AOC’s famous Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Parmesan, a Farmer’s Plate of Roasted Vegetables, Muhammara and Chickpea Purée, Burrata and Grilled Toast, and Marinated Olives and Marcona Almonds.  Served with the 2022 Parable Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley, this Montrachet clone Chardonnay has a textured, beeswax style, with ripe tropical fruit (pineapple and mango), white peach and lemon zest.  Balanced acidity, flavors of ripe pear, honeydew melon, and a creamy texture reveal subtle notes of toasted oak and vanilla bean on the finish, adding to the complexity.  The grapes came from a spot in the vineyard that was planted next to eucalyptus trees, but since the 2022 vintage, have been pulled out, making this bottling unique.  Trey explained that the stainless steel barrels used make for a completely neutral and fresh expression, and can be chilled for temperature control.  Complexity comes from primary fermentation in both used French oak and those stainless steel barrels, with a secondary fermentation daily lees stirring, ageing in 50% new French oak barrels for 10 months.

The second course, Grilled Market Fish with Green Romesco, Grilled Carrots and Charred Meyer Lemon paired well with the 2022 Parable A18 Antinori Antica Vineyard Atlas Peak Chardonnay, Napa Valley.  This is mountain fruit, from the uncommon Weimer clone, subject to shatter which sounds bad, but can produce very small clusters that makes beautifully textured wine.  This 100% barrel-fermented wine expresses aromas of ripe tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, and papaya), golden apple, lemon zest, white flowers, vanilla bean, cremè brulée and toasted almond.  An elegant textured wine, with flavors of baked pear, nectarine and Meyer lemon, and hints of hazelnut and butterscotch add depth and complexity.  There is a touch of minerality on the long persistent finish, balancing richness and freshness.
Trey spoke about his love of Chardonnay, and the differences between the three current Parable Chardonnay wines.

The third course, Hanger Steak Frites with Red Wine Butter, Arugula and Crispy Shallots was the perfect canvas to display Parable’s red wine offerings.  The 2021 Parable Vangone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, is intensely aromatic with blackcurrent, black cherry and plum fruit, accented by notes of cedar, tobacco, chocolate, espresso and vanilla.  Rich and opulent, blackberry, dark plum and cassis fruit are accented with baking spices, leather and graphite notes, resulting in a depth of flavor.  Velvety tannins frame a long lingering finish, with hints of mocha and black pepper.  The story behind this rocky and rugged vineyard is very interesting, the property was for sale for a long time, because it couldn’t be accessed since there was no road, virtually in the middle of nowhere.  But it was bought by Ron Davidowski, who had a background in road construction, for a bargain price in 1993.  A condition of sale was that an abandoned VW Van parked on the land had to be gone, and so the vineyard name “Van Gone”.  The vineyard was planted in 2011 to Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 169 and a bit of Cabernet Franc. 

​The 2021 Parable Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard, St. Helena, is the newest addition to their high end portfolio.  Part of the Bourn family’s original 1872 estate, and continuing under their stewardship, Beckstoffer Vineyards was able to access thirteen acres of diverse Cabernet Sauvignon clones and Petite Sirah vines.  Although the vintage was challenging, because of drought, heatwaves and wildfires, quality was achieved through careful monitoring, although yields were lower.  Another intensely aromatic wine, layers of ripe blackberry, cassis and black cherry, intertwine with violet, licorice and cigar box notes.  Espresso, dark chocolate and cedar nuances add to its complexity, with a graphite touch giving it a mineral edge.  Rich and opulent, flavors of blackcurrent, plum and boysenberry dance among hints of vanilla bean, clove and leather.  Well balanced, with velvety tannins, mocha and tobacco float on the long persistent finish.  This is an elegant wine, expressing the very best of a legendary vineyard.

Kale Anderson with Parable Wines and LA Wine Writers, February 2024

Kale’s mission is to produce a diverse lineup of wines, that are as individual as the vineyards themselves, drawing upon his 23 vintage years of experience.  And he has a bevy of beauties in the current vineyards that he has selected for Parable, from the Ritchie Vineyard’s Goldridge loam soils and old vine Wente clones, Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard with its variety of Chardonnay clones and old vines, the rugged terroir of Atlas Peak, Vangone Vineyard’s volcanic gravelly soils and organic farming practices, and the storied Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard, with its diverse Cabernet Sauvignon clones.

​And for the Epprights, it’s been a long journey requiring patience.  It took over a year to make the trademark, and Parable’s bottle design reflects their belief in their wine.  Each bottle is numbered, on the label, a sort of Dewey decimal system that illustrates icons and numbers, making each bottle a parable of the wine.  In fact, at the time of this wine tasting luncheon, the actual labels weren’t finished, except for this one, and the labels shown are just for the samples.  Their first release was in March 2024, the wines are available by an allocation system online at their website.

Fred Eppright of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

Trey Eppright of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

Kale Anderson of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

(L-R) Trey Eppright, Matt Eppright, and Fred Eppright of Parable Wines, Courtesy of Kale Wine Consulting

Parable has laid a good foundation for success, with fruit from highly regarded vineyards, Kale Anderson’s winemaking prowess and knowledge, and an experienced team dedicated to accomplishment.  But most of all, it’s the bond of family that keeps the Epprights focused.  They are united in their mission of making Parable, Napa’s newest brand, prosperous.  Looking to the future, they are looking to purchase vineyards, but only, as Fred explains, “if we can find the right deal”.   And ever the consummate businessman, Fred “plays the long game, believing people will recognize quality and will pay for it”.  For Fred, it’s not a vanity project, it’s business, and he leaves the emotion and passion to Trey, hopefully making this venture a parable success story in a wine bottle.

Parable Wines, https://www.parablewines.com/