Bill and Mary Ellen Parsons fell in love with serious wines during the 1990s when they became partners in a Northern California vineyard. With a few viticultural and oenology classes at UC Davis under his belt, Bill established Parsonage Village Vineyard in 1998 with the goal of growing a small quantity of the finest quality grapes to produce powerful wines of intense flavor.

The Parsons selected a nine-acre parcel of land just past the Carmel Valley Village for the vineyard. The small size was intentional to allow for attention to each vine. The entire Parsons family participates in the operation of the vineyard and winery ensuring consistency and a high standard of care.

At Parsonage, the focus is on quality over quantity; the vineyard is managed to yield only two and a half to three tons per acre. At full production, the winery will generate 1,200 to 1,400 cases per year.

In the Fall of 2000, the first small crop was harvested. This vintage, consisting of 200 cases of a Syrah and a Cabernet Sauvignon, sold out in 4 months.

The 2001 through 2007 harvests each netted an average of 15 to 21 tons of exquisitely ripe fruit. The 2005 harvest was the largest at 25 tons and 2007 the smallest at only 8 tons. These harvests are a volume sufficient to produce some 950 to 1,200 cases of estate wines. All vintages, 2001 to 2005, share a common denominator of elegance, complexity and balance derived from the unique terroir of the Parsonage hillside vineyard. The trend from 2001 to 2007 has been toward a more powerful structural base and a broader and deeper level of nuance and complexity.