Community Highlights: Meet Adam Hasper of Parhelion Cellars

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Hasper.

Hi Adam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Parhelion Cellars didn’t start in a boardroom, it started by getting my hands dirty.

I was helping my brother and his partner Steve over at Pulchella Winery, just learning, pouring, doing whatever needed to be done. One day, my mother-in-law looked at me and said, “You’ve got a lot of passion for this… why don’t you start your own winery?”
I still think part of that was because she wanted me to make her a Cabernet Sauvignon, but honestly, she wasn’t wrong.

From there, it wasn’t some overnight success story. There was no big investor, no facility waiting for us. My wife and I just started putting in the time, the energy, and our own money, believing we could build something of our own. No “put it all on black” moment… just a lot of small, steady bets on ourselves.

We started Parhelion in 2017 with a focus on small-batch wines that are palate-forward and let the fruit shine. The name itself comes from a light phenomenon, a “sun dog” and that idea stuck with us. The wines are inspired by light, by reflection, by those moments where everything just lines up. You’ll see that theme throughout everything we do.

We don’t own a vineyard or a crush facility, but we’ve built strong relationships with incredible vineyards across California. That’s been a huge part of our journey, working with great people who help bring these wines to life.

And honestly, while it might technically be my wife, my daughter, and me running things, it feels way bigger than that. We’ve built this incredible community, a family of friends, supporters, and wine lovers who have helped us grow every step of the way.

Right now, we’re hosting tastings in Newhall, Santa Clarita, and connecting directly with people through pop-ups and events while we work toward opening a dedicated tasting room. If you want to follow along, join our email list or find us on social, we’re building this thing in real time.

At the end of the day, Parhelion is about connection. Good wine, good people, and those moments where everything just feels right.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, honestly, I don’t think it’s supposed to be.

One of the biggest challenges has been building a winery without the traditional setup. We don’t own a vineyard or a facility, so everything takes more coordination, working with vineyards, scheduling production, managing storage, and making sure all the moving pieces line up. You’re constantly adapting.

Financially, it’s been a grind. My wife and I have been investing our own money from day one, and we’ve worked really hard to keep our wines fairly priced. That’s important to us. We want people to be able to enjoy what we’re making without feeling priced out. But that also means every dollar matters, and sometimes the challenge is just figuring out who’s overcharging you. Between payment processors, websites, and services, those costs add up fast. As a small business, you feel every bit of it.

On top of that, this is still a dream we’re building while working full-time jobs and picking up side work to make it all happen. It’s long days, late nights, and a lot of sacrifice behind the scenes.

And then there’s the cost of everything. Since we started, the price of bottles, corks, grapes, pretty much everything has nearly doubled. Rent, especially in California, makes the idea of opening a tasting room feel almost out of reach sometimes. I’d be lying if I said there aren’t moments where I try not to think about how hard that part is.

But at the same time, that’s what keeps us pushing. Every challenge has forced us to get better, smarter, and more intentional about what we’re building. It’s not easy. but it’s real, and it’s ours.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Parhelion Cellars ?
Parhelion Cellars is a small, family-run winery focused on crafting approachable, small-batch wines that are palate-forward and let the fruit shine. We started in 2017 and have built everything from the ground up—learning, growing, and connecting with people one glass at a time.
What really sets us apart is the story and concept behind our brand. The name “Parhelion” comes from a natural light phenomenon, sometimes called a “sun dog,” and that idea of light, reflection, and perspective is woven into everything we do. Each of our wines is inspired by light in a different way, 650 nm represents the wavelength of red light, 120° ties into the parhelion effect, Scattering reflects how light moves through particles like bubbles in sparkling wine, and Light Pillar captures rays of light breaking through clouds. Even our labels use geometric shapes to represent those ideas, and our logo itself is a symbol of the sun.

Beyond the concept, what we’re most proud of is how personal this all is. It may be my wife, my daughter, and I behind the scenes, but it feels like we’ve built a much bigger family through our community. We don’t own a vineyard or facility, we work closely with incredible vineyards across California to produce our wines, and that collaborative approach has been a huge part of our journey.

We also work really hard to keep our wines fairly priced. We want people to enjoy them, not feel like they’re out of reach. That’s important to us as a small business.

Right now, we host tastings and pop-up events in Newhall, Santa Clarita as we continue working toward opening our own tasting room. We love meeting people face-to-face and sharing the story behind each bottle.

If you’re interested in following along or joining us for a tasting, the best way is to sign up for our email list or follow us on social. We’re building this in real time, and we’d love for people to be part of that journey.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that people matter more than anything.

Every single person who buys a bottle, comes to a tasting, or joins our Sun Worshippers wine club isn’t just a customer, they’re directly supporting our family and the dream we’re building. When you’re a small, family-run business, there’s no separation between “business” and “life.” It’s all connected.

Early on, you think it’s all about the wine. Making it, perfecting it, getting it out there. And while that’s important, what really makes this work is the people. The conversations at tastings, the regulars who come back, the messages of support, that’s what keeps you going.

It’s also taught me to never take a single sale or supporter for granted. Every purchase means something. Every member matters. And that’s why we try to stay as connected and personal as possible, because without that community, Parhelion wouldn’t exist.

At the end of the day, we’re not just selling wine, we’re sharing something we’ve built with people who believe in it. And that’s something I don’t take lightly.

Pricing:

• Bottle pricing typically ranges from $32–$42 depending on varietal
• Glass pours are available at pop-up tasting events
• Wine tastings offered at select events in Newhall, Santa Clarita
• “Sun Worshippers” Wine Club – 4 bottles, 3 times per year (members receive exclusive discounts and perks)
• Special event pricing and member-exclusive releases available throughout the year

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.parhelioncellars.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parhelioncellars?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parhelioncellarswine?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
1. Logo Image
Caption: Parhelion Cellars logo – inspired by the natural light phenomenon known as a “sun dog,” representing reflection, balance, and the foundation of our brand.

2. Barrel Room Shot (stacked barrels)
Caption: Behind the scenes in the barrel room in SCV where our wines are aged and developed through our partnerships with vineyards and facilities across California.

3. Pick up party setup
Caption: Family at the heart of Parhelion Cellars—sharing wine, food, and the moments that inspired us to start this journey.

4. Fun AI / Creative Image (cart / chaos one)
Caption: A creative take on the chaos and hustle of building a small winery—balancing passion, creativity, and the unexpected along the way.

5. Vineyard Shot (foggy rows)
Caption: One of the beautiful vineyards in Lodi California we work with, where the journey of our wines begins.

6. Group Photo (everyone holding bottles 🔥)
Caption: The Parhelion, who have helped us grow from a small idea into a community-driven winery.

7. Tasting Room / Event Crowd
Caption: Connecting with our community through tastings and events—sharing our wines one glass at a time.

8. Tracy & I (with bottle)
Caption: Founders of Parhelion Cellars—building our dream together, one bottle at a time.

Image Credits: Adam Hasper
Parhelion Cellars

Ai Image Credit: ChatGPT