Ferrington Vineyards

For most of the modern history of The Anderson Valley, what is now Ferrington Vineyards existed as part of a larger sheep ranch, a subdivision of which Balverne Cellars acquired and began planting in 1969. A detailed timeline of its development, the people who shaped it, and the winemakers who brought it to prominence can be found below.

History

  • 1890

    The first Italian immigrant families plant small vineyards.

  • 1911

    The Pinoli family establishes the first bonded winery in Anderson Valley.

  • 1940s

    Italian Swiss Colony plants vineyards with French Colombard and Ugni Blanc for table wine production. These varietals perform poorly.

  • 1963

    Dr. Donald Edmeades plants Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. The Cabernet fails while the other three thrive.

  • 1967

    Dony and Gretchen Husch found Husch Vineyards, producing Anderson Valley's first commercial vintage in 1971.

  • 1969

    Hans and Theresia Kobler take over Lazy Creek Vineyards from the Pinoli family, introducing European suitcase clones and establishing the valley's second commercial winery.

  • 1969

    Balverne Cellars plants what is now the A block of Ferrington Vineyard on what had been a sheep ranch; a small block of old-vine Sauvignon Blanc remains at Block A-1.

  • 1972

    Brad Wiley begins planting Wiley Vineyard, establishing the Deep End of the Anderson Valley as a source for high quality Pinot Noir.

  • 1974

    Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn found Navarro Vineyards.

  • 1970s

    Dr. Richard Ferrington acquires Ferrington vineyard from Balverne Cellars.

  • 1980s

    John Thomas Ferrington develops a love, reputation, and affinity for pinot noir. He brings Burgundy budwood cuttings from grand cru vineyards in Montpellier and plants them on the toe of a slope on the eastern edge of what is now Ferrington block B.

  • 1992

    Cult winemaker Burt Williams from Williams Selyem establishes a relationship John Thomas Ferrington, and begins sourcing fruit. 1992 is their inaugural vintage of Ferrington Pinot Noir.

  • 1991

    Rich Savoy, of San Francisco's famous Green Apple Books, plants his eponymous vineyard with a mixture of pinot noir and chardonnay.

  • 1995

    Ted Lemon of Littorai Wines first vintage of vineyard designated Savoy Pinot Noir.

  • 1996

    Kurt Schoeneman purchases Ferrington Vineyards from Dr. Ferrington.

  • 1997

    Major restoration and replanting begins under Kurt Schoeneman and Norman Kobler.

  • 2001

    John Ferrington dies. The John Ferrington Scholarship is later established at UC Davis in his memory.

  • 2004

    Arista Winery's first vintage of vineyard designated Ferrington Pinot Noir.

  • 2005

    James MacPhail's first vintage of Ferrington Pinoot Noir.

  • 2007

    Black Kite Cellars first of Ferrington Pinot Noir.

  • 2009

    Davies Vineyards (Schramsberg) first vintage of Ferrington Pinot Noir.

  • 2013

    Saxon Brown Wines produces its first vintage from Ferrington.

  • 2020

    Matt & Alexis Iaconis produce their first vintage at Ferrington.

  • 2025

    Kelsey Phelps of Seppi Wines produces the first single-vineyard sparkling wine from Ferrington.

  • 2025

    Kurt Schoeneman passes, in his sleep, at the vineyard he so loved, passing responsibility for it to his children Sarah, Doug, and Fred.

  • Today

    74 acres under vine. Ferrington remains one of California's most sought-after sources for Pinot Noir.