Ferrington Vineyard was originally planted in the 1970s by Dr. Ferrington, a Santa Rosa dermatologist who recognized something in the cool Anderson Valley air that most of his contemporaries were still figuring out. Kurt Schoeneman purchased the property in 1996, and expanded and deepened what was already a serious Pinot Noir site. The Schoeneman family has been growing for Williams Selyem since 1997.
The vineyard is located in the Anderson Valley, where Kurt once put it plainly: “We are in just about the coolest growing region in the state. Cabernet won’t ripen here. Burgundy is cool, too, and that’s why Chardonnay and Pinot Noir do so well in both places.” The site grows five clones of Pinot Noir across approximately 27 of the vineyard’s roughly 70 valley-floor acres, with the balance planted to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling.
Kurt came to the vineyard from construction, and spent the years building a property that produces and sustains at the same time. From his kitchen garden, to raising sheep, chickens, and turkeys, and studying cooking, his practices echo the focus brought to farming. Kurt passed away in 2025 and will be missed. His wife Heather and the whole family continue to farm the vineyard.
