Climate

The Anderson Valley is one of California’s coolest winegrowing microclimates. Cool Pacific ocean air and fog flows up the Navarro River at night, through the Navarro Gap, A gap between the mountains at the mouth of the Navarro River, south of Albion. past Navarro and Philo, to a few miles south of Boonville.

This fog hugs Ferrington until well into the morning.

Ferrington is at the southern end of the appellation, between five and ten degrees warmer during the day than the Deep End, The Deep End is a Boontling word for the cool, northwestern end of the Anderson Valley. but remaining subject to the same cool nights and foggy mornings. This leads to a more pronounced delta between Ferrington at its coolest and its warmest; this diurnal shift The difference between the daytime high temperature and the nighttime low within a 24-hour period. helps stabilize sugar to acid ratios, allowing berries to lock in tannins and phenolics over a longer hang.

Topography

The planted area is either at the toe of a slope or on a slope, and elevated between 360 and 600 feet. All blocks have a gentle, south-facing aspect, maximizing sun exposure. The hillside supports oak and grassland which in turn variously supports sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and at least one llama. His name was Boris. He spat at people and did not get along with the sheep.

There are two agricultural ponds, one of which contains an unknown number of unusually large catfish.

Soils

The predominant soil series is Pinole Pinole Series. with some Talmage. Talmage Series. Rock content ranges from five to forty-eight percent and averages nineteen percent in the top twenty-four inches.

Soils are well-drained, slightly acid pH 6.2–6.3 and moderately fertile.

All blocks are underlain by decomposed sandstone and clay, with three to four feet of topsoil above the bedrock. This provides the drainage necessary to prevent the vines from becoming overly vigorous while allowing them to retain enough water to sustain them through long, dry summers.

Farming

Blocks are defined by soil boundaries, not property lines, so that each planting is uniform in water availability, vine growth, and ripening profile. Our teams are some of the most experienced in California, with some members having tended the same blocks since 1999.

Pruning begins after leaf drop, during the dormant season.

The same cool climate and wide diurnal temperature shifts that increase quality at Ferrington also increase the danger of late spring frosts. Ferrington mitigates this risk with a system of sprinklers and Detroit-v8-powered-fans for the early mornings after bud break, when the danger is highest.

After bud break, depending on the varietal and the winemaker and the row specific farming plan, our teams may pass through each vine three to five times, thinning canopy and dropping excess or imperfect looking clusters. Thinner canopies extend the length of the growing season, which improves tannin development, phenolic maturity, acid retention, and berry integrity.

Irrigation

We rely on deficit irrigation to stress the vines — withholding water before veraison. This reduces overall root volume, increases root thickness, and drives roots deeper into the subsoil. This improves nutrient uptake while simultaneously reducing canopy. The physiological result is smaller clusters and berries, slower sugar accumulation, and a later, more uniform onset of veraison.