The Denner Family

Denner Ranches began in 1890 when Russell Lindsey Denner, from Devonshire, England, settled in Sonoma County, planting wine grapes on his 488-acre ranch. Over time, the ranch diversified, raising horses for the U.S. Cavalry, hogs, potatoes, hops, beef and dairy cattle, corn silage and hay. After Russell’s death, his son, Russell Alexander Denner, continued the family tradition, and his grandsons, Russell Dreyer and Stanley Wheaton Denner, modernized the ranch with tractors and advanced equipment. In 1994, Russell Wasson and Kathleen Denner co-managed the property, adding 42 acres of Chardonnay grapes and adopting sustainable practices like using reclaimed water for irrigation. Russell and his wife Joanne, who managed the ranch’s finances, restored the family’s 1915 home, symbolizing their deep ties to the land. In 2023, Denner Ranches entered a conservation easement to preserve its agricultural heritage. Today, the ranch is managed by Russell Wasson and his son, Brian Alexander Denner, who lives on the ranch with his wife, Mary Calla, and their children, continuing the family’s legacy of sustainable agriculture.