Wine Spectator Senior Editor Tim Fish dedicated a column in the September 30 issue to Ponzi Vineyard’s 50th anniversary. “The Ponzi Legacy” paints a rich picture of how Dick and Nancy Ponzi packed their lives into a flatbed truck 5 decades ago to pursue their dream of opening a winery – and leaving traditional corporate life behind.
We learn that wine was part of Dick Ponzi’s life from a very early age in his native Michigan. “His family was Italian and they were avid home winemakers.” Then, Ponzi became an aerospace engineer living in California, designing rides for Disney at one point. After a trip to Burgundy, though, he returned committed to making Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley.
“Little did Dick and Nancy Ponzi realize at the time but they would be pioneers in establishing the Oregon and particularly Willamette Valley wine industries.” Read the full story to learn how Dick and Nancy helped transform and define quality standards in the Willamette Valley, alongside some of their peers. Today, sisters Maria and Luisa Ponzi continue their family’s legacy and commitment to producing world class wines. Read the full story HERE
Wine-Spectator-9_20_20Related Producers
Ponzi Vineyards
Chehalem Mountain AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the wine map, and the Ponzi family has worked continuously for over 50 years leading and innovating in the region and, in the case of Pinot Noir, across the country and indeed the world. Today winemaker Luisa Ponzi continues her work with the family of Champagne Bollinger, which acquired the estate in 2021.
