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When Parents Pass the Torch, Wine Dynasties are Born

Luisa Ponzi talks about taking the winemaking helm from her father, Dick Ponzi back in 1993. She had just returned from Burgundy where she studied enology, and was thrilled to have some Chardonnay to work with and apply her new skills. But for the Pinot Noir, she admits that her job was to remain “hands off” and let her father continue to make the wine that he had been lauded for for years.

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    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.