Ponzi Vineyards

Laurelwood Pinot Noir

Laurelwood District, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley

Dick and Nancy Ponzi helped put Oregon on the map in the United States and the world, 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 of the last 30 years with the family of Champagne Bollinger, which acquired Ponzi Vineyards in 2021. The estate’s drive to create distinctly pure Pinot Noir, in a distinctly Oregon manner, has never been stronger.

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Pinot Noir Reserve

Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley

Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve is the epitome of restrained power. It hails from estate grown fruit on Laurelwood soils in the Chehalem Mountains, including from some of Oregon’s oldest vines. This remarkably complex wine is handcrafted with tremendous attention to detail.

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Laurelwood Chardonnay

Laurelwood District, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Situated along the Northern ridge of the Chehalem Mountains, the Laurelwood District boasts ancient soils of fractured basalt layered over with a fine, windblown sediment called loess. A decade-long effort by the Ponzis, alongside their neighbors, has resulted in the recognition of Oregon’s first soil-based AVA, the Laurelwood District.

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Tavola Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Tavola is Ponzi's delicious early release Pinot Noir, a fruit-forward wine with soft tannins, made primarily from younger, lower elevations vines. Meant for early consumption, it is an unbeatable value for quality Pinot Noir.

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Pinot Gris

Willamette Valley

One of the original and most recognized Oregon and U.S. Pinot Gris producers, Ponzi was a major influence in establishing Pinot Gris as the first quality white grape variety in Oregon. Ponzi's Pinot Gris is an irresistably aromatic and expressive wine, and serves as a first encounter for many wine drinkers with Oregon wines and the Ponzi estate.

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Max Bruening

A Northern Michigan native, Max embarked on his wine career in 2009, gaining invaluable experience with various Michigan wineries. Seeking to broaden his horizons, Max spent some transformative time working harvests in both California and New Zealand. In 2015, driven by a desire to explore cool climate varieties, Max made the pivotal decision to immerse himself in Oregon’s wine scene.

That year, Max participated in his first Oregon harvest with Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, an experience that solidified his passion for Oregon wines. Drawn to the state’s unique terroir and winemaking ethos, he eagerly joined the Ponzi Vineyards team in January 2016. Over the years, Max has navigated through nearly every position in the cellar, showcasing his dedication to the craft.

Max is not just a skilled winemaker; he is also a fervent advocate of low-intervention winemaking and sustainable farming practices. He understands that crafting exceptional wines is an intricate dance between nature and nurture. With a deep appreciation for the delicate balance required, Max is focused on ensuring each bottle reflects the essence of Oregon’s remarkable terroir.

In 2024, Max became the first person outside of the Ponzi family to hold the esteemed title of winemaker.

Jean-Baptiste Rivail

Rivail brings a rich resume in the world of fine wine, wine distribution and international management to his role at Ponzi Vineyards. He has deep family roots in the industry dating back to the 1800s, when his family started as wine merchants in France. After leading international sales for Champagne Vranken-Pommery, Mr. Rivail was hired by Moet-Hennessy and the LVMH group to steer international developments for Hennessy Cognac across the Americas. He most recently held the position of General Manager for the group’s iconic Newton Vineyards in Napa Valley.

Luisa Ponzi

Luisa grew up in the vineyards of Oregon, learning how to cultivate grapes and craft world-class wines from her father, Ponzi founder Dick Ponzi. Luisa graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science. Following her undergraduate studies, she moved to Beaune, France, to continue her education. There, she received her post-graduate degree in viticulture and enology from the CFPPA in Beaune, becoming the first non-French woman to do so.

In 1993, she brought her knowledge of Burgundian practices back to Oregon, combining old-world knowledge with her personal experience working alongside her father, Dick Ponzi, at their Willamette Valley winery.

Throughout her career, Luisa introduced innovative and progressive techniques to Ponzi Vineyards, continually improving quality and earning numerous awards and accolades along the way. A driving force in making Chardonnay a key variety in Oregon, Luisa was also a founding member of the Oregon LIVE certification. She pioneered the technique of clonal-massale, ensuring lasting complexity and quality in the Ponzi vineyards and resulting wines.

Luisa was instrumental in the creation of the Laurelwood District AVA, forever solidifying the land she helped establish as a unique winegrowing region.

In 2024, Luisa transitioned her role to Legacy Winemaker, and begins a year of mentoring, coaching and guiding her long-term team to take the helm.

Dick and Nancy Ponzi

In 1969, Dick Ponzi moved to Portland, Oregon and founded Ponzi Vineyards, one of the premier wineries in the state. From the first vintage in 1974, Dick has set the standards for enological and viticultural innovation. His mechanical engineering background has proven a great asset through his many years of winemaking. He fabricated machinery and winemaking techniques in his cellar now commonplace in many wineries across the globe. He planted some of the first Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley in the late ‘60’s, and some of the first commercial plantings of Pinot Gris in 1978. He has guided plantings of cool-climate varietals throughout the valley since the early ‘70’s, encouraging others to plant and build a quality wine industry in Oregon.

Nancy Ponzi married Dick in 1961. Their mutual love of food, wine and family made their union “storybook” and naturally lead them down a path overwhelmed with the culinary arts. An overly ambitious woman, she has a steady record of taking on “never before attempted” projects and gracefully turning each of them into great successes.

In addition to being one of the first marketers of Oregon wine in the country, she was a founding Director of the Washington County Wineries Association and was instrumental in establishing the Oregon Wine Advisory Board. Nancy has contributed to the conception and establishment of Oregon’s most successful wine events and has played a vital role in promoting the Willamette Valley as a viable wine region. One of the most widely recognized events is the International Pinot Noir Celebration. This is Oregon’s premier wine event which brings together winemakers and aficionados from around the world to discuss, taste and explore Pinot Noir. Nancy also co-founded ¡Salud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction, a hugely profitable fundraising event of unique cuvées from Oregon’s most prized vintners. All proceeds provide low-cost healthcare for vineyard workers and their families. Most recently Nancy helped found Oregon Pinot Camp, an exclusive event that privately invites the wine trade to the valley for three days to learn “first hand” about Pinot Noir.