A LEgacy of Innovation
Dick and Nancy Ponzi moved their young family to the Willamette Valley in the late 1960s with a spirit of adventure and a passion for making world class Pinot Noir. After many research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for the ideal location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm just southwest of Portland, Oregon. It was a daring risk — at the time, the Pacific Northwest was not thought to be a place to grow Pinot noir, but Dick and Nancy realized the Northern Willamette Valley's climate was ideal for cool climate varieties. Pinot noir cuttings were planted, and in 1970 Ponzi Vineyards was founded.
The methods, philosophies and winemaking passion established nearly 50 years ago are still practiced today under the family's second generation.
Ponzi Vineyards continues to set the standard for Oregon's viticultural innovation while maintaining an unwavering commitment to a tradition of winemaking excellence. For more than 25 years, this philosophy was carried on by the Ponzi family's second generation: Winemaker Luisa Ponzi and Former President Anna Maria Ponzi. In 2021, Groupe Bollinger acquired Ponzi Vineyards—the family-owned company’s first property outside France. Longtime winemaker Luisa Ponzi remains at the helm, collaborating with key figures from Groupe Bollinger domaines: Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Ayala, Domaine Chanson in Burgundy, Langlois-Château and Domaine Hubert Brochard in the Loire Valley, and Delamain in Cognac.
All 130 acres of vineyards are LIVE Certified Sustainable, the world's highest standard for sustainable viticulture and enology. Driven by the concept that the varietal must match the terroir and climate, Ponzi Vineyards continues to set the bar for Oregon and remains at the forefront of the nation's top wine producers.