LATEST NEWS

Bollinger Family Appoints Jean-Baptiste Rivail To Lead Ponzi Vineyards, French Portfolio In The U.S.

France's Bollinger family has appointed industry veteran Jean-Baptiste Rivail as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards, the Oregon-based winery the family acquired for an undisclosed sum last year. Rivail will also serve as executive vice president of the Bollingers' SJB USA, charged with further developing French wine brands Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Ayala, Domaine Chanson, and Langlois-Chateau in the U.S. market.

Rivail was most recently general manager of LVMH's Newton Vineyards in the Napa Valley. Etienne Bizot, chairman and CEO of the Bollinger family group, said Rivail's “knowledge of the U.S. market and his proven experience in running a successful winery will be a great asset to lead Ponzi Vineyards and to support the development of our other brands.” His appointment is effective today. New York-based importer and marketer Vintus handles the Bollinger family's wine brands in the U.S., including Ponzi, which has annual production of around 30,000 cases.

Ponzi Vineyards and The Bollinger Family Announce New CEO Jean-Baptiste Rivail

PORTLAND, OREGON, October 4, 2021 -- The Bollinger family is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean-Baptiste Rivail as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards and Executive Vice President of SJB USA. Owners of iconic Champagne Bollinger in addition to four other historic estates in France (Chanson Père & Fils in Burgundy, Langlois-Chateau in the Loire Valley, Ayala in Champagne and Delamain in Cognac), completed the acquisition of Ponzi Vineyards in May 2021. Mr. Rivail will officially assume his position on October 4, 2021.

“It is an honor that the Bollinger and Ponzi families have placed their confidence in me as we begin this new chapter for Ponzi Vineyards,” shares Rivail. “I feel both great responsibility and excitement in leading a winery with such an immense regional legacy as Ponzi has in Oregon and great excitement to join the family of brands represented by SJB. I look forward to working alongside Luisa Ponzi as well as the SJB family to accelerate Ponzi’s growth while maintaining the quality and style for which the winery is beloved.”

As the first non-family member to serve as CEO of Ponzi Vineyards, Rivail will work with head winemaker Luisa Ponzi to continue the estate’s legacy of quality, innovation, and sustainability. He will also continue work with the Ponzi family at large, who retain 100 acres of local vineyards upon which they will grow and sell grapes to Ponzi Vineyards under long-term contract.

“It Is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Jean-Baptiste to Ponzi Vineyards,” Luisa Ponzi explains. “I personally look forward to working with him to continue the legacy of great wines and leadership in the industry that my family helped establish over 50 years ago. Between the Bollinger ownership, Jean-Baptiste’s expertise and the continuation of winemaking, the winery is in very good hands.”

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.

In addition to his responsibilities at Ponzi Vineyards, Jean-Baptiste has also been appointed Executive Vice President SJB USA. In this role, Rivail will lead development of the group’s French wine brands in the U.S.: Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Ayala, Domaine Chanson, and Langlois-Chateau.

Etienne Bizot, Bollinger Family Group chairman and CEO shares: “We are thrilled to bring the talents of Jean-Baptiste Rivail to Ponzi Vineyards (our new acquisition in Oregon) and to the Bollinger group. His great knowledge of the U.S. market and his proven experience in running a successful winery will be a great asset to lead Ponzi Vineyards and to support the development of our other brands."

###

ABOUT PONZI VINEYARDS

The Ponzi family was instrumental in putting Oregon on the map as a premier wine growing region in the United States and across the world. In the late 1960s, Dick and Nancy Ponzi uprooted their young family to pursue a dream of producing world class Pinot Noir. Ponzi Vineyards was founded in 1970, and the first 4 barrels of wine were produced in 1974. At the time, there were 5 bonded wineries in Oregon with only 35 vineyard acres in production. The family legacy continued for over three decades through the leadership of sisters, Anna Maria and Luisa Ponzi, who successfully grew the operation through their innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

ABOUT THE BOLLINGER FAMILY

In addition to the iconic Champagne Bollinger, the Bollinger family owns the following leading historic French producers: Champagne Ayala, founded in 1860, and specialist in Chardonnay-dominant Champagnes; Domaine Chanson, founded in 1750, owner of 111 acres of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in the heart of Burgundy; Langlois-Chateau, founded in 1885, a leading historical producer of Cremant and now also with important Sancerre holdings, all together totaling 175 acres in the best parts of the Loire Valley; and Cognac Delamain, founded in 1824, renowned for focusing entirely on the production of highest quality, aged Cognacs, only XO and above.

Bollinger Family To Acquire Ponzi Vineyards

AŸ, FRANCE, April 7, 2021 – The Bollinger family, owners of iconic Champagne Bollinger in addition to four other historic estates in France, announce the upcoming acquisition of their first winery in the United States, with the purchase of Oregon’s famed Ponzi Vineyards. The transaction will unite the Bollinger family with the Ponzi family, building on the legacy the Ponzis have established as one of Oregon’s original wineries, leading the success and growth of the region’s Pinot Noir over the last 50 years.

Bollinger family holding group Chairman & CEO Etienne Bizot comments, “The United States is such an important market for luxury Champagne, Burgundy, Sancerre, Cognac, and other regions in which our family owns wineries. If there was anywhere outside of France where we felt it was critical to invest, it is in the U.S. We have quietly considered opportunities for a number of years, but it is finally with the Ponzi family that we feel we have found the ideal fit. Their bold vision to come to Oregon, the subsequent decades of recognition for continually innovating and improving – we have so much respect for what the Ponzis have achieved, and look forward to building on it together, and connecting all our brands more closely with the U.S. market.”

“We have dedicated our lives to demonstrating Oregon’s Willamette Valley as one of the greatest places on the planet for producing cool climate, high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,” remarks Luisa Ponzi, the winery’s recognized leading winemaker who trained in Burgundy. “This transaction makes sense for our respective families because of our well aligned values and shared commitment to producing wines of the very highest quality.”

“It gives us immense satisfaction to have the opportunity to pass our legacy winery on to the Bollinger family, who will continue to elevate the brand on a global scale,” Winery President Anna Maria Ponzi shares. “This is the natural next step for our brand and winery.”

The purchase includes the winery and hospitality facilities 40 minutes from Portland, Oregon in addition to 35 acres of vineyard land in the newly established Laurelwood District AVA. The winery has been an introduction to the region for countless numbers of people through not only visits but major events that the Ponzi family has been instrumental in creating and supporting, such as the International Pinot Noir Celebration, Oregon Pinot Camp and the Salud Pinot Noir Barrel Auction.

Under the leadership of a new CEO, whose recruitment is ongoing, Anna Maria will continue to lead the sales & marketing over the transition period and Luisa will remain as the Director of Viticulture and Winemaking. The Ponzi family will retain 100 acres of vineyard land and will grow and sell the grapes to Ponzi Vineyards under a long-term contract.

VINTUS, current Ponzi Vineyards national sales and marketing agent, and importer of Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Ayala, Domaine Chanson and Langlois-Chateau, will continue to represent Ponzi’s trade distribution in the United States.

The timing of the full transition is subject to customary regulatory processes and approvals.

###

About the Bollinger Family:

SJB, the holding company of the Bollinger family, is comprised of domains in 4 French wine appellations: Bollinger & Ayala in Champagne, Chanson Père & Fils in Burgundy, Delamain in Cognac and Langlois-Chateau in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1829, it is owned and controlled by the same family since 1829 and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2029. These domains are all linked to their terroir by owning and farming vineyards. SJB’s mission is to offer consumers around the world great experiences around premium wines from the best wine regions.

About Ponzi Vineyards:

In the late 60’s, Dick and Nancy Ponzi uprooted their young family to pursue a dream of producing world class Pinot Noir and were instrumental in bringing world attention to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Over the past thirty years, the Ponzi daughters have expanded the family vineyards and winery facilities, incorporating innovation into its winemaking, viticulture and hospitality. The entrepreneurial family is also recognized for establishing the state’s first craft brewery in 1984 and one of the valley’s first regional restaurants in 1999, now owned and operated by son and brother, Michel and his family.