Oregon’s Willamette Valley Through the Eyes of Winemaker Maria Ponzi

Ponzi’s parents didn’t know much about the winemaking trade, but they decided to pursue their new dream of making world-class pinot noir. They began looking for a plot of land on which to plant the grapes. And although they didn’t have formal training, they knew that good pinot noir needs a cool, damp climate. So they bought a plot of land southwest of Portland, Oregon, and moved to the temperate Willamette Valley, a fertile stretch of greenery and shimmering waterways, from their home in California when Ponzi was three 3 years old.

The site they chose was formerly a strawberry farm, so the soil was rich. The grapes thrived. They were among the first to plant pinot noir in Oregon, and their business thrived.

Ponzi has worked in the wine business her whole life. She and her sister have owned and run their parents’ business since the early 1990s. They say their intention is to maintain and mirror their parents’ founding principles of integrity and sustainability.