Dick Ponzi

Ponzi is the third son of immigrants from Campotosto, Italy, who settled in Michigan, where Ponzi was raised. As an adult, he moved to California to work in the aerospace industry. It was there that he met his wife, Nancy, whom he married in 1961. After a trip to Europe, the couple returned to their home in Los Gatos, California, and made wine inspired by what they had experienced. This led to their decision to move their family north to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. == Career ==

Engineering Ponzi had a successful career as a structural engineer in California, initially designing rockets and fighter jets for United Technologies the Weather Machine "predicts" the weather every day at noon by displaying a sun (sunny), a heron (drizzle) or a dragon (stormy). Ponzi Vineyards After several research trips to Burgundy, Ponzi moved his family to the Willamette Valley and purchased 20 acres of land southwest of Portland, Oregon, in 1969. In 1974, they produced their first vintage of 100 cases of Pinot noir and quickly became known as innovators in enology and viticulture, fabricating their own machinery (such as a destemmer that knocked grapes off of the clusters without crushing them) releasing the first bottling in 1984. In 1991, the Ponzis purchased the 65-acre Aurora vineyard, which included plantings that were used to study stocks, varieties and clones. Ponzi passed the title of Winemaker to his daughter, Luisa, in 1993. In the same year, Bollinger appointed Jean-Baptiste Rivail as Ponzi's new CEO - the first non-family member to serve in the position. Teaching While building his wine business, Ponzi took a job teaching engineering at the Community College of Portland. It was there that he met a textbook salesman who was also growing grapes for wine. The salesman was David Lett, founder of The Eyrie Vineyards. Bridgeport Brewing Dick and Nancy Ponzi also founded Oregon's first craft brewery, Bridgeport Brewing Company, in 1984, and helping to popularize India Pale Ale in the United States. They sold the brewery in 1995 to The Gambrinus Company. Other Ponzi was a founding member and the first president of the Oregon Winegrowers Association and served as a founding director of the Oregon Wine Advisory Board, now known as the Oregon Wine Board. The couple also opened the Ponzi Wine Bar (a wine tasting room) and The Dundee Bistro (a restaurant focused on Willamette Valley cuisine) in Dundee, Oregon. ==Winemaking==

Ponzi's vision was to create a Burgundy-style wine; however, when he attempted to do so using Burgundian methods of adding whole bunches or stems, the results were disappointing. He discovered the problem wasn't in the method, but in how gently the method was applied. By the 1980s, Ponzi had developed a winemaking protocol that became widely adopted by other wineries in the region. It was a very gentle handling method that used whole berries or whole clusters. The must was carried in buckets to the wine press rather than pumped. In 1985, he began allowing grapes to soak before fermentation, a technique that became popular in Burgundy and in other New World wine regions in the 1990s. In the 1990s, Oregon began gaining prominence as a producer of quality wine, with the state's best Pinot noirs from vineyards such as Beaux Frères, Argyle and Archery Summit displaying influence from Ponzi's winemaking style. ==Family==

Ponzi married Nancy Berry in 1961 in California. Luisa attended Portland State University and prepared for medical school, returning to the family business in 1990 and deciding to learn winemaking. She went on to train in Burgundy, France, and earn a degree in viticulture and enology. In 1993, Dick Ponzi passed the title and duties of Winemaker to her. == Titles ==

Ponzi was a founding member and the first president of the Oregon Winegrowers Association. He served as founding director of the Oregon Wine Advisory Board in 1987. == Awards and recognition ==

In 1988, The Wine Advocate named Ponzi as one of the world's best winemakers and Oregon's best producer. In 2005, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts awarded Ponzi Vintner of the Year. Ponzi's Pinot noirs have been ranked among the best American Pinot noirs produced. ==Influence==

—worked with Ponzi for the 1988 through 1992 vintages and describes Ponzi as his mentor, stating that he makes his wines as Ponzi taught him. Beaux Frères Winery is one of Oregon's most prominent Pinot noir producers. Ponzi is often credited with establishing the style of Oregon Pinot noir. In 1985, Ponzi was among a group that authored a bill that led to the legalization of brewpubs and tasting rooms in Oregon. == Sale ==

The Bollinger family, owners of Champagne Bollinger, Delamain Cognac and three other historic French estates, announced their purchase of the Ponzi Vineyards brand April 7, 2021. The sale included the winemaking and hospitality facilities in Sherwood as well as the Avellana, Abetina and Madrona vineyards. ==See also==