Anna Maria Ponzi

Anna Maria Ponzi is a second-generation vintner, co-owner, president, and director of sales and marketing for Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. She has worked every aspect of the winery, from planting its original vines, to working on the bottling line, to making national and international sales calls. She has served the state’s wine industry in myriad ways, including acting as an ambassador for Oregon wine growers internationally and building Oregon wine country into a travel destination.

Anna Maria earned her degree in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1987 and worked in Boston’s publishing industry until returning to the rural family business in 1991. By the mid-90s, she was joined by her winemaking sister, and the two young women have trailblazed the growing tide of female vintners, formally taking over the family business in 2012. This ownership has distinguished Ponzi Vineyards as the nation’s only winery solely owned and operated by second-generation sisters.