Ponzi Vineyards Growers

Ponzi Vineyards maintains long-term contracts with some of the finest grape growers in the Willamette Valley. Each of these vineyards produces fruit with special qualities and characteristics. Like an artist's palatte, these barrels are an important element in Winemaker Luisa Ponzi's creative resources as she crafts her masterful blends.

GEMINI VINEYARDS

Owners: Dale and Marcella Hatfield

Gemini Vineyards is planted on Laurelwood soil —the same soil as two spectacular Ponzi-owned sites, Abetina and Madrona — but with much younger vines. Dale Hatfield is an incredibly meticulous and attentive farmer (he has been known to give his vines a nice cool mist on the hottest days of summer just to keep them happy...) and is constantly experimenting with yields, trellis systems, nutrient additions, and thinning times to find the optimum practices for his site. He is one of the few growers in the wine industry who evaluates his vineyard by the quality of wine produced and not just ripeness or yields. Luisa loves the wines from this site for their unmistakable Laurelwood characteristics; In Pinot Noir, dark blackberry, black cherry, pepper in warm years and bright blueberry, cassis and sandalwood in cooler years. What the vines lack in age (complexity, structure), they make up for in the purity of fruit and color. In Pinot Gris the profile is very tropical (Pina Colada is often the descriptor used in the cellar...) with mango, pineapple and banana aromas and flavors.

LAUREL VINEYARD

Owners: John and Lynn Albin

Laurel Vineyard is another site planted on Laurelwood soil, and is special for its extremely high elevation at almost 1,000 feet. Ponzi Vineyards has purchased Pinot Noir from Laurel Vineyard for 10 years and it remains an important component in the final blends. In warmer years this site ripens later (sometimes a full two weeks) giving some acid and and brightness lacking in lower sites, but with incredible maturity of fruit from the longer hang time. In cooler years the site can be a bit more challenging, but cropped at very low levels the fruit ripens beautifully with loads of blueberry and bing cherry flavors.

WINTER'S HILL VINEYARD

Owners: Peter and Emily Gladhart

Winter's Hill is located in the Dundee Hills. This an unusual site for its fairly high elevation (800'), but extremely vigorous production. The vines purchased by Ponzi are the oldest at this site, and grown on a Scott Henry trellis system to decrease vigor and increase quality. The Gladharts are extremely diligent and responsive farmers and their fruit reflects that. The red soils of Dundee are classically described in the red fruit arena, but this section of Winter's Hill is consistently darker fruit with an incredible spicy component. This site stands out in our blends for its silky, seamless texture.

DURANT VINEYARD

Owners: Ken and Penny Durant

Durant Vineyards and Ponzi have a long history together. The Ponzi Family began purchasing fruit from the Durants in 1975 as one of their first buyers. The vineyard is located in the heart of the Dundee Hills and is one of the reasons the region has become so popular for vineyards. The Durants have learned through many years and many vintages the best possible way to work with their specific site and soil to produce fruit of the highest quality. Ponzi Vineyards purchases Pinot Gris, Dijon-clone Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from Durant Vineyards. The Pinot Noirs are truly classic Dundee Hill wines: bright red raspberry, strawberry, fairly bright and elegant. The Pinot Gris is consistently full of pear, green apple, and floral components. Luisa feels that the Chardonnay coming from Durant Vineyard is some of the best in the country. At 10 years old, these are some of the oldest Dijon clones available in Oregon and result in wines of tremendous minerality, beautiful acidity, and lush apple, peach and citrus characteristics.

LINDA VISTA VINEYARD

Owners: The Eiting Family

Linda Vista Vineyards sits on the Chehalem mountains on Laurelwood soil directly above Ponzi's own jewels: Abetina and Madrona Vineyards. Linda Vista is the youngest of the three vineyards on that slope at 17 years of age. Ponzi Vineyards is fortunate enough to not only make wine from the site, but to manage and farm the vineyard as well. This gives Luisa the capability to make decisions based on the history with that hillside and always with an eye to final wine quality. Linda Vista gives similar characteristics as Madrona; blackberry, black cherry, white pepper, cola and highly structured wines, but with just that little bit of youthful acidity and forwardness.

LAZY RIVER VINEYARDS

Owners: Ned and Kristen Lumpkin

Lazy River produces supple, delicate and distinctive grapes, but it is more than just a vineyard site. The land has a large farm pond, barn, granary, stream, meadows, lots of Oregon white oak and a south facing slope that reveals views of neighboring farms and the Coast Mountains to the west. Even in Oregon's cool November weather the hill retains the sun's warmth. The south facing section of land is wonderful grape soil, mostly Jory, some Yamhill and some Stony Ground producing rich, supple Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The natural slope of the land proves destined to nurture grape vines. Owners, Ned and Kristen Lumpkin are also partners with Luisa Ponzi and her husband Eric Hamacher in The Carlton Winemakers Studio.