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Oral history interview with Nancy A. Ponzi, 2002 June 11

Overview of the Collection

Interviewee
Ponzi, Nancy, 1941-
Title
Oral history interview with Nancy A. Ponzi
Dates
2002 June 11
Quantity
0.1 cubic feet, (2 audiocassettes (2 hr., 32 sec.) + transcript (52 pages))
Collection Number
SR 2888-1
Summary
Oral history interview with Nancy A. Ponzi conducted by Clark Hansen on June 11, 2002. Ponzi discusses the early years of the Ponzi Vineyard winery in Beaverton, Oregon.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
The Oregon Wine Archives Oral History Project was funded by a grant from the Oregon Winegrowers Association.
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Biographical Note

Nancy Ann Ponzi, nee Berry, was born in Fullerton, California, in 1941. In about 1954, she moved with her family to eastern Venezuela, but continued to attend school in California. She then attended a university in Mexico City, Mexico. In 1962, she and Richard "Dick" L. Ponzi were married; they later had three children. The couple soon moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1969, they moved to Beaverton, Oregon, where the Ponzis founded the Ponzi Winery the next year.

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Other Descriptive Information

Forms part of the Oregon Wine Archives Oral History Project.

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Content Description

This oral history interview with Nancy A. Ponzi was conducted by Clark Hansen at the Ponzi Vineyard in Beaverton, Oregon, on June 11, 2002. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Wine Archives Oral History Project, which collected interviews with notable figures in the wine-growing industry, including vintners, vineyard growers, community members, and workers active in the development of Oregon's wine industry. A transcript of the interview is available.

In this interview, Ponzi discusses her family background and early life in Fullerton, California, and eastern Venezuela. She talks about her marriage to Dick Ponzi, about how they developed an interest in winemaking while living in California, and about raising a family. She discusses the early years of the Ponzi Winery in Beaverton, Oregon, including planting their first grapevines, producing their first Pinot Noir, and marketing their first wines. She talks about the growth of the Oregon wine industry since the 1970s, particularly with regard to Pinot Noir, and also about tasting events at their winery. She closes the interview by discussing Oregon's place in the international wine market.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Oral history interview with Nancy A. Ponzi, by Clark Hansen, SR 2888-1, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

An oral history interview with Dick Ponzi, SR 2888, is also held by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Pinot noir (Wine)
  • Vintners--Oregon
  • Viticulture--Oregon
  • Wine and wine making
  • Wineries--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Ponzi, Dick
  • Ponzi, Nancy, 1941-

Form or Genre Terms

  • interviews
  • oral histories (literary works)

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Hansen, Clark (interviewer)
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