Episode 034
Anna Maria Ponzi
What does it take to lead—and eventually sell—one of Oregon’s most iconic wineries? In this episode of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Anna Maria Ponzi, former owner of Ponzi Vineyards and a true pioneer in the American wine industry. Anna Maria shares her journey of growing up in the vineyards and eventually taking the helm to lead the brand through massive expansion and a successful global acquisition.
Anna Maria discusses the delicate balance of maintaining family traditions while making the hard strategic decisions necessary for a million-dollar exit. If you are a founder wondering how to build a brand that lasts—or how to know when it’s time to move on to your next chapter—Anna Maria’s insights on stewardship and soul are essential.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
-How to scale a family-owned business while staying true to its founding values.
-The emotional and strategic process of preparing a company for acquisition.
-Why Anna Maria views her role as a “steward” rather than just an owner.
-The importance of defining your own success beyond the family name.
"Whenever you have a moment of fear or doubt, find the competence, find that competence and it's going to feel uncomfortable... Just move in that direction because then, you are making change."
[00:00:00] Welcome to Women’s Million Dollar Conversations with Alice Tang, where we share stories from successful business women who have saved, earn or sold over a million dollars and discuss how they build their success and insights to help you achieve your goals. Now let’s join the conversation.
Alice Tang: Good morning, Maria Ponzi.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Good morning, Alice. So great to see you.
Alice Tang: Maria, is the former owner of the wonderful Ponzi winery, and we are so fortunate and honored to have her here with us at Women’s Million Dollar Conversation.
Maria, we’ll just get started by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a little bit Your previous journey and today’s journey.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Thanks, Alice. It’s wonderful to be with you this morning. Ana Maria Ponzi. I’m changing my name, even moving from Maria Ponzi to Ana Maria, just because I’m moving in a new direction, so to speak.
Yes, my former life was [00:01:00] all about Ponzi vineyards, where I operated our family winery. CEO for many years, and then recently sold it back in 21 to the Bollinger family out of Champagne, France. So that has been my journey for literally over 30 years, almost 35 years. And now I find myself on the other side and I’ve just started my new venture, which is amPonzi and company, which is at this moment, a collaboration of many different projects I’m doing.
Everything from curating wine experiences, to consulting, to teaching masterclasses on Oregon Pinot Noir, and of course, I have created my four ounce pour keynote, which I’m very excited about, that, , I hope we get a chance to talk to that, but just, , exploring new avenues at this point.
Alice Tang: . Awesome. So congratulation of the successful being acquired and now you’re a free woman going after your dreams again never have too many dreams and thank you for touching the community. And I had the pleasure listening to Maria’s [00:02:00] four ouce pour I was so touched when I heard it.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Thank you so much.
I appreciate it. Yeah, it’s it’s really been a lovely way to reflect back on my previous journey and take away that experience and try to apply it into my future. And it’s really about how to live a life with greater balance, with greater intentionality, and really is born out of this concept of enjoying just a four ounce pour of wine and all the hard work and all the thoughtfulness that goes into producing a beautiful glass of wine.
Alice Tang: Wonderful. So first question. . What’s the value of money for you? Since we are in the woman’s million dollar conversation here.
Anna Maria Ponzi: I think even as a young girl, I was raised to be very self sufficient. I had a very strong mother figure who really, supported that kind of independence. And when I think of Money.
What it really gives me is access. It allows for self sufficiency and independence. And I think that [00:03:00] is so important, especially for women to have that sense of support. I feel that money really allows women this rare opportunity for access and the ability to be independent.
And when you have that, you feel that you can do anything, right? You can take care of people. You can take care of yourself if needed. You’re not in any kind of stress and at any moment. And you can be there and you’re prepared and you can actually see a future forward for yourself as yourself.
You’re no longer dependent on anybody else, whether it be your family or a spouse or a family member or a friend or whatnot, but you’re on your own path. And I think that is what money gives us.
Alice Tang: I love how you describe independence, taking care of yourself and taking care of the people around you or people you love, which is important.
Just now you mentioned that 35 years in the winery business until I sell in 2000 and 21.
Anna Maria Ponzi: [00:04:00] 21. Yeah.
Alice Tang: Yes. So 35 years there. I know the journey has been exciting and it’s not lack of challenges to the next question I think the audience are curious about is how long does it take for you to get to that million dollar of income for the winery?
And what are the biggest bias of biases that you have in the journey to that 1 million.
Anna Maria Ponzi: I think my story is a little bit unusual, perhaps a little more unique than some women and certainly business owners in that this industry was, we were one of the first to really establish this industry, the wine industry in the state of Oregon.
So truly from the ground up with really nothing to start from. It’s a difficult business right from the beginning because you’re planting something and you’re hoping that it grows and you hope that where you plant it was the right place and learning along the way because you’re pioneering something new.
So for us, the winery was actually. Over 50 years old [00:05:00] when we sold it in 21. So when I say 35 years, that was my role. I was getting paid for 35 years, but I was certainly involved in the early days when I didn’t get paid. , the wine industry is probably one of the most complex industries.
And I think that’s the thing that most people don’t understand about this industry. They see the, they see the. Oh, the luxury product, right? Or the glamour, or the charm of having a winery, but truly what it is at the beginning, as I said, you’re really a farmer first, and then if you’re fortunate, you might be able to make some wine, , and then you might be able to go sell it.
So really, that first and initial sale could be maybe five to six years from when you first started your vineyard, if you are going to plant a vineyard. Many people now just make wine, so that’s a little faster. You get quicker to the 1, 000, 000 mark, perhaps. So yeah, it’s a very complex business because you’re dealing with agriculture and then you’re dealing with business and learning all that
as a new industry took a long time to try to figure that out. And certainly [00:06:00] the educational piece of this, because we were doing this in a state that people really didn’t know about. This is way back starting in the late sixties. So where’s Oregon, we’re not Oklahoma, and we’re not.
California. So where is Oregon and what is the Willamette Valley? And actually, what is this grape that, the wine that you’re making? I’ve never heard of Pinot Noir. So we had a very steep learning curve ourselves and also to educate the market. And for many years, people were saying, Oh, what are you doing?
Go back to California. Just make wine. , why are you trying to do this here? So really that was. Another deep challenge that we faced. But I think it took really decades before we hit that million dollar mark. Truly. I would almost say I’d have to really think, but probably 20 years before we hit, the million dollar net.
The net because it’s a very expensive product to make when you’re setting your strategy, you’re always thinking two years in advance because you’re selling a wine that was made two years ago. Okay. So it’s a little bit [00:07:00] tricky that way. It’s not like just selling widgets and Oh, , this worked.
Let’s do that again. We’ll make 10, 000 more and we’ll sell those tomorrow. It’s Oh, this wine worked, but that was. Two years ago, that vintage and that’s how that wine was made. Oh, the wine we have today, it was frost or it was raining or it was hot or whatever it is. So every year you’re dealing with a completely different set of conditions.
So it is, tricky. You have to be ready for the rodeo. I think you have to be ready to go up and down and hang in there. Really hang in there is what it’s all about. You asked about the biases. I think a bias certainly as a woman in the alcohol industry has been incredibly interesting in my early days of walking into sales rooms with literally all men who were used to selling spirits and beer.
And there I was trying to sell this really high end, beautiful bottle of Pinot Noir and a young woman. And also I think that probably even more than being a woman was the bias that I carried as being the daughter, [00:08:00] okay, or the second generation who had come in after my parents and so this sort of, that judging of does she really know what she’s doing or is she’s just, like just running the course because she’s, part of the family.
She’s in the blood, the bloodline thing. And I think so there was a tremendous amount of having to prove yourself to the wine critics and to all these experts. And the, the wine industry is very deeply rooted in longevity, right? Families that have been around for generations and here we were and really, what did I know?
So that was I think probably one of my greatest biases was to try to explain that, Hey. Yes, I am a daughter and I am second generation, but I know just as much, if not more than the first generation, and I have as much passion and interest in it. Because that’s always another thing, too, is do they really like it?
Are they really into it? How much credibility do they have? So you really have to overcome all that, which I think is, again, a little bit unusual for some folks that are not [00:09:00] working in a family business situation.
Alice Tang: I can appreciate what you said about male dominated industry.
This is my 23 year in the financial world and the history and demographics has not changed Maria. Yeah, it was 13%. If we don’t count the bankers, the tellers in the bank, because if we count them, it will get to 20 percent because there are more women who’s doing the tabloid job than men. Today is different.
Obviously it’s half, half or even more. But the fact that if you look at people who have licensed like myself, 13%, so when you go to a conference, And you have broken English like me or Chinglish. Guess what? Who’s your advisor? You’re the administration
assistant.
Anna Maria Ponzi: I feel like you too are a trailblazer. Because of that, and and then not only are there few women in your industry, but also what are you being paid versus the men? That’s a whole other issue, [00:10:00] right? Because you’ve got, and this is the thing I think with women is that we need to remember that when we are trailblazers, as which we all are in the business industry, it takes a lot of time, right?
Alice Tang: We all get to put in a lot of time for those who will come after us. Because , it may not happen in our lifetime, , we may not be able to achieve all that success that we deserve, because we’re on this for whatever reason this much slower pace of having to prove ourselves and having to over and over again, I think, prove ourselves.
But I do believe there’s hope and I, I love. The young women that are coming into at least my industry, who are just incredibly powerful and we see more women who are making wines and working in the vineyards, managing the vineyards, which it used to be if women were coming into this industry, it was, on the sales end.
But now we see women , they’ve got the grit they’re going for it. And it’s not easy work.
. That’s beautiful. As you just said about trailblazer. I had so much [00:11:00] goosebumps. and when you say you’re paving the path for the future generation, which you might not get to see in your lifetime.. You nail it.
Anna Maria Ponzi: But I think we need to remember that because we’re very naturally, especially as leaders and entrepreneurs we tend to be slightly impatient, right? Because we we want to grab it. We want it. But I think that there are times when we need to like, take a step and think, but wait, maybe this isn’t all going to happen right now, but I’m planting the seeds for the future.
And I think that we need to be alright with that, settle in on that. But we’re continuing to break the ceiling, right? ,
Alice Tang: yay. The next question is pertaining to that. As you’re breaking your ceiling in your 35 years of, managing and building your empire before yourself, I’m sure there are challenging moments that you have, and sometimes life gets very difficult.
And maybe the people, and maybe the customer, or maybe even the weather. Being farmers. If there are a time that is very difficult, if there is a time that you feel that, gosh, and I still hang into that. [00:12:00] And of course you came through looking back what kept
you going?
Anna Maria Ponzi: I’ve had many moments of really thinking about that because, as you said, I think when you’re running that duration of many decades, you are going to hit a lot of bumps. You’re going to hit a lot of challenges. And that’s where I call it the rodeo. You have to be ready to hang in there.
And in those moments for me anyway I have a lot of inner strength and it’s I don’t know. It sounds funny to say this, but I really think deeply inside and go, yeah, but you’re going to do this because of course you’re going to do this., of course you’re going to push through this.
Of course you will. I don’t know what that looks like. But you will push through this. And I think that believing truly believing in your innermost strength, because we all have it. Sometimes we just have to take a minute and really dig in there and then we’ll find it. But it takes time to just quiet yourself.
To slow down, and [00:13:00] really find yourself and when you can, I think we all can push through those tough moments. Now, that being said, it’s also incredibly important to have a strong circle of support around you. I am a huge collaborator. That’s been probably the most difficult part for me in transitioning out of having a huge team and running this big company to being alone in my own office without anybody around, but I’ve managed to build a .
group of strong women who are encouraging, who are supportive, who, when you feel like, Oh gosh, I can’t go any farther. It’s just somebody to, push you just a little bit. And sometimes it’s not much, it’s just to upright you and then you can move forward. Again, I love powerful women.
I like women who got it going on. To just remind me that you’re capable. Remind me that , you are able to do this. And I think we all need it. It doesn’t really matter who you [00:14:00] are or how strong you are, whatever it is. We all have moments of just oh, gosh, I don’t know. If I’ve got it in me, I’m hanging from a thread or I don’t know enough or whatever those things are.
There’s all those silliness is that pop around in your head, times of weakness. You’re just like, wait, what are you doing? But to have that one friend and it can be a quick little text or something. You’ve got this, that’s all you need. And then there you are. So I think it’s a combination of both, but having strong women in your circle is so important, I think.
Alice Tang: I like to conclude that in the moment of self doubt, when life gets tough or business gets tough lean on to a trusted circle of people around us, whether it’s inside a business, I think you implied, and also trusted friends who have seen the worst. Of you and you picked up from there anyway,
so why not share what you’re scary about and let them tell you, you got [00:15:00] this.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Yeah. And that’s so important to, to nurture those relationships. I know you’re a relationship person as am I. You gotta be, that’s the other, it’s such an, you have to have relationships. But beyond the relationships you’re right.
You need to have those. It may only be a handful of people. That you can really lean on and they will be straight with you. They’ve seen how low you can go. And those are the people that you really need to keep on your side, keeping your team and nurture those relationships.
Alice Tang: Amen on that one. Now, when you’re making a big decision, huge decision, which you have made lately, recently in the past two years, what process do you use to get through to the decision, especially when the stakes are high, when the people involved or the energy or the capital involved is
Anna Maria Ponzi: huge?
Yeah first of all, you have to really be ready to do it, right? You’re in yourself. Independently, you have to. Really know that this is the way to go. [00:16:00] Okay. We had many, there were decisions like, should we expand? We were running a 10, 000 case winery. It was comfortable. Everyone was getting paid.
The wine was selling, on a regular basis. Life was great, but we weren’t going anywhere, right? We weren’t having a greater impact. I would say we were all kind of fine. It was fine. And when I say we, it was the family because, when you work for a family you’re always got the family behind you wondering, okay, are we going to do it or not?
There was the moment of but that’s just, that’s not enough. Like for me, it was like this brand needs to do more has to have greater impact has to make greater change. We have to make a difference. We have to move forward. So I think Really being clear that’s something you want to sell for me.
I had to sell it to my family, right? For other people, you sell it to shareholders or whoever your partners are or whatever it is. I had to sell it to the family and I had to sell many things that family had to sell building out a beautiful tasting room and then building out a beautiful event space.
I had to figure that all out. And a lot of it [00:17:00] again, was very self. Driven. I knew I saw the demand. I saw the numbers. I saw the debt, but it was also before moving that pitch forward to the family, right? It was talking to my peers and talking even to my team, to my work colleagues.
What if we had a kitchen? What if we did a sit down experience? What would we do? What would that look like to you? And this is where I call it the journalist comes out, but the questions, right? The inquiries, like getting feedback, I love feedback. It’s all about that. And touching back with lots of different stakeholders and people that were involved in the process and then checking myself and saying, yeah, I think definitely I’ve got the data there, worked out the numbers.
And I think I’m in the zone. So I think it’s really just being careful about those decisions for sure. And also knowing what is your end result? What is the outcome that you’re trying to get to? What is your goal? [00:18:00] Because I think for sometimes it’s just oh, this feels like the right thing to do, but really what is your outcome?
What is it? Is it financial you trying to, draw in more revenue? Is it impact for us for me and this brand it wasn’t always just about revenue, frankly, it was. to make a greater impact and have a greater recognition for our region and for this wine.
So it was a bigger, goal. It was a greater goal. It was more than just the business itself or our personal gain, frankly.
Alice Tang: And of course, Ponzi is a very well known name in the region now, all over the world. I heard that your sit down venue or tasting room, I may not use the right term for it, is the first one in the region.
Is that true?
Anna Maria Ponzi: Yeah, we had to wait for it. I really wanted to do it for so many years, but we were very slow in our development and our growth, I think, and but yet I knew the Willamette Valley didn’t have this destination location [00:19:00] for visitors, where they could really come into the countryside and really observe that part of the Of our culture here in Oregon, it was more than just wine for me.
It was driving through the apple orchards, and passing by the berries and the strawberries and the boys marries and then finally getting up to this beautiful location and being able to look back on the valley and go, wow. There is quite a lot of things going on here. Look at all this bounty that we grow, and then the opportunity, of course, to share about the wines, and share about why we’re there, and what, again, what about this grape and just evoke all the senses, just the whole thing really.
To come together and that was yeah, that was in very early times 2012, I think is when we we opened the tasting room and I always laugh a little bit and chuckle because when we first opened the doors as whenever you do anything new, this was 100 seats that I had curated there and I thought, Oh, my God, I’m looking out into the countryside and [00:20:00] thinking, Oh, my goodness nobody’s ever going to come up here.
What was I thinking? Something that maybe nobody else cares about, and then what do you know , then people start driving up the road and people start filling up the seats and you’re like, This is wonderful. People want this, but they didn’t really know how to do it.
Initially. They were like, what is this a restaurant? Is it a tasting room? Is this a bar ? How do you do this thing? So again, another kind of education on how to experience a winery in a tasting room.
Alice Tang: I love the word experience because a lot of, people would say, what business are you in?
You’re selling Apple phone or a gadget, like you just mentioned. So I’m in the people business that was three decades. Oh, but we are today is in a experience business. What experience are you going to give the purchaser, the buyer
Anna Maria Ponzi: .
And I think that more and more people want these things like they want to experience something new.
I want to experience something new. I want to go to a [00:21:00] different place where I’ve never been and find out about, whatever it is like a ranch I’m on the rodeo theme today, but, going in and what is it like to be a cowboy or what’s it like to be a fisherman in Alaska or what does that feel like?
We have curiosity, we all have curiosity and so to open the world of, Again, a wine to people was really a thrill for me and to present it in a beautiful way. But also I felt to open it into an approachable way, to be real about it, to be able to be humble about the beginnings of it and why we are here and this beautiful beverage that we’ve been able to make.
And it’s all because of where we are. You can’t make this wine at this level of quality anywhere else. Except for right here and to tell that story then they fall in love with the whole thing and they can’t wait to tell all their friends that, they go back to wherever, South Carolina and tell their friends in Dallas, Texas and about this amazing experience and it just perpetuates and I love that about the wine industry that you can create an experience that have a ripple effect too.
Alice Tang: . Awesome. We’re [00:22:00] winding down to a couple more questions here. Knowing your time is precious. What is one advice that you would give to the people who’s watching this video? Especially woman who said, I want to be a Maria. She’s my role model.
Anna Maria Ponzi: I think it’s hard to always come up with one, tidbit.
There’s so much in this journey of life, but I think that as a business woman, I think, again, it gets back to relationships and to ensuring that you have that good base of. Women of a network around you when you do have moments of doubt when you do have moments of consideration of adjusting or changing and having that that just that sounding board of trusted advisors in your network, I think is very important.
It’s something that, to be honest, I did not have a lot of because, again, it was one of the first women in wine and I look around me and there was nobody [00:23:00] really, especially in this region, that was at the size or with the kind of ambition that we had, to be honest certainly no women.
There just weren’t. And so I, but now what I’m seeing now is hundreds of if not thousands of women coming into this industry. I see this great opportunity to be that support group for women moving forward in this industry. And I think that, but for all women who are pursuing any kind of business enterprise to make sure you check yourself and to be all right with that, to be okay with asking questions.
We as women have an incredible opportunity to be generous and kind and supportive to each other. We understand that we should be nurturers, we raise children, we are nurturers. So let’s do that within our business, within our professions as well and bring women up. So I would advise that we as mentors, as the elders.
In the circle, we [00:24:00] help to bring women up and as young women look for those who you can trust and who will help you along the way, and together we will just continue to move on up and continue to, break the barriers.
I’ve seen it in my lifetime. The changes that we’re making, I’m not saying we’re done, no doubt. We have a lot of work to do. Just keep pushing. And that’s, my other big advice is , just keep doing what you want to do. And don’t give up on yourself and just stay focused on what it is and what you believe you can do.
And you will do it like simple. Everyone says these things, well, there’s truth to it. That’s why everyone says it, but keep pushing. Competence brings change. So whenever you have a moment of fear or doubt, find the competence, find that competence and it’s going to feel uncomfortable.
And if it feels just a little uncomfortable and you get that little thing in your back, you’re like, Oh my gosh, what am I doing? Just move in that direction because then, you are making change and that’s where [00:25:00] you want to be. So I believe in that.
Alice Tang: One of the journey that I have in the financial world, because, you and I asked to speak at different occasions and events. And one time, seven, eight years ago I developed a title called Courage, Build Confidence, Confidence, Build Wealth. Yes. And at that time, I had not known the beautiful, wonderful Maria Ponzi yet, who was driving the same court.
Anna Maria Ponzi: You know that you’ve been through so much already too, in terms of Just breaking through those barriers and having those moments of really discomfort, right? Sitting around a conference table, all men, and you’re the only one, and you’re four or maybe five feet tall.
I
Alice Tang: have to stand up to equal to their height, put it this way.
Anna Maria Ponzi: To be honest, though, Alice, I do think sometimes, I don’t know about you, but sometimes that’s the stuff that kind of gets me going. If I am the only woman in the room, if I am a little shorter than everybody, I’m like, all right, let’s go.
You have to embrace the challenge of [00:26:00] it and and then feel uncomfortable, but then go for it. And I think great things happen on the other side. =,
Alice Tang: you just trigger a thought in my head. This is so good conversation.
If I’m the only woman, now I’m thinking I’m making history here.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Of course.
Alice Tang: Yeah, so what I do, what I say is making history.
Anna Maria Ponzi: It’s opportunity. When you walk in that boardroom, conference room, or wherever it is, it’s a room full of people. Think of it as I have an opportunity here how many other women are waiting for me to open that opportunity for them? That’s on me. That’s my responsibility. So that’s how I feel about it. It’s like I, I have a job to do here beyond my own, whatever my self interest is a responsibility to open up doors for other women.
And then you just go for it. Then it’s just great.
Alice Tang: We are grateful for you today, Maria. Last question, what are you grateful for?
Anna Maria Ponzi: [00:27:00] Oh, so much. I’m good health, right? Good health. I think whoever is on this side, we survived the
pandemic. I’m grateful for that, I’ve had a really wonderful life of being able to do what I love to do and to be challenged and to have seen success.
Through all of that and all that hard work. It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of great things too. So I’m very grateful for the whole package, everything that comes=
|with| it. Just, I’m grateful for life.
Alice Tang: Thank you, Maria Ponzi again for being with us. If we want to find her actually, if you look at the notes here in the content, you will be find her website and also her contact information.
Thanks again, Maria has been a pleasure and a wonderful time with you.
Anna Maria Ponzi: Thank you. It’s been my pleasure. Thanks for having me, Alice.
Anna Maria Ponzi has dedicated her life to Oregon wine. At the age of four, she helped plant one of the earliest vineyards as her pioneering parents established one of the first wineries in the Willamette Valley. She’s had the rare opportunity of working in every aspect of the wine
business and has served the industry in myriad ways, most importantly, as an ambassador for Oregon wine both nationally and internationally.
In her former role as owner and president of Ponzi Vineyards, she envisioned and set in motion the transformation of Oregon wine country into a world class visitor destination. In 1999, she established the valley’s first regional wine bar and, in 2013, opened the valley’s first seated wine tasting experience. In 2020 she published her memoir Pinot Girl, and the following year successfully negotiated the sale of her family winery to Société Jacques Bollinger of Champagne, France.
She continues to support the state’s wine industry through ongoing service for multiple organizations, including Women in Wine, Travel Oregon, OWA, Salud, and through amponzi & company, a firm that curates rare & exceptional wine experiences and provides wine consulting. She is the founder of the non-profit Anthony’s Circle, which aims to increase the high school graduation rate of foster youth in the State of Oregon. She is also the curator and speaker of “The Four-Ounce Pour”, which provides a framework to guide our lives towards greater meaning and impact.