Nicole Huesman: Anna Maria, I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have you on She Lights the Way. You have been really such a force in the Oregon wine culture and wine country. And I just, it's an honor, truly an honor.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Thank you. That's very kind of you. I'm, I'm thrilled to be here with you. So thank you. I love what you're doing. So happy to be involved.

Nicole Huesman: When I think back over my experience in our beautiful, beautiful Oregon wine country, one of the pinnacles of our beautiful country here has been Ponzi. And, I realized that you're so well known here in Oregon and really around the world, but for those of us who don't know about you or about the Oregon wine country, can you introduce yourself and just talk a little bit about you and, and what makes you tick?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, it's a very open question for someone who loves to talk. Well, in short, I guess, is that yes, our, my family was one of the, one of the first to arrive in the Willamette Valley back in 1969 when, you know, we were told to go back down to California. If we thought we could make wine up here, we were insane and it would never work. And, you know, you, you, you crazy people, you have no idea. I was about four years old. 

So really, my entire life has been truly immersed in, in wine especially obviously here in the Willamette Valley. And, you know, our story is you know, it starts with pretty humble roots. We, we moved up, we moved into a tiny little one-bedroom shack and started planting that vineyard almost immediately. Again, I was for my, my sister and brother with alongside. So, you know, ages two and six. And yes, we planted the vineyard and many people like, yeah, no, you didn't know. We actually did. We, we really did work with my folks and planting that first vineyard that is actually still you can still go out and see it. It's off of Scholls Ferry Road, Winery Lane. It's still there. It's, it's as old as I am. And you know, the, the rest is really such a long story. 

I, I did write a book about it because, you know, I have had, I feel like I've had this incredible real privilege of being along for this ride. But also, you know, contributing quite a bit on the, on the journey in terms of building the industry and the region. And you know, my sister and I eventually took over the winery and really grew it until we eventually sold it in 2021 to Bollinger Champagne out of France. And, and really, you know, it was just an incredible ride of seeing not just our, our business grow, but really the entire region grow and you know, it's, it's been about wine, but it's also been about hospitality. It's been about tourism. There's so many other things that go with that growth. And I'm, I'm very proud of what we were able to accomplish here in the Valley. 

That's a, a, a quick, a quick intro of, of like where I'm coming from. So I'm very immersed in the Willamette Valley, very much a very strong ambassador of the Oregon wine industry in our community.

Nicole Huesman: You really put the Willamette Valley on the map. And one of the reasons that I think that Oregon wine country is so special is that not only are we a wonderful Pinot Noir growing region, but we're also a the community feel that you get when you're out in the Oregon wine country. It's a family. You just get that sense in, in going out there you know, and spending a day out there.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I love that Nicole, because It really goes back to the origins of it, too, in terms of, you know, the few of us that came in the early days, we really came without resource. Many of us came without real background education in wine, in business, in farming. And so, what I think is so lovely about the story of Oregon wine is that the spirit of collaboration, of working together and sharing ideas, and sharing skills. And then, of course, sharing equipment and supplies to make us all lift up. And that is the spirit which created this industry. And it is, it is a beautiful thing. And you don't, You don't hear a lot about that in terms of building industry by coming together. And we were able to do that here. And I think, you know, the fact that it's still that you still feel that, that you still feel that we're a community. It gives me so much pride because it's been really the foundation of of our community.

And we continue it, you know, we're almost 60 years in now, and we still collaborate. We're still talking about how to you know, how to best serve our vineyards, how to sustain our vineyards and be healthy you know, maintain our soils and maintain this, this, this the health of our soils and our land. And then, of course, you know, with all of the other things that we do together in terms of marketing and promotions, you know, considering how do we how do we create an event that everyone can be a part of?

So it's just still part of the core values that we hold. And I just I love I love that I'm from that, you know, and then I was able to contribute to some of that, too.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Yeah. It's just a, a sense of family. And what was it like you and your sister You growing growing Ponzi, growing, you know, and putting the Willamette Valley on the map. How did you work together and how did your relationship evolve over time?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, you know, it just sort of was natural to be honest with you, growing up, my sister is the youngest very explorative, always, you know, getting dirty, love to get muddy, love to play in, you know, the puddles and find the worms and, you know, and going down to the creek and finding the crawdads. And just like she was, she was a lover of biology right from the beginning. And a scientist almost right from the start where I was very not. I was like the one who was, you know, can we please, you know, go inside? I want to, you know, I want to write in my journal or, you know, I was, I was Always the communicator, always.

And so when we kind of both returned eventually to the winery, you know, that's the neat thing about this industry too, is that it's so, it's so complex and so dynamic that she, it was, she was natural to roll into production and become, you know, the head of the winemaking and viticulture. And for me to take on, you know, You know, the communication sides and the marketing and the sales side of the operation.

And so that's kind of, we found our way very, very, it was, it was natural, you know? And because I didn't want to be a winemaker is like, are you kidding me? I, that's the last thing I wanted to do is like being, being a dark, cold space and be wet and stuff. Sticky and like haul around, you know, hoses. It was just like, no. And she didn't want to be in front of people and talk and tell stories. And, you know, as a journalism major, I love telling stories. That's, that's what I, I, I love sharing. Like what we're doing today, just sharing the stories of other people. And so, she didn't want my job, I didn't want her job. 

And so it worked out very well. And so we were, yeah, we, we worked pretty well together. I mean, I had to kind of, you know, of her creativity and she me to open up a little bi mean, you know, it's, it a family business because from, you know, growing up as sisters, it's a different relationship than you morph into being business partners.

And, and that is, that is the thing that I think we don't talk a lot about in terms of family business, but how your relationship shifts and, you know, and a lot of folks are like, Oh, this is just awesome. You know, family business, but what we don't, what we're not all, you know, aware of is that it's going to change things for you and and so now I look at my sister as more as, you know, my past business partner than my sister, you know, and it's, you know, it requires a whole other interview, but But there, there's just some, it's, it's again, it's a pretty complex relationship when you, when you're working with a sibling, for sure, with your family, you know, it, it can be your folks or your aunt or your uncle, whatever.

Nicole Huesman: Right. Right. Yep. Yep. What were some of the biggest challenges, you think?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Oh, gosh.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah.

Anna Maria Ponzi: I mean, so many challenges, right? I, I, I think you know, for Louisa and I both, we just had the most obvious one, which we were women and we were you know, You know, we were very early into the industry when we came back. It was the early nineties. And there were not very many women in this industry and those that were, were, were incredibly strong, powerful women who, you know, I just think back and I just, I admire so many of these gals. So we had that, we had that to push through. 

We had to push through the fact that we were daughters of, you know, this guy, our father, who was claimed as one of the world's best winemakers, you know, and you know, often being told, well, you're, you're, you know, your father must be so proud of you or, or how's your dad, even though you were kind of like, You know, doing the work, it was always kind of, you know, it was always him, even though it wasn't even, I mean, he, obviously he was the founder of the industry, he and my mother, not the industry, of the business, but, you know, the growth really happened under the leadership of me and my sister. And I think that that, that, that was always just a, a thing that we had to, to deal with was that, you know, Dick and Nancy were always going to be part of this conversation. 

And so that that has been hard, I think. And it remains hard for women. You know, I think of again of daughters who have taken the reins and you know, you it's the cliche. You have to work twice as hard. You know, you have to. You have to be twice as assertive and do all those things that are very uncomfortable. You know, you have to ask for the things that you, you deserve, you know, you have to ask for, I would like the cover story, you know, please don't give it to the guy who just showed up, you know, I've been doing it for 10 years, you know, and, and it's very uncomfortable. 

It puts you in a very uncomfortable position, but I think that I have always felt, and I know my sister does too, that these were things that were just inherent in us being in the position that we were in. And so we spent, I think, less time. like fretting over. I mean, of course we would be frustrated in and so forth. But we also knew that we had bigger work to do. Like we had to push beyond it. If we were going to sit in this place where we were just frustrated and nobody's taking us seriously, we weren't gonna get anything done, you know. 

And Luisa and I raised children. We had little babies while we were running this thing and nursing, you know, while we were on the phone with wholesalers and distributors and like excusing ourselves to go pump. I mean, I mean, you know, and, and kids that get sick. And I mean, you know, we were, we were doing it all and not getting that kind of recognition that the guys were getting, you know, who, who may have just honestly may have just showed up. And so those things are very, very difficult. 

But I think for me anyway I kept feeling like we just got to keep pushing on. We just got to keep pushing on. For me, it was to build this brand. I, I, was very proud of, you know, what my parents had started in the industry. And as we said, the community had had initiated and I just wanted it to be better and better and better. And so that was sort of my, you know, that was my plan. And that was my, my gold star. 

And so I kind of kept going for that and not trying not to get. You know, there were things that happened. I remember feeling when I was much younger that, you know, you go on a sales trip and at the end of the day you would have a dinner mainly with a bunch of guys and then they would all go to the bar and have their whiskey or whatever it was. And I would be like, no, I'm going to, you know, at this point I feel like I should go to my hotel room, but also being very aware of the fact that all the deals were going to happen at the bar, right? All the final closings, you know, all the closing was going to happen at that bar, but I felt like I needed to, you know, kind of do a little self protection at that point and it's, it's the things that we don't talk about that, that we had to do and put us at a disadvantage in some cases, you know, so, you know, you just had to work at it now that we had to find another way around.

So that's, that, those were things that we dealt with beyond, I mean, that was the, the, the gender issue. And then, I mean, there's just a million other challenges in terms of like, you know, being from Oregon and selling Pinot Noir and things like that that nobody knew about when I was out promoting the wines, you know, so there was lots of those, all those challenges too, but

Nicole Huesman: Right, ‘cause they knew California. They knew other, other wine regions.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Totally.

Nicole Huesman: What do you think were your secret weapons, if you will, or what do you think your, how did you persevere through those different challenges? I know coming from the tech industry, right, we deal with the same kinds of things in a male-dominated industry. What do you think?

Anna Maria Ponzi: I, mean, I have to give a heck of a lot of credit to my mother. My mother is extraordinary. She raised both of us to be very strong, independent women. You know, we were coming out of, you know, it was, I was raised during the seventies, right? Women's lib and all that stuff. And my mother was ..

Here's a fun story. She she forbid me to take a typing class in high school because she didn't want me to work for the guy, right? She didn't want me to be the receptionist, but I was allowed, and I couldn't be a cheerleader, I couldn't try out for cheerleading, but I could be in student government. So, you know, she was very, you know, there were things that she orchestrated early on. Perhaps without my, my full understanding to ensure that I was, you know, I was self-sufficient and that I was taking care of myself and that I would always be able to take care of myself. And so I think I was raised by that. 

I had that foundational support, which was critical, frankly, and because I had that confidence built in early, you know, the support of family. Any kind of support that you have as a young person is so critical, right, to your confidence. And I had that. And so I was able to kind of push through and you know, I feel that I feel that I don't know, there's something, there's a little fire in me that when, when, when I got a pushback or I was feeling really insulted, I kind of leaned into it. Instead of backing down, I moved into it and I would, I would go ahead and push it a little bit. 

And I think I've thought about this. Why did I feel that I could do that? And I don't know why exactly, but I may have something to do with the fact that it was a family business. So it was working for me. I wasn't working for a big, huge company and I wasn't trying to move up the ladder, right? So I didn't necessarily have to be polite to everybody, you know. I could be, I could be what I needed to be. If I didn't, if, if, for example, if that buyer was being insulting to me, I would just, you know, go to hell. And I would, you know, and be like, I'd go to the next fire. 

I had a little bit of freedom and I had some flexibility that allowed me to do, to, to practice more of that. Yeah, I don't know what that is. Kind of, it's not, it's not being aggressive, but it's just being, having a little more power to push back. And I think that not so many women don't have that. And I had that ability. And I think I, I practiced that. I mean, you know, I did. It wasn't pretty. I mean, I wasn't, I certainly wasn't out to make friends, you know. I was out to build the brand and to support women and to support women. So, you know, when there's things that happened that felt like really not okay, I would call them on it, you know.

Nicole Huesman: Good for you.

Anna Maria Ponzi: You know, but we had that, but I had the privilege to do it. And I think that I always have to kind of come back to why was I able to do that? I'm also, I'm also a white woman. So, you know, there's, there, there are other things that I had in my toolbox, if you will, that allowed me, you know, to feel that I, I could do that. 

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Let's circle back to your mom.I love that you've shared how intentional she was. Very, it sounds like she was very, she knew, she was, you know, is setting you up for success that she was showing things to you. She was guiding you very thoughtfully and very intentionally.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Absolutely.

Nicole Huesman: And that comes through. Obviously in, in the Four Ounce Pour.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Yes.

Nicole Huesman: Can you talk more about your inspiration for developing that keynote and, and what you want people to take away from that?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Thank you for bringing that up, Nicole. It's like my, it's my, my baby. And I, I'm, I'm so, I'm so excited about the Four Ounce Pour and the Four Ounce Pour really was a result of thinking back to my life in wine and beyond the most obvious things, building a business, all those things, what else did I learn from that experience. And it really came back to the essence of wine for me is the appreciation of wine. It's the understanding that wine is not just a beverage, but it's actually something that should be savored and really thoughtfully enjoyed and That is how I was raised. With great intention.

As you mentioned, my mother was absolutely a model of that for me from, you know, setting the table every evening and making sure that we had, you know, cloth napkins and that there were flowers and that there were candles that were lit. And this was sort of a ritual in our home. But she created that intention and I was raised with that.

And as I reflected back, you know, after we sold the business, I started thinking, you know. Again, I was very fortunate to have had this kind of foundation. And I took, I, I've been taking it for granted. And realizing that not everybody has that right. And this opportunity to share the gift of intentionality with others.

It's just so I feel that it's, it's, it's sometimes very simple to simple message to slow down, be more meaningful with everything that you do. But at the same time, I feel that so many of us have forgotten to do those things, right? We are in an incredibly fast-paced lifestyle right now. Every, everybody's living at a high, high, you know, capacity that is not healthy for any, for anything. It's not healthy for relationships. It's not healthy for your body, your emotions. It's not, it's not where we should be going. 

And so to remind people that it's okay to slow down, to remind people that, you know, indeed, there is only one life that you have and to save our moments and to slow down and spend time with it. Be it your, your partner, your dog, your cat, your bunny, whatever, your children, or just yourself, you know. And that is the is it needs to be accepted and it needs to be a part of everyone's life and wine taught me that. 

And it gets back to this small glass of wine – four ounces – you don't fill a glass to its top. You know, you fill it at a third of the glass so that you can swirl it, so you can smell the aromas, which is such pleasure, so you can sip it, so you can go back and enjoy it again. You know, if you have a tall glass of anything, a big gulp, you're really not thinking about it. You're just, it's just, it's plentiful. So you're just continuing to consume and consume and, and, and without any kind of thoughtfulness. And I think whatever it is, being a glass, small glass, four ounce glass of wine, or even a small cookie, right? A small apple. Whatever it is, you know, when it's small, it's more precious and you take more time with it.

And this is a framework that I think we can apply to our lives in slowing down and just being more thoughtful.

Nicole Huesman: You know, when we started this year, one of the things that I said to my husband was, let's be, and no joke, let's be more intentional about where we spend our time, what we do, how do we, how we relate to each other, how we relate to other people. And I remember you know, just being out in the wine country for Father's Day, actually. And, you know, it was, gosh, in, in our younger years, you know, we'd, we'd race around to the different wineries out here and, right, and, and do these different wine tastings. 

And now what I really appreciate, and I was thinking about this as we were sitting out there, you know, and, and spending time with our kids out there was this intentionality of, we're not trying to race to a million different places. We're choosing just a couple of places to go to and actually spending our time at these different places and looking out at the beautiful landscape and just being present and being with each other.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Exactly. 

Nicole Huesman: What a difference that is, right?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Yeah. And it's this. And again, these are, this is not a new thing. You know, people have been saying ‘less is more’ forever. But I think right now we need this to be, we need to be reminded of this often. Because we get caught up in the speed, we get caught up in the consumption, you know. I'm sorry, I don't mean to throw Amazon under the bus, but you know, if I can have it in two hours, I'll take it. You know, there's no waiting for anything. We interrupt each other. We don't have time to listen to each other. We don't have time to understand another point of view. It's just quick. Move on, move on. And the race! The race that we are living in, it's not, it's not where we need to be. And, and again, I keep getting back to, you know, we have one life and, and who we're spending that time with during that life should be very important to how we're spending, like you said, the experiences that you're having, how you're choosing to spend your time. Just be present with that.

Nicole Huesman: Absolutely. Absolutely. Wow. Can you talk a little bit about your book, Pino Girl?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Sure.

Nicole Huesman: I, I love, I love this and I, I just, yeah, I, I, yeah, I, I love the book.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, thank, thank you, Nicole. So sweet. I, I I, I was a journalism major, so I, and I did, I love to write. So I was always journaling as a young girl and I sort of always knew, you know, not always, but probably by age of like, whatever it was, like 15, I was like, God, you know, we must be doing something here, right? You know, people started to come down the road to taste the wines and, you know, and so I started journaling what was happening, my feelings that I was having about, you know, harvest every year and how much work it was and just the whole deal. And and I, I am going to write a book. I'm gonna write a book.

So it was always like a childhood dream thing. And and then, you know, whatever, you get married, you have kids, you're working a lot. But I finally just said, okay, you're gonna do it. And I was able to finish it up. for the winery's 50th anniversary, which, which happened to fall in May of 2020. And so the book came out in May of 2020 and just like, nobody knew about it.

But but the book is really, it wasn't meant to be about me, but it ended up going through the creative process. It was like my, it really is in a way, it is a memoir about, you know, what it was like to be a young girl in this, in this very new region doing this very different thing. And so it's my childhood lens of, of the early days of, of Oregon wine and establishing the, the industry again and the region and our little business and, and it's about family. It's about, you know, the love I have for my parents and I call it the love story from, from my parents who, you know, brought me into all of this.

But it's really, it's a book that's not just about wine too. I think it's about having a project or having a dream, having a vision and what it takes to fulfill it. And how sometimes it's not great, you know, and, and, and the challenges that you have, but also some of the joys you have. And so, you know, the, the first event we had, and it was all cash. And my grandfather took the bag of cash that my mother had put into a garbage bag and he put it into the fire at the end of the day because, you know, he's cleaning up and we had, we always had open fires. We were in the country. So, you know, he just threw the bag of money into the fire and all, all the work from those last two days just went up in flames. And you're like, wait, what? 

So, there's little stories like that throughout you know, like, you know, the, the silly things that happen like that. And then the triumphant things that happen when your father is hailed as, you know, again, one of the world's best winemakers. And it's by Robert Parker, who was pretty much the king of wine at that time. And you're like, what? My dad? You know? You know what? He's better than the French winemakers, you know? So, so just little stories, big stories but kind of takes people on the ride of those days.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah, yeah. Well, and we talked about family and community and you've done so many different things for the, like you said, for the travel industry here, for the community, in so many different ways. And you know, Anthony Circle comes to mind for me. The Maria Stewart Scholarship at Linfield. You've done so many different things in our community that we're so thankful for.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Aw, well thank you. I think. I think that, again, it kind of goes along with this idea that you can, you can do good things, you know, you can make change. And that kind of continues to fuel me, you know, kind of gets me going ‘cause there's so much good that one single person can do. So, you just have to apply yourself and just do it. Just go for it.

And yeah, it's, it's, you know, it's kind of crazy. Sometimes you feel like, oh, wow, I'm going to take that on, too? Wow. Okay. How are you going to fit that in? But I think it's, it, it must come back again from the DNA with my folks in terms of just, you know, you know, taking on a vision and wanting to do something that will, will make things better. And I've, I guess I've always wanted, it's always kind of been part of me, you know, I always wanted to, like, save the whales, you know, rescue the dog. But, but, but I think that that's just part of my being is that you should always find a way to give back. I just feel like everybody can give back. 

You know, I also helped a young man through his incarceration and that was probably one of my most rewarding, still is one of my most rewarding experiences. Because I realized that just this one single person, all that this young man needed was support, was a little bit of love and a little bit of like, you're okay, and these are the things that are great about you. And, you know, he made it through and he's, he's just doing incredible. And it wasn't, it didn't take a lot for me to do that. You know, I mentored somebody, but it wasn't, it wasn't difficult for me to do that. I have the ability to do that. 

And I think we all, every individual does, we all have gifts. What you're doing on this podcast, you are giving back in so many ways, you know, celebrating women and their stories helps other women, right? And bring support. And so we all have gifts. We just have to find the gift and, and then, and then go with it. Just do it, you know, just, You know, it's what everyone says. Just, just take that first step. 

But you know, Maria Stewart scholarship, she was one of my dearest friends. And I lost her and I also lost another best friend within two years and that really had a huge impact on me to this idea that life is short and you only have one life and you never know when it's going to happen. And these are two very healthy women with children and. incredible careers and a whole deal. And all of a sudden, they're gone. 

So, you know, just remembering how precious life is and to give. Give it as much as you possibly can. You know, be present, be mindful, but also try to find a way to give. And we can all do something. We can all do something. And sometimes it's as small as, like, you know, seeing somebody who needs help to walk across the street or pick up some groceries or, you know what I mean? We all can, can be kind and can give and it, it really, it just, you know, again, it. It helps you internally, right? I know that you know that.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah, absolutely. You know, and it's so true. We each have different gifts. It happens to be for me, you know, we're both journalists, right, or, you know, seeped in journalism. And so that became, when I wasn't, when I was no longer being fulfilled, truly fulfilled, by my, you know, position by my marketing role, it became, you know, what gift can I give, how can I pass it on, right? How can I elevate underrepresented voices? But we each have a different gift to give the world. I completely agree with you. 

You know, mentorship has been such a theme throughout your journey. Can you talk about, and you've been such a trailblazer for other women making their way, right? Yeah. Can you talk more about what has the role of mentorship played for you in your journey, either from a mentor perspective or a mentee perspective?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I think I, and it could be, you know, the journalism background to that. I really enjoy learning about other people and hearing their stories. I do love collaborating. And I have always believed in my heart and soul that we are so much better when we're doing something together. And at the winery, you know, I would build a team that we were all supportive of each other's different skills, but you know, supportive. 

And I learned from them. As much as they learned potential, I was like, you learned something from me. That's amazing. But you know, they, they taught me things and these were, you know, women may be younger than me, but they brought skills that had no idea how to do. And so we we were constantly mentoring and minting each other.

You know, we were just, it was. It was part of the culture. And I, I think back to that, perhaps some of this is because, you know, when we started this industry, there were no wine professionals, you know, you didn't hire somebody and in wine marketing or, you know, wine sales, they just didn't exist. And so I had to build a team and teach them how.

I felt we needed to do this thing because, of course, I wasn't trained in it. I didn't I didn't have the training. I was just doing it. And so again, I think it's it's about working together and sharing each other's strengths. And and and so it was it was always symbiotic in that way. And that it was we were both learning.

And so that mentorship is very, again, mentoring is very important. Is, is again, pretty inherent, I think for me in that I just, I love to share, you know, I have nothing to lose. I want to share. It gets back to the give back thing. And, you know, if, if somebody else can, can be successful, let's do it, you know, especially if it's a woman or, you know, underrepresented individual I'm there a hundred percent. Absolutely. That's why I'm here. You know, that's why I'm on this earth. I've been, I've been fortunate, you know, and so if I can give back in whatever capacity, that's, that's, that is what I'm going to be doing. So, yeah. Yeah.

Nicole Huesman: You are now coming to us from your office at Linfield University and I was, I guess it was a few months ago, you know, was just absolutely blown away. Thrilled to hear that about you going, you know, and leading the wine program at Linfield. Can you talk more about what your current role means to you and what you're hoping to impart to our next generation?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Yeah. Well, I kind of fell into this. It found me, I didn't find it. It found me. And now here I am. And I thought, gee, you know, I'll have to tell you a higher ed, oh my goodness. I don't know if I'm up for that. I don't, you know, trust me. I do not have a PhD. I'm more of a doer. Nothing against PhDs, but I'm not, I'm not a book smart person. I'm a doer person. So I didn't know if it was gonna be a good fit. 

But, you know, the more I started thinking about it, I was, I was thinking, you know, this is the ultimate mentorship, right? It's like, this is the ultimate where you can actually create a program and, and put in the information that you have, you know, the experience that you've learned and apply it and, and pass it along. And I was like, wait, this is totally perfect. And so, yeah, it's an incredible opportunity. I'm learning every single day. I'm still trying to figure out, you know, how does this, how does this world work, totally different culture. But I'm really enjoying it. 

And I'm really excited about the opportunity that we have here at Linfield. The university is a small liberal arts college in, or university in, really, in the heart of wine country. We're in McMinnville. You know, there's only about 1700 kids here, students here, but we have such an incredible opportunity with the wine space program to tap into all this talent that is literally within minutes. You know, we're like, within 5 miles of some of the world's most renowned wine producers and we have access to them. And so to be able to have that ability to send someone who's excited about wine and wants to learn more and say, Hey, you know, you can go up the road and work with the French or the Italians or even the Oregonians, you know, they really know their stuff. And I love having that access. 

And I love the ability to really build out a program that is going to be a little more focused, I would like to see, more focused on the wine business. I think that we for so many decades now have been incredibly focused on viticulture and knowledge. Which is critical, right? Of course. But I, I would like to see some emphasis now in the area of what sustains that, right? So that means experience in wine business and finance and compliance and wine law and wine marketing and wine sales and hospitality and tourism. All those are the things that I really was immersed in. I would like to bring that into the curriculum because I think that's how we sustain and grow this industry into the next generation. 

So I'm really excited about it. I love, you know, just being around these smart young people is so cool. You know, they're like, you know, they've got drive and they've got energy and they're, they're interested and they're open-minded. You know what I mean? They're like, they want to learn. They want to listen. So it's really exciting. Yeah.

Nicole Huesman: Oh, well, and, and how, what a wonderful opportunity they have to learn from, from you, who, you know, is a preeminent leader in our area and, and really, you know, worldwide.

Anna Maria Ponzi: I just have a lot of friends. It's not really me. I just, it's all my people out there that know everything that I can bring. I can bring them in here and they make me look good. Trust me. It's not me. I just, I'm the conduit to all that amazing talent. But no, it's, it's, it's exciting. I'm, I'm really looking forward to the work.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah, yeah. How has your perspective on leadership changed, you know, and from kind of, you know, your, your early years to now, how do you think it has evolved over time as you look back over your experiences?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I mean, obviously I've matured. I'm not quite as punchy as I used to be, like, sassy. I'm still sassy, but not like I used to be with that kind of, like, youth thing. Youthful energy. 

I think my tack now is to listen more. I try to listen more and, and speak less. I am very aware that we are in a whole new world when it comes to just everything, especially, you know, this whole post-COVID thing, but also just, you know, as an older person. So I am, I'm really trying to, as a leader, really listen more and learn more about what is happening so that I can be, remain, effective and relevant. So I guess in a way, almost a little bit of taking a step back in some of the leadership roles. 

For example, I would never, somebody said, you should teach the class on marketing. And I'm like, there's no way I would teach a class on wine marketing today because I was wine marketing, you know, whatever, 30 years ago, when I knew my stuff. This is a whole new world. So I think leadership, like everything, needs to evolve and you need to be very aware of those changes. 

I think my expertise now comes in things like the Four Ounce Pour, you know, the wisdom of looking at the whole picture of things and, and stepping back and allowing younger leaders to step up and support them. You know, I don't need to be in front anymore. You know, I, I just, I just want to support the next leaders. That's really what I want to do. Because it's, it's their time. It's not my time, I've had my time. I'm really proud of what I've been able to accomplish, frankly. And so, stepping back and just being a supportive leader is really where I would like to be now.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah, yeah. Of all of the different experiences that you've had, what do you think has been either the most rewarding or makes you the proudest.

Anna Maria Ponzi: It's a big question because there's so many things I'm really proud of. That sounds really boastful, but it's true. I am. I mean, first of all, I'm a mother of two amazing young adults who are totally my pride and joy. Like, you know, like that's my biggest reward is that I had two amazing kids in there. They just, I love them too. And I'm so proud of them. So that's, that's a huge reward for me. 

I actually never thought I would even have kids. I was such a driven kind of like, you're going to be a career woman or independent, you know. And then I met this guy and he's like, so when do you want to start a family? I went, what? Whoa, what? So I didn't even really think about it. And then what do you know? I didn't even know what to do with babies. I was terrible. Thank God he was around. But you know, I, and then I realized what a gift this is, you know? Wow. So my kids are a huge reward for me. 

I think having the ability to work with my family, you know, we have been able as a, as a unit to accomplish so much. So much more that nobody, we couldn't have done what we did alone, any of us. So I feel very grateful and that's a huge gift that I had to be able to work with my, my mother, my father, my brother and eventually, you know, my sister. And it's just an incredible gift that was.

For me personally, I think my personal joys have been, you know, accomplishing my book, The Pinot Girl. I, I didn't know if I could actually get that one done. And then, and then the surprising latest book. My keynote that I created the Four Ounce Pour, really, I have great pride in both of those pieces that I, that I created, and I, I'm, I really, I'm glad I was able to kind of etch out some independent work amongst the, the big work, you know.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned your, your children.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Yes.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. What advice would you give to them?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Oh, oh.

Nicole Huesman: Or, or to other, to other women who were, who were just coming into the fold.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I guess, I guess for me, the number one thing is to, to build independence, to really celebrate independence and to support independence and to ensure that your, your children are, are ready to be launched into this crazy world. And to be able to manage whatever's going to happen to them because you cannot be by their side and nor should you. And so, so whatever tools you can give them, you should give them so that they can, they can survive on their own. 

I truly believe that. I don't track my children. I never did. My daughter traveled through Europe when she was like, I don't know, 19 and I wasn't tracking her. And I felt like a terrible mother. My girlfriends were like, what is wrong with you? I'm like, you know, there's nothing I can do. She's out there by herself. I'm not going to fly over and, you know, make sure she gets on the train you know, So having that separation, I think is very, very important. 

You know, I traveled around the world. I backpacked around the world when I was 25. And that was the time when there were no cell phones, there was no connection with your parents, with your friends, there was no Instagram, like there's nothing. And I think those were, that year I probably learned more about myself and surviving on my own and problem solving. So much growth happened because of that independent time and being in strange places and experiences and having to solve issues by myself created the confidence that I think I think I still carry with me today. 

So I, I would say as a, as a new mother, as much as we love, trust me, I love my children. I cry still every time I leave them and they're like 26 and 27. But to, to remember that that's the greatest gift you can give them is to allow them to go be their own people. That's my advice.

Nicole Huesman: Oh, I love that. And you know, even when we are over in Europe with them, I, I kid you not. So I have a 13-year-old son who I ended up losing in Amsterdam. I, I am not joking. I mean, we were, we were coming back from the North over the river there, the North side. And I was on foot, he was on a bicycle, and he said, Hey, I'll ride up to the next corner and I'll wait for you there.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Oh gosh.

Nicole Huesman: Well, I got to that next corner and he wasn't there and we ended up, you know, long story short, but we end up making it back to our Airbnb, you know, separately, he, he ends up, you know, being really resourceful and calling me the, the people who had rented us, our Airbnb were, had, were just next door and he ended up, you know, going over to them and calling me you know, from there, so that I knew that he had gotten back to our place. But I thought, you know, even when we are there, right? And, and, you know, sort of like, at the very simultaneously, I was absolutely panicked. Right? And, and yet, you know, now it's like, Oh, proud mom moment. Right? He actually knew what to do. He knew how to, at the young age of 13, you know, when this, well, they speak English in Amsterdam, but still in, you know, in this European country, in this European city, finding his way, you know, finding his way back and knowing what to do. And, you know, when, and all of that, I'm like,

Anna Maria Ponzi: And, and

Nicole Huesman: Good for you, right?

Anna Maria Ponzi: And Nicole, what's cool is that you allowed him that adventure. You allowed him, I mean, maybe it wasn't, you know, you didn't expect that to happen, but because of what happened, he has now learned so much about so many things about himself. And if you were there, the way the whole time, y never have been able to h And I think today again, this security blanket, th every moment they can sol more distance we can give things out and process ev phone, you know, is, I th To just growing and being a, a, a, a, a very capable, productive person.

So, I mean, I, I, Hey, I've, I've, I've been in the panic, like, where's my daughter, you know, in this grocery store or whatever, where's my son? We lost my son at the LAX, like so many times. My little guy, he's on the payphone, on the payphone trying to call. I'm like, he doesn't even know our number. He doesn't have a, he doesn't have a, doesn't have a quarter.

This is way back when I'm like this little kid, he must've been six years old and he's trying to find us. But, you know, it's the thing is. You know, this is what's important. These are, these are, this is teaching and this is why we have to, to remember that and not hold every hand all the time. So it's hard though, because we love them so much, right? They're so amazing and all those things.

Nicole Huesman: It is hard. It is hard. Wow.

Anna Maria Ponzi: It's a good thing to do.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Yeah. So, Ana Maria, what does, you know, if you, as you look back over your experiences, you know, success is such a loaded word but what, what is your, how would you define success and how has that changed over time? Yeah.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I think again, when you're, you're young, you're pretty self centered and self focused as I definitely was very, you know, goal oriented, like we got to make so many, you know, you got to sell so much wine or my personal goals, you know, I'd be in flying to Texas. Like I had to sell 25 cases, you know, very goal driven like that.

For me now, success is a little bit different for me now. Success is like everything has kind of gotten bigger and broader. And so it's, it's, it's about leaving a lot, having an impact. And you know, I'm still working in wine, but I really believe that. Having impact in other areas is where I want to go.

That's success. I mean, I did it with with founding Anthony Circle, which is aiming to increase the graduation rate for foster youth in our state, which is deplorable. But starting that that nonprofit again, working with the incarcerated youth, you know, stretching beyond and I also work a lot with protecting our land, our farmland.

And I'm like, obsessed with. protecting our farmland, but like reaching beyond just the, the main, you know, core, which is wine and seeing what else we can, I can do to impact my community in other ways is success for me moving forward. So I'm hoping to be able to engage more with those other projects.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Wow. Wow.

Wow. So, as, as, as a leader in, in Oregon's wine industry, what changes have you seen and what do you envision for its future?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Yeah. Well, we're in a tough place. time right now. We've got a lot of challenges. We have the most obvious, which is climate change. So everything is shifting there. You know, we have a pretty strong anti alcohol campaign that is not just statewide or national, but it's global with messaging that wine is is bad for your health.

So we have more competition from alternative beverages. You know, non-alcoholic beverages, but also you know, just cider heights hard ciders, et cetera. Lots of lots of options for people when it comes to beverages. So we're up against and costs are high since COVID. So we're looking at costs that are 30 to 50 percent since, you know, 2019.

So it's, it's becoming difficult to be successful in this in this area of wine. Right now. My hope is that this will move forward and we'll get through this. On the good side of of our industry, what I'm seeing is a lot of diversity, not just in varietals, but meaning, you know, beyond, you know, beyond Chardonnay, we're seeing folks that are very interested in, in other varieties that, that actually were tested a long time ago in My day that are now coming back, that create a little bit more interest for lots of people.

I see the need to b bring greater access to wine. to many different people, not just those that can afford a 50 bottle of wine, but options for folks to enjoy wine at a lower price point, but also a diversity of people. We, we have a big, broad, you know, you talk about family, our family has grown and we have lots of different people in our family now that come from all different walks of life.

And it's so exciting to see that come in. You know, I, I was just talking to actually a wine seller. studies students the other day and she's hispanic. And she said, you know, I never thought I would like my spicy taco with Riesling, but it's great. And I was like, okay, that's cool. You know, here we go.

We can have wine with tacos or, you know, Korean chicken. You know, it's like, it's like we can go all over the place now with wine. So that is really cool. And I'm excited about that, about the opening up of our community to all these different All these different people and stories and. cultures. And it's so cool.

You know, it used to be pretty locked down. You know, we all looked about the same. And we were all doing the same. Have wine and cheese, wine and cheese, wine and cheese, you know, European, European. And now we're seeing this whole other thing opening up. So that's exciting. And I just hope that, you know, we have more people to share the story of wine in terms of the appreciation of wine and to really think of it the way that I think of it, which is, I think of it as As food, and I think of it as nourishing to the soul and to the heart and to our bodies like, you know, it's it.

I can't imagine not having wine as part of my diet because it brings me such joy. And so these are stories that I hope that that next generation, the newcomers, if you will, to this industry, start to share those stories to that wine is not just strictly alcohol. Wine is not strictly a beverage, but wine is.

and should be a part of your life, a part of your diet when it is enjoyed in moderation with thoughtfulness and appreciation, because that's how it's made. It's made with incredible intention. It's made with an amazing amount of thoughtfulness and care. And so that's how we should also appreciate it. And so I'm hoping that, that, that we can send that message out to the world.

Nicole Huesman: It's an experience.

Anna Maria Ponzi: Absolutely.

Nicole Huesman: Yeah. Yeah.

Anna Maria Ponzi: And it's a, it's a cultural, it should be a cultural experience, you know, we live in a place where we have beautiful food, we have beautiful wines, we have beautiful, as you said, landscapes, you know, it's incredible. This is should be a cultural experience for people and so we just need to get more people to understand it and to enjoy it.

Because I think it really can be a fulfilling part of your life and a real joyful part of your life, as I know you do because you enjoy wine. So. You understand? Mm hmm.

Nicole Huesman: I would love to ask you, Anna Maria, what does She Lights the Way mean to you?

Anna Maria Ponzi: Well, I just love it. I, I think that I've always believed that there is a story in everybody. Again. Everybody has a story and we can learn from every single person. It's so important to share stories and I love so much that you are sharing the stories of those of us who may not be, you know, mega celebrities. Because we are, we're, we're all heroes in our own way. We all have our own gifts, as we mentioned. And I love that you're sharing this so that we, you know, can, can continue to light the way for women, you know, right now, but also the women who are who are coming up our daughters and, and you know, and, and recognizing that we all have something to give and to, to inspire others with. So I, I, I love what you're doing. I just think it's, it's so important. And so thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

Nicole Huesman: Thank you. It, it has been a pure delight.