Pinot Girl

Book excerpt: An intimate memoir by the daughter of one of Oregon's earliest wine families. In 1968, California cabernet and French wines ruled the world. That was, at least, until the Ponzis and a handful of other determined visionaries dared to consider winemaking in Oregon. Dick and Nancy Ponzi were among the first to grow and process Pinot Noir grapes in the then undiscovered Willamette Valley. They were neither farmers, winemakers, nor businesspeople, but they were motivated by their passion and were determined to realize their dream. With their three children in tow, the young couple helped the valley to expand into a world-class wine region with an international reputation for revolutionizing American Pinot Noir. Through intimate and candid prose, Anna Maria Ponzi shares an insider's view of this humble beginning--how a scrappy piece of land developed into a world-renowned wine business. Pinot Girl is an unforgettable, heartfelt account of the hard work, persistence, ingenuity, and collaboration it took to help establish this now famed wine region, told through the eyes of a young girl who grew up among the vines.