Anna Maria Ponzi is set to become the interim director of Linfield University’s Center for Wine Education, the school announced Tuesday. As first reported in The Oregonian, current director Tim Matz is leaving in December.
The interim appointment links Linfield University’s wine program with an iconic Willamette Valley name. Ponzi is a second-generation wine producer and a former owner and president of Ponzi Vineyards, which her parents, Nancy and Dick Ponzi, founded in1970.
Ponzi, along with Luisa Ponzi, her winemaking sister, grew the family business from 10,000 to more than 50,000 cases annually while increasing their vineyard holdings from 20 to 140 acres.
In 2021, the Ponzi sisters successfully negotiated the sale of their family’s winery to Société Jacques Bollinger of Champagne, France.
Ponzi is well known in the wine world for her work with the Oregon Wine Board, Women in Wine, Oregon Tourism Commission, ¡Salud! and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. Ponzi is also an author, public speaker and the co-owner of Laurelwood Vineyard Management, which oversees over 100 acres of vineyards.
“I am incredibly excited that Anna Maria is assuming the interim role,” Jennifer Madden, dean of Linfield University’s School of Business, said in a press release. “The globally recognized interdisciplinary wine programs at Linfield University are signature, and I can think of no one more qualified. We are lucky to have her.”
As interim director, Ponzi will oversee undergraduate and graduate degrees, the upcoming BIPOC Wine Symposium, Wine & Spirit Education Trust certifications, the Oak and Vine Society and Acorn to Oak Wine Experience, a student-run tasting room in downtown McMinnville.
“I come from a time and place that had no wine grapes, no wineries, no industry. It’s remarkable how far we’ve come, and Linfield University has been at the epicenter from the start,” Ponzi said. “I look forward to working with the staff and faculty to see how much farther we can take these exceptional programs as we continue to grow future leaders in wine.”
The press release stated that Ponzi and Matz will work together for several weeks “to ensure a smooth transition.”
The decision to leave Linfield University is a personal one for Matz.
“I am returning to Napa, California, after two and half years as I need to get back to my family, my wife, daughter and son-in-law, and a relatively new granddaughter,” Matz said in an email.
Matz called his time at the university “rewarding, with a lot of new experiences and some accomplishments I am happy have been implemented for the future of the program.”
In addition to spending more time with his family and consulting on wine projects in California and Oregon, Matz hopes to play a part in Linfield’s wine future. “I offered to help continue to drive some initiatives within the Linfield University wine program and hope they allow me to continue those efforts,” Matz said.
Linfield University is currently conducting a national search for a permanent director.
-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine