1859 Magazine
Tasting Notes
Originally Published in the October 2014 Edition, 1859 Magazine
In Oregon’s pre-Prohibition days, getting a taste of the vino meant a quick nip on the farm. Later, in the ’60s and ’70s, tasting was still an informal affair, happening in the family homes, garages or barrel rooms of early pinot-growing operations. “Our original tasting room was really just our home,” recalled Maria Ponzi, whose parents established Ponzi Vineyards in 1970. Amid the rising number of visitors to the region, spurred by increasing national interest in the state’s burgeoning wine production, the Sokol Blosser family commissioned architect John Storrs in 1978 to design a separate building to sample their vintages.
The Oregon wine industry has since grown exponentially—the five wineries in 1970 multiplied to 545 by 2012. The tasting experience has come of age with it. “Oregon has a world-class winemaking industry now, and the architecture reflects that,” noted Brett Fogelstrom, the architect behind Ponzi’s new tasting room. These new spaces aren’t merely a bullish indicator of the industry’s future. “It’s a tribute to how far the industry has come,” observed Alison Sokol Blosser, second-generation co-owner of the family business, whose newest tasting room opened in 2013.
Today, this new wave of tasting room design offers a variety of experiences. Whether you want to raise a glass to modern art, sip while watching a busy urban sidewalk, or tip one back while playing bocce in the vineyard, these are the fruit of the vine.
A wave of architecturally innovative tasting rooms create a whole new tasting experience in wine country. After forty years of decanting wine in the old family residence, the Ponzis decided to upgrade. In 2008, they completed an advanced, gravity-flow production facility, designed by founding vintner Dick Ponzi, on a portion of 42 acres in the Chehalem Mountains. By 2011, it was time to reunite the production with the pour. Maria Ponzi, second-generation president of Ponzi Vineyards, teamed up with husband, architect Brett Fogelstrom, to create the family business’ newest incarnation.
“Everywhere you go in
the space, you get a little different
experience of the winery”
Fogelstrom took this as an opportunity to “capture the family’s innovation.” To that end, he designed a modern shell that incorporates the steel, glass and concrete of the nearby state-of the-art production facility. Then Ponzi added clusters of seating to host tableside tastings. “I wanted to create a comfortable, relaxed place where people would be able to spend a little more time with us,” Ponzi said. To make it inviting year-round, the couple included a covered terrace, complete with fire pit, and bocce courts nestled closer to the vines. “Everywhere you go in the space, you get a little different experience of the winery,” she said.
Visitors no longer go to the family home, but memorabilia in the foyer helps to tell the story. “I like that a typewriter and some notebooks show the humble beginnings of the Oregon wine industry,” said Ponzi. “It’s a great sense of pride for us as a family and as part of this community.