Lerzi

Portland, Oregon

Lerzi (pronounced lair-tzi) is an ode to the matriarch and Nonna of Luisa Ponzi, Josephine Lerzi. After her well rounded education on viticulture – specifically Piedmontese and Burgundian wines (and first woman to attend winemaking school in Beaune, France), Luisa has spent the past 30 years continuing to grow her parents legacy as the winemaker of Ponzi Vineyards, ranking up to 97 points for her highly recognized Pinot Noir and putting Oregon on the map for Chardonnay. Lerzi is Luisa’s segway into her next chapter – from generations of hard work, practice and diligence, she now turns toward a more playful process in collaboration with her daughter, Mia. Their experimental approach joins thoughtful farming and traditional methods to make wines that bridge the gap; between mother and daughter, winemaker and chef, new and known, classic and fun. 

Lerzi blends traditional flavors with brightness and femininity. Its imperfect calligraphic style is a representation of the place both Mia and Luisa call home – sitting behind a sun kissed desk, pen in hand with a cold glass of Arneis by their side. Lerzi is the opposite of stuffy – a wine created to reach between generations, finding something in the middle that they both want to drink. Bright colors and high contrast floral patterns invite younger folks to pick the natural wine off the shelf, and with compact notes that stand up to any crowd. The labels pay homage to the warmer earth tones of the vines, ginkgo leaves and red oaks of the original winery. Handpicked cheerful flowers, always present in the Ponzi house growing up, adorn the labels and are animated with bubbly faces. Arneis and Dolcetto are the Italian varietals that remain their steady home, with other wines being more experimental — single vintage one offs where they get to try new things. As Nonna said:‘ it’s just wine, drink it! ’

Lerzi is being sold only on the west coast at select stores. Alice Waters’ Ches Pannise purchased the entire lot of Arneis from their very first vintage.

Roles:
Graphic Design | Landing Page | Label Design