Brown's Bits & Bytes

 

As you read this, over two hundred OCWS volunteers will be working and enjoying the OC Fair Commercial Competition. The Competition is an enormous undertaking and could not occur without the support of our membership as they act as catalogers, sorters, baggers, stewards, glass dryers, and the list goes on and on.

One week after the Commercial Competition, the OC Fair Homewine Competition will be held in the new Hangar Building on the Fairgrounds. If you haven’t participated as a volunteer at the Homewine Competition, you have missed a great event and the opportunity to taste some very fine wines.

The third weekend in June will find us sorting all the wine entries from the Commercial Competition in preparation for the OC Fair Courtyard. Extra help is always appreciated at the Wine Sorting Party so if you have a few hours to spare on June 19, just let me know.

Once the sort is concluded, we begin to gear up for the OC Fair Courtyard. This is another massive undertaking which requires hundreds of volunteers. If you haven’t filled out your volunteer form yet, it is available on the website. The Courtyard provides an opportunity to share your enthusiasm and knowledge about wine with Fair attendees. Many of our members first “found” us when they visited The Courtyard. This year, we will have additional seminars on three of the Fridays of the Fair as well as seminars dealing with wine education from our Winemaker Group on Saturdays. Of course, we will still present our traditional seminars every Saturday and Sunday of the Fair.

Between the competitions and the Fair, don’t forget to sign up to attend the Gold Mini-Tasting, held on July 10. All the wines served will be gold medal winners from the Competition. This is always a great tasting and attending could be considered our homework as we prepare to pour these wines at The Courtyard.

As I mentioned last month, the Board of Directors’ election is fast approaching. I strongly urge you to consider running for the Board. For all of us on the present board, it has been a wonderful experience working with the members of our organization. Our volunteers are the bedrock and heart of the OCWS and never fail to provide the support necessary so that events are fun and successful.

A couple of quick reminders—when driving on the Fairgrounds, please remember that there are often pedestrians, including children who could run into the streets at any time. There are always many events going on simultaneously with ours so please drive carefully and slowly. Also, remember to drink responsibly at our events.

I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.