About Us
The Orange County Wine Society, a non-profit organization that promotes the knowledge and appreciation of wines, is dedicated to raising funds for college scholarships for institutions throughout California. The volunteers of the organization, while enjoying social events, wine tastings and trips throughout the year, is best known for coordinating the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and running the wine courtyard at the fair each year. Within the OCWS lies an active home winemaking group which, along with their passion for making fine wines, runs the Homewine Competition which is also highlighted annually at the OC Fair.
The varied interests and social opportunities offered through the OCWS has something for everyone, from people just beginning to find enjoyment with wine in their lives and wanting to learn more to the well versed fine wine lover looking to share their passion with others of like mind.
Latest News
- Decade of Excellence
When winemaker Richard Krumwiede opened up the email from the Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, he thought it was a joke. He was informed that his 2017 Grenache has taken the top prize in the competition, beating out 2,700 other entries. Not bad for the recently retired landscape architect whose… Read more: Decade of Excellence - President’s Message
By Carolyn Christian It is hard to believe that we are in the third month of the year already. In my President’s Message this month, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize many of the unsung heroes of the Orange County Wine Society. Most of you are familiar… Read more: President’s Message - Look for the White Ribbon!
When you are attending Orange County Wine Society functions, look for the white ribbons on the name tags. The white ribbon will be on the member’s name tags if they joined the OCWS within the last few months. We are using the white ribbon to make it easier for all… Read more: Look for the White Ribbon! - OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition Judges
- Wine Wisdom: What Kind of Wine is…?
There are sparkling wines and still wines. There are red, white and rose wines. There are wines made from North American native grapes, wines made from hybrid grapes and wines made from fruit other than grapes. And there are wines that are made in a style that addresses current-day trends… Read more: Wine Wisdom: What Kind of Wine is…? - RBS Training
The OC Fair is just around the corner. The largest OCWS fundraising effort of the year will be taking place for a total of 23 days, Wednesdays through Sundays, July 18 through Aug. 17.Volunteering at The Courtyard is a unique and fun experience. All courtyard volunteers handling wine in any… Read more: RBS Training - OCWS Scholarship: 2025 Scholarship Allocations
OCWS is excited to announce the 2025 scholarship donations in the amount of $49,507. These funds were awarded to the eight programs listed in the table below. This year’s donations raised the total amount awarded since 1981 to over $940,000. The scholarship funds come from a variety of sources, including… Read more: OCWS Scholarship: 2025 Scholarship Allocations - Commercial Competition Volunteers
It’s hard to believe it’s time for volunteer signups for the 49th OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition. We have signups online this month, same as in previous years. We try to flexible and ask the same of our volunteers. We can work together to make this another fun event. There… Read more: Commercial Competition Volunteers
Upcoming Events
Year at a Glance
View Our
Calendar of Events
Become A Member of
Orange County Wine Society