By Carolyn Christian
It seems like just yesterday we were wrapping up The Courtyard at the OC Fair and hosting holiday events in December, but here we are in April, getting ready for another Wine Auction, OC Fair Wine Competitions (Commercial and Home) and the fair.
These are the organization’s flagship events. They make us who we are and keep us running.
As we approach our busy season, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of volunteering for these four events. You will not find another organization that provides these opportunities to buy wine at a discounted price, meet winemakers who make the wines we enjoy, taste the latest vintages, learn more about wine and share your wine knowledge with the public. What an incredible opportunity this organization presents to its members.
My challenge to you as an OCWS member is to get just a little more involved this year. Volunteer at the auction to break up the day of food and wine, sign-up to steward at one or both of our wine competitions or sign up for one of the hundreds of shifts at The Courtyard. Sign-ups for the auction are already open, and we are still in need of dozens of volunteers to make the event run smoothly: ocws.ws/AuctionVolunteerForm.
Volunteer sign-ups for the competitions are already open as well. Go to OCWS.org and log in to your account, then choose competitions at the top to access the Commercial Wine Competition and/or the Home Wine Competition pages. Each competition has its own volunteer form for you to complete.
Remember, the earlier you sign up, the better choices you will have.
And there are even more opportunities when it comes to wineries. Help us promote the OC Fair Wine Competition by dropping off a brochure at your favorite winery or emailing your wine clubs. Email this link to your favorite California wineries: ocws.ws/OCWineCompMessage
If you have already volunteered at some point this year, you have my heartfelt gratitude for keeping our organization humming along. Our volunteers are truly our greatest asset.
As we approach our 50th anniversary next year, I also invite you to share your memories of the organization and share your ideas on events and souvenirs to help us commemorate this milestone. Use this link to share your ideas: ocws.ws/50th
For new members, I encourage you to sign-up for the OCWS Friends Program to pair you with one of our seasoned members who can introduce you to others and show you the ropes. And if you joined after January 1, 2024, and haven’t attended a New Member Mixer, don’t forget to sign-up for the upcoming mixer on April 27.
I am truly lucky to lead this organization of over 1,000 members (one of the largest wine enthusiast groups in the nation). I look forward to seeing you at one of our future events. Please stop by and say hello. Cheers to you all!