By Fran Gitsham
For most of us the pleasure of tasting and learning about wine is enough, but for that handful of people who want more, savoring the drink is just not enough.
For the brave who venture into the corners of their kitchens, garages, backyards and even bathrooms to experiment with the process of making wine, it becomes an obsession and ultimately a goal to create a taste of heaven in a glass. Amateur winemakers, better known to the OCWS as home winemakers, toil year after year to create wines with hopes of garnering medals and accolades for their entries into the OC Fair Home Wine Competition.
In the case of a rare few who eventually become commercial winemakers, their journeys, more often than not, began with success at the OC Fair Home Wine Competition, giving them the confidence to pursue their dreams. This is the case with a very special handful of microwineries in Temecula that together are working to prove the quality of fruit and wine from the region dispels any negative myths.
They are among the limited production wineries, producing just 500 to 1,000 cases a year each who are creating small batch clean and simple handcrafted wines with no additives and minimal sulfites. Each of them now are garnering numerous Double Gold awards at the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, and just this year taking top honors as Best in Class.
Big Nose Winery, owned and operated by Roger and Janice Mattar, who to this day remain dedicated OCWS members, initially learned their trade as OCWS home winemakers and eventually went commercial, now with any number of varietals being served in their welcoming, heartwarming tasting room in the historic Temecula Hotel in Old Towne Temecula. This year, they entered 13 wines, all of which received medals, with one of their Double Gold, Jan’s Sparkling Rose, taking the highest honor as Best of Class.
Mirroring the Mattars’ enthusiasm and passion for winemaking sits both Laura and Mike Wieters of DeCoupage Cellars and Dirk and Michelle Uys (pronounced ACE) of Uys Winery who both boast about their beginnings as home winemakers and proudly display their OCWS home wine medals right alongside their OCWS commercial competition awards, including numerous Double Gold plaques. They welcome you into their homes with open arms and hearts. These are hidden gems not to be missed.
Fran Gitsham, OCWS VP, OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition Chair