Greetings to everyone on behalf of the OCWS Board of Directors. A special thanks  is extended to Jim Beard, Fran Gitsham, and Rich Skoczylas for their outstanding leadership and service over the past six years. At the Annual Installation Dinner last month, our new Board members were introduced: Leslie Hodowanec, Mel Jay, and Sara Yeoman. […]

The Orange County Wine Society starts its 2019 Winery Program in January. This annual series promotes the knowledge of winemaking, viticulture, and wine appreciation. It comprises several wine tastings to introduce our members to different wines made by award-winning wineries from some of the best wine producing regions in California. We invite the winemakers to […]

The OCWS mourns the loss of OCWS member, Paul Peal, the recipient of the 2015 President’s Award. Paul’s extraordinary volunteerism, warm and gentle demeanor, and tireless efforts spoke volumes regarding his devotion to the success of the Wine Society. Paul, a longtime member along with his wife, Janet Owen Peal, will be remembered for his […]

The OCWS Oktoberween themed Membership BBQ was held October 14 at The Courtyard under clear skies and comfortable temperatures. It was a tremendous success with over 150 members attending and over $2,000 raised for the OCWS Scholarship Fund from the Wine Wall and silent auction. This year’s event maintained our long-standing tradition of great food, […]

Every year the President has the privilege of awarding the President’s Award to people or persons who are the personification of amazing volunteers. This year, the President’s Award was presented to a couple who singlehandedly raised almost $6,000 for our scholarship fund at The Courtyard during the 2018 OC Fair by creating and running the […]

This is the last President’s article I will be writing. In accordance with our Bylaws, I am termed out of the Board after six years (two three-year terms). To be blatantly honest, I am not devastated to know that I will have more time on my hands and I can just be one hell of […]

We are looking to expand the number of people involved in running the Courtyard for 2019. If you are interested in becoming involved in scheduling, training, etc., please contact Brian McDonald at Brian@ocws.org or Fran Gitsham at Fran@ocws.org. – Fran Gitsham and Brian McDonald, Event Chairs

1931-2018 We are terribly sad to share the news that our colleague, mentor and friend, Tony Marino, passed away on Thursday, August 16, 2018. Tony was respected and appreciated across the OCWS for his wine knowledge, generosity, sense of humor, and passion. Tony will be remembered with great fondness, and as a good friend. We […]

This will be my next to last President’s article, as I will have served six years as a Director and, under our Bylaws, will be termed out at the end of September. I have tried to use this column wisely as a forum to share with all of you some of the history of the […]

The OCWS is currently seeking a volunteer to serve as Editor and Publisher of the Commercial Wine Competition Award Book. The Award Book is created every June after the Commercial Wine Competition and is maintained in Microsoft Word, published in PDF format, and uploaded onto the OCWS.org website. The Book contains both text and photos. […]