OCWS Mourns the Passing of Beloved Charley Owen
The OCWS lost long-time member, Charley Owen, who passed away recently. Charley joined the OCWS in 1979, and over the years, he helped shape the Wine Society that we know today. It is probably impossible to document everything Charley did that benefited the OCWS. He was President and Vice President during numerous years: President—1987, 1997 […]
President’s Message
We’ve done it! We completed the 2021 OC Fair, and we did outstanding with our Wine Courtyard. Thanks to all of you who volunteered and spent time (and money!) at The Courtyard. Our results have been more than we ever could have hoped for, since we did not even know if we would have the […]
Fire & Smoke Impacts on California Vineyards—Is there a Brighter Side?
Here in California, we have wonderful weather and fabulous wine grapes. But as with any good, we also get the bad. We have to deal with earthquakes and lots of fires! In this article, I’ll discuss the fire and smoke impacts on wineries, vineyards, and ultimately our wines. So far this year, the major wine […]
Summer Wine Tasting (Part 2). . . Finally!
Manuela and I continued our trip north leaving behind Paso Robles and Santa Rosa. Our ultimate destination – Point Arena, Mendocino County. Okay, you probably never heard of it; it’s a very small town, and there are no nearby wineries, but we had a great stay at an extremely cozy timeshare resort tucked in among […]
The Courtyard at the OC Fair Returns in Style as Only the OCWS Can Do!
Just a few months ago no one knew what we would, if anything, be able to do at the Fair this year, and we had very little direction as to what COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines we would need to follow until just a few weeks before opening. Now that the 2021 Courtyard at the OC […]
OCWS History—Stories of our Vintage Members
As part of our ongoing series, we are featuring the biographies of our “Vintage Members.” Join me in this journey back through time with the stories of our amazing members who helped build the organization. This month, we feature a couple who have been instrumental in many of the OCWS events like the Commercial Competition […]
President’s Message
We are finally back and in the middle of the 2021 OC Fair! Can I hear a big YAY from the peanut gallery? It’s been a long two years, and although the Fair isn’t back to full capacity, we are hoping for a strong showing at The Courtyard. In addition to being the major annual […]
OCWS’s Best Kept Secret . . .
But Not Any Longer! Why are we all members of the OCWS? For me, it’s for friendship and the love of wine. But, if you’re like me, after tasting thousands of wines over the years, I am still baffled about what to look for to buy at any given time. For some reason, our best […]
Summer Wine Tasting . . . Finally!
After a year and a half of not doing a lot, my wife, Manuela, and I got on the road for a 12-day road trip along the California coastline spending time in various favored and small-scale wine spots, and at just flat out beautiful locations that make California the place to be. Before reaching our […]
The OC Fair is Coming to an End, Time to Tear Down The Courtyard
It’s not just about the set up team making The Courtyard the place to be during the Fair and “Time For Fun.” Volunteers are needed to tear down The Courtyard the day after the Fair concludes from 9 am to 3 pm on Monday, August 16. Reversing the set up, decorations will be taken down, […]