Wendy Taylor

Competitive Spirits

Who could have imagined that a small band of 16 like-minded, wine-loving people getting together 48 years ago could grow the largest competition of California-only wines in the world?

From that handful of passionate people and one small table at the very first competition, which had a whopping three varietals to be judged with a total of 49 entries, the OCWS continues to elevate the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, which now finds entries of upwards of 2,500 California commercial wines each year being judged by a distinguished panel of nearly 100 renowned California winemakers and winery principals.

One can only further envision just what it takes to successfully pull off the competition year after year. The event is overseen by the Commercial Competition Committee, which is comprised of a number of people from the chairperson, who heads the rest of the committee, to the cataloging coordinators who catalog and handle upwards of 15,000 bottles of wine. There is the director of judges, who coordinates all the judges and their activities and the facilities coordinator, who handles the hotel arrangements, room bookings and meals. There is also a judges’ liaison, the judges’ scoring coordinator, the data entry supervisory and the volunteer coordinators and the bagging, moving and sorting coordinators.

And, lest we forget, the more than 300 OCWS volunteers working each year doing all other jobs to make the competition more successful than the one before.

The competition itself isn’t, technically, complete until the results have been tabulated, medals awarded, remaining duplicate bottles sorted and photographed for publication and posted on our results website, winecompetition.com, and put to bed for further sorting for various purposes, such as pouring to the public at The Courtyard at the OC Fair and the annual Wine Auction.  And then, after just two months of taking deep breaths after the competition is completed, it all begins again in preparation for the next one.

If I have not provided enough information yet to have your heads spinning, I could continue to bore you with more statistics, positions and lists of people who, out of their passion for the OCWS, and the goodness of their hearts, take on all manners of positions.

This is truly just the beginning wherein you hear about volunteers running this organization. It is the hearts and minds of the OCWS members who bring everything we do to fruition in an amazingly competent and successful way.  All that can truly be said at the end of the day is that there is no organization, nor group of dedicated volunteers, anywhere that can rival the Orange County Wine Society!

Fran Gitsham, Chair, 2024 Commercial Wine Competition

April 25, 2024
By
Commercial Competition, Members Corner
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President’s Message

This month I am reminded about how much we have to celebrate as an organization.  With over 1,000 members, we are one of the largest groups of wine enthusiasts in the nation.  And with 48 years of history, we have seen so much change and growth in the wine industry, especially in California.

In 1976, the same year OCWS was founded, the Judgement of Paris catapulted California into the vino stratosphere with a majority of the winners coming from familiar California wineries, rather than their French counterparts. You might recognize some of the wineries: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Ridge Vineyards, Heitz Wine Cellars, Clos Du Val Winery, Maycamas Vineyards, Freemark Abbey Winery, Chateau Montelena, Chalone Vineyard, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Veedercrest Vineyards and David Bruce Winery. May 24 is the anniversary of that famous showdown.

California has a long tradition of exceptional wine-making that is reflected in the winners at the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, which our organization has hosted for 48 years. The founding of our organization coincides with an explosion of wineries throughout the state.  Starting with only a few categories in the 1970s, the competition has grown to dozens of new wine categories for both varietals and blends and thousands of entries.

Wine is a very universal language and is almost always associated with celebration. Here are a few dates that you can use this month to celebrate:

  • May 3 – International Sauvignon Blanc Day
  • May 9 – World Moscato Day
  • May 23 – International Chardonnay Day
  • May 25 – National Wine Day

But honestly, do we really need a designated day to celebrate?  We, as an organization, celebrate throughout the year with dozens of events and activities that pair wine education and fun!

I personally would like to toast many of you who put in hours of volunteering to make this these events and this organization such a huge success. From the board of directors, to committee members and event volunteers, we literally have hundreds of people helping make this organization what it is today. In April alone, we had over 11 events and hundreds of attendees and volunteers …  and we are just moving into our busy season.

If you are new to the organization and haven’t volunteered at one of our events yet, I highly recommend it. Each of our events provides a number of volunteer opportunities that include a whole range of activities, from more sedentary jobs on the computer or with paperwork to very active jobs lifting wine, setting up tables and more. I cannot think of any other organization that provides so many interesting opportunities for everyone to participate at some level.  And we do it all while increasing our knowledge of wine and having a ball. Don’t miss your opportunity to work directly with winemakers at the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions (in June) or with the general public at The Courtyard at the OC Fair (in July and August). If you are interested in helping organize our amazing events, committees are often looking for new members to train.

So whatever day you wish to celebrate this May, raise a glass to the remarkable wines of California and the accomplishments of this incredible organization. We are living proof that you can pair knowledge and fun any day. Cheers to you all!

By Carolyn Christian

April 25, 2024
By
Members Corner
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Chef of the Evening

Based on his last name, you can tell Chris Ouellette is French. This recipe comes from a long line of Ouellettes back in New Hampshire and even Quebec (yes, the French part). It was a favorite of Chris’ dad. Feel free to use your favorite Burgundy, though Chris prefers a Petite Sirah.

“My dad says, ‘This is better made a day before, refrigerated and reheated gently,’” Chris says. “I feel it’s mandatory.”

If necessary, add more wine to thin the sauce while reheating or, if you prefer it thicker, that is what the potato starch is for. Finally, this is cooking (not baking). All measurements are merely guidelines. Chris advises: try it, tweak it and make it your own.

Boeuf Bourguignon
Ingredients
3 lbs. boneless beef chuck
1 stick butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. brandy
1 medium onion (yellow or red)
chopped to 1/2” pieces
2 lbs. fresh crimini mushrooms
chopped in quarters
2 1/2 Tbsp. potato starch
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cubes beef boullion
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups Burgundy
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup ruby port
1 10 1/2 oz. can condensed beef
broth, undiluted
3 bay leaves
Parsley

Instructions
WIPE beef with paper towels.
With sharp knife, cut into 1” cubes.
SLOWLY heat 5-quart dutch oven
with light fitting lid.
ADD in 2 Tbsp. of hot butter. Over
high heat, brown beef well all
over—do about 1/4 at a time, enough
to cover bottom of dutch oven so all
cubes cook evenly.
TURN beef with tongs. Lift out as
it browns. Continue until all of the
beef is browned, adding more butter
as needed (takes about 1/2 hour).
Once done, return all cubes to the
dutch oven.
HEAT 2 Tbsp. brandy in small
saucepan just until vapor rises.
IGNITE and pour over beef (this
part is optional and I usually skip
after nearly burning my house down
… twice). As the flame dies (if
you’re brave enough to have ignited
it), remove beef cubes to another pan
and set aside.
ADD 2 Tbsp. butter to dutch oven at
medium heat.
ADD onions and cook over medium
heat, covered, until onions brown
slightly, stirring occasionally.
ADD mushrooms and cook, again
stirring occasionally, roughly 5 minutes
or enough time to fully sweat
the onion/mushroom combo.
REMOVE onions and mushrooms
with slotted spoon to a separate
bowl, leaving the “juice” behind.
REMOVE dutch oven from heat.
STIR in tomato paste, red wine,
sherry, port, boullion cubes
and beef broth using a wooden
spoon or whisk.
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.
BRING wine mixture in dutch oven
just to boiling then lower heat to
low. While stirring, add beef, pepper,
bay leaf, onions, mushrooms and
remaining brandy; mix well.
PLACE a large sheet of waxed paper
over top of dutch oven; place lid
on top of paper.
BAKE covered, stirring occasionally.
COOK 2 hours or until beef is tender
when pierced with a fork.
SPRINKLE with parsley and let
cool a while (usually an hour for me)
then put in the refrigerator overnight.

April 25, 2024
By
Recipes
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OCWS Scholarship Program: Spotlight: Napa Valley College

OCWS funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities including Napa Valley College. Napa Valley College has two locations, one in Napa and a second upper campus in St. Helena. As a community college, they offer the standard two-year associates degree and a one-year wine production certificate. Their Viticulture and Winery Technology (VWT) program is one of the largest in the country with an annual enrollment of 800 to 1,000 students, a five-acre vineyard and a commercial winery.

The certificates in viticulture and winery technology consist of production-oriented courses in viticulture and winemaking. Many of the students at Napa Valley actively work in the wine industry while taking classes. This month students in the wine program are getting ready to bottle their 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. All the wine produced is made from grapes grown on their five-acre vineyard located on the Napa Valley College campus. They produce between 500 and 700 cases annually. You can even join their wine club featuring student-made wines.

Next month we will be highlighting another one of the colleges/universities supported by the OCWS scholarship fund. Just a friendly reminder there is always time to donate to the OCWS Scholarship Fund for 2024.  There are two ways to donate:

  1. Mail a check – Make your check out to OCWS and mail it to the OCWS office at OCWS O. Box 11059  Costa Mesa, CA 92627  Attn: Scholarship Fund  A donation letter will be sent to you.
  2. Donate Online – Logon to your account at ocws.org and go to the scholarship donation page: ocws.org/product/scholarship-donations/

You can make your donation online and print a receipt for tax purposes at the same time.

—Damian Christian, Scholarship Chair

April 25, 2024
By
Scholarship News
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When and Where Did it all Begin?

Before Thomas Jefferson planted 24 European varietals at Monticello in 1807; before the first American commercial winery was founded by John Dufour in Kentucky in 1799; and before the American Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the Franciscan Friars in 1769 planted California’s first vitis vinifera grapes at Mission San Diego de Alcala.

And in 1771 they planted the same varietal that was to become known as the Mission grape at Mission San Gabriel Arcangel. Centuries later the Mission grape, through DNA testing, would be identified as Listan Prieto, a red grape from the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha. But that’s a topic for another time.

By the mid 1860s, as the Civil War ended and German, Italian and French immigrants moved from the East Coast to San Diego, bringing vines and viticulture with them. The San Diego area wine industry grew for the next 50-plus years. However, a combination of events, which included the great flood of January 1916 caused by two weeks of rain from an El Nino storm, prohibition and Word War II, overwhelmed San Diego’s wine industry.

The recovery of San Diego’s wine production was marked by the creation of the San Pasqual Valley AVA in September 1981 as the fourth AVA established after Augusta, Missouri (June 1980), Napa Valley (January 1981) and Santa Maria Valley (August 1981). The San Pasqual Valley AVA has a total area of 9,000 acres along the banks of the San Dieguito River near Escondido with a Mediterranean climate conducive to growing Grenache, Merlot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier.

In December 2005, San Diego was approved for a second AVA in Ramona Valley. Surrounding the town of Ramona, this AVA added 89,000 acres to San Diego County’s viticulture lands. And there are now more than 115 wineries in the county. So whenever or wherever it began, if you have the wine enjoy it!

—CL Keedy, Wine Education Committee

April 25, 2024
By
Education, Wine Education
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All Lots Sold at this Year’s Event

Once again, I have had the honor of leading an amazing team of volunteers who put together another fun and profitable Wine Auction.

The event was a HUGE success this year, with no wine lots going unsold (a first for this event that anyone can remember), and the addition of artwork and winery/dining experiences as part of the auction.

We don’t have the final numbers but we grossed over 10 percent more revenue than projected.

Many thanks to our donors:

  • Booker Vineyard & Winery
  • Capital Grille
  • Carolyn and Damian Christian
  • Carruth Cellars
  • Denner Vineyards
  • Dr. Trista Shelton
  • Dutcher Crossing Winery
  • Emercy Winery
  • Fran Gitsham
  • Kendall-Jackson Winery
  • Marjorie Trout
  • Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards
  • Orange Coast Winery
  • Parrish Vineyards
  • Seasons 52
  • Sue England
  • Wendy Taylor

Hundreds of volunteer hours went into the preparation of our second largest fundraiser of the year.  I would like to recognize a host of people who made the event a great success.

A BIG thank you to the Wine Auction Committee (I affectionally call the Wine Auction Warriors) for the amazing job they did this year:

  • Adrienne Amico – Special Auction
  • Dino Amico – Wine Ops – Load Out
  • Chris Bruce – Data Entry
  • Hank Bruce – Wine Ops – Warehouse
  • Damian Christian – Wine Ops –

Auction Floor and Workers

  • Kevin Coy – Advisor
  • Sue England – Volunteers
  • Ellen Flynn – Check-in
  • Fran Gitsham – Verbal Auction
  • Scott Green – Computers
  • Cathy Painter – Event Food and Wine
  • Lee Painter – Wine Ops – Verification
  • Rochelle Randel – Check-in
  • Bill Redding – Advisor
  • Janet Riordan – Check-out
  • Tricia Shelton – Check-out
  • Daniel Vlahovic – Wine Ops –

Verification

A special thank you to Bill Redding and his dedicated team who catalogued and prepared the wines prior to the event.

And to Kevin Coy for overseeing the crew to move over 4,000 bottles of wine from the cellar to the auction floor.

Hats off to our top 10 spenders for their generous bids that made this event successful.

  • Kathy & William Schymick
  • Stephen Martinez
  • Eberhard & Mary Anne Neutz
  • Sandi & Danny Jones
  • Gloria Franklin
  • Dewey & Diana Davide
  • Julie Good
  • Ed Reyes & Debbie Renne
  • Mike & Cathy MacKenzie
  • Robert Maloney & Joey DeLeon

And finally, many thanks to the nearly 200 attendees who patiently waited while we dealt with printer and register issues to get the final invoicing out. Despite these small challenges, the event was a great success!

April 25, 2024
By
Auction
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Volunteers Needed for Annual Event

We are headed toward the 48th Commercial Competition June 1-2 and signups are ready now. Boy this year has gone by fast!

We understand that these are changing times and conditions; please be flexible and we can work together to make this another fun event. There are many areas where volunteer help is needed, stewarding, glass washing and drying. Continuing the efficiency, the computer input will be assigned.

A sign-up form is included on the website— ocws.org/2024-commercial-competition- volunteers/—that identifies stewarding days, two bagging nights and other work parties with times and dates. In order to qualify for stewarding, we need you to sign up for two additional work parties. We can offer bagging and moving of wine to and from the competition site, including sorting. We also will be assigning the ribbon mailing crew.

We definitely need your support for our work parties in order to run a successful competition. The good news is that we will have hired help for heavy lifting. No training is necessary as newer members will be teamed with competition veterans.

A quick check—if you volunteer to steward, it involves carrying trays of glasses. It’s physical and can get tiring. Along with stewarding, you need to be prepared to assist your steward captain by opening wine bottles, preparing glasses for tags, cleaning up the judges’ tables as needed and listening to your steward captain for direction. It’s really all about teamwork for this to be successful.

If you have any questions, please feel free to phone me at (562) 822-3382 or email strompharms@earthlink.net.

We look forward to your participation in this very important event.

—Robyn Strom,
OCWS Volunteer Coordinator

April 25, 2024
By
Commercial Competition
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In Our Backyard – Vinos Unidos

United in Wine

Making quality wine that the public enjoys is obviously one of – if not the main priority for a commercial winemaker.

But for some, like Vinos Unidos co-founder Bob Jauregui, giving back to the community and embracing the twists and turns of the journey can be as equally rewarding.

It also doesn’t hurt to get your grapes from the most prestigious and recognizable wine regions in the United States.

“Napa by itself is a brand,” Jauregui said. “It’s a door opener.”

The former assistant high school principal best described his venture into the winemaking world seven years ago as an accident and clearly a blessing. His connections were straight from some of Napa’s elite wineries – Opus One, Caymus – and Artesa Cellarmaster Gerry Martinez shared the same passion that eventually led them to co-found Vinos Unidos.

“Gerry knew the process and saw other people do it,” Jauregui said. “We made as many connections as we could and asked them what to do, what they would do different and how to market the wines. We knew we had an inside track to a lot of good fruit.”

Their first venture was a 2018 Atlas Peak rose. The wine was entered into a rose-only competition at a steakhouse in Irvine and it took the top prize. Jauregui knew then that it just wasn’t family and friends who liked their wine.

Although all of the grapes are sourced from Napa and Sonoma, Vinos Unidos – United Wines – is based in Mission Viejo. The name “evokes sitting down with people, sharing stories with one another over a glass of wine,” Jauregui said.

The label also is a touching and sentimental feature. Two friends have an arm around one another as if they are on a walk or sharing a special moment.

The people who drink Vinos Unidos wines are “on a journey with us,” Jauregui humbly notes. While the winery is still relatively small, word of mouth or as Jauregui puts it “liquid to lips” is helping Vinos Unidos grow. He credits family and friends for helping the winery stay afloat during the pandemic.

Gerry Martinez (left) and Bob Jauregui have been making wine since 2018

A big part of the winery’s identity is through the owners’ Hispanic heritage. Both Bob and Gerry’s fathers were from Jalisco, Mexico, and Gerry’s dad worked the vineyards in Napa after the family moved there. Bob says they have been inspired by Hispanic-run wineries like Ceja and Maldonado vineyards, both located in the Napa Valley, which infuse their culture and knowledge into their wines.

“I think we are starting to get some traction,” Jauregui said. “We know the winemaking side very well.”

Bob and Gerry also recognized the importance of supporting the community. They often pour their wines at corporate events, fundraisers, holiday parties and other festive celebrations. They have given donations for a scholarship to three colleges for students majoring in enology, viticulture and culinary arts. Last year, they donated wine, their time or wine tasting certificates to 19 different charity and nonprofit events.

“We are paying it forward and seeing what happens,” he said. “We try to get out there and support different organizations.”

You can say it’s the best of both worlds for Vinos Unidos. They get their fruit from Napa and Sonoma and call home to one of the largest wine markets – Orange County – in the nation.

Jauregui said they recently finished bottling six wines – two roses, two Pinot Noirs, a Sauvignon Blanc and a red blend. The goal is to produce about 2,500 cases and still remain a small winery with ardent supporters.

Their wine club has some unique features: they offer barrel tastings to members so they get to see how the wine evolves over time. There are quarterly tastings, a behind-the-cellar tour and lessons about the history and science of wine.

If the results from the competitions the winery enters are any indication, the good fortune will continue for Bob and Gerry. Each wine in their portfolio has won a medal.

“We want to be a winery that people know and love and look forward to tasting what we make,” Jauregui said. “It’s about having a following where you really get to connect with people.”

March 22, 2024
By
Featured Wineries
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President’s Message

By Carolyn Christian

Spring is finally here and April kicks off our busy season as we host our flagship events. This year we have a particularly busy April, with 10 events to choose from this month alone.

Make sure you read our newsletter and website and review the weekly reminders for details on all the diverse events coming up in the next few months so you don’t miss out!

New starting this month

  • Membership Information Verification: You will be receiving an email from us with the information listed in our membership database. Please take a moment to check that the information is correct (your email, name and co-member name, address, join date, whether you are interested in home wine activities, etc. Feel free to reach out to Rochelle or Lynda in the office if you have difficulty updating your profile information.
  • New Member Badges: The OCWS is rolling out a new member badge—same logo and look but with the addition of the year you joined. This is part of our effort to showcase and recognize our members and the number of years they have dedicated to our organization.

Thank you to our volunteers!

This organization is run by our volunteers. Each year hundreds of you participate on committees and at events. It warms my heart to see so many people take interest in the well-being of our organization, which is now in its 48th year! This month, I would like to highlight just a few of those who dedicate their time to running this organization.

First, the Spring Social Committee, chaired by Alice Polser and Betty Jo Newell, is putting together a fun-filled day of food and wine April 6 featuring the incredible cooking of our own Cooks’ Caucus. The Wine Auction team has also been hard at work putting together an amazing event. You will be able to see the fruits of their labor April 20.

Fran Gitsham is heading up the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition June 1-2 again this year. This event is run by a group of dedicated individuals who work year-round to put on one of our flagship events. Kevin Donnelly is heading up the OC Fair Home Wine Competition June 8, run by another group of volunteers who make another one of our flagship events a huge success.

Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham are co-chairing this year’s Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair July 19 to Aug. 18, supported by another team of amazing volunteers.

Hats off to Ed Reyes for heading up the Winemakers Group and a whole series of events to help those interested in learning how to make wine.

And finally, a big shout out to Greg and Cathy Risling – for putting together this amazing newsletter and organizing some great outings at local wineries.

Thank you to all who volunteer for OCWS and make it such an amazing organization!

Future Volunteer Opportunities

All our events require volunteers to keep them running smoothly. If you haven’t already signed up, I highly recommend volunteering for the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions in June and the Wine Courtyard in July and August. These are volunteer opportunities that you can’t find anywhere else. All involve a variety of volunteer positions and provide you with a unique opportunity to meet winemakers and try new wines.

In addition, we invite you to become ambassadors for OCWS and spread the word to all your favorite California wineries about the 2024 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition. You should have already received an email with four ways you can help get the word out by forwarding our email announcement, taking a copy of the brochure to wineries when you visit them, volunteering to call wineries about entering and tagging us on social media when you visit your favorite wineries or open a bottle of their wine. For more details, about becoming an Ambassador.

I look forward to seeing you all at our many upcoming events! Cheers and Happy Spring!

March 22, 2024
By
President's Message
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