One Month Closer!

  You must be RBS certified before signing up to volunteer AT the Courtyard. Here’s how:

 Before we know it, the OC Fair will be upon us again. The largest OCWS fundraising effort of the year will be taking place for a total of 23 days, Wednesdays through Sundays, July 19 through August 18.

Volunteering at The Courtyard is a unique and fun experience. Beginning next month, you will be seeing information about signing up for shifts but, in the meantime, it is important to know that all Courtyard volunteers handling wine in any capacity are required to be RBS (Responsible Beverage Server) certified through the ABC (Alcohol Beverage Commission) pursuant to fair requirements.

It is highly recommended that you obtain certification sooner than later in order to sign up for Courtyard shifts when available. If you received your RBS certification within the last two years, then your certifications are still in good standing for this year. Certifications are valid for three years.

How do I get started? Check out our tips below!

EMAIL US

Please send an email to RBS team members Sue England and Linda Flemins at RBS@ocws.org, letting them know you need to be RBS certified this year.

3-STEP PROCESS

Instructions will be sent to you when you register. 1. Create an RBS account with Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). 2. Take a course with the RBS course provider that the OCWS has selected. 3. Take a final quiz with ABC online and obtain the RBS certificate, which is valid for three years.

ONLINE CLASS

Once you have sent your request for certification you will receive an email from #1 Premiere with your username and password and a link to the online course. You may take the class one chapter at a time or all at once. The online course is followed by an online exam with ABC. Once you are RBS certified you are ready to serve at the OC Fair

PLEASE NOTE

Each OCWS member will need a valid individual email address that will be used to set up your account. Your own individual email address will be your username for the online system.

Thank you so much for your volunteer efforts! You are what makes the OCWS the great success it is.

With a new year upon us, preparations for the largest OCWS fundraising event of the year are already under way. Mark your calendars now for the Courtyard at the 2024 OC Fair, which runs from July 19 through Aug. 18. With a commitment of only four shifts, you receive a pass which affords you access to the fair any day, without restrictions, and a parking pass.

We are looking for new managers, cashiers and stewards. Many members have expressed an interest in volunteering for a new position and, if you are one of these, we would like to hear from you now. Previous experience is helpful, but training will be provided.

If you are interested in one of these positions, please contact Rich Skoczylas at Rich@ocws.org.

Keep an eye out for future articles in The Wine Press that will provide more information about required RBS (Responsible Beverage Server) certification, training for Courtyard positions, benefits, schedules and when sign-ups for the Courtyard will open.

This year’s fair theme is “Always a Good Time.” Ask any Courtyard volunteer and they will tell you that’s exactly what happens when you work a shift and help people learn more about OCWS.

It’s the hands of many that make the Courtyard a success year after year and we need YOU!

It was worth scrubbing, lifting, sweeping, stringing, hanging, moving around, setting up and tearing down to prepare for our largest OCWS scholarship-generating event at the OC Fair! The Setup and Teardown Crew was composed of 73 volunteers over 4 1/2 days for a total of 438 volunteer hours.

Thank you so much to our team for volunteering trucks and transportation, climbing up the ladders, crawling underneath spaces and setting up lunches and for all your extra talents. Now, The Courtyard has little wall space left to use. There are always minor glitches and it’s an obstacle course driving across the fairground to the containers the morning after. Plus, your ideas this year increased efficiency and The Courtyard Crew is already taking notes for setting up for the 2024 OC Fair.

—Leslie Hodowanec, 2023 Courtyard Coordinator

It seems like the five weeks at the Orange County Fair flew by.  Leslie Hodowanec waived her magic wand and the set-up crew started right after July 4^th. By Friday July 14, it looked like Cinderella’s carriage.

The wine started to flow at The Courtyard opening and the volunteers kept pouring until the clock struck 10 p.m. on Aug. 13. By the next day, The Courtyard was returned to the loveable pumpkin.

The final accounting is not yet completed, but the summer of 2023 came to be another very successful year by any measure. One metric that takes the forefront is new memberships.

Patrons see OCWS members having a great time at The Courtyard and want to get in on the fun. The new member bell rang 144 times during the fair for 108 dual and 36 single memberships for a total of 252 new Orange County Wine Society members!

The Courtyard is our largest fundraiser of the year and cannot be successful without volunteers. This summer 235 members volunteered and worked a total of 1,440 shifts. Together they filled over 30,000 8-ounce cups!

Liz and Lloyd Corbett worked each Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Featured Winery Bar and added over $16,000 to the Scholarship Fund. The donation jars brought in an additional $17,000. This should be celebrated with Sparkling Splits, of which we sold 3,645.

Bill Redding and Kevin Coy kept the cellar full. We sold 1,906 of Cuvee Coy house wines. Sara Yeoman and Ed Reyes headed up the very popular Saturday and Sunday wine seminars.

Thank you to each member who volunteered during the run of the Happy Together year at the fair. Giving new meaning to, “will work for wine,” members used 3,654 wine tickets!

I want to give a special note to Courtney, who worked 32 shifts; Kevin Lite, who worked 28; Kelly Haggard, who worked 20; and Kevin Coy, who worked 20.

I want to express my gratitude to Co-Chair Fran Gitsham. Fran brings an extraordinary amount of institutional knowledge and worked tirelessly to coordinate with the fair and keep all the pieces in place from the planning through the operation of The Courtyard.

See you at The Courtyard next summer!

—Fred Heinecke, OCWS Director

More than a dozen wineries will spend a few hours every weekend at the upcoming fair to showcase their handiwork.

From Sacramento to right here in our backyard in Orange County and everywhere in between, The Courtyard’s Featured Winery program gives fairgoers and OCWS members the opportunity to taste some of the best wines California has to offer on top of all the other choices available.

For the past six years, nearly 100 wineries across California have been invited to the fair and pour their wine. OCWS members Lloyd and Liz Corbett have spearheaded the effort in hopes of getting wineries – especially some of the smaller ones – more exposure.

The program runs from 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the fair and kicks off Friday, July 14 with Orange County’s own Vinos Unidos.

Cheers to our crew and the entire Courtyard Committee!

The first morning of the OC Fair we passed our inspections for the 2023 Courtyard. Taking three and a half days to set up, our amazing crew hope you enjoy our new signs, decorations and ideas.

We are already making plans for the 2024 Courtyard at the OC Fair and sincerely appreciate your ideas.

Now, we will be tearing it all down and everything will be stored away until next year.  Last year, we completed teardown in less than one day and we can use your help this year.  The teardown crew will meet 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in The Courtyard. If you are available, please sign up with me so I can plan for our lunch. Fell free to shoot me an email at Les@ocws.org.

Further details will be provided soon.

—Leslie Hodowanec, Courtyard Teardown Coordinator

When the waft of funnel cakes hits your nose, the music lineups are all set and you see the giant Ferris wheel off the 55 Freeway, you know it’s time for the OC Fair.

An integral part of the fair is The Courtyard, where attendees get an experience they can’t quite find anywhere else – sampling an array of wines from across California all in one place.

Eighteen devoted OCWS members sit on a committee that gets The Courtyard’s wheels in motion months in advance of the fair.

“It takes an immense amount of planning, from the training to lining up volunteers to work the fair,” said Fred Heinecke, OCWS Director and Courtyard Chair. “Once it’s here, it’s like coming home and I enjoy getting to see all the excitement among the members.”

There are about 250 volunteers needed to work more than 1,200 shifts over 23 days, Wednesday through Sunday. Whether it’s being a server, cashier, steward or manager, each position is critical to The Courtyard’s success. The busiest times are usually on the weekend and depends on who is performing at the Pacific Amphitheatre and The Hangar.

Besides getting a fleet of volunteers to work behind the counter, one of the other biggest undertakings is having enough wine for the entire fair run. About 60 cases of wine and 40 cases of champagne splits are purchased every week to meet the demand, said Cellarmaster Bill Redding.

But for all that hard work during a three- or four-hour shift, volunteers are aptly rewarded. They receive a badge that allows free entry and parking during the fair and those highly valued drink tickets that get them a full pour, split or tasting of award-winning wines. That doesn’t even include the possibility of attending a wine-oriented seminar or brushing elbows with winemakers as part of the Featured Winery program every weekend.

If this is your first time volunteering at the fair or it’s been some time since you have, here are wise words from a few of our veterans:

Cashiers – Don’t leave your register unattended and if you have to step away; make sure a manager or assistant manager can fill in for you. Be accurate with your handling of money and encourage patience. And maybe best of all, you get to sit during your shift.

“Cashiers are the ringmasters of the courtyard,” said Cheryl Knapp. “They are the ones who keep the wine bar running smoothly by keeping track of which servers are next to be rung up, training servers how to relay sales to the cashier and to know when to call a manager.”

Servers – Make sure customers have wristbands. Look at what is available to pour before your shift starts. When all else fails, ask a manager.

“This is the main opportunity to share what OCWS is and how we’re different from other concessions at the fair,” said Marcy Ott. “Have a great attitude and a willingness to learn.”

Stewards – Make sure each station is stocked with wine and replace award-winning wines with the same varietal. The wine fridge also needs to be filled so volunteers don’t run out during a rush. Communication is key between servers and stewards to ensure that things run efficiently.

“My best advice is work with an experienced steward; that way they can help you when you need it,” said steward extraordinaire Kevin Lite. “Ask questions and enjoy yourself. Remember, we are a society and working together is fun.”

Managers – Ensure full staff is there for your shift. Check with the outgoing manager to see what duties still need to be done. Pass out those drink tickets to volunteers or you may have a mutiny on your hands.

“I enjoy the opening morning shift as it gives me time to discuss with volunteers any changes or updates in The Courtyard,” said Maia Pehrson. “The benefit of the weekend shift is you get an opportunity to talk to the volunteers and get to know them.”

It’s time to charge up and bring your power drills and step stools!  Over three days—July 5, 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., we will be transforming The Courtyard into a favorite location at the OC Fair.

The Courtyard is a place our dedicated members are very fond of all year long for so many years and for so many reasons. Our work keeps The Courtyard ready for upcoming OCWS events after the fair ends.

You can be a part of our amazing setup crew and don’t need to be a server or RBS certified to help. Plus, we will be providing snacks and lunch every day.

If you are available on any or all three days, contact me so I can plan for lunches and parking, or if you have any questions at Les@ocws.org. Thank you, crew!

—Leslie Hodowanec, Courtyard Setup/Tear Down Coordinator and Scholarship Chair