Category: Members Corner

Described as the perfect prescription for Port lovers since 1979, Prager Ports Works in Napa has been family owned and operated for three generations. Of the third generation, John Prager, along with six siblings, comes from a legacy of not only fine port purveyors, but long-time supporters of the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition.  John’s father, James Prager, was one of the original judges of the competition for 25 years and John, now following in his father’s footsteps, has been one of our judges for, what will be this year, 15 years. Recently I had an opportunity to chat with John about Prager Port Works, the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the current condition of the wine industry as a whole.

When asked about what he would tell wineries about entering the commercial competition, John was quick to say “Enter your wines, Californians. Enter it. It is inexpensive, as the cost to enter is just 6 bottles of wine. It’s one of the oldest competitions in the state judging your wines. Before Spectator and all the others, they were the original. Come on in. You won’t regret it.”

Reminding John that this year is our 50^th Anniversary, he emphatically reassured me that he has all intentions of continuing to judge the most prestigious competition of California wines by saying, “I love that the competition keeps making changes as needed and looks to the judges for advice and input. There are nice changes in the tasting and things are always run professionally and kept current.”

When asked what the best aspects of the wine business are for him, he laughingly shared that “It’s not a bad lifestyle to make alcohol and pair food with it and make a living at it. That’s fun in itself.  People just love the camaraderie, and I get to meet people from all over the world. I never get tired of it.  After 46 years, it’s always interesting and everything comes easier today because I’ve been doing it for such a long time. As long as my dad was doing it. It’s what I know.”

And, lastly, when talking about the current state of the wine industry, John said, “It’s certainly changed over the years and it’s not particularly easy these days. Today’s industry environment is somewhat of a waiting game.  We’re trying to get more noticed on mass media, which seems to be the direction we need to go.  It’s really difficult to know what direction to go these days. There are definitely different challenges in the industry today like us needing to attract new white wine drinkers and, somehow, making wine more approachable.”

Having been to Prager Port Works any number of times over the past 25 years, I can tell you from personal experience, that there is no more approachable winery than Prager nor finer ports to be found anywhere.  With walls covered in currency from around the world stapled on by visitors, along with ribbons and plaques attesting to the caliber of their award-winning wines, and only family tending the business, the Prager tasting room, tucked away along Hwy. 128 near St. Helena in Napa is a welcoming warm hug and one not to missed.

—Fran Gitsham

By Fred Heinecke

What a great start we had to the 50-year jubilee at the sold-out Orange County Mining Company Champagne brunch. Bubbly is the finest way to celebrate the many years of friendship, wine and fun the Orange County Wine Society represents.

Hats off to Rochelle Randel for making the event a true success.

The 50^th Anniversary Committee Chair, Carolyn Christian, came across a budget from 1978 that harkens to the very beginnings of the OCWS. It makes me look at the 2025 expenditures and see the head-spinning difference in the current OCWS and the world today. In 1978 there were nine line-items in the budget, with total expenditures of $3,100.

It’s a little difficult to wrap your head around, but the largest 1978 expense was the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition at $2,000.  Fast forward to 2025 and multiply by 100, the Commercial Wine Competition expense was right at $192,000. I’m just going out on a limb, but I expect the 48-year-old version didn’t run three days at the Costa Mesa Hilton with almost 100 judges and 100’s of volunteers with 2,500 entries. The total income for the OCWS in 1978 was $5,750, in 2025 it was $680,103 with expenses of $663,476.

This was a long walk, but it brings me to the main point I want to make that I’m sure every member has noted. Over the years the cost of almost everything has skyrocketed. The OCWS Board of Directors and committee chairs and volunteers work to make our events fun and accessible and revenue neutral. Meaning that we try to keep the event costs reasonable without reaching into reserve funds.

It has been a standing board policy to require events to pay for themselves; that is, have the income equal to the expenses. As hotels, restaurants, vendors, and entertainers have increased their prices (the local CPI is up 24.7% since Nov, 2019), the costs that OCWS must pass on have gone up accordingly. We think the OCWS sponsored events are a great value when you consider that most come with wine or no corkage, tips included and are simply great fun!

Upcoming fun-filled wine tastings (noted here in the Wine Press) include free Varietal Hours; Winery Programs with Trentadue & Miro, Macchia, and Dry Creek; and the Spring Social along with fun opportunities to volunteer at the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions and The Courtyard. I hope to see everyone there with a glass of their favorite!

On another note-the OC Fair moving plans changed since the January edition of the Wine Press. We should, by now, be in the new location, but with our portable office trailer located next to the Ranch Building (Building 33). Rochelle Randel and Lynda Edwards will continue to work in the existing office and Teri Lane and the cataloging crew will be in the new building.

Cheers!

Fred Heinecke, President

We are very excited to announce that scholarship donations from late December 2025 have increased our 2026 scholarship allocations total to $50,375.  This additional amount brings our donation total for 2026 to over $1,008,795 since 1981. This continues the OCWS’s long-standing commitment to education and the future of the wine industry by awarding the $50,375 in scholarships to eight outstanding educational institutions across California.

2026 OCWS Scholarship Allocations

Help Us Keep the Momentum Going

You can support the OCWS Scholarship Fund at any time of the year and be part of shaping the next generation of wine and culinary arts professionals.

Two easy ways to donate:

1. By Mail – Mail your check to:
   OCWS
   P.O. Box 11059
   Costa Mesa, CA 92627
   Attn: Scholarship Fund
   A donation acknowledgment letter will be sent to you.
2. Online – Log in to your account at OCWS.org and visit:
   OCWS.org/product/scholarship-donations/
   Donate online and print your tax receipt instantly.

Together, we’ve crossed the $1 million mark—let’s continue building a legacy that supports education, excellence and the future of our industry.

Damian J. Christian, Scholarship Chair

Let’s road trip to wine country

The tribe has spoken! More than 80 people responded to a recent survey about interest on visiting a California wine region in 2026.

Nearly 100 percent of respondents said they either wanted a trip or going to a wine region depending on the cost. More than half of the respondents voted for visiting Paso Robles, followed closely with roughly 40 percent wanting to go to Santa Barbara.

Nearly 60 percent of people wanted to stay overnight, while another 40 percent wanted either a weekend getaway or spend two nights.

It was pretty split when it came to travel: 47 percent said they would drive; 27 percent wanted to take the train; and another 25 percent liked the bus.

Just over half of the respondents were willing to spend between $500-$1,000, while a third would like to spend less than $500.

And it doesn’t come as any surprise that nearly 85 percent of people polled wanted to visit four or more wineries. When it came to meals, roughly 60 percent opted for no meals, while the remain 40 percent said they wanted meals included.

Lastly, April was the frontrunner for a possible trip with 38 percent, May at 26 percent and March and November hovering around 17 percent apiece.

Given the results, it looks like OCWS members want a weekend getaway. There are many components to scheduling a trip and that’s where help is needed. If you are interested in being on a committee to plan such a trip, please reach out to me at editor@OCWS.org. Let’s mark the organization’s 50^th anniversary with a return to wine country.

—Greg Risling, editor, The Wine Press

By Carolyn Christian

The holiday season kicked off in style last month with the annual OCWS Holiday Dinner Dance. This year over 100 guests enjoyed the event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Costa Mesa with wines from the OCWS Cellar and their own private collections. Marc from Sterling DJ spun tunes until the very end of the event and the dance floor was never empty.

As a special treat, the photography committee set up a festive backdrop by the Christmas tree and provided a printed copy of photos with members donning silly festive glasses and hats. New this year, we also had a drawing for door prizes to those in attendance, including gift cards to the Wine Lab and tickets to South Coast Repertory Theater.

Thank you to all the attendees who brought toys for the Spark of Love Toy Drive. The Costa Mesa Fire Department was so appreciative of the donation that filled two tables.  These donations will make a difference in the lives of less fortunate local children.

A special thank you to those who helped make the event possible:  Damian Christian, Adrienne Amico, Tricia Shelton, Kelly Haggard, Rochelle Randel, Dino Amico, Sue England, Kevin Coy and a great group of volunteers who helped with setup, check-in, photo booth and clean-up. We greatly appreciate everyone’s efforts and hope everyone who attended had a great time. Look for a special Holiday Dinner Dance in 2026 to commemorate our 50^th Anniversary.