Category: Members Corner

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

By Carolyn Christian

We are off to an amazing start for 2024 with several stellar OCWS events in January, including an amazing Bubble ‘n’ Brunch at the Citrus City Grille and the Winery Program featuring Once and Future Wine Company and veteran winemaker Joel Peterson.

Both events sold out! We also hosted two fun and informative Varietal Hours featuring new wines for the new year and hard-to-pronounce varietals. Our quality wine programs are reflective of our 48 years of experience and our dedicated volunteers who make our events such great successes. It truly warms my heart to lead this amazing organization!

February Events

February is the month dedicated to LOVE and nothing says LOVE like wine! This month promises to be another great month for OCWS events that you will just LOVE – with a winery program from award-winning Bella Grace Vineyards and a mini-outing at the local DeFalco Family Wines.

We highly recommend calling the OCWS to be put on the waitlist for our events, as we do have cancellations and try to accommodate as many people as possible. Our next mini-tasting—Old World Europe vs. California wines—still has spots available, so sign up soon. And everyone is always welcome to participate in our Monday evening Varietal Hours via Zoom. February’s themes are Bordeaux and Women of Color wines.

 Future Events

We have dozens of upcoming events beyond February, but they do sell out, so please check the newsletter for information on future events and sign up on our website as early as possible!

Future events include more Winery Programs (through May), the Spring Social on April 6, the Wine Auction on April 20 and the next Bubbles ‘n’ Brunch on May 5.

For those who want to try their hand at making wine, the Winemakers’ Group provides education, equipment and guidance.

Details for all the events mentioned can be found in this newsletter and on our website at OCWS.org (logon required). Trouble logging on? Please contact our office for assistance.

Volunteer Opportunities

Our organization is more than just fun wine events. We are an all-volunteer organization that puts on incredible wine events! On behalf of the OCWS, I would like to thank everyone who contributes their time to the organization each year.

The number of volunteer opportunities with OCWS are endless! Consider volunteering at one of our events for set up, check in, pouring wine or clean up. We have dozens of volunteer opportunities for our larger events as well. The Wine Auction, OC Fair Commercial Competition, OC Fair Home Wine Competition and Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair have both active and sedentary positions. These events provide unique experiences to learn more about wine, meet OCWS members and winemakers and share in the organization’s success.

To volunteer for an event, please check the event articles posted online for instructions on how to volunteer or contact the event chair.

 Communications

It is important to stay informed of our upcoming events. We communicate with our membership through Constant Contact, the announcement of our monthly newsletter, weekly upcoming event reminders and emails on specific events. If you are not receiving these announcements, please check your spam folder or contact our office for assistance. While your logon to our website is only available using the primary member’s email, our eblasts are sent to both members and co-members, if we have emails for each on file. Please log on to your OCWS account to check your member and co-member emails listed in your profile.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our future events!  Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Enjoy the festive spirit with fun activities at these Southern California wineries.

‘Tis the season to be jolly – or merry – or whatever adjective suits you best to get you into joyful spirits this time of year.

And while typically the holiday season is reserved for children and the excitement of what gifts they will receive, adults can have fun too, right?

Wineries are no exception. All across California, commercial winemakers know how to make it a December to remember by hosting festive events or offering special treats not just for their club members but for the public as well.

So if you are feeling jolly and up for making a trip to a winery in Orange County or farther afield in Solvang, here are some ideas to warm your cockles.

Over at Peltzer Family Cellars in Temecula, they celebrate over a six-week period with “Christmas on the Farm.” There is a 120×65-foot ice rink for the kids – or kids at heart – local food trucks peppered throughout the property and local live music. And if you are looking for a “holidate,” there’s a wine and cupcake pairing at the winery on Dec. 28. For $30, guests get three mini cupcakes and receive three 2-ounce tastings.

A little farther south at San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa, they offer a seasonal hot spiced wine kit, just right for those chilly evenings. The $48 kit is a blend of passionfruit wine, red wine and mulling spices. The winery also has a tasting room in Seaport Village and is a prime viewing spot for the annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights that features more than 80 boats. The parade will be on December 10 and 17.

Back in Orange County, Frisby Cellars has its 10^th Annual Christmas in the Cellar at its Rancho Mission Viejo location on December 10 from 12-4 p.m. Attendees can sip and shop as local vendors set up tables in the cellar and hawk their wares. There also will be a DJ pumping up the jam and of course a slew of treats to go with the array of wine.

Bellante Family Winery in Mission Viejo has two events that might strike your interest. The winery hosts a succulent Christmas tree workshop that aims to make your desk at work or your dinner table the envy of others. The workshop is $110 plus tax and includes all the materials needed to make your tree, a glass of wine and cheese and charcuterie. The event will be held on December 5 from 6-8:30 p.m. The winery also has its 4^th Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange on December 22, beginning at 5 p.m. Amateur bakers are asked to bring about a dozen cookies to share and make sure to don your ugly Christmas sweater since the winner will be rewarded with a prize.

And, if there’s one place that is a perfect Winter Wonderland setting in California it is Solvang. The Danish hamlet known for its renowned wineries and its fabled Aebleskivers takes it up a notch during the holidays with its Julefest celebration.

Head on up the first weekend of December for the tree lighting and parade as more than 400 participants cruise down the town’s main avenues. If you can’t make it, then try one of the candlelight tours on Dec. 8-9, 15-16 and 18-23, beginning at 5 p.m. as participants sing carols and learn Danish traditions as they comb the streets (and maybe stop in at one of the more than dozen tasting rooms). You can also be on the hunt for the elusive Nisser – aka Danish gnomes – that are hidden throughout the town. Find them all and you get a special gift.

So many decisions for us wine lovers and so little time. Happy Holidays to all and enjoy the good times.

Would it rain with cool temperatures and wind? Would it be sunny and warm? The weather was questionable and no one was quite sure for the weather that day. So, we moved the Fall Membership Social inside the Huntington Beach Building for the party on Sept. 30. The Cooks Caucus set up in The Courtyard and brought pop-ups to cover themselves for the many hours they were there to prepare the food for the 200+ attendees. People started showing up at 10 a.m. to cook, set up the tables, decorate, and be ready to welcome everyone for “The Game is On” event.

The band, the Three 2 Sevens, were on fire and the dance floor was crowded with dancers enjoying the music!

There were contests to enter and drawings for prizes. Eleven lucky people won the prize of their choice. We also had wine prizes for the ‘get to know everyone’ game and one wine given for a drawing that included all the volunteers who helped with the event, including members of the Cooks Caucus. Games were set out on the other side of the band for corn hole and ring toss.

We had excellent wine from the cellar at the wine carts, along with fabulous wine by the Home Winemakers group. Many members of that group brought their wine to share with all! Part of the game was to find a person who makes their own wine, which succeeded in many new members meeting home winemakers.

Everyone wore something to represent their favorite sport or team. Football, baseball, soccer, golf, marathon runners, NASCAR and much more were represented! What a great time!

Once again, Rochelle Randel set up and ran the Wine Wall. Many of our members brought wine to donate to the Wine Wall. There were so many donations, most of the wine from the Cellar was sent back for future events. Thank you to everyone who donated. The Wine Wall made about $1,000, which will be all for the scholarship fund!

A huge thank you goes out to all the people who volunteered to move tables, decorate, serve wine, cook delicious food, serve the delicious food, work the sign-in table and clean up! The Orange County Wine Society is made up of dedicated, helpful people who give their time so all can enjoy the events. Thank you so much for helping to make ‘The Game is On’ so successful!

—Alice Polser, Event Chair

As 2023 comes to an end and we start a new board year, the scholarship program reins will be handed from Leslie Hodowanec to Damian Christian.

Under Leslie’s leadership over the past few years, the program has continued a successful tradition of supporting eight California colleges and universities that have wine-related degree programs including enology, viticulture, wine marketing and culinary arts. This year, the program surpassed the three-quarters of a million-dollar mark, garnering $781,423 since 1996.

Starting with just a few institutions at its inception including University of California, Davis, and California State University, Fresno, the program now provides funding for eight institutions.

Program funds come from a variety of sources in addition to the organization’s general funds. These general funds include monies earned through membership dues, The Courtyard and the Wine Auction. Also, each year, at the OC Fair Commercial Competition, judges are offered the opportunity to donate back their stipend to the scholarship fund. The recipient institution for these funds rotates each year, giving each the opportunity to benefit from the funds over the years. In addition, the tips that the public gives to The Courtyard volunteers during the OC Fair are also slated for scholarships. In recent years, the Featured Winery Program at the OC Fair has been added to the list of funds that are directly applied to the scholarship program. Funds from the famous Wine Wall that Rochelle Randel runs during the Spring and Fall social events are also added directly to the fund.

As the year draws to a close, we want to remind everyone about another source of income for our Scholarship Fund and that is your generous donations. Don’t forget that donating to a nonprofit 501 (C)(3) like OCWS for the Scholarship Fund may be used as a tax deduction (please check with your tax specialist to confirm eligibility).

Year-end donations to our scholarship fund can be made online at ocws.org or by sending a check to the OCWS office at PO Box 11059, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 and can be made online at ocws.org/scholarship and you can print your own tax receipt. Checks also will be accepted at the Holiday Dinner Dance and Winemakers’ Holiday Potluck Party. Your donation can be made to the Scholarship Fund in general, or you may designate a specific institution to receive your donation. Please indicate “scholarship fund” on the memo line of your check and indicate specific institutions (if you wish to designate where your funds go). Thank you in advance for your generous donation and your support of the OCWS Scholarship Fund throughout the year. Whether you volunteer your time to these activities or provide donations, you are contributing to a worthwhile cause that furthers our educational mission.

— Damian Christian, Scholarship Chairs