Category: Members Corner

By Greg Risling

There is no question when New Year’s Eve rolls around, there is an abundance of festivities for you to choose.

But what you might not know is there are wineries across Southern California who host NYE events that cater not just to their wine club members. There are galas for the more refined wine drinker or even family-oriented gatherings.

You can find a good variety in Temecula, home to nearly 50 wineries. While thousands of people cram into Times Square to watch the big ball drop in New York City, Temecula attracts up to 4,000 people for its annual NYE Grape Drop.

For more than a decade, people have flocked to Old Town to see giant grapes descend from the bell tower at City Hall. There is typically live music, food vendors and activities for the kids. This year, there will be a drone show that will culminate with the Grape Drop to coincide with the East Coast midnight countdown.

“The New Year’s Eve Grape Drop is a family-friendly event that allows the community to celebrate the incoming new year with activities, live music and food,” said Tracy Tomines, a city spokesperson. “The city of Temecula is proud to have been nominated for USA Today’s favorite New Year’s Eve drop, as it brings attention to Southern California’s beautiful wine county.”

At nearby Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, they are not going to celebrate just once but twice on New Year’s Eve as a way to mark the winery’s 25^th anniversary. Starting at 6 p.m., guests can indulge in a four-course, wine-paired dinner ($220) in the Winemaker’s Loft. The East Coast Elegance event, a black-tie affair, will cover up until the clock strikes midnight back east.

And for those who can muster another couple of hours or just want to attend the West Coast Party Vibes event, there will be a dance party with a live DJ and a dessert and coffee bar ($100) that will be cranking until we celebrate 2025 here on the West Coast.

“A lot of wineries skip NYE events, but for us, it’s a night filled with joy, laughter and great wine under the stars,” said Wendy Holder, Wilson Creek’s vice president of marketing. “It’s an experience unlike any other—where you can toast to new beginnings in the heart of wine country, surrounded by friends old and new. It’s our way of making sure that the new year starts off with a little magic.”

Also hosting a grand event is Europa Village Wineries & Resort in Temecula. It’s a 007 soiree, celebrating James Bond and Casino Royale. Guests will be swept into the elegance, mystery and thrill of the aforementioned film. They can sip on signature cocktails, be treated to a three-course dinner, enjoy an array of casino games and strike the Bond pose in a glamorous photo booth. Tickets are $190 and the event runs 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Closer to home, McClain Cellars is hosting a black tie New Year’s Eve Gala at its exclusive Irvine Members Lounge. The event includes live music, dinner and the Laguna Beach winery’s finest wines to toast to new beginnings. The gala is 8 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday Dec. 31.

Compiled by the 50thAnniversary Committee Hank Bruce, Carolyn Christian, Linda Flemins & Jane Goodnight

As we approach our 50^th anniversary as an organization, the Orange County Wine Society has started a committee to pull together the history of the organization over the last five decades. 

The committee has been researching, documenting and collecting historical information including a complete list of the board members since 1976, the various mega-tastings like the Wine Classic and Wine Extraordinaire, statistics on the various years of the OC Fair Wine Competitions and The Courtyard, timelines and milestones of the organization and much more.

To collect personal accounts of the organization, the committee started the Vintage Member Luncheons. These events have been both successful and incredibly fun. Our ultimate goal is to produce a history of the organization’s first 50 years.

The luncheons feature various stations where longtime members can view old videos taken by our own Charley Owen, view and identify photos from early events, share their own stories with interviewers and contribute to idea boards for things like 50^th anniversary events and keepsakes.  All of this is designed to trigger memories of the early years.

OCWS members who have attended the Vintage Member Luncheons have had a great time sharing memories of bus trips to Temecula and Paso Robles and cruises to Mexico.  Being together with other vintage members in this social setting has greatly facilitated our ability to gather information that is not documented elsewhere. Believe it or not, a few of our original members such as Jane Goodnight and Judy Brady are still active. And the memories that attendees shared made it seems like only yesterday.

Here is a taste of some of the things that were shared…

• Charley Owen always had his video camera with him, but no one ever saw the videos, so there was a rumor they didn’t exist (thankfully the family donated the videos to OCWS and we are preserving them for the future!).
• Attendees who watched the videos, marveled at the younger and thinner versions of themselves on the screen.
• Wine glasses from previous events had various logo designs, many of them designed by OCWS member and artist Marjorie Trout who passed away recently.
• The OCWS Recipe Book was published in 1992 and it was not as popular at the OC Fair as hoped, so many were given away to members years later.
• Members had fond memories of our competition judges and their antics, such as Kent Rosenblum and his endless supply of Sven and Ollie jokes.
• Attendees shared stories of the various winemakers who presented at the OCWS anniversary tastings, which have been held every five years.
• Attendees brought historical items for others to view: glasses, awards, award booklets (before WineCompetition.com was created), posters and more.
• In the early days at the OC Fair (late 1970s), OCWS was required to serve food with the wine tastings and the organization had a yellow submarine next to our wine booth that made sandwiches.

In addition to sharing memories, attendees are treated to a gourmet lunch and wine. 

Invitations are being sent out based on the member’s join date. The first two luncheons included those who joined between 1976 and 2000.  We are currently in the process of planning our third luncheon.  If you are invited to a luncheon but unable to attend, you will be invited again until you are able to attend one. 

To allow all members to attend these luncheons, we are limiting members to attending only one luncheon.  Watch your email for an invitation in the future as we include more recent members.

Merchandise will be available for sale at upcoming Orange County Wine Society events. Aprons and hats (four standard colors) are always available online as they are one size fits most.

But did you know the OCWS logocan be added to other apparel?

If you don’t see a style, size or color that I’m selling, a shirt from home can be an option. The logo looks great on a fleece vest or denim jacket too! For custom apparel, there is a $15 embroidery fee. Bring your item to an event or drop it off
in the OCWS office. Merchandise also will be available at upcoming Winemakers’ Group dinners, January through May.

—Courtney, Merchandise Maven

Last month, we recognized our top volunteers at the NEW Volunteer Recognition Reception. Our hope is to make this an annual tradition.

Pre-COVID, we recognized our volunteers at the Annual Business Meeting in September. When we moved the annual meeting online, the OCWS Board recognized that this was a better format for the financial review of the organization. However, while the online format worked well for the business meeting portion, it was not the best format for recognizing volunteers. As such, we decided to hold an in-person event to celebrate our amazing volunteers who put in more than 23,000 hours between September 2023 and August 2024.

The event featured appetizers from Newport Rib Company and wine from the OCWS Cellar. Volunteers were recognized at three levels (Gold, Silver and Bronze) based on the number of hours they volunteered. In addition to being invited to the Volunteer Recognition Reception, the volunteers received printed certificates, and an online coupon good toward a future OCWS event ($50, $25 and $10, respectively). We would like to recognize the following volunteers for their many hours of service to the organization:

Volunteers that make a Difference

The afternoon soiree ended with the most coveted OCWS award, the President’s Award, given to this year’s top volunteer or volunteers who have given amazing service to the organization, not only this year, but over many years.

Thank you to the committee who made this year’s Volunteer Recognition Reception possible: Rochelle Randel, Don Mayer, Sue England and Carolyn Christian.

Congratulations to all the volunteer award winners. For those who were unable to attend the reception, your names will be posted on the OCWS website and you will see your online discount coupon in your account no later than November 1^.

—Carolyn Christian, OCWS President

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

¼ cup vegetable broth (I used lemon wine)

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (divided)

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper

11/2 lbs. fresh cod

For the sauce: heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add red pepper flakes and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until soft and blistered. (9-12mins) Stir in liquid and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Simmer gently, then add basil and 2 tbsp. lemon juice, zest, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, set aside.

For the cod:

Heat olive oil in another pan over medium heat. Season cod with salt & pepper.

Cook until golden brown. About 3 minutes per side. Pour the tomato basil sauce over the cod, warm up for a minute, enjoy!

Orange County Wine Society funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including the University of California Davis.

UC Davis has a dedicated Department of Viticulture and Enology that was established back in 1880 by the California Legislature to help the developing California wine industry and is considered one of the top programs in the country. In 2011, UC Davis opened a facility for making wine, beer and processed foods with sustainability and the environment in mind.

The campus hosts a four-acre vineyard next to the Robert Mondavi Institute. The department typically graduates about 20 undergraduate students in viticulture and enology per year. UC Davis also offers a Master of Science degree.

The Viticulture & Enology Graduate Group (VENGG) provides opportunities where students can conduct research on current issues in the wine industry through independent research and internships. This program graduates five to 10 students per year. The department also offer a Wine Executive Program that teaches the fundamentals of winemaking and management skills necessary to be successful in the challenging wine business world.

Next month we will be highlighting another 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, P.O. Box 11059, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Attn: Scholarship Fund. A donation letter will be sent to you.
2. Donate Online – Log on 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

When Tom and Laureen Baldyga moved into their Cowan Heights home in 2011, they had a set of priorities: a house with a view, a three-car garage and a wine cellar.

While the home had sweeping views of Orange County and Catalina Island as well as the three-car garage that would accommodate practice sessions for Tom’s band, the couple had to find the space for the cellar.

They finally settled on a 6×6 spot underneath the stairs. The couple got some of their inspiration from Bacchus Secret Cellars in Irvine where Laureen once worked. After working with a contractor on the design and its features, the cellar was built and has become a centerpiece of the Baldyga home.

The outside of the cellar is adorned with about 30 wine case panels emblazoned with the logo and name of wineries from around the world that the Baldygas have gotten from Bacchus or collected themselves.

Some of the panels that are represented by some of the most renowned wineries such as Caymus, Silverado, Opus One and Screaming Eagle, are separated by rows of corks. The cellar’s door has bunches of grapes etched onto the glass.

At just 36 square feet, the cellar holds 300 bottles and has enough room to seat two people. A majority of the wine is from Duckhorn and Calcareous vineyards where the couple are wine club members.

“We like to store the Duckhorn for about five years and then drink it,” Tom said. “Both wineries are extremely consistent with what they make and Calcareous produces excellent Syrahs and have great whites like Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc.”

The cellar also has a glass rack and two storage spots for wine accessories. One of those spots is a nook with a marble top. On the back wall is a painting entitled “Perfect Zen” by popular artist Michael Godard.

Like any good cellar, the couple ensured it was temperature controlled and would hold enough wine to make it worth their while.

“I’d recommend finding a place that has drainage built in,” Tom said. “Try to know someone who can do the design. It’s amazing what you can do with a small space.”

Tom said the cellar does serve the main purpose of storing the wine but he and Laureen also make sure they enjoy the wine with family and friends. His prized possessions are a 1994 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2011 Perry Moore Cab.

“I don’t think I would change a thing,” Tom said. “I like that it’s not too big so it’s always full. But part of the fun is drinking the wine and refilling the cellar.”

Neapolitan

Ingredients
1/2 17.3-oz. package puff pastry
sheets (1 sheet), thawed
3 oz. instant vanilla pudding and
pie filling mix
1 cup milk
1.5 cups thawed frozen whipped
topping
1.25 cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions
HEAT oven to 400°F.
UNFOLD pastry sheet on a lightly
floured surface.
CUT pastry sheet into three strips.
CUT each strip into four rectangles
and place the pastries onto a baking
sheet.

BAKE for 15 minutes or until the
pastries are golden brown. Let the
pastries cool on the baking sheet on a
wire rack for 10 minutes.

SPLIT each pastry into two layers,
making 24 in all.

PREPARE pudding mix according
to the package directions except use 1
cup of milk.

FOLD in the whipped cream.

RESERVE eight top pastry layers.

SPREAD 2 Tbsp. pudding mixture on
each of eight bottom pastry layers.
TOP each with 1 Tbsp. strawberries
and another pastry layer.
TOP with remaining pudding mixture,
strawberries and reserved top
pastry layers.

SPRINKLE with confectioners’
sugar and use piping bag to drizzle
melted chocolate on top.

—Recipe courtesy Greg Brett

Gold Medal Mini-Tasting attendees brought a delicious dish to share at our and then voted on a Chef of the Evening. The results at each host site are:

• Hosts Chris & Hank Bruce:

  Donna Hisey – Carol Shelton Duck

• Hosts Carol Frank & Sam Puzzo

Beth Marie Nierman – Vegan Kabobs

• Host Fran Gitsham:

Tie –

Rochelle Randel – Mediterranean Cod with Blistered Tomato and Basil

Lynda Edwards – Apple Carmel Crunch

• Host Cheryl & Fred Heinecke:

Tamara Reddy – Pumpkin, Sausage, and Mushroom Lasagna

• Hosts Virginia & Karl Kawai:

3-way Tie –

Jim Burk – Beef with Red Wine

Kevin Coy – Scalloped Potatoes

Tom Stevens (Guest) – Paella

• Hosts Courtney & John Molina:

 Linda Shepard – Death by Chocolate

• Hosts Eberhard & Mary Anne Neutz:

 Ivan Moad – Tri-Tip

• Hosts Betty Jo & Jay Newell:

 Irene Scott – Empanadas

• Hosts Elee & Don Phillips:

Damian & Carolyn Christian – Smoked Pork Loin with Bacon Jam Au Jus

• Hosts Rona & Craig Rowe:

Derrick Willis – Firecracker Salmon

• Hosts Jody & Mark Theissen:

Gayle Pratt – Caprese Corn Salad

Congratulations to all the winners! A big Thank you to the Hosts!

—George Cravens, OCWS Director

Meet an Orange County winemaker who crushes his own grapes onsite.

For those who live in Orange County and the millions of tourists who visit each year, Laguna Beach is a world-class destination with pristine beaches, luxurious hotels and renowned restaurants.

But as you traverse down the canyon on Highway 133, those who enjoy unfiltered and award-winning wines might want to stop at Laguna Canyon Winery for an indulgent experience.

Owned and operated by winemaker and sommelier J.J. Huber, the winery is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year and is home to a fleet of wines whose grapes are sourced from Napa, Sonoma and Lake County.

Huber grew up on a ranch in Canada and he knew he always wanted to be tied to the land or agriculture for a living. In the early 1990s, he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia where he met his mentor, Gianni Seminari, an oenologist and winemaker from Milan, Italy.

There, Huber began making wine and would get his grapes from California and bring them over the U.S-Canadian border. Along with his brother, they opened a winery in the Vancouver area in 1993 and three years later, they opened another.

After garnering a slew of awards and acclaimed recognition, Huber turned his sights to California. In 2004, he opened Laguna Canyon Winery, Orange County’s first urban winery.Huber, now 61, takes pride that the entire winemaking process – from crushing the grapes, fermenting, pressing, barrel aging to bottling the wine – happens at his location in Laguna Beach. In 2021, he drove 2,500 miles in five days from Sonoma County to the winery hauling three varietals.

“It gives you more control over every step of the winemaking process,” Huber said. “Every harvest you get to create different wines, and each one has a their own unique expression and style.”

Huber is a firm believer that much of a wine’s essence is lost during filtering. He has remained committed to making unfiltered wines. He only produces two barrels of each of his red wines.

“I believe that unfiltered red wines increase the quality by at least 20 percent,” he said. “The way they taste in the barrel is the way they will taste in your glass.”

Production now sits at about 1,000 cases a year, more than 2 ½ times than what Huber made when he first opened his doors in Orange County.

The results have clearly paid off. In honor of the winery’s 20^th anniversary, Huber entered a dozen wines into the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and 10 of his entries received a medal, including Double Golds for his 2022 Due Viti-Two Point O, an Italian Style blend, and the 2020 Grenache.

“What I do now really is winemaking for a passion, more so than making wine for a profit,” Huber said. “To me, it’s about the craft and making the highest quality wines.”

The winery has the ambience of a traditional tasting room with a musical flair for Huber’s love of 80s hard rock n’ roll on a massive 160-inch big screen. Visitors can pour their own wines thanks to automatic wine tasting machines straight from Tuscany — a needed “pandemic pivot.” He also offers an educational, 1-on-1 premium wine and barrel tasting experience.

The winery also hosts monthly wine pairing dinners where the different varietals are infused into the dishes for a superb epicurean experience. For instance, one dinner featured a filet mignon that had a demi-glaze with Huber’s reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and paired with the same Cabernet.

Huber also recently hired a new enologist who was the head winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Saint Helena for 15 years. He called her the “missing piece of the puzzle to my Picasso of award-winning, handcrafted boutique wines.”

Huber’s goal is to purchase five acres of vineyards somewhere in Southern California so he can tie it to the winery that would be the pinnacle to the dream he has made a reality for most of his adult life.

While his biggest challenge may be getting more people in the door who are on their way to or leaving Laguna Beach, Huber considers himself blessed by the profession that has provided him with so much and the people who have been along for the ride.