Category: Members Corner

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.

September 2024 By Carolyn Christian

It is hard to believe that summer is officially coming to an end this month. As I close this year as president, I am reminded of what an amazing group of people we have in this organization. Whatever our backgrounds or beliefs, we all share a common love of wine and the willingness to share our wine journey experiences with each other. 

It always astonishes me (and others) that this organization is made up of over 1,000 volunteers who come together to put on such amazing events. For those who joined at the OC Fair, I welcome you to this organization that has been a part of my life since the OC Fair in 1986!

Website Upgrade

We have recently gone through a major website software update. A big thank you to Stacey and Wendy Taylor for their dedication to making this transition go smoothly and polishing up the look of the website.

The Courtyard

With the OC Fair behind us, we owe many thanks to Fred Heinecke, Fran Gitsham and all of those who helped make The Courtyard at the OC Fair happen. We broke records this year and had an incredibly successful fundraiser and membership event. 

Annual Business Meeting

For more details on our successes throughout the year, including the Courtyard, please attend the Annual Business Meeting Sept. 6 via Zoom. The OCWS board has found that this format works well for this annual review of the organization’s finances and activities.  Please note that we are adding a new event in October to replace the social aspect of past business meetings.

Board Elections

Each September, we have board elections to replace three outgoing board members.  Candidate statements are posted on our website, and you will have an opportunity to hear them speak at the Annual Business Meeting Sept. 6. Ballots will be emailed in September.  Now is a good time to log on to your account to confirm your email address.

Volunteer Recognition Reception

This Oct. 20, we will hold our first Volunteer Recognition Reception. Please note this is a date change from Sept. 29 to allow us to hold this event in The Courtyard and be able to present the new 2024-2025 Board of Directors. This event replaces the volunteer recognition portion of the Annual Business Meeting. In addition to enjoying appetizers and wine, we will recognize the volunteers who have dedicated so many hours to the organization. Invitations will be sent mid-September to those receiving awards.

Vintage Member Luncheons

We continue to move forward in time with our Vintage Member Luncheons as we prepare for our 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2026. Invitations have been sent out through a join date of 2000. If you joined after 2000, look for your invitation in the future as we work through the list. Invitees are helping us gather stories and information about the organization we are compiling into a book.

Other Events

We have a host of other events for you to attend; Hocus Pocus Fall Social, Bubbles and Brunch at The Cannery, Winemakers’ Group Quarterly Meeting and OCWS Outing at Laguna Canyon Winery coming up.

Closing

To all of you who have contributed to this organization this year, I send my heartfelt thanks.  There are too many to mention here, but I look forward to recognizing you Oct. 20. To those who are new to the organization, thank you for joining us. I welcome you to this incredible organization that will bring you new friends and great memories on your wine journey.  Cheers to all!

Merchandise will be available for sale at the upcoming Fall Social event in October, as well as the New Member Mixer. Aprons and hats (four standard colors) are always available online as they are one size fits most.

But did you know the OCWS logo can 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 off in
the OCWS office. Merchandise also will be available at the upcoming winemaker dinners, January through May.

—Courtney, Merchandise Maven

Pear Tart and Kumquat Cheesecake

Pear Tart

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• Filling
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups peeled pears, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (This tops the torte beautifully, but I have omitted it often, and it’s still delicious.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour.
2. Press into bottom of a 10-inch-deep dish pie pan.
3. Mix cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla.
4. Pour into pastry-lined pan.
5. Toss together pear, sugar and cinnamon.
6. Arrange over cream cheese mixture as desired.
7. Sprinkle almonds on top.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and 350 degrees for 25 more minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pan.

—Recipe courtesy Mary Anne & Eberhard Neutz

Kumquat Cheesecake

Crust:

5 1/2 oz graham crackers

2 1/2 oz sugar

4 oz butter

Cheesecake:

1 lb cream cheese

8 oz mascarpone 

6 1/2 oz sugar

3 1/2 oz sour cream

4 eggs

3 oz heavy cream

8 oz slightly warmed kumquat marmalade

Ganache:

8 oz chocolate

6 oz heavy cream

candied kumquat slices

Mix the crumbed graham crackers with the sugar and warm butter until it forms a ball. Spray a 10” cake pan and put parchment paper circle in the bottom. Apply the crumbs firmly and evenly over the bottom. Pre-bake for 5 minutes at 325.

Mix the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar with a paddle until completely smooth. Scrape sides often. Add sour cream and blend. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well between each egg. Add cream and marmalade and blend thoroughly.

Spray the sides of the cake pan and coat with sugar. Pour onto the prepared crust and place in a water bath. Bake in a 325 oven until set, about 1 1/4 hour. Check with a toothpick in the center until it is clean when removed.  When completely done, let cool completely and remove from the pan. Chill overnight. 

For the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan almost to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Cool slightly and pour over the cheesecake, allowing decorative drips down the side. Place the candied cumquats over the top.

—Recipe courtesy Jim Burk