Category: Members Corner

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Members Corner

Spotlight on California State University, Fresno

By Damian J. Christian

OCWS funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including California State University, Fresno, which offers bachelor of science degrees in viticulture and enology. Fresno State has the largest commercial winery on a university campus in the United States with their on-campus estate vineyards, crush facility, barrel and bottling rooms. Fresno State has approximately 150 viticulture and enology students per year and many make wine from grapes grown on campus and also from donated grapes from all over the state. Additionally, Fresno State offers a group of courses covering wine appreciation, beverage marketing and salesmanship under their Hospitality Management degree at  Collins College. Fresno State students are very appreciative of the OCWS support, as many of them work several jobs to make financial ends meet during their studies.

Next month we will be highlighting another one 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.

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Courtyard Featured Member

Master of the Cellar

If you have been in the Orange County Wine Society for some time, you are probably aware of the various positions needed to make the organization run smoothly. But none may be as important – or as cool – as being the esteemed Cellarmaster.

For roughly the past 40 years, the Cellarmaster has been responsible for organizing the cellar and doling out wine gathered from the OC Fair Wine Competition to OCWS events.

The position, which is appointed by the sitting OCWS president, has been occupied by only a handful of the society’s more knowledgeable minds. The honor has been bestowed on Bill Redding, who has served in many roles, including president.

On a recent summer day, as dozens of volunteers worked feverishly to set up The Courtyard for the upcoming fair, Redding himself was busy preparing the cellar for the heavy foot traffic over the next few weeks.

Redding explained it was former OCWS President and Cellarmaster Charley Owen who built the cellar when The Courtyard was being transformed to its current state. Owen got all of the pallets donated that are in each cubby hole. He was meticulous about the cellar design.

Being Cellarmaster is equal parts about doing the small things like checking the cellar’s temperature and cleanliness but also some of the heavy lifting by providing certain types of wines for a host of events.

A major responsibility of the cellar master is to get the wines sorted into lots for the annual auction. This task takes about 10 working days and requires the help of 12 to 14 volunteers each year.

Redding, a former high school science teacher and administrator, said those skills he acquired in the education field have helped him while being Cellarmaster.

The position is part manager, part liaison, all the while keeping track of the wines going in and out of the cellar.

Redding pulled out a big white binder that tracks the order requests submitted for events where wine is being poured such as the Spring and Fall socials and the annual Wine Auction.

“Part of the job is deciding what wines each event gets,” Redding said. “My philosophy is that I give a mix of award-winning and non-award-winning wines that are representative of the Commercial Competition.”

The job also entails a strong knowledge of wine – which means Redding needs to whet his palette with different varietals. .

“For the last 20 years, I have been trying everything I can,” he said. “I don’t turn my nose down to anything.

Being Cellarmaster enhances the enjoyment and the value of wine. You are getting to learn a lot more. It’s like you aren’t reading grade-level books anymore – you are reading college-level books.”

Redding, who has served more than eight years in the role and is helped by Cellar Manager Kevin Coy and Assistant Cellarmaster George Cravens, suggests if anyone ever wants to assume the role that they have a good working knowledge of the Commercial Competition and how OCWS operates.

Redding, along with the other nine previous Cellarmasters, has his name adorned on a cork-lined wine glass rack tucked in the back of the cellar. He appreciates the opportunity afforded to him by being appointed Cellarmaster.

“It’s very fulfilling and has been a privilege,” Redding said. “You get paid with knowledge.”

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Members Corner

Homegrown Varietals

Inspiration comes in many forms but a visit to a winery in Temecula was all Jeff George and Cindy Schult needed to start their venture in home winemaking several years ago

While Cindy thought a vineyard in their newly purchased home near Lake Matthews in Riverside County would be aesthetically pleasing that would replace the eyesore of overgrown weeds in their backyard, Jeff knew that he would have to research what varietals would thrive the best in the area’s searing heat.

Jeff, a former Marine, got to work and discovered that Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon would suit the 2.5-acre property the best. One hundred vines were planted for each varietal, and after some additional thought, the couple planted Chenin and Grenache Blanc for the burgeoning white fans they were becoming, upping their total amount of vines to 300.

The couple aptly landed on Gavilan Hills Vineyard for the name of their wines based on the area where they live.

Jeff says the Grenache has flourished so much that he’s constantly cutting growth to have the vines mature and bear the best fruit. While the first vintage of Grenache and Cabernet is being readied to bottle in August, Jeff expects to get 1,000 pounds of Grenache this fall and 500 pounds of Cabernet.

“The most challenging part of wine making so far for us is learning about it,” Jeff said. “The biggest issue is you don’t know if it’s going to be any good.”

That’s where the home winemaking group at the Orange County Wine Society has assisted the couple on the first steps of their journey. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple was referred by an OCWS member to the non-profit organization. Since that time, they have not only tapped into the wealth of knowledge among the OCWS winemakers but also have taken courses at Mt. San Jacinto College to learn more about the winemaking process.

“The message from the (OCWS) winemakers has been ‘take your time,’” Jeff said. “’Be patient.’”

Jeff has meticulously charted the vineyard’s progress on an Excel spreadsheet, even labeling each row in alphabetic order. A green thumb at heart, Jeff can often be found monitoring what is happening in the vineyard to ensure the end result is the best result.

The couple also has tastefully redesigned their backyard to also host rustic, intimate weddings. What better way to toast a newly minted marriage than providing wine made from grapes only a few feet away?

The couple also has been experimenting like most newly minted winemakers often do. They have made fruit wine – blackberry and pineapple, respectively – and they plan to pull about 20 percent of the upcoming Grenache yield to make a rose.

Given the amount of grapes they plan to harvest this fall, Jeff and Cindy said they plan to sell half of it, most likely to the OCWS home winemakers group.

“This has been about doing something we enjoy,” Cindy said. “It has opened up a new door for us. It’s very satisfying.”

Jeff and Cindy are eagerly anticipating how their wine will be received. They were encouraged when one of the instructors at Mt. San Jacinto College got a recent preview and was impressed how the wine tasted.

Jeff and Cindy have embraced the process of making wine, enjoying the journey along the way – and chronicling it on a YouTube channel — which is a testament to passion and that aforementioned patience.

“You plan and you build something and get to see the fruits of your labor – literally,” Cindy said.

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Courtyard Members Corner

Events at the Fair and Courtyard

Courtyard Feature Winery and Seminars

Click the chart to enlarge

Hanger Concerts

July 19

Start Making Sense
The Talking Heads Tribute

July 20

Hollywood U2
The World’s Greatest U2 Tribute

July 21

One More Night
Phil Collins and Genesis Tribute

July 24

Dead Man’s Party
The Oingo Boingo Tribute

July 25

Ticket to the Moon
The World’s Best ELO Tribute

July 26

Red Corvette
A Prince Tribute

July 27

Atomic Punks
A Tribute to Early Van Halen

July 28

24K Magic
#1 Bruno Mars Tribute

July 31

Elton – The Early Years
A Tribute to Early Elton John

August 1

Don’t Look Back
The Boston Experience

August 2

Listen to the Music
A Tribute to The Doobie Brothers

August 3

Live From Earth
Pat Benatar and Beyond

August 4

Mariachi Ambassadors
Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez

August 8

Queen Nation
A Tribute to the Music of Queen

August 9

No Duh
The World’s Greatest Tribute to No Doubt

August 10

Which One’s Pink?
Tribute to Pink Floyd

August 11

I Am King
The Michael Jackson Experience

August 14

The Long Run
Experience The Eagles

August 15

Devotional
The Depeche Mode Experience

August 16

Twisted Gypsy
Fleetwood Mac With A Twist

August 17

Zeppelin Live
America’s #1 Tribute to Led Zeppelin

August 18

TUPUA
The Spirit of Aloha

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Members Corner

OCWS Scholarship Program: Spotlight on Orange Coast College

OCWS funds scholarships for eight California Colleges and Universities, including the culinary arts program at Orange Coast College. OCC is one of the few programs not focused on enology or viticulture but on culinary arts.  Students at OCC can obtain an associate’s degree in culinary arts and various occupational certificates. The. school typical has several hundred students enrolled in the various programs. Just recently, OCC added a wine component to their culinary arts program.

In May, I had the good fortune to attend the 66th annual OCC Honors Night Scholarship Ceremony and award OCWS scholarships to seven very deserving students. Over 300 scholarships were given to nearly 500 students.  The recipients for the OCWS Scholarships at OCC are:

  • Khoa M. To
  • Man-in Chao
  • Jasmine Tre Dagley
  • Morgan E. Downie
  • Blanca Michelle Granados
  • Shannon Michelle White
  • Madeline X. Ngyuen

Next month we will be highlighting another one 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 O. Box 11059  Costa Mesa, CA 92627  Attn: Scholarship Fund  A donation letter will be sent to you.
  2. Donate Online – Logon 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 J. Christian, Scholarship Chair

 

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Members Corner

Wine Wisdom

The ABC’s of Chardonnay

1. In what decade did Chardonnay suffer criticism leading to the ABC acronym, Anything But Chardonnay?

A.  1970s

B.  1980s

C.  1990s

2. Chardonnay has suffered criticism as a consequence of winemakers:

A.  using new oak and malolactic fermentation (MLF)

B.  using charred barrels for aging

C.  using malolactic fermentation (MLF)

3. The use of malolactic fermentation (MLF) to produce Chardonnay results in:

A.  A creamy flavor

B.  A buttery flavor

C.  Both a creamy and buttery flavor

4. Chardonnay wine can be a wine for all white wine lovers because this ubiquitous grape can provide any style of wine from dry still wines to sparkling wines to sweet late harvest wines.

A.  True

B.  False

5. The Chardonnay grape is a vitis vinifera cross of Pinot Noir and a Croatian grape that was brought to France by the Romans. The two grapes were planted in close proximity and subsequently interbred. What was the name of this Croatian grape?

A.  Gouais Blanc

B.  Glera

C.  Garganega

6. Grown in France, where did Chardonnay originate?

A. Chablis

B. Burgundy

C. Champagne

7.  A favorite with winemakers, the Chardonnay grape is easily cultivated, adapts to different environments and takes on the characteristics of its vineyard, making the grape easy to demonstrate and express the terroir and the winemaker’s style.

A. True

B. False

8. One of the best-known uses of the Chardonnay grape is:

A. Serving it to a first date

B. Using it in the making of sparkling wine

C. Eating it to provide digestive fiber

9.  In Italy, Chardonnay is used to make a sparkling wine called Franciacorta in which Italian Region?

A. Tuscany

B. Lombardy

C. Veneto

10.  In Italy, the Chardonnay grape is allowed in the making of Prosecco in what region?

A. Tuscany

B. Veneto

C. Umbria

11.  Chardonnay’s acidity accompanied by its other moderate, neutral characteristics seem to make it a favorite for sparkling wines. In Spain, Chardonnay is allowed to be blended in:

A. Roja

B. Cava

C. Sherry

Chardonnay—it’s dry, it’s sweet, it’s oaky, it’s buttery, it’s fruity, it’s complex, it’s acidic, it’s minerally, it’s sparkling. It gives a whole new meaning to anything but Chardonnay because it is anything BUT Chardonnay! So, ignore the alphabet, if you have the wine, enjoy it! Cheers!

Answers: 1. C, 2. A, 3. C, 4. A, 5. A, 6. B, 7. A, 8. B, 9. B. 10. B, 11. B

—CL Keedy, Linda Flemins and the Wine Education Committee

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Commercial Competition Members Corner

Competitive Spirits

Who could have imagined that a small band of 16 like-minded, wine-loving people getting together 48 years ago could grow the largest competition of California-only wines in the world?

From that handful of passionate people and one small table at the very first competition, which had a whopping three varietals to be judged with a total of 49 entries, the OCWS continues to elevate the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, which now finds entries of upwards of 2,500 California commercial wines each year being judged by a distinguished panel of nearly 100 renowned California winemakers and winery principals.

One can only further envision just what it takes to successfully pull off the competition year after year. The event is overseen by the Commercial Competition Committee, which is comprised of a number of people from the chairperson, who heads the rest of the committee, to the cataloging coordinators who catalog and handle upwards of 15,000 bottles of wine. There is the director of judges, who coordinates all the judges and their activities and the facilities coordinator, who handles the hotel arrangements, room bookings and meals. There is also a judges’ liaison, the judges’ scoring coordinator, the data entry supervisory and the volunteer coordinators and the bagging, moving and sorting coordinators.

And, lest we forget, the more than 300 OCWS volunteers working each year doing all other jobs to make the competition more successful than the one before.

The competition itself isn’t, technically, complete until the results have been tabulated, medals awarded, remaining duplicate bottles sorted and photographed for publication and posted on our results website, winecompetition.com, and put to bed for further sorting for various purposes, such as pouring to the public at The Courtyard at the OC Fair and the annual Wine Auction.  And then, after just two months of taking deep breaths after the competition is completed, it all begins again in preparation for the next one.

If I have not provided enough information yet to have your heads spinning, I could continue to bore you with more statistics, positions and lists of people who, out of their passion for the OCWS, and the goodness of their hearts, take on all manners of positions.

This is truly just the beginning wherein you hear about volunteers running this organization. It is the hearts and minds of the OCWS members who bring everything we do to fruition in an amazingly competent and successful way.  All that can truly be said at the end of the day is that there is no organization, nor group of dedicated volunteers, anywhere that can rival the Orange County Wine Society!

Fran Gitsham, Chair, 2024 Commercial Wine Competition

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Members Corner

President’s Message

Heart from pouring red wine in goblet isolated on white

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

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Courtyard Members Corner

Join The 2024 OC Fair Courtyard Set Up Crew

Every year, one of the BEST locations to meet and greet at the OC Fair is at The Courtyard, an attractive place to enjoy award-winning wines while generating the largest source of OCWS scholarship funds. Our crew helps make sure the OCWS passes various OC Fair & Event Center requirements and other inspections the week […]

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Featured Member Stellar Cellars

Stellar Cellars – Beacon of Flights

Unlike a traditional lighthouse that warns ships they are close to the shore, the beacon at Mike Paz’s home in Yorba Linda serves a completely different purpose – it’s time to make or drink wine.

When he’s in the cellar, the 15-foot-high tower built with stacked stone and adorned with the colorful bottoms of wine bottles, is illuminated signaling Paz is inside.

Curious neighbors had to know what was going on, so they stopped by and they were fortunate they did.

Not only does he make wine out of his 93 square-foot cellar located in his yard, he also has a wide selection of fine wine that will delight any palate.

“When the light is on, my wife knows I’m in the cellar,” Paz cracked. “Neighbors would come over to see what I was making and word started to spread.”

The cellar, which serves as a laboratory as well as storage, cost $5,000 to build and was partly inspired by Paz’s desire to make wine in 2010. As a member of the Orange County Wine Society, he and other members would go on trips to different regions in California to learn about winemaking.

“For me, it was about developing relationships with winemakers,” Paz said. “I want to know the latest and greatest techniques. They give you a lot of hints are are able to share ideas.”

His cellar can accommodate about 300 bottles and about 85 percent of his collection is wine made under his label — Paz-Espana.

Paz’s grandfather designed a house for a man in Mexico who opened his doors to those who were persecuted for their religious beliefs during the Cristeros War. In 1977, Paz was able to make the trek to Polanco, Mexico and visit the home.

When he knocked on the door to the tri-level house that sat on a corner (similar to the Flatiron Building), the man who was well into his 90s, let Paz inside for a tour. He also gave Paz a sheet with his grandfather’s original drawing that now serves as the design for the wine label along with the family coat of arms from Spain.

Paz makes about eight to 10 cases of wine a year, primarily reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. He has quite a few medals from home wine competitions but maybe most impressive is winning a Double Gold and being named Best in Class at the California State Fair in 2017 for his Chardonnay.

“You eventually become your own critic,” Paz said of his wines. “I’ve learned you can’t make good wine from bad grapes.”

His cellar is always 85-90 percent stocked and the star of his collection is a bottle of the renowned Sassicaia. Much of the wine he produces he shares with others or gives away. His niece is getting married soon and take a guess what the guests will be drinking?

As for those neighbors, they not only drink the wine, they have helped Paz along the way.

“They feel like they are part of it. It’s something they would never experience,” Paz said. “There’s a whole romance to wine. It becomes a talking point, a conversation starter and it’s something we all enjoy.”