Category: President’s Message

by Carolyn Christian

“Good company, good wine, good welcome can make good people…” William Shakespeare, Henry VIII

It is hard to believe that December is upon us, and the cycle of OCWS activities begins once again.  It has been and continues to be a great honor for me to lead this organization that has been around for nearly half a century!

2024

Flagship Events

This past year has been an amazing testament to the resiliency of this organization, with over 2,500 entries in the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, and over 520 entries in the OC Fair Home Wine Competition. The Wine Auction and Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair were huge successes, bringing in funds that allow us to support our educational programming throughout the year. We continue to hover at 1,000 members, making us one of the largest wine enthusiast groups in the nation.

Volunteers

Our organization relies on volunteers to run our events, and we had over a third of our membership volunteer at one or more events during the year. This year we hosted an amazingly successful Volunteer Recognition Reception with over 200 recipients recognized for volunteering 20 hours or more since September 2023. We hope to make this an annual tradition for the organization.

Tax Donations and Holiday Gifts

As the year closes, I remind you that OCWS is a nonprofit organization, and your donation to our scholarship program is tax deductible (please confirm your eligibility with your tax preparer). An article from our Scholarship Chair in this issue outlines the ways in which you can donate. I would also like to remind you that we offer Gift Memberships to the OCWS on our website in the store: ocws.org/merchandise. An OCWS Membership and bottle of wine are a great gift for family and friends!  Not sure what bottle to get someone?  Check out the award-winning wines from our own competition at WineCompetition.com. You can search for a wine by varietal, region, price, and medal.

Verifying Account Information

The end of the year is also a great time to logon to your OCWS Account and make sure we have your current information (email, co-member contact information, address, phone, etc.).  Logon at ocws.org. If you have any issues, please contact our office staff for assistance office@ocws.org or (714) 708-1636,

Advocating for 2025 Wine Competition Today!

As we ramp up for the 2025 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, I encourage you all to help serve as ambassadors to our amazing competition. As you probably have heard, the wine industry is seeing a decline in sales. Please remind your wine clubs that entering our wine competition gets them direct exposure to the Southern California wine market through the OC Fair. To help with these efforts, we have launched OCWineCompetition.com where wineries can learn about the benefits of our competition and start their entry for 2025. Entries are being accepted NOW through May 16, 2025.  We also have colorful brochures available at the OCWS Office (and at all event sign-in tables) for you to pick up and take to wineries as you visit them throughout the year.

2025

In the coming year, we have many exciting events in store for our members.

• Bubbles ‘n’ Brunch / Dine with Wine
• Featured Winery Program
• Mini-Tastings
• New Member Mixers
• Outings at local wineries
• Spring and Falls Socials
• Varietal Hours
• Vintage Member Luncheons
• Volunteer Recognition Reception
• Wine Defect Identification Workshop
• Wine Auction
• Wine Seminars
• Winemaker Classes
• Winemaker Quarterly Potlucks
• Winery Programs
• And more… (look for some new OCWS events soon!)

We also have several exclusive volunteer opportunities that are both fun and educational.

• Wine Auction
• OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition
• OC Fair Home Wine Competition
• Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair
• All Events (Setup, Check-in, Serving, Cleanup, etc.)

For more information on the ongoing events that we host throughout the year, please refer to: ocws.ws/yearataglance.

I encourage you all to reach out to the various event chairs and become more involved as a volunteer. A list of those responsible for each event can be found on our website: ocws.org/about-us/director-responsibilities. Look for more information from us on how to get more involved in the next few months as well.

The blending of people and wine has made this organization a success over the past 48 years! This holiday season, I encourage you to share your love of wine with friends and family. Wine is the magic that brings us together to share meaningful experiences.

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season. Cheers to all!

by Carolyn Christian

It has been a great honor to serve as president of the Orange County Wine Society this past year and I am very thankful to be re-elected as President for another term to continue the work that I have started.

We have a great board this year that I am very proud to lead: Vice President – Fran Gitsham, Treasurer – Fred Heinecke, and Secretary – Rich Skoczylas, along with six Board Members – Sue England, Linda Flemins, CL Keedy, John Lane and Daniel Vlahovic. Together we will bring OCWS forward with several goals to keep the organization resilient, vibrant and fun.

With wine as our shared interest, we will continue to focus on what we share in common and work together to bring members along on their personal wine journey.  Although we are an organization that focuses on wine education and enthusiasm, we do share the value that wine is a personal taste and there is a wine for everyone.

As stewards of the organization, the board is focused on keeping the organization financially successful. We continue to invest in our members and grow our flagship events such as the OC Fair Competitions and The Courtyard at the OC Fair, while keeping the organization fiscally viable.

One of our goals this year is to work on member retention, involvement and engagement with more volunteers to share the work that we do. Member feedback is important to us and you will be given the opportunity to share your thoughts with us.

Recruiting new members will be a focus this year with community outreach at wine festivals and new opportunities like our recent community partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival. We will be exploring new events such as wine trivia and finding new ways to share our love of wine with members.

The Winemakers’ Group is one of my favorite parts of the organization. As the founders of our organization in 1976, they are a vital part of our group to which we owe much gratitude. If you have not tried some of the incredible wines that our Winemakers’ Group members make, you are missing out. And if you ever wondered about making wine on your own, this group is a great resource and provides mentors to help you achieve that goal.

As members of OCWS, we are all ambassadors of the organization. I invite you all to champion our organization to California wineries and discuss with them the many benefits of our competition to market their wines to our members and the Southern California wine market.

And lastly, as we draw closer to our 50^th anniversary in 2026, I invite you to participate in our gathering of historical information and planning of anniversary events and keepsakes. We will be continuing with our Vintage Member Luncheons, moving forward in time by member join dates.

I am very excited about the upcoming year and hope that you will join me in promoting the OCWS to prospective members and wineries. This year’s List of Responsibilities will be posted on our website and I invite you to review the list and contact the committee chairs if you are interested in participating. I appreciate the opportunity to share my vision and lead this organization that has been part of my life for over 38 years. As always, I welcome your input and feedback and hope you continue your participation in this incredible all-volunteer organization that brings us all together in the name of wine and wine education.

As our tagline says… “Pairing Wine Education and Fun Since 1976!”

Cheers to you all!

(Link to Responsibilities List)

List of Responsibilities

It is a great honor for me to serve as the president of the OCWS.  Watching the organization develop over the past several decades has been a great highlight of my life. With the summer over, we begin a new board year in October and plans for 2025.

Annual Business Meeting

Thank you to those who attended our Annual Business Meeting on Sept. 6. A recording of the proceedings is available to members on our website.

Board Elections

Please join me in congratulating our newly elected board members Fran Gitsham, C.L. Keedy and Daniel Vlahovic. They will be joining the remaining six board members for the 2024-2025 board term: Sue England, Linda Flemins, Fred Heinecke, John Lane, Rich Skoczylas and myself. Our volunteer board of nine directors spends countless hours organizing events and performing administrative duties. I would like to again thank them for their commitment to the organization and their dedication to making our amazing events and programs very successful.

Volunteer Recognition Reception

Before the pandemic, our volunteer recognition was handled at the in-person Annual Business Meeting. With the transition of the meeting to online, we have separated our volunteer recognition into a new event. On Oct. 20, we will hold our first Volunteer Recognition Reception 1 to 4 p.m. in The Courtyard at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. In addition to enjoying appetizers and wine, we will recognize the volunteers who have dedicated so many hours to the organization. Based on the number of hours volunteered in the past year (September to August), volunteers will be invited to attend the reception and receive a voucher for $10, $25, or $50 toward a future OCWS event. The President’s Award will also be presented at the event. Invitations will be sent in mid-September to those receiving awards. Space allowing, we will provide an opportunity for those not receiving awards to purchase tickets to attend and help celebrate our amazing volunteers.

Vintage Member Luncheons

This past May, we started Vintage Member Luncheons to help us prepare for our 50^th Anniversary celebration in 2026. Attendees are helping us gather stories and information about the organization that we are compiling into a book. 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 over the next 15 months.  If you received an invitation to one of the previous events but were unable to attend, you will be kept on the invitation list until you are able to attend. 

Upcoming Events

We have a host of upcoming events for you to attend. With over 1,000 members, it is important for you to purchase tickets as soon as they become available as they often sell out. Once they sell out, please contact our office to be put on a waiting list. Here is a brief list of upcoming events: Varietal Hours (every other Tuesday), Hocus Pocus Fall Social (Oct. 6), Winemakers’ Group Quarterly Meeting (Oct. 19), OCWS Outing at Laguna Canyon Winery (Nov. 1), Bubbles and Brunch at the Cannery (Nov. 3), Holiday Dinner Dance (Dec. 6), and Winemakers’ Group Holiday Potluck (Dec. 22). For more details on all upcoming events, please read the articles in this newsletter and sign up online.

Closing

Thank you to all our members who volunteer their time and attend our events. As a membership organization, we rely on your participation, and you have made this an incredibly successful organization over the past several decades. Sharing wine, food and good times with such an amazing group of individuals is a magnificent honor. Cheers to all!

By Carolyn Christian

Summers in the OCWS mean one thing: the OC Fair is in full swing where hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly to host The Courtyard during the 23-day run.  August marks the midway point of this incredible undertaking. It is a time to reflect on the organization and the dedication of its current members and to look toward the future with the biggest recruitment time for our organization.

Wine Courtyard

A big thank you to Fred Heinecke, Fran Gitsham and all of those who help make The Courtyard at the OC Fair happen. A special shoutout to Les Hodowanec for overseeing the setup crew. If you are one of the hundreds of volunteers, we thank you in advance for your dedication to the organization. If you are not volunteering this year, we encourage you to support the organization and the wineries by purchasing wine and attending the many activities in the Courtyard.

Featured Winery Program

Several years ago, Liz and Lloyd Corbett developed the Featured Winery Program in The Courtyard. The program has grown in popularity and features award-winning wineries from the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Proceeds from this program go directly to the OCWS Scholarship Fund. Much appreciation to the Corbetts and their team for hosting this program.

Wine Seminars

The Courtyard would not be complete without the seminars held each weekend of the fair at 1 and 3 p.m. As in past years, Sara Yeoman and Ed Reyes head a team of seminar presenters who present amazing food and wine pairings and expand attendees’ wine knowledge. They definitely deserve a round of applause!

Annual Business Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting will be held on 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. We are aware that many of you miss the days of the in-person Annual Business Meeting, and we are adding a new event in September to replace the social aspect of past business meetings.

Volunteer Recognition Reception

This September 29^th, OCWS will be hosting its first Volunteer Recognition Reception. This event will replace the previous volunteer recognition portion of the Annual Business Meeting and will include food and wine to enjoy as we recognize our many volunteers who have dedicated so many hours throughout the year.  Invitations to those who will be receiving a volunteer award will be sent at the beginning of September.

Membership Special

This is a reminder that we have a great membership special that provides a $20/person credit for new memberships during the fair. This includes memberships purchased through the website through the end of August.  Maybe you have a friend or two who needs a gift membership. Now is the time to purchase it!

OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition

Although the competition is over, committee members are hard at work delivering medals to wineries who won the top awards of Best of Class and Double Gold Medals. You will see photos and posts on Facebook and Instagram throughout the next month or so as they make their way around the state.  Please like, share, and comment on the posts to show your support for the winning wineries.

Marketing and Social Media

The Marketing Committee and its Social Media team have stepped up their game this year, adding several new Social Media campaigns. In addition to the OC Fair and medal delivery posting from the past, you will also notice campaigns promoting wineries by county and other related posts. Please engage with the posts to help promote our award-winning wineries. Feel free to post your travels to wineries on your own social media pages and tag us @ocwinesociety and the wineries.  The wineries love to see our people out enjoying their wines!

Thank You All!

We are so lucky to have over 1,000 members who help run this organization and I am truly honored to serve as president. Please join me in thanking all the volunteers who make this organization what it is today. I hope to see you in August at the OC Fair so we can raise a glass to this amazing organization!  Cheers to you all!

By Carolyn Christian

This past month was, like most Junes, an incredibly busy month filled with our two flagship events, the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the OC Fair Home Wine Competition.  As hosts of these competitions, we have hundreds of volunteers working thousands and thousands of hours to make them a success. In an era when other wine competitions are seeing a decline in submissions, our competitions continue to grow.

OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition

This year, the Commercial Competition was held on June 1 and 2, and hosted 88 judges from the wine industry who judged 2,518 California wines (an increase of several hundred over last year). I can’t say enough about the committee members and volunteers, led by Fran Gitsham, who make this incredibly complex event go flawlessly. Results from the competition can be found at WineCompetition.com – this site is a great resource for you to search for your favorite varietals and wine regions at the price point you desire.

OC Fair Home Wine Competition

The Home Wine Competition received 521 entries this year. The judging took place on June 8^t and 78 judges enjoyed not only some incredible home wines, but a fantastic breakfast and lunch prepared by our own Cooks’ Caucus. Kevin Donnelly led the Home Wine Competition committee and volunteers in another successful year. Results from this competition can be viewed at hwcr.ocws.org and an article with more details can be found in this issue.

Wine Defect Identification Workshop

While stewarding at the Commercial Competition, OCWS Member Don Mayer came up with an idea to learn more about wine tasting by comparing the bad bottles identified by the judges from the competition with their good bottle counterpart. Nearly 40 OCWS enjoyed the educational experience, and we hope to make it an annual one. A BIG thank you to Don Mayer and his committee, who put on an amazing event. See his article in this issue about the event for more details.

Courtyard at the OC Fair

With the competitions behind us, it is now time to ramp up for the OC Fair. For decades, OCWS has hosted a booth at the annual fair. Our current location, The Courtyard, allows us to serve award-winning wine, wine by the glass, featured wineries, and wine seminars. Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham lead the committee that puts together these marvelous events in The Courtyard. More details on The Courtyard activities is available in this month’s newsletter, including information on volunteering to help with the setup. Also check out Jane Goodnight’s article (Part 1) on the history of the OCWS at the OC Fair.

You Can Help!

So now it is your turn!  In addition to volunteering for our events, there are many ways that you can help support the OCWS and its educational mission.

• Check out WineCompetition.com and use the site to help you purchase wines that won medals at our competition. And share the website with your friends and family as a great resource to find award-winning wines. It is a great way to thank wineries for participating!
• Visit wineries that have won medals and congratulate them! You will probably see their OC Fair medals proudly displayed.
• Come to The Courtyard at the OC Fair. Even if you are not signed up to volunteer, coming to The Courtyard for a glass of wine or tasting award-winning wines is a great way to support the organization. Make sure you check out the Featured Wineries on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and the Wine Seminars on Saturdays and Sundays!

We are so fortunate to have over 1,000 members who help us run so many successful wine events. I hope you will join me in thanking all the committee chairs and members and volunteers who make this organization what it is today. Celebrating 48 amazing years of doing what we do makes us a truly unique organization that I am proud to lead. Thank you for all that you do for the organization. I hope to see you in July and August at the OC Fair so we can raise a toast and share more wine experiences together!

Cheers to you all!

By Carolyn Christian

Here we are in June, and it is difficult to believe that 2024 is nearly halfway over. This means that we are in the throes of our busy season!

Our unique relationship with the OC Fair and Event Center provides us the opportunity to host two amazing wine competitions—the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the OC Fair Home Wine Competition. These events helped launch our organization back in the mid-1970s, and they are what make us the organization we are today!

This year marks the 48^th annual event for both! We could not possibly put on these events without the amazing volunteers that form the membership and foundation of our organization. It makes me incredibly proud to see the level of commitment from so many people. What takes months and thousands of hours to put together has become a well-oiled machine. My personal thanks to Fran Gitsham and Kevin Donnelly for leading the incredible teams that are making these events happen this year.

On the heels of the competitions, The Courtyard is ramping up for another amazing season of wine tasting, wine by the glass, featured wineries and seminars at the OC Fair. This is another instance of hundreds of people coming together to make something so vast seem effortless. The Courtyard is an event that many mark as their anniversary as members of the OCWS, having joined from “the other side of the counter” after a wonderful experience tasting wine and realizing that the OCWS seemed like a great group to join.

The OC Fair is our main recruiting time and last year we brought in over 250 new members. These new members are already getting involved in events and committees. I would be remiss in not mentioning that Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham head the team that makes The Courtyard happen.

As part of our educational mission, we provide events to help those who want to learn to make wine. Don’t miss the Kit Wine Class this month. Along with our traditions, we are trying to add new events as the opportunities arise. Don’t miss this month’s new events – the Wine Defect Identification Workshop and the OCWS Outing with Vinos Unidos (see this issue for more details).

We are approaching our 50^th Anniversary in 2026. In preparation for this momentous occasion, we are putting together articles on the history of the OCWS (see Hank Bruce’s article in this issue) and gathering historical information to assemble a comprehensive history of the organization. The OCWS History Committee will be hosting a series of luncheons for our “Vintage Members” to gather historical information.

Each meeting will include members, starting with the longest standing members and moving forward in time. Our first luncheon was a huge success and included original members like Judi Brady and Jane Goodnight. With such a rich history, we have much work ahead of us to gather the untold stories of our organization. In addition to the luncheons, we will have several ways in which you can share your stories with us.

As we move into the summer and our busiest time of the year, let me just say how truly lucky we are to have such great volunteers that help make this organization what it is – a vibrant and resilient group of over 1,000 members, all at a different stage in their wine enthusiast journey, working together to make things happen. We have truly been “Pairing Wine Education and Fun Since 1976!”

Cheers to you all!

By Carolyn Christian

Spring is finally here and April kicks off our busy season as we host our flagship events. This year we have a particularly busy April, with 10 events to choose from this month alone.

Make sure you read our newsletter and website and review the weekly reminders for details on all the diverse events coming up in the next few months so you don’t miss out!

New starting this month

• Membership Information Verification: You will be receiving an email from us with the information listed in our membership database. Please take a moment to check that the information is correct (your email, name and co-member name, address, join date, whether you are interested in home wine activities, etc. Feel free to reach out to Rochelle or Lynda in the office if you have difficulty updating your profile information.
• New Member Badges: The OCWS is rolling out a new member badge—same logo and look but with the addition of the year you joined. This is part of our effort to showcase and recognize our members and the number of years they have dedicated to our organization.

Thank you to our volunteers!

This organization is run by our volunteers. Each year hundreds of you participate on committees and at events. It warms my heart to see so many people take interest in the well-being of our organization, which is now in its 48^th year! This month, I would like to highlight just a few of those who dedicate their time to running this organization.

First, the Spring Social Committee, chaired by Alice Polser and Betty Jo Newell, is putting together a fun-filled day of food and wine April 6 featuring the incredible cooking of our own Cooks’ Caucus. The Wine Auction team has also been hard at work putting together an amazing event. You will be able to see the fruits of their labor April 20.

Fran Gitsham is heading up the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition June 1-2 again this year. This event is run by a group of dedicated individuals who work year-round to put on one of our flagship events. Kevin Donnelly is heading up the OC Fair Home Wine Competition June 8, run by another group of volunteers who make another one of our flagship events a huge success.

Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham are co-chairing this year’s Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair July 19 to Aug. 18, supported by another team of amazing volunteers.

Hats off to Ed Reyes for heading up the Winemakers Group and a whole series of events to help those interested in learning how to make wine.

And finally, a big shout out to Greg and Cathy Risling – for putting together this amazing newsletter and organizing some great outings at local wineries.

Thank you to all who volunteer for OCWS and make it such an amazing organization!

Future Volunteer Opportunities

All our events require volunteers to keep them running smoothly. If you haven’t already signed up, I highly recommend volunteering for the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions in June and the Wine Courtyard in July and August. These are volunteer opportunities that you can’t find anywhere else. All involve a variety of volunteer positions and provide you with a unique opportunity to meet winemakers and try new wines.

In addition, we invite you to become ambassadors for OCWS and spread the word to all your favorite California wineries about the 2024 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition. You should have already received an email with four ways you can help get the word out by forwarding our email announcement, taking a copy of the brochure to wineries when you visit them, volunteering to call wineries about entering and tagging us on social media when you visit your favorite wineries or open a bottle of their wine. For more details, about becoming an Ambassador.

I look forward to seeing you all at our many upcoming events! Cheers and Happy Spring!

“Wine and friends are a great blend.” – Ernest Hemingway

 As we roll into March, I am reminded how truly lucky we are as an organization, built on and by volunteers and bound together by our love of wine (and food)! On the one hand, we enjoy wine with loved ones and friends, and on the other hand, we feel strongly about educating people about wine and supporting the California wine industry. They are but two sides of the same lucky coin for us. And this is what makes our organization so unique.

The OC Wine Society has so many types of events, from small gatherings at members’ homes or on Zoom, to larger events such as tastings at hotels, social functions at The Courtyard and wine auctions, to larger public events like the Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair. Each of these events provides us great opportunities to learn about wine, support our scholarship fund, drink and buy wines, and most importantly spend time together!

Volunteers are what make our organization work. It is not easy running an organization with over 1,000 members. And although I proudly lead this organization, I do not do it alone. Behind the scenes are groups of volunteers who keep things running smoothly, from our nine-member board of directors, to official committees that run events, to teams who help with year-round work. There are so many people to thank for their tireless commitment to our organization. Although I don’t have the space to name each and every person, as you read through the newsletter, you will see many of their names and images. You can also find the names of our top volunteers on our website. And next time you are at one of our events, please thank the volunteers you see there.

I invite all of you to volunteer for one or more of our upcoming events.  Doing so will help you get to know other members better, learn more about wine, and even rub elbows with some amazing winemakers.

Here’s a preview of what coming up in the next few months…

Winery Programs –  your chance to meet the winemaker or winery owner and enjoy dinner and a wine tasting at a local hotel – Double Bond Wine (March), San Pasqual Winery (April), San Simeon Wines (April).

Varietal Hours (Every other Monday evening through July) – educational and fun wine tastings via Zoom with informative topics, knowledgeable hosts, and a chance for everyone to share information on what they are drinking. This event goes on hiatus during the OC Fair.

Wine Auction (April) – a great event for a great cause, where you can purchase wine at a fraction of retail.  Tickets include wine and food throughout the event and a chance to bid on great California wines.  Volunteers are needed for this event as well.

Spring Social Event “Let The Good Times Roll” (April) – a celebratory member event with wine, food, music and dancing.

 Pinot Noir Mini-Tasting (April) – an exciting potluck event at members’ homes throughout the OC

 Winemakers’ Events – informative events to help hone your own winemaking skills – Wine Blending Seminar (April), and Kit Wine Class (May).

Bubbles ‘n’ Brunch at the OC Mining Company (May) – a Sunday brunch gathering where members share their favorite bubbly.

OC Fair Commercial and Home Wine Competitions (June) – Our flagship events that make the OCWS such a prestigious organization known throughout California! Please don’t miss your opportunity to volunteer for these amazing competitions!  You won’t regret it.  Preparations begin early for these events.  Watch for eblasts, newsletter announcements and postings on how to get involved!

 Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair (July & August) – Our other claim to fame running the Wine Courtyard for the entire length of the OC Fair with hundreds of volunteers! Make sure you get your RBS certification now and join us behind the counter at the Wine Courtyard!  Volunteering at the Wine Courtyard is one of the best perks of being a member of the OCWS! More information is in this newsletter.

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

We look forward to seeing you at one of our future events!  Wishing you all the luck in the world this March!

Sláinte (Cheers)!

Carolyn Christian

“Luck is believing you’re lucky!” – Tennessee Williams

Happy New Year to all of you! It’s hard to believe that it is 2024! As we begin another amazing year, I am reminded how truly fortunate we all are. This year promises to be an exceptional year for our organization, as we continue to embrace our traditions and look for ways to improve on what we already do so well. Last year, we welcomed over 300 new members to the organization, including 252 during the OC Fair, and a new steady stream of additions each month thanks to our outreach efforts. And thanks to our New Member Mixers, hosted by Linda Flemins, these new members are volunteering and participating from the start.

Events in 2024

Our first event of the year is part of the Varietal Hour series, now being co-chaired by Don Phillips and George Cravens. This fun-filled happy hour via Zoom began during COVID and has survived with a great group of people attending and sharing their wine knowledge. Regardless of where you are on your wine enthusiast journey, everyone has something to contribute.

We are kicking off the new year with the return of our winery programs, which take place each month, January through May. Rich Skoczylas has done an outstanding job bringing in award-winning wineries from the OC Fair Competition such as Once & Future Wine Company, Bella Grace Vineyards, and more. These events are truly unique to our organization and provide members with an opportunity to hear directly from winemakers and winery owners.

Bubbles ‘n’ Brunch events also begin in January with a visit to Citrus City Grille, an OCWS favorite. This event always sells out and Rochelle Randel has done a great job finding locations for us to enjoy an amazing brunch with our favorite sparkling wines.

In 2023 we started organizing outings at local wineries in the OC, which will continue this year with a visit to DeFalco Family Wine in February and March. Space for these events is limited and the events sell out, so sign up early!

Mini-Tastings are also an OCWS favorite, with culinary delights from our own members, and a special curated wine selection, expertly organized by George Cravens, all hosted at members’ homes, for a truly intimate and amazing experience. George has already scheduled a tasting for February to compare old world and new world wines.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for April 20, our annual Wine Auction, featuring entries from the 2023 OC Fair Commercial Competition. Wine can be purchased for a fraction of the retail price, and the event is a fun way to spend the day with your OCWS friends! This is one of our major fund-raisers for the year and supports our educational programs and scholarship program.

The OC Fair Commercial and Home Wine competitions are our two flagship events. 2024 will be our 48^th year hosting the events! Fran Gitsham and Kevin Donnelly, respectively, will be leading dedicated teams that run these events like well-oiled machines. Watch the newsletter and emails for your opportunity to volunteer and participate in these events. If you have never volunteered for the competitions, I highly recommend doing so. Both competitions are unique experiences that will deepen your wine knowledge while having fun!

On the heels of the wine competitions is the Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair, our top fundraiser of the year. The Courtyard is the place where a majority of our members learned about the OCWS, and it continues to be a great place to do outreach. Fran Gitsham and Fred Heinecke will be chairing the Courtyard, with Rich Skoczylas handling volunteers. We always need hundreds of volunteers to pull off this event, so please sign-up when you see the information posted.

The Winemakers’ Group has been an integral part of the OCWS since its inception. Watch for articles on upcoming events such as their Quarterly Potluck or Winemaking Classes. Ed Reyes chairs this group that loves to share their winemaking knowledge and home wines with others.

OCWS has its share of social events, including the Spring and Fall Socials and Holiday Dinner Dance (already scheduled for December 6th). These events bring together what OCWS does best, food, wine, music, and dancing! Alice Polser and Betty Jo Newell will be co-chairing the socials.

We also will continue to participate in public wine events in the OC area, under the coordination of Sue England and Kevin Donnelly. If you hear of upcoming wine events, feel free to let them know.

New in 2024, we are working on a volunteer recognition event to show appreciation for all of the hours our members donate to the organization. Stay tuned for more information in the near future.

Call to Action

So what does all of this mean for you?  Check the newsletter, website and weekly reminders, and sign-up early for our events, including our amazing volunteer opportunities, which you won’t find anywhere else! If you find an event is sold out, please contact our office to be placed on a waiting list.

I look forward to working with you all in 2024 to continue this organization’s amazing journey on our way to our 50th anniversary!

As I reflect back on this remarkable year, I am reminded of just how amazing this organization is, not just because of the astounding things we accomplish as an all-volunteer organization, but because of the wonderful people who make it happen.

We are an organization of over 1,000 individuals who are drawn together by our love and appreciation of wine. I am truly honored to be at the helm of such an amazing group of people who are so dedicated to this organization and help steer it in the right direction. After more than three decades of being an OCWS member, it warms my heart to see the ongoing commitment of so many to this incredibly unique nonprofit.

Magnitude of our Impact

Our organization has donated over $780,000 to college and universities that are training the next generation of enologists, viticulturalists and culinary professionals. There is still an opportunity to donate to our scholarship fund before the end of the year (donations are eligible for tax deductions). You can bring your check to one of our holiday events or go online to donate and generate a receipt.

Success of OCWS Events

This was our 47^th year hosting the OC Fair Commercial and Home Wine competitions. The Commercial Competition judged 2,260 California wines, while the Home Wine Competition judged 598 California wines. We also sold over 1,200 lots of wine at our annual wine auction. Over 360 volunteers made this year’s competitions and auction successful with a record number of new members volunteering.

We also have touched the lives and shared our wine knowledge with tens of thousands of people at the OC Fair and brought in over 250 new members to the OCWS. The Courtyard continues to be an incredibly successful venture for the organization.

New this Year

We started doing OCWS Outings events at our local wineries in the OC with great success. Our events have included the continuation of an incredible array of wineries showcasing their wines at the Winery Programs, Featured Winery Program, Mini-Tastings and Varietal Hours.

Thanks to our Volunteers

I am so thankful to our Board of Directors, whose leadership of our many events make my job so rewarding. We have a number of new faces this year taking on leadership roles for our many events and committees (see the Responsibilities List on our website).

As you enjoy the various holiday events that the OCWS has planned for December, please take time to look around at the attendees who also volunteer their time to put together events. It is our members who make us what we are today.

Looking Forward to 2024

We have so many exciting things in store, including starting off the year with a Bubbles n’ Brunch at  Citrus City Grille in Orange and a winery program featuring Once & Future Wine Company run by Joel Peterson, a longtime supporter of our organization. I urge you to look at the newsletter and emails announcing our various events and sign up early, as they often sell out.

Celebrating OCWS History

We have launched a new project to gather and archive the organization’s history as we approach our 50^th anniversary within the next few years. Please help us in preserving our amazing history by donating requested items such as old newsletters prior to 2000, photos and video, event programs, wine award books and other memorabilia (we will be putting out calls for specific items in the newsletter).

I encourage all of you to volunteer for upcoming events and be part of the magic-making that occurs with the OCWS.

Grateful for All Members

I wish all of you a most joyous holiday season, whatever holidays you, your family and your friends celebrate. We have much to be grateful for. I find it no coincidence that when people toast, it is usually with a glass of wine, and for the OCWS, wine is truly the elixir that brings us together in one amazing organization. Happy holidays and Happy New Year to all!