OCWS
Imagine walking into a room of over 100 people and not knowing a single person. It sounds a little daunting! That is currently what happens when a new member attends his or her first Wine Society event. What if that new member knew at least one or two other people in the room? Does that […]
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 25th 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.
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.
We also have several exclusive volunteer opportunities that are both fun and educational.
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!
Just a friendly reminder that the OCWS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) and contributions to our scholarship fund are tax deductible (but please check with your tax expert). It is not too late to make a donation to the OCWS Scholarship Fund in 2024. There are several ways to donate:
You can make your donation online and print a receipt for tax purposes at the same time.
—Damian Christian, OCWS Scholarship Chair
“Sharing a glass of wine with others is like sharing a piece of your life with others.”
-Quote from film Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines-
Have you ever been to Rioja, Spain with the goal of tasting delicious wines? Whether you have or have not, you would definitely enjoy “Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines.”
Recently, several OCWS members purchased tickets and viewed the film at the Newport Beach 25th Film Festival. This documentary, through captivating cinematography and photography, kept our attention by exploring not only the vibrant evolution of Rioja’s wine industry but its rich traditions, revered history and generational culture differences expressed with great passion. We hope we can share this film at our very own OCWS event. In the meantime, we will share some interesting information about Rioja.
Wine is a bond – enjoy an encounter.
-“Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines”
Rioja is located in northeast Spain. The Ebro River and surrounding mountains define the region of Rioja. The film refers to Rioja as a sleeping lion, a mountain silhouette that looks like the majestic beast a slumber.
Rioja has three main zones: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. The region has three primary soil types: clay mixed with limestone and sandstone, iron rich clay, and loamy soil with alluvial silt from the Ebro River. The altitudes range from 984 feet to nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.
In 1925 Rioja became one of just two Qualified Denomination of Origin (DOCa) regions in Spain, making it one of the most recognized premium wine producing areas. The region is highly regulated by a classification system. For example, regulations require aging in oak and bottle for certain periods of time before release and what information may or must be stated on the label. It is a well-known fact that many traditional wineries choose to exceed minimum aging regulations.
Rioja’s wine production is 90% red wines with styles ranging from young and fresh to complex and aged. Age designations from young to aged are Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. If the wine bottle does not state an age designation, then look at the black label or neck label which will carry a regulation council stamp with its designation. American Oak Barrels are still favored, but French Oak is used as well.
“The value of wine in an old vineyard is the value of time.”
-Quote from film Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines-
Rioja’s primary red grape varietals consist of Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo (Carinena) and Graciano. Viura (also known as Macabeo) is the primary white grape of the Rioja region. Rioja wines are typically blended to provide balance and structure. However, singular vineyard model classifications are excelling. Specific vineyards in Rioja are referred to as parcels, villages and regions. The same “parcel” each year is being harvested, compared, contrasted and placed on the label.
During France’s Phylloxera period, around 1983, Rioja took advantage of the opportunity for becoming a main source of wine in Europe. The good news, during this period, was the French started buying and planting vineyards in Rioja and through France’s profound influence, the sharing of valuable winemaking techniques took place.
Yet, at France’s expense, Rioja made a lot of money from the sales of wine. Yet eventually Phylloxera impacted Rioja vineyards and American root stock had to be purchased and used for grafting.
Even though Rioja is one of Spain’s most advanced wine regions using modern fermentation techniques, it is proud to still maintain a strong respect for history and reverence for tradition. It regularly practices the theme of “Respect the wisdom of old ways – and the flavors that result from them” and “Take your legacy from the past and combine it with a never stop learning attitude.”
FACT:
Traditional family-owned wineries in Rioja: Marqu’es de Murrieta and Lopez de Heredia. Wines usually reflect notes of “echos of earth,” old saddle leather, dried leaves.
Modernists Wineries in Rioja: Marques de Caceres, Martinez Bujanda, Palacio y Hermanos. Wines usually reflect vivid upfront fruit character, jamminess, and a small portion of oak.
FUN FACT:
Have you ever seen Rioja wine wrapped in a thin wire red net or mesh? This practice dates to the 19th century when wineries sought to protect their wines by preventing unscrupulous people from refilling premium Rioja wine bottles with inferior wine. Today this practice is solely decorative.
Whether you have or have not been to Rioja Spain with the goal of tasting delicious wines, we encourage you to find a bottle of Rioja wine, open it and enjoy!
—Linda Flemins, Wine Education Committee, linda@ocws.org
Check out these unique finds that are sure to impress
discerning friends and family on your gift list.
As we approach our 50th 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 50th 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…
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.
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 50th 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)
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!