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 […]
Our OCWS scholarships make a big impact to the students they support. Below is a thank you letter from Bao Nguyen of Orange Coast College, who is studying Food and Beverage Management.
The reason why I am writing you this letter is to let you know that I have received a scholarship award from you on behalf of Orange County Wine Society. I am very honored and appreciative to have been selected for this scholarship. Upon receiving this scholarship, I didn’t forget the fact that I am very lucky to have come across all the great teachers of the food and beverage programs at Orange Coast College who have worked so hard to prepare me for this day. This wine class has opened the door to a whole new world as if it has opened my eyes to another dimension.
I am studying Food and Beverage Management and my future educational goal is to gain my bachelor’s degree for culinary science at the Culinary Institute of America. I would find every opportunity that I can to help contribute the sustainable goal of zero hunger. I wanted to address to you that this scholarship award had gave me an extra boost where I was able to use some of money to help me with my charity project in a small town 45 miles north from Nha Trang, Vietnam. I was able to build a small food cart where I cooked omurice and gave them out to people who are facing food insecurity.
I want to again thank you and Orange County Wine Society for the generosity. I promise to make the most out of the support you have provided me through the scholarship grant. I wish you and your team great health and prosperity.
Bao Nguyen
OCC
Food and Beverage Management
Class of 27
Dear OCWS Scholarship Committee,
My name is Alexa Del Rio Arredondo and I’m honored to be one of this year’s OCWS scholarship recipients. Thank you so much for selecting me.
Your generous funding not only helps me financially but also serves as a great reminder of my support system. It feels good knowing that this committee believes in me and my education dreams.
My interest in winemaking stems from the phenomenon we call human connection. Making wine is an extensive process in which every helping hand impacts the next step. In other words, a bottle of wine is born from the collective contribution of hardworking people, and in the process, it connects us to the land.
I am starting my second year at Allan Hancock College this fall and by spring of 2027, I will have completed my associate’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. Afterwards, I plan on transferring to the University of Bordeaux, France to continue my education and career experience, which will be costly but with this scholarship, I am a few steps closer towards my funds goal. Outside of school I am involved in beach cleanups, hiking, gardening, and drawing.
Thanks again for your support in my educational journey.
Kind regards,
Alexa Del Rio Arredondo
Dear Orange County Wine Society,
I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the generous scholarship awarded by the Orange County Wine Society. My name is Nicole Nellis and I am currently continuing my education in the Viticulture and Enology program at Allan Hancock College.
Having worked in the wine industry for the past six years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the people, knowledge and dedication that make this industry so special. Continuing my education is an important step in growing both professionally and personally, and I am grateful for the opportunity to further develop my skills and knowledge while continuing to build my career in an industry I truly enjoy.
Balancing full-time work with school has been challenging on a mental, physical and financial level. Pursuing an education while working full-time requires a significant commitment and the financial demands of continuing my education can sometimes feel overwhelming. Your generous scholarship will help alleviate some of that financial burden and allow me to focus more of my energy on my education and professional development.
Thank you again for your generosity, your support of the Viticulture and Enology program at Allan Hancock College and for believing in students who are working toward a future in the wine industry. I am truly honored to be a recipient of this scholarship and deeply appreciative of the opportunity it provides me.
Gratefully,
Nicole Nellis
By Fran Gitsham
I would have never thought 15 years ago that I would see 12 of those years on the Board of Directors, four presidencies, 12 Courtyard chairmanships and now being in my sixth year chairing the Commercial Wine Competition. Through it all, there has been one constant — the people who have touched my heart and lifted me up in so many ways.
Although I’ve been a member since 2000, it was OCWS members who embraced me and brought me back into the fold when I was widowed in 2011 and, by doing so, created a die-hard volunteer and fostered a love in me of a most incredible organization.
I have always felt that the OCWS is a microcosm of what the world should be: a place where people of all ages, races, sexual orientations, financial statuses and religious and political views gather for no other reason than being together for a common purpose, whether it’s for the love of wine, being a part of something larger than us individually where an educational mission is concerned or for the camaraderie, laughter and love that abounds whenever and wherever an OCWS gathering takes place.
I know of no place else that exemplifies the qualities of acceptance, inclusion and just downright kindness than our wonderful nonprofit organization and I am so immensely proud to fill the role of president one last time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to, once again, head an amazing group of directors in running the business of the organization and to all of you who give of your time throughout the year in making us a successful organization run on your talents, expertise, kindness and compassion.
November brings the cozy charm of fall and the first hints of winter. From intimate wine tastings and fireside pours to festive gatherings, seasonal celebrations and beautiful autumn vineyards, there are endless opportunities to capture special wine moments. Wherever your adventures take you this month, don’t forget your camera, we can’t wait to see your favorite November memories.
Each month, the OCWS Photography Committee selects a Photo of the Month to be featured in the OCWS newsletter and showcased on our website. The winning photographer will also receive a special bottle from the OCWS cellar.
THEME: Falling for Wine
SUBMIT TO: Photo@OCWS.org
RULES: OCWS.org, News, Photos
Here’s to the good times we share!
Feel free to capture and share the fun, candid moments from any OCWS event—we’d love to see the experience through your eyes! These photos are separate from the Photo of the Month Contest (no prizes are awarded), but they may be featured in our newsletter, marketing materials or on social media. It’s a wonderful way to showcase your unique perspective and celebrate the spirit of the OCWS community.
REMINDERS:
• By submitting, you grant OCWS rights to use your photos for marketing.
• Only submit photos that are your own.
• Send your shots to photo@OCWS.org
Let’s raise a glass to the good times we share.
—Leslie Hodowanec, Arnie Gamboa, Hank Bruce and Sue England, Photo Committee
Our first-eve, Fall Online Wine Auction was a great success. After holding a Spring Online Auction and In-Person Auction earlier this year, we wanted to see how a Fall Online Auction might fare. And many of you stepped up and clicked the BID button.
The event raised $12,490, excluding auction fees and sales tax and provided dozens of OCWS members with wine for their home cellars. We had over 80 registered bidders, 218 wine lots and experiences available and 33 winners who took home one or more lots. Wine lots sold for $40 to $157. Thank you to our TOP FIVE bidders: Pamela Howard, Matthew Hyland, Brenden Richard, Bob Soule and John Kienstra.
As part of our second-largest fundraiser of the year, the Wine Auction offers our members the opportunity to buy great California wines at a fraction of retail prices. It also helps empty our cellar in preparation for the 2027 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, just eight months away. Auction proceeds help cover the costs of our educational programming, Scholarship Program and the Commercial Wine Competition, which is FREE for wineries to enter. We are one of the only free wine competitions, removing the entry fee barrier and making it easier for small and new wineries to participate. In lieu of entry fees, wineries provide three or six bottles per entry, depending on their annual production, giving OCWS the opportunity to share these wines with the public at the OC Fair.
Beyond the wine lots offering in the Online Wine Auction, standout offerings included custom-etched 50th anniversary wine glasses from John Lane, an in-home tasting from Wine Guy & Wine Gal, and a tasting and wine package from Larkmead Vineyards. Thank you to our generous wine experience and specialty item donors: Wine Guy & Wine Gal Family Wines from Sonoma, Larkmead Vineyards, Booker Vineyard, Kelly Haggard, Cathy and Lee Painter, John Lane and Carolyn and Damian Christian.
The Online Auction has proven to be a successful event for OCWS and we plan to continue it in 2027. But fear not, the In-Person Wine Auction will still be held in the spring as always. Stay tuned for more details.
The Online Wine Auction, like all our events, would not be possible without great volunteers. Thank you to those who served on this small but mighty committee: Chris and Hank Bruce, Damian Christian, John Kienstra, Don Mayer, Cathy and Lee Painter, Rochelle Randel and Peter Schlundt Bodien.
Until next time!
—Carolyn Christian, Event Chair
Ingredients:2 garlic cloves, halved2 Tbsp. butter4-5 medium to large russetpotatoes, peeled & slicedinto ¼-inch slices12 oz. cheddar cheese,shredded (including 6 oz.aged cheddar)12 oz. whole milk12 oz. heavy whipping cream1/8 tsp. nutmegSalt & ground pepper Instructions:PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F.USING one garlic clove, rub over the bottomand sides of a 8″x13″ or 9″x14″ glasscasserole dish.GREASE […]
The OCWS Scholarship Program has a long tradition of supporting the next generation of professional winemakers, grape growers and students pursuing other wine-related careers at eight California colleges and universities. Since 1981, we have donated more than $1 million.
This year, thanks to the efforts of Lloyd and Liz Corbett, the Featured Winery Program raised over $29,000 for the program. Additional scholarship support comes from several of the wine judges at our OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition who donated their judging stipends and from Wine Courtyard customers who made donations to OCWS in lieu of tips to our volunteers. The Chris Cunningham Fund also supports the Sonoma State University scholarship. These sources will support OCWS scholarship donations to our eight partner colleges and universities in Spring 2027 for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Individual OCWS members have donated more than $4,000 this year. If you wish to contribute, there is still time to donate for the 2026 tax year and provide additional support to the school(s) of your choice. Your donation may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax professional regarding your individual circumstances. Your entire donation goes to the school or schools you designate, adding to the scholarship funding OCWS already provides. Your gift increases their support without reducing or replacing the OCWS contribution.
You can donate in any of the following ways:
The Scholarship Program is a valuable part of our educational mission. Each year, deserving students receive scholarships, and we often see former recipients building careers in the wine industry.
Santa Ynez Valley, the November OCWS wine trip destination is one of the, if not the most physically interesting and unique wine regions in California. The transverse mountain range, the overnight temperature fluctuations that occur in less than 40 miles from one end of the valley to the other, the diversity of the soils, all allowing for more than 60 different vine varietals to be grown, makes it a wine lovers paradise. Whether you will be there in November or some other time, you will be in for a real wine tasting treat.
In the January Wine Press, I wrote about this transverse valley first formed over 23 million years ago. As a result of the twisting and turning, compounded by the San Andreas fault making a turn to the east just four million years ago, the Santa Ynez Valley (SYV) was not blocked by the north-south coastal range but open to the Pacific. The SYV became a cool, foggy tunnel to the interior farmlands. During this same geological period, the ocean floor uplifted leaving behind a widely diverse soil composed of calcareous limestone, sandy soils and clay loams. When the winemakers arrived in the 1800s they realized they had found a vineyard nirvana.
Until the last 60 years, this wine region’s vineyards and winemaking have ebbed and flowed. With the latest winery expansion beginning in the 1960s, the region now has over 120 wineries in its seven recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Each designated AVA must possess distinctive characteristics of climate, geology and physical features that distinguishes it from any adjacent area. All seven of these AVAs, outlined below, are within the larger Central Coast SANTA AVA, first established in October 1985, extending from San Francisco County to Santa Barbara County.
The Santa Maria Valley AVA, established in August 1981, crosses the border of Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County. The AVA’s characteristic sandy and clay loam soil, coupled with a mild Mediterranean climate as a result of the cool winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean, make it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Although grape growing started in the 1830s, it was during the winery expansion of the 1960s that over 100 acres of vineyards were planted to produce grapes to challenge Napa Valley.
The Santa Ynez Valley AVA, established in May 1983 has four sub-regions nested within its boundaries: Santa Rita Hills on the western edge, Ballard Canyon and Los Olivos in the center and Happy Canyon on the eastern edge. Santa Ynez Valley AVA with its east-west orientation benefits from the same cool temperatures as Santa Maria Valley but as you travel eastward it becomes increasingly warmer. Chardonnay is the major grape planted in the cooler western areas, with Rhone varietals more prevalent in the east. The diversity of the climate in the 30 miles of the valley offer the opportunity for vineyards to grow both Bordeaux and Burgundy grapes as well as German varietals.
Santa Rita Hills AVA, established in May 2001, sits at the western end of Santa Ynez Valley (SYV). Santa Rita Hills is the area of SYV that benefits the most from the effects of the transverse orientation of the mountains. Vineyards located here with the cool maritime climate, the various loams and sandy/alluvial soils, make it ideal for Pinot Noir. After all it was Santa Rita Hills’ Pinot Noir that starred in the film Sideways.
Ballard Canyon AVA, established in October 2013, is made up of north-south slopes and canyons. As canyon walls compressed and more faulting occurred the north-south ridges of Ballard Canyon were formed. This area offers a very different microclimate. As a barrier to the Pacific Ocean effect, Ballard Canyon experiences cool, foggy air at its higher elevations, warmer temperatures at its lower elevations and subsequent greater diurnal changes than seen elsewhere in SYV. Ballard Canyon is also affected by wind more than elsewhere in SYV. These unique climatic differences make Ballard Canyon the perfect area for Grenache and Syrah.
Los Olivos District AVA, established in January 2016, lying to the east of Ballard Canyon is a large flat alluvial plain made up of typical SYV soils. The Mediterranean climate is mitigated here due to the distance from the ocean and its surrounding AVAs. With warmer temperatures and smaller diurnal changes vineyards here are producing Bordeaux and Rhone varietals as well as grapes for Spanish and Italian wines. A large number of the SYV’s vineyards, planted in the Los Olivos District, were planted in the 1970s allowing them the informal designation of a “heritage vineyard.”
Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, the fourth sub-region of SYV, was established in November 2009. Happy Canyon is the furthest east AVA and has the warmest climate. A north-south ridge blocks the Pacific’s winds making this valley 15% warmer. Although the soils are still sand and clay loams, alluvial soils are more prevalent on the canyon bottom. The Bordeaux varietals are most commonly found in the vineyards.
Alisos Canyon AVA, established in August of 2020, is the newest of the AVAs. It is sandwiched between Santa Maria Valley to the north and SYV to the south. Influenced not only by the Pacific Ocean but also by the San Antonio Creek Valley, the AVA has been called the “Goldilocks Rhone Zone,” a term coined by those examining the region’s terroirs and referenced in the AVA’s federal petition. The diurnal swings, the funnel from the Pacific, the not too hot and not too cold meso-climate make it just right for Rhone varietals with Syrah been the most commonly found.
A common maxim, great wine is made in the vineyard, will be not questioned in these AVAs. There will be a wine you like. It could be a great wine. So, sit back, open it and enjoy. Cheers!
–CL Keedy, Wine Education Committee
Sharing a good bottle of wine is one of the great affordable pleasures in life. The shared experience elevates any occasion by enhancing the senses, relaxing one’s demeanor, all while expanding our palette of flavors and aromas that are delicate, subtle and nuanced. I still have a hard time reckoning how wine smells and tastes […]
This is my final President’s Message. Thanks to all the members of the Orange County Wine Society for making it a memorable and successful year. This has been a great time and it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your president. There are more thank yous to go out.
The overwhelming number of members who volunteer their time continues to astonish me. At the Annual Business Meeting, there were 150 volunteer awards handed out. All in all, 344 members volunteered 26,618 hours over the last year to make the OCWS the outstanding organization it is. All the individual and combined efforts allow us to succeed.
I want to thank some of the individuals whose extra efforts made the year fun for everyone. The fall 2025 Chili Cookoff Showdown, coordinated by Co-Chairs Alice Polser and Betty Jo Newell, was very successful. The tropically delightful, and equally successful, 2026 Spring Social Tiki Party at Baja Blues Co-Chairs were JoBeth Skaggs and Tricia Shelton. Both of these events were catered by the Cook’s Caucus and the theme dinners were fantastic.
Looking forward this month is the 2026 Fall Social Disco Party. The Cook’s Cacus will be there, so get out your bell bottoms, tune up the Bee Gees and don’t miss it.
Our organization functions smoothly, in a large part, due to the work of Business Administrator Rochelle Randel, Office Administrator Lynda Edwards, Accountant Charles English and Website Administrator Wendy Taylor. My thanks to all of them.
A special thanks goes out to Cellar Master Kevin Coy and his assistants, George Cravens and John Lane. They are the ones who make sure wine is available at all our events and they even keep the cellar cool.
The four biggest events of the year are the Commercial Wine Competition, the Home Wine Competition, The Courtyard and the Wine Auctions. Each one requires many, many volunteers and countless hours. A tip of the hat to all four of those committees whose many members (too many to mention them all here) make sure everything runs smoothly.
This year’s President’s Award deservingly goes to George Cravens. George spent seven years as an OCWS director. You can find his impact on the OCWS at virtually every event. George is a member of the Cook’s Caucus and a tireless volunteer for the Commercial Competition, The Courtyard, and wine cellar. Congratulations George.
The year has been a blast!
This year’s Gold Medal Mini Tasting lineup consisted of 10 Double Gold selections with four of the wines selected as Best of Class winners. The evenings scoring across the 12 host sites showed a clear preference by the OCWS membership attending.
Reds decisively carried the evening, with the robust Italian and California heritage varieties locking down the top half of the leaderboard.
The room clearly favored bold, fruit-forward and high-tannin profiles over the lighter-styled entries. A hearty thank you to all the hosts and the 180 members and guests who participated.
The next Mini Tasting will be November 14th, mark your calendars.
Thanks,
Don Mayer, OCWS Mini-Tasting Chair
Chef of the Evening Winners
| Pam Clause | Chicken Pesto with Ziti |
| Mike Levine | Chile Relleno Dip |
| John & Diane Strimel | Paella |
| Jean Rico | Chili Relleno Casserole |
| Kate English | Fruit Pizza |
| Tomie Casey | Chocolate Cake – Better than Sex |
| Alison Godleski | Salad with Shrimp |
| Adrienne Davis | Stuffed Mushrooms |
| Betty Jo & Jay | Jolen Potatoes |
| Pat Solis | Macaroni & Cheese |
| Harold Morehead | Banana Cheesecake |
| Linda Downey | Lemon Curd Parfait with Rasberry Liquor |
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Mini-Tasting on November 14, where we will tackle one of the most intriguing debates in the wine world: Does Price Matter?
As wine lovers, we often find ourselves standing in the aisle or browsing a list, wondering if that higher price tag truly translates to a superior glass in our hand. This session invites you to look beyond the label and explore the fascinating intersection of economics, perception, and pleasure in every pour.
To unpack this question, our tasting will delve into the core elements of pricing from a marketing perspective, examining what the market is truly willing to bear for a bottle. When we invest in a premium wine, we have to ask ourselves: are we paying for an objectively exceptional product crafted with meticulous care, or are we simply funding a grandiose, fancy tasting room and high-end packaging? Understanding the business behind the bottle helps demystify why two seemingly similar wines can command vastly different prices on the shelf.
To put these theories to the test, our event will feature a direct side-by-side comparison across five distinct wine varietals, pitting a higher-priced bottle (>$35) against a lower-priced counterpart (<$25).
To ensure a fair evaluation, each round will compare two Gold Medal award-winning wines from this year’s Commercial Competition. When faced with the blind pour, will we actually be able to tell the difference, and where will our collective preference ultimately land? Sign up soon as space is limited for what promises to be a revealing and memorable evening of discovery.