OCWS
We had multiple amazing entries for our recent logo contest several members. Thank you all for your submissions; it was difficult to pick a winner with so many great logo ideas. We are pleased to announce the winner of the 50th Anniversary Logo Contest is John Goodnight. As a thank you for submitting the winning logo, John will receive admission to one of the upcoming Winery Programs in 2026.
Ingredients
2 cups (16 oz.) whole milk
ricotta
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbsp. capers
1 tsp. lemon zest (from half a
large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon Everything Bagel
seasoning
Cucumber slices
Lemon wedges
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Bagel crisps or crackers (I prefer
Ritz Toasted Chips)
Directions
ADD the ricotta, cream cheese, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Blend
until smooth and creamy.
SPREAD the whipped cheese onto a serving platter.
TOP with the chopped smoked salmon, sliced red onion, capers, lemon zest,
Everything Bagel seasoning and chopped fresh dill.
SERVE with lemon wedges, bagel crisps and cucumber slices.
—Recipe courtesy Tricia Ouellette
By Damian J. Christian
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it is a good time to make a donation to the OCWS Scholarship Fund. Currently, the OCWS scholarship fund has awarded over $946,000 since 1981. We hope reach $1 million in our 50th anniversary in 2026. This is 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). There are several ways to donate:
You can make your donation online and print a receipt for tax purposes at the same time.
Harvest & Hues: A Wine Lover’s Photo Challenge Show us your best wine-inspired shots in the November OCWS Photo Contest. Whether it’s the warm glow of autumn leaves in the vineyard, the cheerful clink of glasses, or the perfect swirl in a glass, we want to see how you capture the magic of wine this fall. […]
By Fran Gitsham
For most of us the pleasure of tasting and learning about wine is enough, but for that handful of people who want more, savoring the drink is just not enough.
For the brave who venture into the corners of their kitchens, garages, backyards and even bathrooms to experiment with the process of making wine, it becomes an obsession and ultimately a goal to create a taste of heaven in a glass. Amateur winemakers, better known to the OCWS as home winemakers, toil year after year to create wines with hopes of garnering medals and accolades for their entries into the OC Fair Home Wine Competition.
In the case of a rare few who eventually become commercial winemakers, their journeys, more often than not, began with success at the OC Fair Home Wine Competition, giving them the confidence to pursue their dreams. This is the case with a very special handful of microwineries in Temecula that together are working to prove the quality of fruit and wine from the region dispels any negative myths.
They are among the limited production wineries, producing just 500 to 1,000 cases a year each who are creating small batch clean and simple handcrafted wines with no additives and minimal sulfites. Each of them now are garnering numerous Double Gold awards at the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, and just this year taking top honors as Best in Class.
Big Nose Winery, owned and operated by Roger and Janice Mattar, who to this day remain dedicated OCWS members, initially learned their trade as OCWS home winemakers and eventually went commercial, now with any number of varietals being served in their welcoming, heartwarming tasting room in the historic Temecula Hotel in Old Towne Temecula. This year, they entered 13 wines, all of which received medals, with one of their Double Gold, Jan’s Sparkling Rose, taking the highest honor as Best of Class.
Mirroring the Mattars’ enthusiasm and passion for winemaking sits both Laura and Mike Wieters of DeCoupage Cellars and Dirk and Michelle Uys (pronounced ACE) of Uys Winery who both boast about their beginnings as home winemakers and proudly display their OCWS home wine medals right alongside their OCWS commercial competition awards, including numerous Double Gold plaques. They welcome you into their homes with open arms and hearts. These are hidden gems not to be missed.
Fran Gitsham, OCWS VP, OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition Chair
Results from the Sept. 6 Gold Medal Mini-Tasting are in. With 10 wines evaluated by 160 people across 10 host sites, the results show a clear hierarchy among the wines. The ratings, which were tallied to determine a total score, highlight several standout performers. The 2023 Petit Verdot by ZD Wines emerged as the undisputed champion, accumulating the highest total score of 111 total points with seven of the 10 sites ranking this wine in their Top 3. The Malbec from Lucas & Lewellen scored the 2nd highest points with a total of 101 with six of the 10 sites placing this wine in the top three. This was followed by a Cabernet Sauvignon by Honig, which scored 81 points, with four sites ranking this wine in the Top 3. The Sauzao, from Lewis Grace is a wine varietal with Portuguese origins that was rated the 4th highest scoring wine, with four sites scoring it very high offset by four sites that scored it very low.
As one would expect from this Gold Medal Tasting, where nine of the 10 wines were rated as Double Gold, each of the 10 wines were rated in the top three when looking across the 10 host sites. In fact, five of the 10 wines received votes for being a No. 1 choice, and seven of the wines received second place votes. Of the 10 wines, nine were scored as a No. 3 choice. These results support the common notion that great wine is what you like.
I hope everyone enjoyed the selection of wines for the event, and look for the article on the next Mini Tasting scheduled for Nov. 15.
–Don Mayer, OCWS Mini-Tasting Chair
CHEFS OF THE EVENING
| Chef | Dish |
| Maia Pehrson | Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms |
| Ann Jay | Ashkenazi |
| MaryDee Kienstra | Egyptian Barley Salad |
| Joe Barrett | Smoked Salmon Appetizer |
| Cherrl Baker | Veggie & Cheese Enchiladas |
| Alexandra Chebil | Blue Fin Tuna |
| Dan Martinez | Lasagna |
| Shelley Cohen | Chicken Parmesan |
| Mark Prendergast | Ratatouille |
| Jim Burk | Cassoulet, Bean Stew with Pork, Sausage, and Duck |
Egyptian Barley Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Chef was Mary Dee Kienstra using a recipe by Once Upon a Chef, Jenn Segal
Inspired by the flavors of Egypt, this gorgeous barley salad is adorned with feta, scallions, pistachios, raisins and pomegranate seeds.
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
The transportation of wine became an opportunity looking for an answer once wine consumption moved beyond the vineyard and winery locations. The evolution of transporting wine started with using animal skins which often leaked and allowed the wine to oxidize and spoil. Terracotta amphorae quickly became the animal skin replacement and solved many problems. In fact, amphorae were so effective that recently found ship wreaks and uncovered tombs contain amphorae 1000’s of years old that still contain remnants of wine. However, the weight of the amphora filled with wine, which took two people to carry, and its shape with the pointed bottom, which made standing an amphora upright difficult, lead winemakers to look for another solution. Enter the barrel.
