By Carolyn Christian
One of the greatest parts of leading this organization is working with so many individuals who are passionate about wine and about our organization. Like me, they have a long tradition of being fascinated by wine and choosing to donate their time. My introduction to OCWS was perhaps not the most typical path. At 16 years old, I worked my first summer job at the OC Fair selling programs in the parking lot. I had never heard of the OCWS and had no idea that Orange County was such a large wine consumer market. When I attended Cal State Fresno, I had my first formal introduction to enology, and unbeknownst to me, my friends in the enology program received scholarships from OCWS. It was 1984 and the fourth year of the OCWS Scholarship Program. When I returned to Orange County, I visited the OC Fair and was thrilled to learn of the existence of OCWS and the opportunity to continue my wine education. At only 21 years old, I was the youngest member at that time.
Over the years, I have seen so many changes in the wine industry – from the exponential increase of small family-owned and boutique wineries, to the development of large corporate wine portfolios. And today, micro-wineries and limited production wineries appear to be all the rage. OCWS has grown too; when I first joined, the organization had a few hundred members. Since the 1990s, we have remained steady at several times that amount. For more details on the growth of OCWS, I refer you to Linda Flemin’s history of the OCWS Membership in this issue.
OCWS has expanded not only with its membership, but with its activities as well. Our flagship event, the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, has grown from a few varietals in the 1970s to over 100 varietal categories today, with each year bringing us new and unusual varietals. Fran Gitsham currently leads the competition committee which relies on hundreds of volunteers for over nine months of the year. It appears that this year will see an increase in wine entries. You can learn more about the trajectory of the commercial competition in Fran’s article in this issue.
A look at OCWS would not be complete without mention of the Winemakers’ Group, which started the organization back in 1976. Today there are over 240 enthusiastic home winemakers in the group, with more being mentored each year. As hosts of the OC Fair Home Wine Competition, the Winemakers’ Group is also poised to beat last year’s entry numbers.
What we do as an organization would not be possible without our incredible partnership with the OC Fair. We are truly honored to be entrusted with the organizing of both competitions on behalf of the fair. And we are grateful to call the OC Fair and Event Center our home.
If you have not already worked at our famous Wine Courtyard during the OC Fair, I hope you have signed up this year. Working at the fair is a great experience that shouldn’t be missed! It is a great way to share your wine knowledge with the public and taste one of the new varietals entered into the competition.
As we approach our golden anniversary in 2026, I would like to announce the 50th Anniversary Logo design contest for OCWS. Every five years, we celebrate a milestone, and this one is no exception. The winner will receive 2 tickets to a Winery Program of their choice in 2026. Please submit your print-ready design to history@ocws.org by August 18. Both a color and black and white version are appreciated. The winner will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting on September 12.
In preparation for our big anniversary in 2026, I also invite you to share your memories of the organization and your ideas on events and souvenirs to help us commemorate this major milestone. Use this link to share your ideas: ocws.ws/50th
If you had told my 16 year old self that I would be back working at the OC Fair over four decades later as the president of this amazing organization of volunteers who come together in the name of wine and education, I would have thought you were crazy. But here we are in one of the largest wine markets in the nation, promoting wine enthusiasm and supporting the educational institutions that will produce the next generation of winemakers. What an incredibly lucky path I have traveled to get here, and I thank all of you for this remarkable opportunity. Cheers to you all!