OCWS Newsletter - April 2024 : simplebooklet.com

2 ocws.org April 20242024 Board of Directors Carolyn ChristianPresidentCarolyn@ocws.orgFran GitshamVice PresidentFran@ocws.orgRich SkoczylasSecretaryRich@ocws.orgMel JayTreasurerMel@ocws.orgGeorge CravensDirectorGeorge@ocws.orgSue EnglandDirectorSue@ocws.orgLinda FleminsDirectorLindaF@ocws.orgFred HeineckeDirectorFred@ocws.orgJohn LaneDirectorJohn@ocws.orgPresident’s Message By Carolyn ChristianSpring is nally here and April kicks off our busy season as we host our agship 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!STARTING THIS MONTHMembership Information Veri-cation: You will be receiving an email from us with the information listed in our membership database. Please take a mo-ment to check that the information is cor-rect (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 ofce if you have difculty updating your prole 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 dedi-cated to our organization.THANK YOU 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 or-ganization, which is now in its 48th 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-lled day of food and wine April 6 featur-ing the incredible cooking of our own Cooks’ Caucus. The Wine Auction Team also has 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 agship events. Kevin Donnelly is heading up the OC Fair Home Wine Competition on June 8, run by a group of volunteers who make another one of our agship events a huge success.Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham are co-chairing this year’s Wine Court-yard 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 nally, 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 OPPORTUNITIESAll our events require volunteers to keep them running smoothly. If you ha-ven’t already signed up, I highly recom-mend volunteering for the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions in June and the Wine Courtyard in July and Au-gust. These are volunteer opportunities that you can’t nd anywhere else. All in-volve a variety of volunteer positions and provide you with a unique opportunity to meet winemakers and try new wines.See MESSAGE, page 3

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April 2024 ocws.org 3The Wine PressStaff BoxThe Wine Press is the ofcial newsletter of the Orange County Wine Society, Inc. The newsletter is published monthly. The Wine Press welcomes input from the OCWS membership. Please forward comments, questions and suggestions to Editor@ocws.orgExecutive EditorsCathy RislingGreg RislingContributing WritersOCWS Board of DirectorsJim BurkDamian ChristianScott HarralAlice PolserRochelle RandelEd ReyesWebsite AdministratorWendy TaylorOCWS PhotographerJim BurkCopyright (c)2024 Orange County Wine Society, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.The Orange County Wine Society is a non-prot 501(c)(3) educational organization incorporated under the laws of the State of California with its principal place of business in Costa Mesa, California.Orange County Wine SocietyP.O. Box 11059Costa Mesa, CA 92627Phone: (714) 708-1636Fax: (714) 546-5002Website: OCWS.orgOCWS Email: Ofce@ocws.org 2023 Wine Competition Results:WineCompetition.comThe Orange County Wine Soci-ety extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Membership for the following members was approved by the Board of Directors at the March 2024 meeting: Donna Carrigg, Brian and Tristyn Ingallinera and Ann Postil.As of March 1, the OCWS has 1,032 total members with 618 mem-berships.New Members: For new members trying to log on to our website, and who have not already created their own password, go to OCWS.org. Your default login is the primary member’s email address. The default password is the primary member’s zip code. Both of these may be changed under the tab “My Account” once you log on. However, there may be only one login / password per membership.—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Business AdministratorNew Members CORNERNew members are invited to a New Member Mixer 1 to 4 p.m. Sat-urday May 18 in Yorba Linda. At this free OCWS event, new members can meet other new members and the Board of Direc-tors as well as learn more about the many events the organization has to offer.Attire is casual (event will be indoors). Wine, water and light appetizers will be served. This event is restricted to new members who joined on or after Sept. 1, 2023, and who have not previously attended a new member mixer.To sign up for this event, go to OCWS.org, log on to your OCWS account and look for the New Member Mixer under Events. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday May 15, 2024.If you have never logged on to your OCWS account, your username is the email of the pri-mary member on your account, and your pass-word is your zip code. You will be prompted to change your password the rst time you login. If you have issues access-ing your account, please contact the OCWS ofce staff at (714) 708-1636. Hope to see you there!—Linda Flemins, OCWS Director & New Member Mixer Co-ChairCelebrating new OCWS membersNew Member MIXERSAVE the DATE1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18Yorba Linda area (exact location will be emailed 3-5 days prior to event)Attire: Casual (event will be indoors)Wine, water and light appetizers will be served. This is an invitation-only event. MESSAGE, from page 2In addition, we invite you to become ambassadors for OCWS and spread the word to all your favorite California win-eries about the 2024 OC Fair Commer-cial Wine Competition. You should have already received an email with four ways you can help get the word out by for-warding our email announcement, taking a copy of the brochure to wineries when you visit, volunteering to call wineries about entering and tagging us on social media when you visit your favorite win-eries or open a bottle of their wine. For more details, visit ocws.ws/am-bassador.I look forward to seeing you all at upcoming events! Cheers and Happy Spring!

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4 ocws.org April 2024The Results ARE IN1st Place2019 Carol SheltonRockpile Reserve ZinfandelSonoma County, CA$41.99Dark, deep and pure fruit avors min-gle with subtle cinnamon and vanilla oak spices in this lush and luscious wine that relaxes in soft tannins. Ripe, indulgent and yet balanced so as not to feel heavy, this wine is truly distinctive. Blend: 80% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah and 5% CarignaneAccolades: 94 points Wine Enthusiast2nd Place2014 ParadorTempranilloNapa Valley, CA$42.99Parador Tempranillo is aged 30 months in older French barriques and puncheon barrels. The vine cuttings originated from Spain and the grapes are sourced from Stagecoach Vineyard. Made with 100% Tempranillo. This wine shines with its aromas and avors of black fruit, licorice and dried earth.Accolades: 92 points Wilbur Wong3rd Place2020 Scott HarveyJ and S Reserve BarberaAmador County, CA$33.99This well-balanced wine can easily be paired with a plethora of dishes. Notes suggest fresh blackberry and blackberry jam, black cherry compote, plum pie lling, cinnamon, licorice, sweet tobac-co and just a hint of cedar.Accolades: 90 points Wine EnthusiastThe February Mini-Tasting was held at seven sites (members’ homes) across the county, with 111 people enjoying 10 wines in a blind tasting. The attendees each contributed a dish and each site voted for their favorite dish and the chef was awarded a bottle of wine as Chef of the Evening.The wines were served in ve blind ights of two wines each and the attendees judged each wine, vot-ed for their favorites and tried to determine the wine varietal and if it was from Europe (the Old World) or California. There were two varietals from Spain (Albariño and Tempranillo) and three from Italy (Barbara, Sangiovese and Zinfandel/Primitivo). All 10 of the wines nished in the top four at one or more of the sites, with the top two wines nishing in the top four at six of the seven sites. The top three were all California wines, but the fourth and fth favorites were from Italy and Spain.The overall winner was Carol Shelton’s Rock-pile Reserve Zinfandel from Sonoma with the corresponding Primitivo, Torcicoda, from South-ern Pugila, Italy coming in fourth overall. Second place overall was a Napa Valley Tempranillo, Parador, with the Spanish Tempranillo, Vina Real, nishing fth overall. Third overall was a Califor-nia Barbara from Scott Harvey in Amador County, California.The three favorite wines across the seven host sites:Mini-Tastings

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April 2024 ocws.org 5Attendees brought a delicious dish to share and then voted on a Chef of the Evening. The results of the Chef of the Evening at each host site are:Hosts: Hank & Chris BruceChef: Mary Anne Neutz - Pear TartHosts: Tom & Laureen BaldygaChef: Susan Clark - Italian SaladHosts: Damian & Carolyn ChristianChefs: Beth & Craig Stark - TiramisuHosts: Greg & Cathy RislingChef: Chris Oullette - Beef BourguignonHosts: Karl & Virginia KawaiChef: Eric Kalnes - Salmon Sushi Hosts: Jay & Betty Jo Newell Chef: Irene Scott - Chicken Lemon PiccataHosts: Dave & Barb WhiteChef: Debbie Webber - Philly Cheesesteak SlidersCongratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to the Mini-Tasting hosts! You can look for recipes posted at ocws.org.—George Cravens, OCWS Director Chefs of the EVENINGPhilly Cheesesteak SlidersIngredients 24 Hawaiian sweet rolls3 lbs. ground beef1 large diced sweet yellow onion1 large diced green bell pepper1 tablespoon garlic powder2 tsp. salt1 tsp. ground pepper1 tsp. onion powder6 oz. softened cream cheese 8 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese 5 Tbsp. melted butter 2 tsp. garlic saltInstructions PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.COMBINE ground beef, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium heat. CRUMBLE beef while cooking until it is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.DRAIN fat from skillet.ADD garlic powder, salt, pepper and onion powder. Stir to combine.MIX in cream cheese until combined.CUT slider rolls in half horizontally and lay bottom sections in a 9” x 13” baking dish.SPREAD beef mixture evenly over the bottom roll layer.TOP beef mixture evenly with provolone cheese slices and replace tops of the rolls.MIX melted butter and the garlic salt together.CUT between sandwich rolls to divide each slider sandwich.BRUSH butter mixture over the top and bake in preheated oven until heat-ed through, about 20 to 25 minutes.Mini-TastingsThis is OCWS member Deborah Webber’s take on the Philadelphia favorite. The original cheesesteak was credited to Pat and Harry Olivieri, two brothers who ran a hot dog stand near South Philadel-phia’s Italian Market. Legend has it that in the 1930s, the brothers wanted to offer innovative sandwiches. Their new item was grilled beef and onions in a toasted roll with no cheese. A customer asked for one with provolone cheese and the classic Philly cheesesteak was born!

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Mini-Tastings6 ocws.org April 2024California is known for having a diverse range of excellent wines, and due to the many different micro-climates, even a single varietal can produce very different wines across the state. For the April Mini-Tasting, we are going to explore and compare Pinot Noirs from a number of regions in California. These may include Carneros, Russian River, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Mendoci-no County and Sonoma.Hosts: Mini-Tastings are held at various host sites around Orange Coun-ty. If you would like to host this event, please e-mail George Cravens at george@OCWS.org or call/text (949) 510-5318. You may need to sign up and pay until hosts are selected. Reimbursement will be made for all host sites.Locations: Host sites and directions will be announced to those attending approximately one week prior to the event. We try to place you at the location nearest your home or to accommodate your specic site request; however, your assigned host site is also based on the order in which your sign-up is received in the OCWS ofce.Cost: The cost to attend the tasting is $35 for members and $40 for guests.Mini-Etiquette: Each person or cou-ple attending brings a potluck dish (appe-tizer, entrée, side dish or dessert) ready to serve a small portion to 16 people. Please coordinate your food selection with your host site to assure an appropriate balance of food types served during the evening. There will be a special bottle of wine that evening as a prize for Chef of the Evening. Our winning Chefs of the Eve-ning can have their recipe published in The Wine Press. Please plan on arriving promptly at 6 p.m. so the event can get started on time. Please bring your own wine glasses for tasting; keep in mind the wines are served in ights of two.After the cut-off date for online sign-ups, please contact the OCWS ofce to determine availability, or to be added to a wait list. The cancellation deadline is April 14 for a refund. After that date, due to the advance purchase of wines, you will not receive a refund unless there is a wait list.Note: If the website says the Mini-Tast-ing is sold out, please call the ofce to be added to a wait list. If we have sufcient demand and host sites, we may be able to expand the tasting to accommodate more members.Bon Appetit!—George Cravens, OCWS DirectorPinot NoirMini-TastingVarious Locations6 p.m.Saturday, April 27, 2024Sign-Up Deadline:Sunday, April 14

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Winery ProgramApril 2024 ocws.org 7San Pasqual Winery6:30 p.m.Friday, April 12, 2024Avenue of the Arts Hotel3350 Avenue of the ArtsCosta Mesa, CASign-Up Deadline:Sunday, April 7San Pasqual Winery, a fre-quent award-winning winery, is a small, family-owned winery located in La Mesa. Owners Linda and Mike McWilliams are relative newcomers to the win-ery business, beginning in 2009 by establishing San Pasqual Winery. Their tasting room became an instantly popular gathering spot with the community. In 2013, they moved winery oper-ations to an industrial area after successfully campaigning to re-vise an outdated zoning statute that prohibited “fermentation” activities.San Pasqual produces 3,000 to 4,000 cases of small hand-crafted lots using grapes sourced from local vineyards and renowned viticulture re-gions throughout California. Most of these wines are sold directly from the winery and tasting room locations to give a more personal connection with the people who enjoy their wines.Their wines include Chardon-nay, Cabernet Franc and Cab-ernet Sauvignon, plus lesser known varietals such as Tannat and Teroldego. They also produce a line of unique passion fruit-based wines (including habanero-in-spired “Hot Passion”), that goes perfectly with the San Diego climate. One of their many achieve-ments include their Malbec—selected to represent Califor-nia-style Malbecs in Cahors, France, “home” of Malbec.—Rich Skoczylas, Winery Program CoordinatorMenuMenuThis evening starts with a light, sit-down, plated dinner. Each attendee will receive a menu card picked up when you check in that you show your server the meal you have selected. Salad Course:Crisp Romaine lettuce hearts with roasted heirloom tomatoes, pepitas, shaved parmesan and creamy Caesar dressing, warm artisan breads and rolls with sweet butter.Entree Options:• Chicken—Herb-crusted breast of chicken with crushed ngerling po-tatoes, roasted baby vegetables, herb RemindersRemindersSign up on the OCWS website to attend this event. Attendees can self-park in the hotel garage and get their ticket validat-ed at OCWS check-in or pay $10 for valet parking. Dinner begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. with the meeting at about 7:30 p.m. Members may bring their own wine to enjoy and share during din-ner. Be sure to wear your name tag. As we need to contract the meals with the hotel, the last day to sign up or cancel and receive a refund is Sunday, April 7.Volunteers NeededVolunteers NeededWe need a couple of volunteers to help with check-in 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please indicate you can help when you sign up. oil, carrot puree and fennel orange reduction.• Fish—Grilled salmon with mustard dill sauce, tomatoes and red onion on top and crushed ngerling potatoes served with grilled zucchini.• Vegetarian—Eggplant pomodoro with fresh plum tomatoes, green olives and capers served over angel hair pasta.$56 members, $61 guestsNOTE: Meals are ordered in advance and cannot be changed at the event.

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Winery Program8 ocws.org April 2024San SimeonWines6:30 p.m.Friday, May 10, 2024Avenue of the Arts Hotel3350 Avenue of the ArtsCosta Mesa, CASign-Up Deadline:Sunday, May 5MenuMenuSalad Course:Dinner starts with an Orange County salad with mixed baby eld greens, candied walnuts, endive, cherry toma-to and balsamic vinaigrette and served with warm sourdough baguettes with sweet butter.Entree Options:• Buffet—Beef stroganoff served over wide egg noodles, sour cream and green onion garnish on the side and charred rainbow carrots.• Fish—Roasted salmon with haris-sa, preserved lemons, chickpeas and fresh mint, orzo pasta and charred rainbow carrots.• Vegetarian—Wild mushroom ravio-li on a bed of butternut squash puree with sage brown butter emulsion. $56 members, $61 guestsBe sure to pick up your meal ticket when you check in to show the waiter. Meals are ordered in advance and cannot be changed at the event.Sign-UpsSign-UpsSign up on the OCWS website to attend this event. Attendees can self-park in the hotel garage and get their ticket validated at OCWS check-in or pay $10 for valet parking. Dinner begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. with the meet-ing following at about 7:30 p.m.Members may bring their own wine to enjoy and share during dinner. Be sure to wear your name tag. As we need to contract the meals with the hotel, the last day to sign up or can-cel and receive a refund is Sunday, May 5.Volunteers NeededVolunteers NeededWe need several volunteers to help with check-in from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please indicate you can help when you sign up to attend this event. San Simeon wines are terroir- driven and shaped by unique soils and the Pacic Ocean’s inuence, which cools the vine-yards at night to give the wines their distinct freshness. The fog and cool air from the sea plays a vital role in their vineyards, where their wines can only be described as…Rugged! Rened! Respected!Their wines are 100% estate grown and certied sustainable from two of the most presti-gious regions along California’s Central Coast: Monterey and Paso Robles. Their vineyards are meticulously farmed to yield grapes with concentrated avors and aromas, while winemaking techniques create unique wines of the highest quality, character and complexity. They represent the pinnacle of vineyard-to-bottle winemaking.The San Simeon winemaking team includes Marty Spate, who brings over 20 years of experi-ence to the role of winemaking, wine growing and sourcing. His career has touched multiple countries spanning from Aus-tralia to Italy and most recently California’s Central Coast. —Rich Skoczylas, Winery Program Coordinator

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Bubbles ‘n’ BrunchApril 2024 ocws.org 9W e’re going to continue our brunch journey with an old standard in Orange County. In 1974, some 90 years after the last appreciable silver was coaxed from these hills, the Orange County Mining Co. opened its doors. Ever since, the restaurant has provided guests with a rustic, casual American steakhouse and saloon ex-perience. We will meet in one of their private banquet rooms, Angels Camp. So, let’s relax, toast, laugh and enjoy the view! Here is a sneak peek at some of their buffet options: Pastries • Eggs BenedictScrambled Eggs with CheeseBacon and SausageOmelet and Wafe StationsCarved Prime Rib • HamEnchiladas • FajitasSnow Crab Legs • ShrimpSmoked Salmon There will also be a selection of assorted salads and desserts.The price for this buffet is $71 for members and their guests, all inclu-sive. Parking is all valet, at $8 per vehicle. Carpooling or ride sharing is suggested. The event will be posted on the website for signups. Space is limited; when the event lls up, please contact the ofce to be placed on a waitlist. Each person is requested to: 1. Bring a bottle of your favorite champagne and/or wine.2.Bring champagne and/or wine glasses.3. Please wear your OCWS name badge. 4.Please drink responsibly.Because we need to contract with the restaurant the attendance count, the last day to sign up, make changes, or cancel to receive a refund is April 29. Any cancellations after this date would be lled and refunded from the wait-list. Looking forward to toasting with you again!—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Champagne Brunch CoordinatorOrange CountyMining Co.10000 S. Crawford Canyon RoadSanta Ana, CA11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Sunday, May 5, 2024Sign-Up Deadline:Monday, April 29

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News & Notes10 ocws.org April 2024 Home Wine COMPETITIONHome Wine Competition Entry TipsDon’t skimp on packaging if you’re shipping your wine to the competition. You want your wine to get here safely after all your effort. Competition wines are stored in a temperature-controlled environment after they’re received so you don’t have to worry about expo-sure to extreme temperatures.PACKAGINGWhen it comes to bottling, make sure that’s the only thing you’re doing on bottling day. Make any chemical ad-ditions or adjustments at least a week prior to bottling. This will allow enough time for those changes to inte-grate into the wine. If you’re making a blend, your blending components and their percentages should already be determined. You don’t want to be g-uring out your blend at the last minute.BOTTLINGTaste your wine before bottling to make sure nothing is wrong with it. You don’t want to bottle a bad wine. Notice I said taste your wine. Not drink. As tempting as it is, don’t drink during bottling. It’s too easy to make a mistake or forget a critical step with a foggy mind. I cele-brate with a cold beer after bottling.TASTINGIf you’re entering the label competition, send an original label. It shows much better than a photocopy. Make sure the label is entered into its correct category. Sometimes labels have characteristics that might make it a worthy contender in several categories. For instance, it might be both humorous and viticultur-al. In this case I recommend entering it into the category where it makes a great impression.LABELINGFinally, make sure you complete the en-try form clearly and thoughtfully. Enter your wines into their correct categories. If you’re entering a specic varietal wine, say Zinfandel, make sure there is at least 75% of that varietal in the wine. Rose wines should be entered as such so they’re not judged against their red counterparts. ENTERINGWinemakers, the entry dead-line for the OC Fair Home Wine Competition is still about eight weeks away. If you plan to submit wines, here are some things you can do to give them their best chance to show well. If you haven’t bottled the wine yet, make sure you’re using sound winemaking practices. This means tasting regularly, topping off carboys and maintaining SO2 to prevent oxidation and spoilage. Oxidized wine is a common fault and it can happen to any wine. I’ve tasted commercial wines that suf-fered from oxidation right out of the bottle.Resist the urge to submit anything that has just been bottled. Bottle shock is a real phenomenon. I’ve found my wines need at least 30 days to recover after bottling.I know a lot of this isn’t rocket science but by putting care into your wine and thoughtfulness into the en-try process beforehand, you can help them to show their best on competi-tion day.Good luck to all!—Ed Reyes,ed@ocws.org Specify the grape’s AVA, if applicable, and vintage in the entry form “descrip-tion” section. If you’re entering a blend, be sure to specify the percentages of each blend component in the “descrip-tion” section as well. Fruit wines should be entered into their appropriate catego-ry. Note the wine’s sweetness level and enter that into the appropriate category. All that information will be on the judg-es’ score sheets for their consideration.SPECIFYING AVAFor winemakers, wine competitions are a great way to see how our wines are viewed by our peers.

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News & NotesApril 2024 ocws.org 11Home WINEMAKERSAll OCWS members are welcome to attend this “hands-on” class April 7. Winemakers, if you’re processing several varietals, learn to create something unique through blending. Non-winemakers, see how blending can make ordinary wines better.Learn the simple steps involved in making a blend and how to approach blending two or more wines. Learn when to blend, and when not to. Everyone is sure to glean something from this fun and informative class. Sign up today on the OCWS website.The 48th annual OC Fair Home Wine Competition will be held on Saturday, June 8 at the OC Fair and Event Center. We need volunteers in many areas to help make this event a success. No experience is necessary. New volunteers will be paired with competition veterans. In return, you’ll get a hot breakfast and lunch, courtesy of our OCWS Cooks' Caucus. You’ll also get the opportunity to taste many of the award-winning wines at the end of the event. Lots of fun will be had by all. To sign up, please go to our website at OCWS.org/home-wine-competition/.Sign up for our next quarterly meeting and potluck April 13. Cost to attend is $5 per person for OCWS members.A member can purchase a ticket for one non-member for $10. All OCWS members are welcome. If you’re not a winemaker, no worries. This is an excellent opportunity to see what our group is all about and sample some of the great wines we produce. The event will be hosted by one of our winemakers at his beautiful and rustic Silverado Canyon home. Exact address will be announced to those who sign up approximately one week prior to the event. This is a potluck and each attendee, or couple, is asked to bring a dish (appetizer, salad, side or dessert) ready to serve a small portion to eight people. Bring a bottle of wine per person (homemade or commercial) to share. Plates, napkins and tableware will be furnished. Sign up today on the OCWS website.WINE BLENDING SEMINAR QUARTERLY MEETINGHOME WINE COMPETITIONWe are headed toward the 48th Com-mercial Competition June 1-2 and you should see the signups on our website in March any day now. Boy this year has gone by fast!We understand that these are changing times and conditions; please be exible and we can work together to make this another fun event. There are many areas where volunteer help is needed, steward-ing, glass washing and drying. Continuing the efciency, the computer input will be assigned. A sign-up form is included on the web-site—ocws.org/2024-commercial-compe-tition-volunteers/—that identies stew-arding days, two bagging nights and other work parties with times and dates. In order to qualify for stewarding, we need you to sign up for two additional work parties. We can offer bagging and moving of wine to and from the competition site, includ-ing sorting. We also will be assigning the ribbon mailing crew. We denitely need your support for our work parties in order to run a successful competition. The good news is that we will have hired help for heavy lifting. No train-ing is necessary as newer members will be teamed with competition veterans.A quick check—if you volunteer to steward, it involves carrying trays of glass-es. It’s physical and can get tiring. Along with stewarding, you need to be prepared to assist your steward captain by opening wine bottles, preparing glasses for tags, cleaning up the judges’ tables as needed and listening to your steward captain for direction.It’s really all about teamwork for this to be successful. If you have any questions, please feel free to phone me at (562) 822-3382 or email strompharms@earthlink.net.We look forward to your participation in this very important event.—Robyn Strom, OCWS Volunteer CoordinatorVolunteers needed for annual eventCommercial Wine COMPETITION

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12 ocws.org April 2024News & NotesIt’s often said that wine is made in the vineyard and there are several factors that make this true. One factor is the vineyard workers who care and tend for the vines. Another factor is the grape vine. The amazing plant that year after year, through a well-established annual growth cycle, produces the fruit that is made into wine. What is that well-established annual cycle? After the harvest and during the winter months grape vines are dormant, conserving energy for spring and new growth. It’s during the spring that the vine’s annual cycle begins to focus on wine. As the ground temperature begins to rise above 50 degrees, sap will begin to ow upward in the vine and out the tips of the canes (the vine’s branches) that were pruned during the winter months. This is referred to as “weeping.” Within days, bud break occurs and greenery and tiny shoots emerge from the nodes left on the canes. Over the next one to two months, the shoots and greenery grow into new canes and leaves. Flowering then begins. Tiny clusters of owers appear along the canes and since vinifera grapes are self-pollinating, insects are not necessary for fertilization. Each fertilized ower becomes a “berry” and with the immature grapes sometimes being called “berries,” referred to as berry set or fruit set.Over the following three to four months the vine, taking on water and nutrients and beneting from the sun will grow the grapes from small, hard, green berries, high in acid and low in sugar to physiologically mature grapes that are higher in sugar and lower in acid. This important step in grape production is known as veraison and is when red grapes begin to color and white grapes become translucent or golden. Harvest is now near and the winemakers take over the responsibility of turning the vine’s hard work into the wine that we all enjoy.From weeping to veraison—intrigued? Good, and if you like the wine then enjoy it! Cheers!Do you have a question on wine? Submit it to us at ofce@ocws.org.—Wine Education Committee and CL KeedyWine WISDOMThe Vine’s Annual Cycle – from Weeping to VeraisonThe Orange County Wine Society funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including Sonoma State University in Santa Rosa. Unlike some of the other institutions we support that focus on viticulture and enology, Sonoma State University focuses on the business side of the wine industry with its Wine Business Institute.The Wine Business Institute was formed in 1996 as a partnership between the wine industry and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University. WBI offers undergraduate degrees, an MBA and an Executive MBA. The program currently has 85 undergraduate and 55 graduate students. It also offers industry certications in such areas as wine industry nance and accounting, wine business management and wine entrepreneurship.The program awards about 350 professional certicates each year. For all its degrees, WBI aims to give students real-world experience in the wine industry. It also is an ofcial member of the Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance National Center of Excellence. VESTA consists of 17 university and two-year programs across the country with the goal of VESTA of providing students with a foundation of the science, mathematics and technology skills needed for a productive career in the grape and wine industry. WBI is very excited and appreciative of the OCWS scholarship contributions to their program. They recently invited several OCWS board members to their alumni gathering at Brewery X in Anaheim.OCWS Scholarship PROGRAMSpotlight: Sonoma State UniversityJust a friendly reminder that you can make a donation to the OCWS Scholarship Fund anytime. There are two ways to donate:Donate Online — Log on to your account at OCWS.org and go to the scholarship donation page: ocws.org/product/scholarship-donations/. You can make your donation online and print a receipt for tax purposes at the same time.Mail a check — Complete your check using the same instructions as above, and mail it to the OCWS ofce at OCWS, P.O. Box 11059 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Attn: Scholarship Fund. A donation letter will be sent to you.—Damian Christian, Scholarship Chair DONATE TODAY12

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EventsApril 2024 ocws.org 13Can you believe it is almost here? The OCWS Wine Auction is a long-time tradition that allows the organization to clear out last year’s competition wines and support the educational programming that is our main mission. It is also the event that benets our members by providing great wines at a fraction of the retail cost. The 2024 OCWS Wine Auction is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, at the OC Fair and Event Center in the Huntington Beach building (next to the The Courtyard).This event is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon with OCWS friends, share some wine and great food, and ll our personal cellars with great California wines at amazing prices! Next to The Courtyard at the fair, this is our second most important fundraiser of the year. As a reminder, the OCWS is a 501c(3) organization with a mission to support wine education. We do this through our programming at the OC Fair (wine tasting, seminars, featured wineries), winery programs during the spring and WineCompetition.com, which features all the winners from the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition.But by far our biggest support of wine education is the OCWS Scholarship Fund, which this year surpassed $820,000 in donations to eight California colleges and universities with wine and culinary arts related programs.Whether you are looking to get some fantastic deals on California wines, spend time with friends enjoying great wine and food, or show your support for the wine industry by contributing to the OCWS Scholarship Fund, the OCWS Wine Auction has something for everyone! The OCWS has been pairing wine education and fun for decades, and this event is no exception! At only $25 per person for wine, food, friends and a chance to get some great deals on wine, the auction is the best deal in town! You can get even more involved by contributing your time as a volunteer during part of the event. As a reminder, this is a members-only event—no guests.NEW THIS YEAR – The auction will also feature original artwork by Marjorie Trout and a few other wine-related items (artwork, winery experiences, collectables, etc.).—Carolyn Christian, Wine Auction ChairOver 900 Silent Auction Lots – Placed in order on tables that span the event venue.Over 100 Verbal Auction Lots – Auctioned o randomly by our professional auctioneer.All lots consist of four bottles of quality California wine curated by our own cellarmaster and his team, who have spent weeks putting together the lots. Printed and electronic catalogues of the auction lots (wine, artwork, winery experiences) will be available for attendees a few weeks before the event. Food and wine are served throughout the event in several courses (appetizers, entrees and desserts). Mystery lots of wine are available at a crazy low price and can be ordered at the beginning of the event, guaranteeing you will go home with something.Doors open at 11 a.m. and bidding starts immediately. Silent auction lots will be picked up randomly throughout the event until 4:30 p.m. The checkout process will begin shortly after 5 p.m. and will conclude when all wines have been paid for and picked up. No early checkout is available under any circumstances. Please plan to stay until 6 p.m.14253678 WHAT TO EXPECT92024 OCWS Wine Auction – The Wines are Calling!

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14 ocws.org April 2024EventsSpring Membership SOCIALGrab a ticket, get in the mood & let the good times roll!Come join us for an afternoon in New Orleans during the Spring Membership Social this month. MUSICWe begin with DJ Henry Martinez from Sound Appeal Entertainment. Henry was referred to us by one of our members. He has performed at many Hollywood wrap parties and private events for celebrities Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Ice Cube and more. He has also performed for many corporate events including Macy’s, CHOC, ABC, Nordstroms, Bloomingdale’s and South Coast Repertory. We were fortunate to have a date where he was available. After 30 years in the business, he has a wealth of music to nd the beat we need TO DANCE!Ready to take the mic and be the star for a song or two? John Goodnight is bringing his professional equipment to offer you an opportunity to display your skills. Want to be a soloist or in a quartet? Pick a tune and give us an opportunity to cheer you on! FOODWe are fortunate to have the very talented folks of the Cooks’ Caucus preparing our New Orleans-style food. Some of the menu items include delicious salad, gumbo with and without meat, shrimp boil, muffuletta wraps, cornbread, pimiento cheese and crackers, Bananas Foster cake, pralines and beignets. WINE WALLThis is always a big draw. Grab a great bottle of wine for $20! Cash only. Have some wines you would like to donate? Feel free to drop them off at the OCWS ofce between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. any weekday. All proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund.SILENT AUCTIONIn addition to the Wine Wall to raise funds for the Scholarship Fund, we are also having a silent auction. You can pay a winning bid with cash, check or credit card. (See related article, page 15.)ACCESSORIESBeads and masks will be for sale to add to the festivities. The proceeds will go to offset the cost of our new tablecloths. Cash only—beads are $5 and masks are $10.HOME WINEMembers of the Home Winemakers group will be joining us to share some of their delectable wines. Stop by their table for a drink and a chat.LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERSWith all this going on, we, of course, need great volunteers who make our events so fun. Volunteer positions include wine servers in 30-minute shifts, set-up two hours before, clean-up an hour after, food servers 30-minute shifts, sign-in table from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. and mask/beads table, two 30-minute shifts.You can sign up for the volunteer shift you want or email Alice Polser at ajpolser@gmail.com.—Alice Polser and Betty Jo Newell, Social Event Co-ChairsMARDI GRAS SPRING SOCIAL3 to 7 p.m.Saturday, April 6OC Fair & Event CenterCosta Mesa, CA

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April 2024 ocws.org 15EventsTHOSE EXTRA WINE GLASSESSet of 12 Wine Glasses and Storage CaseRUSTIC ITALIAN DINNER2019 Weingut Niklas Sudtirol Doc Alto Adige, Tray, Pasta, Sauces, Bread Board and Knife, Wine Opener, Bread SticksPlCNIC IN THE PARKPicnic Basket, 4 Plates, Eating Utensils, Placemats, 4 Wine Glasses, 2021 Macchia Zinfandel, 2 Hand TowelsHELLO SPRING6 Hand-Painted Wine glasses, 3 Matching Candle Holders, Flower holder with Candle, WineAROUND THE HOLIDAYS WITH WINE CORKSHandmade by Betty Jo NewellCHAMPAGNE1996 Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque — Fleur de Champagne Brut in Gift Box with Flutes Please Note: It cannot be determined how these were stored.S’MORES BASKET WITH WINE2 Serving Trays, 6 Plates, 6 Roasting Forks, 6 Wine Glasses, 6 Sets Reusable Cutlery, S’more Fixings, 2013 Tobin James Late Harvest Zinfandel, “Liquid Love,” CookiesWINE MEMORY HEARTHandmade by Jay NewellCARRY US AWAY4 Wine Glasses, Carrier, Cheese Pairing Spread Set, Napkins, Cheese Board, Cheese Knives, Wine Charms, 2 Wines, Wooden BoxWINE CORK BULLETIN BOARD Measures 24x24 inches and framed in wood. Made by Alice Polser.HERB GARDENING Live Plants: Basil, Thyme, Rosemary; Planter, Birdhouse, Bianchi Chardonnay, ApronSANGRIA ANYONE?2020 Campo Viejo Riosa, Dispenser, Staging, Note Cards, Wooden BoxWINE CORK WREATH WITH BOWS FOR HOLIDAYSHandmade by Alice Polser and Betty Jo NewellA DAY AT THE BEACH2 Mats, Towel, Bowls, Food, Wine, Large CORKICLE Beverage CoolerWINE FOR TWOGlasses, Coasters, Charms and WineThis year, the Silent Auction for the Spring Membership Social has some grand items! Take a look at the listing of the 15 baskets being presented and come ready to win your favorite! Remember, we accept cash, check and credit cards. All proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund.LOT 1LOT 3LOT 2LOT 4LOT 5LOT 6LOT 7LOT 8LOT 9LOT 10LOT 11LOT 12LOT 13LOT 14LOT 15Silent Auction at the Spring Membership Social

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16 ocws.org April 2024EventsThe Courtyard at OC Fair coming soonFor many members, their rst experience with the Orange County Wine Society was at The Courtyard. Seeing the fun while enjoying wine can make a wine enthusiast want to be part of this event. “Always a Good Time” is the 2024 Fair theme and we plan to more than live up to that sentiment Friday, July 19 through Sunday, Aug. 18. The Courtyard is our main fundraiser for operations and scholarships and requires the largest number of OCWS volunteers for the year.The Courtyard operates with ve shifts: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; the express bar is open daily 5 to 9 p.m. The opportunity to sign up for shifts begins April 1 with the managers, then stewards and cashiers April 15. Servers can request shifts beginning May 1. All volunteers must be California Responsible Beverage Service certied before signing up, with the exception of cashiers.If you are new to The Courtyard or haven’t volunteered for a while, The Courtyard Committee will provide training for all positions before the fair begins. If you need the RBS training, email RBS team members Sue England and Linda Flemins at RBS@ocws.org. If you've been a server in the past and would like to be considered for another position, contact Rich Skoczylas at Rich@ocws.org.Now for the perks! Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of four shifts over the run of the fair. For this effort, they receive OC Fair credentials that allow entrance to the fair any day (even sold-out days) and a free parking pass. For each shift worked, volunteers also are rewarded with two coupons that can each be exchanged for a glass of varietal wine or four one-ounce tastes of award-winning wine. And, of course, getting to know fellow wine enthusiasts and the opportunity to learn about and taste all the varieties of wine. —Fred Heinecke, Courtyard Committe Co-Chair RBS certication requirementsOnce you have sent your request for certication you will receive an email from #1 Premiere with your username and password and a link to the online course. You may take the class one chapter at a time or all at once. The online course is followed by an online exam with ABC. Once you are RBS certied you are ready to serve at the OC Fair.ONLINE CLASSPlease send an email to RBS team members Sue England and Linda Flemins at RBS@ocws.org letting them know you need to be RBS certied this year.EMAIL USEach OCWS member will need a valid individual email address that will be used to set up your account. Your own individual email address will be your username for the online system.PLEASE NOTEInstructions will be sent to you when you register. 1. Create an RBS account with ABC. 2. Take a course with the RBS course provider that the OCWS has selected. 3. Take a nal quiz with ABC online and obtain the RBS certicate, which is valid for three years.3-STEP PROCESSBefore we know it, the OC Fair will be upon us again. The largest OCWS fundraising effort of the year will be taking place for a total of 23 days, Wednesdays through Sundays, July 19 through Aug. 18. Volunteering at The Courtyard is a unique and fun experience. Beginning next month, you will be seeing information about signing up for shifts but, in the meantime, it is important to know that all Courtyard volunteers handling wine in any capacity are required to be Responsible Beverage Server certied through the Alcohol Beverage Control pursuant to fair requirements. It is highly recommended that you obtain certication sooner than later in order to sign up for The Courtyard shifts when available. If you received your RBS certication within the last two years, then your certications are still in good standing for this year. Certications are valid for three years. How do I get started? Check out our tips below! Volunteers must be RBS certied before signing up to volunteer. Here’s how:The COURTYARD

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April 2024 ocws.org 17By now you have likely heard of our fabulous Varietal Hours. So it’s time to nd out what they are all about! First of all, they are FREE. Sure, you say, nothing is free, and if it is then it’s not worth my time. Au Contraire, my friends! What started as a way of gath-ering during the COVID quarantine has blossomed into quality time with friends, both old and new. And the things we have learned and been taught by this group is priceless!So here is our challenge to all of you: If you haven’t already attended one of these Varietal Hours, please attend one. Yes, just one. We promise you three things: 1) You will have fun; 2) You might just learn something, or you might teach us something; 3) You won’t regret spending that hour of your life. And you won’t even have to drive home.So picture this…Your own comfort-able furniture. A glass of wine in your hand. Chatting with fun friends, some you know, some you may not. Right there in your own house with friends, old and new. And here’s the best part: You don’t even have to clean up everyone’s mess. We’re always happy to have new mem-bers join the fun and meet some people who enjoy wine.Each event has a theme, but we never “kick anyone off the island,” so it never matters if you follow the theme. The set-ting is very casual, with stories told about each of the wines we’re drinking, what we do (or don’t) like about them, where we got them, and more.Regardless of your knowledge of wine, the Varietal Hours have something for everyone. Varietal Hours are held 7 to 8 p.m. every other Monday.All you need is a computer (or phone) and internet connection. If you are new to the Varietal Hours or to Zoom, please feel free to contact Don Phillips at don@OCWS.org or George Cravens at george@OCWS. org for help and infor-mation, even if it means contacting us days before the event, and we will walk you through the process and even do a short Zoom meeting, just for you, to get you comfortable with the process.The event is open to all OCWS mem-bers, but sign-ups are required. Please log on to the OCWS website to register for the event no later than 10 p.m., the Sunday night before the event. Couples only need to sign up for one person since this event is via Zoom. A link for the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you on the day of the event.We are also looking for hosts for upcoming Varietal Hours. It’s fun and easy to do. Please contact Don or George at the above emails if you wish to host, or with any questions or suggestions.We look forward to Zooming with you soon at one of the future Varietal Hours. Bottoms up!—Don Phillips, OCWS Varietal Hour Co-ChairVarietal HOURSJoin us as the fun continues! DATE TIME VARIETAL HOSTS April 15 7 p.m. Favorite Springtime Wines Ed Reyes April 1 7 p.m. Fool Us With Something Dierent David Price April 29 7 p.m. NY/East Coast Wines CL & Adrienne Keedy May 13 7 p.m. Unusual Varietals Elee & Don PhillipsEvents May 27 Dark! Happy Memorial Day! June 10 7 p.m. Rhone Wines Scott & Manuela Harral

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18 ocws.org April 2024VINOS UNIDOS, from page 1Feature StoryGerry Martinez (left) and Bob Jau-regui have been making wine since 2018.“Napa by itself is a brand,” Jauregui said. “It’s a door opener.”The former assistant high school principal best described his venture into the winemaking world seven years ago as an accident and clearly a blessing. His connections were straight from some of Napa’s elite wineries – Opus One, Caymus – and Artesa Cellarmaster Gerry Martinez shared the same passion that eventually led them to co-found Vinos Unidos.“Gerry knew the process and saw other people do it,” Jauregui said. “We made as many connections as we could and asked them what to do, what they would do different and how to market the wines. We knew we had an inside track to a lot of good fruit.”Their rst venture was a 2018 Atlas Peak rose. The wine was entered into a rose-only competition at a steakhouse in Irvine and it took the top prize. Jauregui knew then that it just wasn’t family and friends who liked their wine.Although all of the grapes are sourced from Napa and Sonoma, Vinos Unidos – United Wines – is based in Mission Viejo. The name “evokes sitting down with people, sharing stories with one another over a glass of wine,” Jauregui said.The label also is a touching and sentimental feature. Two friends have an arm around one another as if they are on a walk or sharing a special moment. The people who drink Vinos Unidos wines are “on a journey with us,” Jauregui humbly notes. While the winery is still relatively small, word of mouth or as Jauregui puts it “liquid to lips” is helping Vinos Unidos grow. He credits family and friends for helping the winery stay aoat during the pandemic. A big part of the winery’s identity is through the owners’ Hispanic heritage. Both Bob and Gerry’s fathers were from Jalisco, Mexico, and Gerry’s dad worked the vineyards in Napa after the family moved there. Bob says they have been inspired by Hispanic-run wineries like Ceja and Maldonado vineyards, both located in the Napa Valley, which infuse their culture and knowledge into their wines.“I think we are starting to get some traction,” Jauregui said. “We know the winemaking side very well.”Bob and Gerry also recognized the importance of supporting the community. They often pour their wines at corporate events, fundraisers, holiday parties and other festive celebrations. They have given scholarship donations to three colleges for students majoring in enology, viticulture and culinary arts. Last year, they donated wine, their time or wine tasting certicates to 19 different charity and nonprot events.“We are paying it forward and seeing what happens,” he said. “We try to get out there and support different organizations.”You can say it’s the best of both worlds for Vinos Unidos. They get their fruit from Napa and Sonoma and call NEW EVENT:OCWS OutingOCWS members are invited to a special tasting of Vinos Unidos wines 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 30. Cost includes a tasting of ve wines (rose, white and three reds) poured by Vintner Bob Jauregui, a winner of six medals at the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition. The tasting will be held at an OCWS member’s home. Light snacks/charcuterie will be included. Signups will be available starting April 1 online at OCWS.org. SIGN-UP DEADLINE: Tuesday, June 25Orange County—one of the largest wine markets in the nation—home.Jauregui said they recently nished bottling six wines – two roses, two Pinot Noirs, a Sauvignon Blanc and a red blend. The goal is to produce about 2,500 cases and still remain a small winery with ardent supporters. Their wine club has some unique features: they offer barrel tastings to members so they get to see how the wine evolves over time. There are quarterly tastings, a behind-the-cellar tour and lessons about the history and science of wine.If the results from the competitions the winery enters are any indication, the good fortune will continue for Bob and Gerry. Each wine in their portfolio has won a medal.“We want to be a winery that people know and love and look forward to tasting what we make,” Jauregui said. “It’s about having a following where you really get to connect with people.”

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April 2024 ocws.org 19Photo of the MonthA SAINTLY LOCATIONGeorge Kerr shot this cabernet vineyard on Mt. Veeder in Napa. The property belongs to the St. John the Baptist de La Salle brotherhood, part of the order of Christian Brothers. The Chris-tian Brothers developed the vineyards in 1868 and produced wine until 1989. They currently lease the vineyard to Hess Winery.The OCWS sponsors a photog-raphy contest and you are invited to participate! As you might have guessed, the subject is “wine,” but this can mean many things to many people.Do you have a great shot of the sun ltering through the vines just before picking? Or an action shot of wine being poured with some great swirls in the glass? Perhaps a romantic shot of a couple toasting each other?These are a few ideas and I’m sure you have many more of that great shot involving wine in some way.Each month the photography committee will select a Photo of the Month for publication in the upcoming newsletter as well as on the OCWS website. The winner also will receive a bottle of wine from the OCWS wine cellar. The ultimate goal is to publish an OCWS calendar consisting of the 12 best photos of the year. These may or may not be the 12 monthly winners.If you have any questions, email Photo@OCWS.org. Calling all OCWS photographersTHE RULESEntrants must be OCWS members in good standing and the submitted photo must have been photographed by the OCWS member when he/she was an active member.The photo must be some-how wine oriented. It may be of a winery, vineyard, the winemaking process, the nished product or simply the consumption. But don’t limit yourself just to these ideas!The photo or photos may be submitted to the OCWS photography committee any-time but will be considered only for the month it was sub-mitted. There is a limit of ve (5) submissions per month. Upon submission, rights to the photo are given to the OCWS for marketing pur-poses, so before you submit it make sure it is your property. Please get permission from any people in the photo.The photo must be sub-mitted in one of the follow-ing formats: JPEG, RAW, TIFF or Photoshop. Any size is ac-ceptable, but it is preferred to be at least 3000x2400 pixels, which is an 8”x10” shot at 300 dpi for printing. In the event that insu-cient entries are entered in a month, the committee reserves the right to move any contributed photos to the next month.To submit a picture, attach it in an email to Photo@OCWS.org. Be sure to include your name, phone number, picture location and picture title. Pho-tos are due by the last day of the month to be considered for that month’s winner. 124536

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20 ocws.org April 2024 2024UPCOMINGEVENTSMay 5BUBBLES ’N’ BRUNCHOrange County Mining Co. / OrangeApril 21HOME WINE COMPETITION JUDGING SEMINARCourtyard, OC Fair & Event Center / Costa MesaApril 6SPRING MEMBERSHIP SOCIALOC Fair & Event Center / Costa Mesa June 29KIT WINE CLASSOC Fair & Event Center / Bldg. 15 / Costa MesaApril 20WINE AUCTION OC Fair & Event Center / Costa MesaApril 12FEATURED WINERY / SAN PASQUAL WINERYAvenue of the Arts Hotel / Costa MesaMay 10FEATURED WINERY / SAN SIMEON WINESAvenue of the Arts Hotel / Costa MesaJune 8HOME WINE COMPETITIONCourtyard, OC Fair & Event Center / Costa MesaApril 7WINEMAKERS BLENDING SEMINARCourtyard, OC Fair & Event Center / Costa MesaJune 1-2COMMERCIAL WINE COMPETITIONHilton Hotel / Costa Mesa June 30OCWS MINI-OUTING Vinos Unidos / Location TBAApril 13HOME WINEMAKERS QUARTERLY POTLUCK & MEETING / Silverado Canyon ResidenceApril 27MINI-TASTING: PINOT NOIR Various LocationsMay 13VARIETAL HOUR / UNUSUAL VARIETALS Via Zoom