OCWS Newsletter DEC2024 : simplebooklet.com

t is hard to believe that December is upon us, and the cycle of OCWS activities is about to begin once again. It has been and continues to be a great honor for me to lead this organization that has been around for nearly half a century!Flagship EventsThis past year has been an amazing testament to the resiliency of this organization, with over 2,500 entries in the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, and over 520 entries in the OC Fair Home Wine Competition. The Wine Auction and The Courtyard at the OC Fair were huge successes, bringing in funds that support our educational programming throughout the year. We continue to hover at 1,000 members, making us one of the largest wine enthusiast groups in the nation.VolunteersOur organization relies on volunteers to run events, and we had over a third of our membership volunteer at one or more events. This year we hosted a successful Volunteer Recognition Reception with over 200 recipients recognized for volunteering 20 hours or more since September 2023. We hope to make this an annual tradition.Tax Donations & Holiday GiftsAs the year closes, I remind you that OCWS is a nonprot organization, and your donation to our scholarship program is tax deductible (please conrm your eligibility with your tax preparer). An article from our scholarship chair this month outlines ways to donate. Also, we offer OCWS gift memberships on our website in the store: OCWS.org/merchandise. A membership and bottle of wine are a great gift for family and friends! Not sure what bottle to get? Check out the award-winning wines from our own competition at WineCompetition.com. You can search by varietal, region, price and medal.Verifying Account InformationThe end of the year is also a great time to log on to your OCWS account and make sure we have your current email, co-member contact information, address, phone, etc. Log on at ocws.org. If you have any issues, contact our ofce staff at ofce@OCWS.org or (714) 708-1636.Advocating for 2025 Wine Competition Today!As we ramp up for the 2025 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, I encourage you all to help serve as ambassadors to our amazing competition. As you probably have heard, the wine industry is seeing a decline in sales. Please remind your wine clubs that entering our wine competition gets them direct exposure to the Southern California wine market through the OC Fair. To help with these efforts, we have launched OCWineCompetition.com where wineries can learn about the benets of our competition and start their entry for 2025. Entries are being accepted NOW through May 16, 2025. We also have colorful brochures available at the OCWS ofce (and at all event sign-in tables) for you to take to 2 ocws.org December 20242024-25 Board of Directors Carolyn ChristianPresidentCarolyn@ocws.orgFran GitshamVice PresidentFran@ocws.orgRich SkoczylasSecretaryRich@ocws.orgFred HeineckeTreasurerFred@ocws.orgSue EnglandDirectorSue@ocws.orgLinda FleminsDirectorLinda@ocws.orgDaniel VlahovicDirectorDaniel@ocws.orgCL KeedyDirectorCLKeedy@ocws.orgPresident’s Message By Carolyn ChristianIsee PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, page 3John LaneDirectorJohn@ocws.orgIn the coming year, we have many exciting events in store for our members.• Bubbles ‘n’ Brunch/Dine with Wine• Featured Winery Program• Mini-Tastings• New Member Mixers• Outings at local wineries• Spring and Falls Socials• Varietal Hours• Vintage Member Luncheons• Volunteer Recognition Reception• Wine Defect Identication Workshop• Wine Auction• Wine Seminars• Winemaker Classes• Winemaker Quarterly Potlucks• Winery Programs• And more… (look for some new OCWS events soon!)We also have several exclusive volunteer opportunities that are both fun and educational.• Wine Auction• OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition• OC Fair Home Wine Competition• Wine Courtyard at the OC Fair• All Events (Setup, Check-in, Serving, Cleanup, etc.) COMING UP IN 2025

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December 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 ChristianAlice 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 2024 Wine Competition Results:WineCompetition.comNew Members CORNERThe Orange County Wine Society extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Member-ships for the following members were approved by the Board of Di-rectors at the November meeting: Joann Borg, Nicklaus Costakes and Jennifer Lindberg, Scott and Marjorie Dahlberg, Sherri Martin and Peter Cosentini, Jason and Rebecca Maxwell, Ida Merline, Al-len and Noel Moton, John Nelson and Sabrina Phillips.As of Nov. 1, the OCWS has 1,000 members. For new members logging onto their account for the rst time, log on to our website, OCWS.org. Your default login is the primary member’s email address. The default password is the primary member’s zip code. Both may be changed under the ‘My Account’ tab once you log on. If you joined us online, then you will have created your password. There may only be one login/password per membership.—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Business AdministratorJust a friendly reminder that the OCWS is a nonprot 501(c)(3) and contributions to our scholarship fund are tax deductible (but please check with your tax expert). It is not too late to make a donation to the OCWS Scholarship Fund in 2024. There are several ways to donate:BRING A CHECK to our holiday event (Dec. 6) – Make your check out to OCWS (please write Scholarship Donation on the memo line and add the name of a specic school, if you want it to go to only one of the schools supported). I will be in attendance at the holiday events and will be happy to accept your donation check. A donation letter will be sent to you.MAIL A CHECK – Complete your check using the same instructions as above and mail it to the OCWS oce at OCWS, P.O. Box 11059, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Attn: Scholarship Fund. A donation letter will be sent to you.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.—Damian Christian, OCWS Scholarship Chair END-OF-YEAR GIVING123wineries as you visit them throughout the year.For more information on the ongoing events that we host throughout the year, please refer to: ocws.ws/yearataglance.I encourage you to reach out to the various event chairs and become more involved. A list of those responsible for each event can be found at OCWS.org/about-us/director-responsibilities. Look for more information from us on how to get involved in the next few months.The blending of people and wine has made this organization a success over the past 48 years. This holiday season, I encourage you to share your love of wine with friends and family. Wine is the magic that brings us together to share meaningful experiences.PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE from page 2

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Events4 ocws.org December 2024December Event: Holiday Wines6 to 9 p.m. • Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 • Various Host SitesWith the holiday season fast approaching, there will be ample opportunities to enjoy wines that complement holiday meals. The December Mini-Tasting will feature a range of red wines that pair well with holiday feasts. The guests will rate the wines tasted blind in pairs and then discuss their ratings. Overall ratings from each site will be published in the wrap-up article.Please note that after many years coordinating this event, George Cravens has handed off the baton. If you are interested in hosting please contact Don Mayer at Don.Mayer0709@gmail.com.If you’d like to request a specic host site or to carpool with another member, please add a comment on your sign-up. 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 as-signed 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, $40 for guests.DISH: Each person/couple attending will sign up with their host site to bring a potluck dish (appetizer, entrée, side dish, or dessert) to serve a small portion to 16 to 18 people. There will be a special bottle of wine that evening as a prize for Chef of the Evening (voted on by the attend-ees of each site). Our winning Chefs of the Evening can have their recipe published in The Wine Press. 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.SIGN-UPS:Sign-ups open Nov. 1. Due to the high attendance at our Mini-Tast-ings, we encourage you to sign up early as sites ll quickly. Once sign-ups ll up, call the OCWS ofce to be added to the waiting list. DEADLINE:The cut-off date for online sign-ups was Sunday, Nov. 30. After this date, contact the OCWS ofce to determine availability. Due to the advance purchase of wines, you may not receive a refund if you cancelled after Nov. 30 (we will try to ll the spots from the waiting list).—Don Mayer, OCWS Mini-Tasting ChairMerchandise MESSAGEOCWS logo apparel for sale at upcoming eventsMerchandise will be available for sale at upcoming Orange County Wine Society events. Aprons and hats (four standard colors) are always available online as they are one size ts most. But did you know the OCWS logo can be added to other apparel? If you don’t see a style, size or color that I’m selling, a shirt from home can be an option. The logo looks great on a eece vest or denim jacket too! For custom apparel, there is a $15 embroidery fee. Bring your item to an event or drop it off in the OCWS ofce. Merchandise also will be available at upcoming Winemakers' Group dinners, January th rough May. —Courtney, Merchandise MavenMini-Tasting

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EventsDecember 2024 ocws.org 5To kick off the 2025 Winery Pro-gram, we proudly welcome Jason Bushong, proprietor and winemaker of Bushong Vintage Company in Paso Robles. Jason is a veteran judge of the Commercial Wine Competition and Featured Winery presenter at the OC Fair. Bushong Vintage Company has consistently been awarded Best of Class, Double Gold and Gold medals. Bushong Vintage Company was born from Jason’s lifelong passion for winemaking, which began as a teenager in Riverside after tasting a bottle of Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. He has now been craft-ing superior wines from the Central Coast region for over 20 years, with a focus on unique varietal bocks from vineyards that yield supreme, quality fruit. His style reects his winemaking philosophy that wine is the unique culmination of science, agriculture and art often resulting in crisp, bright whites and rich, bold reds.Jason’s passion for wine is only further enriched by his passion for music and art. His tasting room in downtown Paso Robles features an old Star Wars pinball machine and a large collection of vinyl records, which tasters are welcome to play. Jason’s passion for art is also reected in his outstanding label art.This evening starts with a light, sit-down plated dinner. The cost of the meal is $62 for members and $67 for guests. Each attendee must pick up a menu card with his or her name to show your server the entree you have selected.Dinner begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. when you check in to show the waitenot be changed at the event. Please select your meal carefully. Be sure to wear your name tag.Members may bring their own wine to enjoy and share during din-ner. Please drink responsibly.Because we contract each meal with the hotel that you selected, the last day to sign up, change your en-trée, or cancel and receive a refund is noon Sunday, Jan. 19.—Rich Skoczylas, Winery Program CoordinatorBushong Vintage CompanyHilton Hotel3050 Bristol St.Costa Mesa, CA6:30 p.m.Friday, Jan. 24, 2024Sign-Up Deadline:Sunday, Jan. 19• Bronzed french breast of chick-en with roasted garlic pan gravy served with chef’s choice starch and vegetables• Grilled salmon with Pinot Grigio fennel sauce served with chef’s choice starch and vegetables• Vegetarian: broccoli rabe, roast-ed eggplant and portobello mush-room rolled in smoked tomato and grilled scallion puréeMENU VOLUNTEERVolunteers are needed for this event. If you are able to help, please indicate when you sign up. Opportunities include:• Help place agendas on tables• Help with check-in from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.• Help pour wine for the tastingSIGN UPSSign up on the OCWS website to attend this event. Attendees will self-park in the hotel garage. Bring your parking ticket to the event. Instructions will be provided for validating free parking. Arriving be-fore this time will make it easier for you to nd a seat. After dinner, we will have a short presentation about upcoming events. Be sure to pick up your meal ticket.Winery Program

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6 ocws.org December 2024EventsHoliday Dinner DANCETime to dust off your dancing shoes, don those fancy clothes and invite your friends to sit at your table! The 2024 OCWS Holiday Dinner Dance is Friday, Dec. 6 at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel near the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa. This year’s theme is “Wine Wonderland” and it promises to be a fun evening of friends, food, wine, music and dancing.The evening begins with a sparkling wine reception and passed hors d’oeuvres including brie bruschetta with cranberry chutney and butternut squash deviled eggs. The evening continues with an amazing four-course plated dinner in the ballroom. After dinner, the band begins to play. The night is lled with dancing, toasting to friends, a festive photo booth, and of course, wine from the OCWS Cellar (and you are welcome to bring a bottle to share as well). Other drinks will be available for purchase at the hotel bar downstairs. The cost for the evening is $100 for members and $110 for non-member guests. The hotel is also offering a special room rate of 15% off the lowest rate available (use the link on the online article).We will be collecting unwrapped toys and gifts for children to support the Costa Mesa Fire Department’s “Spark of Love” drive that benets local children in need. Please consider bringing an unwrapped gift to donate to this worthy cause.As in the past, you will be able to reserve a table with your friends using the link provided on the OCWS website once you purchase your tickets.The deadline for sign-ups is 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27. This event oen sells out and space is limited, so sign up today! Salad Course:Harvest Salad – mixed greens, apples, pecans, shaved fennel, smoked feta cheese and champagne vinaigrette dressingChoice of Entrée:Lemon Herb ChickenGrilled Skirt SteakVegetarian Option: Sauteed Oyster MushroomsSides with all Entrees:butternut squash puree, charred brussel sprouts with pomegranate sauceDessert:Apple Spice Cake – cranberries, cream cheese & pecansbread, wine, coffee & iced tea includedWINE WONDERLANDFriday, December 6, 2024DINNER MENUYou are cordially invited to attend OCWS's

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The OCWS Varietal Hours have moved to Tuesdays. No more Monday night conicts!If you haven’t joined our Varietal Hours by now, here is your chance!First of all, they are FREE. Sure, you say, nothing is free, and if it is then it’s not worth my time. Au con-traire my friends. What started as a way of gather-ing during the COVID quarantines has blossomed into quality time with friends, both old and new. And the things we have learned and been taught by this group are priceless. Add to that a different night of the week and no more missing Monday Night Football to attend!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. No. 1: You will have fun. No. 2: You might just learn something, OR you might teach us something. No. 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 Varietal HOURSNew Night: Now the Fun Happens on Tuesdays!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 members 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 setting 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 some-thing for everyone. Varietal Hours will be held 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesd ay.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 for help and information, even if it means con-tacting him days before the event, and he 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 members, but sign-ups are required.Please log on to the OCWS website to register for the event no later than 7 p.m. the 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 at the above email 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 Chair10DECEMBERTIME:7 p.m.VARIETAL:Wine for the HolidaysHO ST:Stuart Frick7JANUARYTIME:7 p.m.VARIETAL:Orange WineHO ST:CL KeedyEventsDecember 2024 ocws.org 721JANUARYTIME:7 p.m.VARIETAL:Grocery Store WIneHO ST:Bart Bartlett4FEBRUARYTIME:7 p.m.VARIETAL:Fruit WineHO ST:Don Phillips

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8 ocws.org December 2024Home WinemakersGet into the holiday spirit and celebrate with the Winemakers Group at our 10th annual Holiday Party and Potluck, hosted by Kevin Donnelly. This year’s festivities will be 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 at the East Lake Village Association Clubhouse in Yorba Linda.The clubhouse is located on the community lake. The nearby area and lakeview homes are decorated for the season. At night the twinkling Christmas lights reecting off the water will surely put you in the holiday spirit.This is always a wonderful social event to celebrate the holiday season and enjoy the fruits (wine) of our labors. This event is open to the entire OCWS membership. All are welcome; you don’t have to be a winemaker to attend. Signups are now open on the OCWS website. For OCWS members, the cost is $18 per person to cover decorations and facility rental. A member may purchase a ticket for one non-member guest for $20.This is a potluck event. Please bring one dish per person or couple to serve between eight and 12 people, and one bottle of wine per person, either homemade or commercial. Dress is holiday casual. There is plenty of free parking in the clubhouse lot or on the street. Attendance is limited so sign up today. You don’t need to be a winemaker to attend. All OCWS members are welcome. This is always a wonderful social event, and we look forward to seeing you there.For more information, please contact Kevin Donnelly at kevindonnelly@ocws.org or (714) 457-7229.2024 Winemakers Group Holiday PartyThe annual Winemakers Group Holiday Party is 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, in Yorba Linda. The festive lights and decorations at this beautiful lakeside location will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit.SIGN-UPS NOW OPEN

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Wrapping up this year's Grape PurchaseThis year’s grape harvest is in the history books. Getting fresh grapes for winemaking is at the core of what the Winemakers Group is all about. Organizing our grape purchases is a HUGE job. As he has done for many years, Bruce Powers took the lead on this. I can’t thank him enough for spearheading our grape program. In addition to organizing it, he graciously allowed us to use his home as the grape delivery/pickup point for literally tons of grapes. And if that wasn’t enough, Bruce provided a report which he allowed me to use as the basis for this article. I hope this “wrap up report” gives our OCWS members a glimpse into what the Winemakers Group does and the work involved at grape harvest.SOURCING THE BESTThis year our winemakers bought 11½ tons of red grapes and white juice. This included bulk destemmed and crushed Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Barbera and Grenache grapes from Solterra Winery. The winery is in Leucadia but the grapes are sourced from Van Aleya Ranch in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma.Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards in Buellton provided us with bulk destemmed and crushed Nebbiolo and Sangiovese grapes. We also sourced bulk pressed Chardonnay and Viognier juice from Lucas and Lewellen. For the rst time, we also sourced bulk Sangiovese grapes from a private vineyard in La Cresta (Murietta area) that was designed and built by one of our OCWS winemakers, Ed Petros.The grape pickup consisted of making multiple runs to Solterra in Leucadia and multiple runs to Lucas and Lewellen in Buellton. Fellow OCWS winemakers Dave Wiegand and Jim Kerins both helped to arrange the pickup and return of rental vehicles for each of the runs. Dave, Jim and Bruce made the driving runs and assisted with grape distribution.AFTER DISTRIBUTIONGrapes and juice were distributed among two dozen winemakers with quite a few purchasing more than one varietal. Everyone who received grapes also helped to distribute them on delivery days. Quite a few also stayed late after distribution to help with clean up. A big THANK YOU to all who helped clean up!When winemakers receive their grapes, they also receive additive packets consisting of yeast, yeast nutrients, color enzymes and clarifying agents. These additives help ensure their wines get off to a good start during fermentation and the critical rst few weeks of the winemaking process. OCWS winemaker Bill Forsch rst began including the additive packets as part of the grape purchase several years ago when he led the Winemakers Group. This year, Don Phillips and Ed Reyes oversaw the weighing, packaging and distribution of the additive packets.All of the winemakers who received the yeast additive packets appreciated the effort and were all glad to have that task taken care of for them. With the packets included, they don’t have to buy small quantities of each component to ferment their grapes. Overall, the winemakers appreciated the group purchase as they are able to get top quality fruit conveniently delivered locally.SHARING WHAT WORKSThe winemakers also get to enjoy each other's comments, trials and tribulations. This camaraderie is very palpable throughout the afternoon when distributing the grapes and juice. Some days it was more like a roundtable discussion with people bringing some wine to share along with their thoughts, methods and techniques. Next year we can possibly expand on that and see if more people who are picking up grapes that day would like to join in. TRYING OUT A GRENACHEThis year we made rose from some of the Grenache. Pressing the grapes on the spot to make rose is a different experience than simply taking grapes home to make a red wine. It gives our winemakers an appreciation for the different skills needed in the process. It’s a lot of extra work but it’s a great learning experience.LOOKING AT NEXT HARVESTThere are other ideas for improving next year’s grape purchase. We can provide other “hands-on” educational experiences that would include different aspects of the harvest and grape processing.Our grape sources provide excellent fruit. Solterra is a great source and we can certainly get more varietals. Lucas and Lewellen has upped its game and provided us with other varietals. Their fruit is ripe, easy to work with, and always makes great nished wines. Their winemaker, Megan McGrath, is very helpful, likes the interaction with us and checks in to ask about our satisfaction with their product.—Ed Reyes, ed@ocws.orgHome WinemakersDecember 2024 ocws.org 9

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10 ocws.org December 2024Spain’s Rioja Wine and a Bit of its StoryHave you ever been to Rioja, Spain with the goal of tasting delicious wines? Whether you have or have not, you would denitely enjoy “Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines” by Spanish director, writer and cinematographer José Luis López Linares.Recently, several OCWS members purchased tickets and viewed the lm at the Newport Beach 25th Film Festival. This documentary, through captivating cinematography and photography, kept our attention by exploring not only the vibrant evolution of Rioja’s wine industry but its rich traditions, revered history and generational culture differences expressed with great passion. We hope we can share this lm at our very own OCWS event. In the meantime, we will share some interesting information about Rioja. Wine WisdomRioja is located in northeast Spain. The Ebro River and surrounding mountains dene the region of Rioja. The lm refers to Rioja as a sleeping lion, a mountain silhouette that looks like the majestic beast a slumber.Rioja has three main zones: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. The region has three primary soil types: clay mixed with limestone and sandstone, iron rich clay and loamy soil with alluvial silt from the Ebro River. The altitudes range from 984 feet to nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.In 1925 Rioja became one of just two Qualied Denomination of Origin (DOCa) regions in Spain, making it one of the most recognized premium wine producing areas. The region is highly regulated by a classication system. For example, regulations require aging in oak and bottle for certain periods of time before release and what information may or must be stated on the label. It is a well-known fact that many traditional wineries choose to exceed minimum aging regulations. Rioja’s wine production is 90% red wines with styles ranging from young and fresh to complex and aged. Age designations from young to aged are Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. If the wine bottle does not state an age designation, then look at the black label or neck label, which carries a regulation council stamp with its designation. American Oak Barrels are still favored, but French Oak is used as well.Rioja’s primary red grape varietals consist of Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo (Carinena) and Graciano. Viura (also known as Macabeo) is the primary white grape of the Rioja region. Rioja wines are typically blended to provide balance and structure. However, singular vineyard model classications are excelling. Specic vineyards in Rioja are referred to as parcels, villages and regions. The same “parcel” each year is being harvested, compared, contrasted and placed on the label. During France’s Phylloxera period, around 1983, Rioja took advantage of the opportunity for becoming a main source of wine in Europe. The good news, during this period, was the French started buying and planting vineyards in Rioja and through France’s profound inuence, the sharing of valuable winemaking techniques took place. Yet, at France’s expense, Rioja FAVORITE MOVIE QUOTES:“Sharing a glass of wine with others is like sharing a piece of your life with others.”"Wine is a bond – enjoy an encounter."“The value of wine in an old vineyard is the value of time.”see RIOJA, page 11

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December 2024 ocws.org 11made a lot of money from the sales of wine. Yet eventually Phylloxera impacted Rioja vineyards and American root stock had to be purchased and used for grafting. Even though Rioja is one of Spain’s most advanced wine regions using modern fermentation techniques, it is proud to still maintain a strong respect for history and reverence for tradition. It regularly practices the theme of “Respect the wisdom of old ways – and the avors that result from them” and “Take your legacy from the past and combine it with a never stop learning attitude.”—Linda Flemins, Wine Education Committee, linda@ocws.orgFUN FACT:Traditional family-owned wineries in Rioja: Marqu’es de Murrieta and Lopez de Heredia. Wines usually reect notes of “echos of earth,” old saddle leather and dried leaves.Modernists Wineries in Rioja: Marques de Caceres, Martinez Bujanda, Palacio y Hermanos. Wines usually reect vivid upfront fruit character, jamminess, and a small portion of oak. FUN FACT:Have you ever seen Rioja wine wrapped in a thin wire red net or mesh? This practice dates to the 19th century when wineries sought to protect their wines by preventing unscrupulous people from relling premium Rioja wine bottles with inferior wine. Today this practice is solely decorative. Whether you have or have not been to Rioja, Spain with the goal of tasting delicious wines, we encourage you to nd a bottle of Rioja wine, open it and enjoy!Wine WisdomAbout 280 to 300 million liters of wine—primarily red—is produced annually in Rioja, a region situated in the northeast hills of Spain.RIOJA, from page 10

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12 ocws.org December 2024FeatureNYE, from page 1people for its annual NYE Grape Drop. For more than a decade, people have ocked to Old Town to see giant grapes descend from the bell tower at City Hall. There is typically live music, food vendors and activities for the kids. This year, there will be a drone show that will culminate with the Grape Drop to coincide with the East Coast midnight countdown.“The New Year’s Eve Grape Drop is a family-friendly event that allows the community to celebrate the incoming new year with activities, live music and food,” said Tracy Tomines, a city spokesperson. “The city of Temecula is proud to have been nominated for USA Today’s favorite New Year’s Eve drop, as it brings attention to Southern California’s beautiful wine county.” At nearby Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, they are not going to celebrate just once but twice on New Year’s Eve as a way to mark the winery’s 25th anniversary. Starting at 6 p.m., guests can indulge in a four-course, wine-paired dinner ($220) in the Winemaker’s Loft. The East Coast Elegance event, a black-tie affair, will continue up until the clock strikes midnight back east. And for those who can muster another couple of hours or just want to attend the West Coast Party Vibes event, there will be a dance party with a live DJ and dessert and coffee bar ($100) that will be cranking until we celebrate 2025 here on the West Coast.“A lot of wineries skip NYE events, but for us, it’s a night lled with joy, laughter and great wine under the stars,” said Wendy Holder, Wilson Creek’s vice president of marketing. “It's an experience unlike any other—where you can toast to new beginnings in the heart of wine country, surrounded by friends old and new. It’s our way of making sure that the new year starts off with a little magic.”Also hosting a grand event is Europa Village Wineries & Resort in Temecula. It’s a 007-themed soiree, celebrating James Bond and Casino Royale. Guests will be swept into the elegance, mystery and thrill of the aforementioned lm. They can sip signature cocktails, be treated to a three-course dinner, enjoy an array of casino games and strike the Bond pose in a glamorous photo booth. Tickets are $190 and the event runs 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.Closer to home, McClain Cellars is hosting a black tie New Year’s Eve Gala at its exclusive Irvine Members Lounge. The event includes live music, dinner and the Laguna Beach winery's nest wines to toast to new beginnings.The gala is 8 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday Dec. 31. This year’s festivities include the annual NYE Grape Drop in Temecula (above left), dinner at Wilson Creek Winery (above right) and a black tie-optional gala hosted by McClain Cellars.

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Photo of the MonthDecember 2024 ocws.org 13TRAIN WITH A VIEWOCWS member Bernie Fornadley shot his winning photo on the Napa Train Ride in 2015 using his Android phone camera.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

OCWS Newsletter DEC2024

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