OCWS Newsletter JULY 2024 : simplebooklet.com

2 ocws.org July 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 ChristianThis past month was, like most Junes, an incredibly busy month lled with our two agship events, the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the OC Fair Home Wine Competition. As hosts of these competitions, we have hundreds of volunteers working thousands and thousands of hours to make them a success. In an era when other wine competitions are seeing a decline in submissions, our competitions contin-ue to grow.OC Fair Commercial Wine CompetitionThis year, the Commercial Com-petition was held on June 1 and 2 and hosted 88 judges from the wine indus-try who judged 2,518 California wines (an increase of several hundred over last year). I can’t say enough about the committee members and volunteers, led by Fran Gitsham, who make this incredibly complex event go awless-ly. Results from the competition can be found at WineCompetition.com. This site is a great resource to search favorite varietals and wine regions at the price point you desire. OC Fair Home Wine CompetitionThe Home Wine Competition received 521 entries this year. The judging took place on June 8 and 78 judges enjoyed not only some incred-ible home wines, but a fantastic break-fast and lunch prepared by our own Cooks’ Caucus. Kevin Donnelly led the Home Wine Competition commit-tee and volunteers in another success-ful year. Results from this competition can be viewed at hwcr.ocws.org and an article with more details can be found in this issue.Wine Defect Identication WorkshopWhile stewarding at the Commercial Competition, OCWS member Don May-er came up with an idea to learn more about wine tasting by comparing the bad bottles identied by the judges from the competition with their good bottle counterparts. Nearly 40 OCWS enjoyed the educational experience, and we hope to make it an annual one. A BIG thank you to Don Mayer and his committee, who put on an amazing event. See his article in this issue about the event for more details.The Courtyard at the OC FairWith the competitions behind us, it is now time to ramp up for the OC Fair. For decades, OCWS has hosted a booth at the annual fair. Our current location, The Courtyard, allows us to serve award-winning wine and wine by the glass and host featured wineries and wine seminars. Fred Heinecke and Fran Gitsham lead the committee that puts together these marvelous events in The Courtyard. More details on The Courtyard activities are available in this month’s newsletter, including informa-tion on volunteering to help with the setup. Also check out Jane Goodnight’s article (Part 1) on the history of the OCWS at the OC Fair.You Can Help!So now it is your turn! In addition to volunteering for our events, there are many ways you can help support the OCWS and its educational mission.• Check out WineCompetition.com and use the site to help you purchase wines that won medals at our compe-tition and share the website with your see PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, page 3

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July 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 2024 Wine Competition Results:WineCompetition.comThe Orange County Wine So-ciety extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Membership for the following members was approved by the Board of Directors at the June 2024 meeting: Susan Edmonds, Aaron Feves and Jennifer Rasmussen, Ben Nakatani, Angela Potter, Michael and Marie Sackett, and Aaron and Joyce Vieira.As of June 1, the OCWS has 1,027 total members with 617 mem-berships.New Members: For new mem-bers trying to log onto our website and who have not already created their own password, go to OCWS.org. Your default login is the pri-mary 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 / pass-word per membership.—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Business AdministratorNew Members CORNERfriends and family as an excellent resource to nd award-winning wines. It is a great way to thank wineries for participating!• Visit wineries that have won medals and congratulate them! You will probably see their OC Fair medals proudly displayed.• Come to The Courtyard at the OC Fair. Even if you are not signed up to volunteer, coming to The Courtyard for a glass of wine or tasting award-winning wines helps support the organization. Make sure you check out the featured wineries on Fridays, Saturdays and Sun-days and the wine seminars on Satur-days and Sundays.We are fortunate to have over 1,000 members who help us run so many successful wine events. I hope you will join me in thanking all the committee chairs, members and volunteers who make this organization what it is today. Celebrating 48 amazing years of doing what we do makes us a truly unique organization I am proud to lead. Thank you for all that you do for the organiza-tion. I hope to see you in July and Au-gust at the OC Fair so we can toast and share more wine experiences together! PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEFrom page 2If you haven’t heard of our Varietal Hours by now, here is your chance!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 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. All you need is a computer (or phone) and internet connection. Feel free to contact Don Phillips at don@OCWS.org or George Cravens at george@OCWS.org.—Don Phillips, OCWS Varietal Hour Co-ChairVarietal HOUROCWS Varietal Hours...The Fun Never Stops!

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4 ocws.org July 2024Mini-TastingGold MedalMini-TastingVarious Host Sites6 to 9 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024Sign-Up Deadline:Tuesday, Aug. 20The Gold Medal Mini-Tasting is a chance to taste many of the Gold and Double Gold Medal-winning wines from this year’s Commercial Wine Competition. The tasting will feature different varietals that won Gold Medals and we try to obtain as many Double Gold winners as possible. This event is always a sell-out, so please sign up early! NOTE: If you are interested in hosting, please contact George Cravens, george@ocws.org.Hosts: This event is always very popular, so we will need quite a few hosts. The weather should be nice for an outdoor tasting if you have space. 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. 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 by the OCWS ofce. Cost: The cost to attend the tasting is $35 for members and $40 for guests.Mini-Etiquette: 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 attendees of each site). Our winning Chefs of the Evening can have their recipe published in the The Wine Press.We are planning for 10 sites for this mini-tasting. Sign-ups will open on July 1. Due to the high attendance at our Mini-Tasting Programs, we encourage you to sign up early as sites tend to ll quickly. Once sign-ups are full, please call the OCWS ofce to be added to the waiting list. The cut-off date for online sign-up is Tuesday, Aug. 20. After this date please contact the OCWS ofce to determine availability. Due to the advance purchase of wines, you may not receive a refund if you cancel after the cancellation deadline (we will try to ll the spots from the waiting list).Cheers! —George Cravens, OCWS Director

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Mini-TastingJuly 2024 ocws.org 5Ingredients 6 large egg yolks (about 1/2 cup of yolks, room temperature)1 cup sugar (superne)1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese (room temperature)1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream30 Italian ladyngers1 1/2-2 cups cold espresso or strong coffee1/2-1 cup coffee-avored liqueur1 oz. unsweetened cocoa for dustingInstructions ADD 1 inch of water to small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Top pot with metal bowl that won't touch the water. ADD egg yolks and sugar to bowl, whipping to mix the ingredients together.PLACE bowl on small pot of simmering water. WHIP egg/sugar mixture constantly with a whisk for about 10 minutes. This will cook the eggs. The mixture will increase in volume as it thickens.Note: Egg/sugar mixture needs to reach at least 165 degrees F. If the bowl starts to get too hot, lift it off the pot of water for 15 seconds or so while continuing to whip the mixture. Do this as often as necessary.REMOVE the bowl from the heat and continue to whip yolks to help them cool. The mixture should be thick and a lemon yellow color.ALLOW to cool briey before mixing in mascarpone. ADD room-temperature mascarpone to the whipped yolks. MIX until well combined. Do not overmix; this can cause curdling.NOTE: Mascarpone only needs to set out 15 to 20 minutes.USING an electric mixer and a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. This process should be slow, starting on low and increasing the speed about every 10 minutes.GEN TLY fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone mixture. REFRIGERATE until you are ready to assemble the tiramisu.MIX the cold espresso with the coffee liqueur and dip the ladyngers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet; do not soak.ARRANGE the ladyngers in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish.SPOON half the mascarpone cream lling over the ladyngers.REPEAT process with another layer of ladyngers.ADD another layer of tiramisu cream.REFRIGERATE at least four hours. Overnight is best.DUST with cocoa before serving.—Recipe courtesy OCWS members Craig and Beth StarkTiramisuChef of the EVENING

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News6 ocws.org July 2024 The Orange County Wine Society funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including Allan Hancock College (AHC), which offers multiple degrees and certicates in viticulture, enology, wine and food pairing, and wine business. AHC’s viticulture & enology programs typically have about 120 students per year and has a four-acre “practice” vineyard in Santa Maria. Recently, AHC Winery won Best of Class in the 2024 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition for their 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé (90 points). In May, I had the good fortune to attend the 2024 Scholarship Awards Ceremony at AHC. The OCWS scholarship was distributed to three students. and we met with one of them, Jacob Tobin. Jacob became interested in winemaking after reading the books his mother had from an online wine course during the pandemic. He graduated with his degree in enology this year and shared with us that he helped make the 2021 Malbec that earned a Double Gold at last year’s OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition.Jacob will continue his studies at Fresno State University this fall and greatly appreciated the OCWS support. The 2024 recipients for the OCWS Scholarships at AHC are:• Paul Heald• Scott Melton• Jacob Tobin (pictured below)—Damian Christian, Scholarship ChairOCWS Scholarship PROGRAMSpotlight: Allan Hancock CollegeJust 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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NewsJuly 2024 ocws.org 71The rst vitis vinifera grape, known as the Mission grape, was planted in the “New World” in the 1500s in which country:A. PeruB. MexicoC. Argentina2 When the Mission grape was rst planted in the United States in the early 1600s it was planted in an area that was to become which state:A. CaliforniaB. ArizonaC. New Mexico3 The Franciscan monks who built the California missions planted Mission grapes to fulll their need for wine. Where was the Mission grape rst planted in California in 1769?A. Mission San Diego de AlcalaB. Mission San Luis Rey de FranciaC. Mission San Juan Capistrano4 The Mission grape, having originated in Spain, came from which Spanish wine region?A. GaliciaB. Castile-La ManchaC. Rioja5 In 2007 DNA analysis determined that the Mission grape was the same as an ancient Spanish grape: Listan Prieto (which can mean dark, black or red Palomino). However, the same grape has different names in different South American countries. Which pair of these countries/grape names is correct?A. Peru/Negra CriollaB. Argentina/Criolla ChicaC. Chile/PaisD. All of the above6 The Listan Prieto is no longer grown in Spain but is grown only on which of these European islands that has 71 acres of the grape? (Hint: It has the highest vineyards in Europe at 5,780 feet above sea level on the slopes of Mount Teide volcano.)A. Canary IslandsB. Azores IslandsC. Balearic Islands7 The oldest living Mission vine, planted in 1770 and known as both the Trinity Vine and the Vina Madre, is planted at which mission that in the 18th century was making 35 million U.S. gallons of wine?A. Mission San Gabriel ArcangelB. Mission San Miguel ArcangelC. Mission San Rafael Arcangel8 You can see an old Mission vine, planted in the early 1800s from a cutting of the Trinity Vine, that is still bearing fruit, and covers a 400 square foot pergola at:A. Mission San Gabriel ArcangelB. The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical GardensC. The Avila Adobe, Olvera Street, Los Angeles9 The historical, typical wine made from Mission grapes is a fortied, sweet, high alcohol, dessert wine. What is it called?A. MarsalaB. AngelicaC. Maderia10 In the 1880s, Mission vine acreage in California was estimated at 30,000 acres. By 2019 that acreage had been reduced to an estimated 400 acres. Which of these wineries/vineyards have old vine Mission vineyards?A. Gypsy Canyon Winery, Santa Barbara CountyB. Deaver Vineyards, Amador CountyC. Somers Vineyard, San Joaquin CountyD. All of the aboveBONUS QUESTION: What year did the show Mission: Impossible rst air on TV?A. 1964B. 1966C. 1968This Wine Wisdom will not self-destruct in ve seconds. Don’t disavow all knowledge of this mission. If you nd the wine, enjoy it. Cheers!—CL Keedy, Linda Flemins and the Wine Education CommitteeAnswers: 1-B; 2-C; 3-A; 4-B; 5-D; 6-A; 7-A; 8-C; 9-B; 10-D; Bonus-BWine WISDOMYour mission, should you choose to accept itOC FAIR 2024: Featured Wineries July 19 Macchia Winery July 20 Graveyard Vineyards July 21 Double Bond Winery July 26 San Simeon Wines July 27 Sycamore Ranch Vineyard & Winery July 28 Cordon of Santa Barbara Aug. 2 Fallbrook Winery Aug. 3 Bella Grace Vineyards Aug. 4 Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery Aug. 9 Deance Vineyard Aug. 10 915 Lincoln Aug. 11 Eberle Winery Aug. 16 Boisset Collection Aug. 17 Dark Star Cellars Aug. 18 San Pasqual Winery

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News8 ocws.org July 2024Since the inception of the Orange County Wine Society in 1976, there has been a mutually rewarding association with the Orange County Fair.COMMERCIAL WINE COMPETITION DEBUTSIn 1977, the rst Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition was held at the new Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel and the rst Orange County Fair Home Wine Competition was held on the grounds of the Orange County Fair. It was chaired by Jim Graver, the rst president of the Orange County Wine Society. Thirty-six entries were judged followed by a potluck lunch.INAUGURAL WINE GARDEN INTRODUCEDAs the Commercial Competition grew in number of entries and recognition, more funds were required to cover expenses. In 1981, the rst Wine Garden was introduced during the 10-day Orange County Fair, featuring tastes of award-winning entries. To sell wine, the fair board required that some type of food must be available. THE YELLOW SUBMARINE NOW SERVINGKathi Horton organized a separate trailer called “The Yellow Submarine” to sell award-winning sandwiches and cheese plates. Exhibits, built by member Dick Bird, featured award-winning wines and home winemaking information. Following the untimely death of Mr. Bird in 1981, Vivien and Charley Owens assumed the responsibility of assembling and setting up the annual display. During the mid to late ’80s, there OCWS HISTORY & FUN FACTSwere additional exhibits, displays and wine tasting in both the Wine Garden and the Flower and Garden Building. Booklets listing the award-winning wines were sold for $1.FAIR EXPANDS FROM 10 TO 17 DAYSBy 1990, the Orange County Fair was growing and changing. The fair expanded to 17 days, and the Wine Garden and other display booths were being discontinued. A committee, formed by David Hirstein, planned and designed a new larger venue, originally named the Wine Pavilion. It was located outside the Flower and Garden Building and provided a temperature-controlled wine cellar and storage areas. Every day during the fair, the Pavilion was managed by Marcia Brechtel and at night by John Goodnight or Al Barber. The requirement to sell food with wine was difcult to manage and was discontinued. WINE PAVILION RENAMED THE COURTYARDIn 1996, the Wine Pavilion name was changed to The Courtyard and seminars were added on weekends featuring either wine varietals or wine regions.Commemorative wine glasses and award books were sold along with tastes of award-winning wines. Varietal wines, wine coolers and sparkling wine were sold by the glass. The Home Wine Competition was moved from the original Memorial Gardens Building to The Courtyard. FAIR EXPANDS FROM 17 TO 21 DAYSAs the century changed, the fair continued to change as well. It was expanded to 21 days and the award book went to a new format featuring a color photo on the cover chosen from a contest among the OC Wine Society members. Manager specials were added, an Express Bar was created and Featured Winery Programs were introduced. In 2008, the Orange County Fairgrounds changed its name to the OC Fair and Events Center to better clarify the many events that are accommodated. Also during this period, the Orange County Wine Society served wines at the Barrett-Jackson Automobile Auction, which was held at the Events Center. OCWS CELEBRATES 40TH YEARIn 2016, Kathy Kramer, the chief executive ofcer of the Orange County Fair and Events Center, presented the Orange County Wine Society with a plaque commemorating the 40th anniversary of the organization. THE COURTYARD GROWS TO SERVE MANY PURPOSESIn addition to the annual OC Fair, The Courtyard is used for many OCWS work parties, like sorting the thousands of wines that are provided for the Commercial Competition, spring and fall festivities, the Chili Cook-Off, and the Home Wine Competition. Over the years, there have been many friendships made, occasions celebrated and good times fondly remembered at The Courtyard at the OC Fair.Thank you to Larry Graham for providing the historical information used in this article.—Jane Goodnight, OCWS History Committee MemberOrange County Wine Society and Orange County Fair (Part 1)

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July 2024 ocws.org 9Home WinemakersQuarterly meeting, potluck slated July 6The next winemakers’ quarterly meeting and potluck is 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 6. Signups are open on the OCWS website. The South County beach location will be announced one week prior to the event. Cost is $5 per person to cover supplies. All OCWS members are welcome, you don’t have to be a winemaker to attend.Each attendee, or couple, is asked to bring a potluck dish (appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert) ready to serve a small portion to eight people. Please bring any serving utensils necessary for your dish and a bottle of wine per person (homemade or commercial) to share. Plates, napkins and tableware will be furnished. We’re hoping to taste many of the award-winning wines from the OC Fair Home Wine Competition. Many of our talented winemakers earned double gold and other awards. For new and aspiring winemakers, this is your chance to meet, mingle and learn from our experienced winemakers. We will also have a short meeting to review the Home Wine Competition and announce upcoming events.Winemakers, did you get grapes last autumn or are you processing wines from earlier vintages? Make sure they stay protected from wine-damaging organisms. Our SO2 testing team led by Mike Paz will be conducting tests for your wines 10 a.m. to noon on the same day and location prior to the potluck meeting.Please email Mike by July 1 at Michael.winemaker@icloud.com with the number of tests you will need. It is important we know ahead of time how many tests will be done so we can purchase supplies prior and have them on hand. The testing fee is $5 per sample. Bring a 100ml sample of each wine, enough to test twice in case the test needs to be repeated.Attendance at this event is extremely limited so sign up now! Volunteers are needed to help set up prior and help clean up after the event. You can sign up to help when you register to attend the event. Contact Ed Reyes, at ed@OCWS.org if you have questions.—Ed Reyes, ed@OCWS.orgAfter months of preparation, the 48th annual OC Fair Home Wine Competition is in the history books. (See Kevin Donnelly’s accompanying competition “wrap up” article, page 12.)Now, my work starts for next year’s competition. No, I don’t mean the planning that goes into the actual event. I’m talking about the planning and work that will go into making the wine that, hopefully, I will enter into next year’s competition.You see, I’ve been bitten by the winemaking bug. I know there are other OCWS winemakers who’ve been bitten too. The bug always bites me after the competition. I get the itch to make more wine. It doesn’t matter how much is in my cellar or if I have the space to make it. There’s just something about the competition each year that calls me to make more.I’m cheered on this year by two of our OCWS winemakers who won Best of Show awards: Don Sowers, who won Best of Show Red Wine for his 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rochelle Randel, who won Best of Show Fruit Wine for her 2024 Lemon Wine.I’m always inspired by seeing so many wines from winemakers all over California. Maybe it’s something about tasting the fruit (pun intended) of all the hard work that went into each bottle. Maybe it’s the pride that winemakers, including myself, have for their wines. I’m humbled to think all those winemakers have put their trust in the Orange County Wine Society and our competition when they submit their wines for evaluation.Maybe the latest Home Wine Competition will also inspire others to begin or continue their winemaking. There are lots of opportunities to make wine and this is the best time of year to start.The grape harvest will be happening in a few months. The Winemakers Group annually sources a variety of high-quality grapes for our members. Look for more information on our grape purchase program in upcoming newsletters and in emails to our members.Wine can be made from almost any kind of fruit too. Summer brings a bounty of backyard fruit that can make excellent wine. This is an easy and low-cost way to learn or hone winemaking skills.Wine can be made from kits any time of year. John Lane from our Winemakers Group just conducted another kit winemaking class. Many of our OCWS winemakers started this way. Excellent wine can be made from kits including Best of Show winners in past years.No matter what kind of wine you make, the Winemakers Group can help. Our winemaking mentors will be happy to guide you through the process. There are many opportunities to make wine. No matter your experience level, now is the time to start planning the wine you’ll enter into next year’s OC Fair Home Wine Competition. Maybe you’ll be bitten by the winemaking bug too.—Ed Reyes, ed@OCWS.orgBitten by the Winemaking Bug

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10 ocws.org July 2024EventsIf you enjoy using power drills and stepladders, and wearing clothes you don’t mind getting grubby, this event is for you. We are already working to get The Courtyard for the OC Fair and you can be a big part of it all too.Volunteers will be needed to set up over three days to make this special place, which serves award-winning wines, ready for fairgoers. The Courtyard is one of the biggest sources of funds that are used for OCWS scholarships. Set-up is scheduled each day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 9-11. The scheduled tear-down date is Monday, Aug. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.During the shifts, we will not be handling any wines. It is not the same as server shifts and RBS is not required. Members can sign up for any or all four dates with me at Les@ocws.org, and lunches and parking will be provided. Please contact me with any questions. Thank you for making 2024 Always a Good Time at The Courtyard!—Leslie Hodowanec, 2024 Courtyard Set Up/Tear Down CoordinatorHelp with The Courtyard set up, tear down, decoratingJULY Courtyard Set Up Courtyard Set Up Courtyard Set Up & Decorate AUGUST Courtyard Tear Down19 SAVE THE DATES: 202411910The 2024 Orange County Fair is right around the corner. The fair, with the theme “Always a Good Time,” runs from Friday, July 19, through Sunday, Aug. 18, with Monday and Tuesday dark. Just as last year, the daily attendance will be limited, so make your plans early. The Courtyard is, by far, our largest fundraiser and each year brings in many of our new members. The committee has been making all the preparations for a smooth and fun summer. The set-up team plans to have everything ready to go the week before the opening. This year, The Courtyard will look much the same as last year, with high top tables and a tasting area near the Featured Winery Bar. There will be plenty of the fabulous award-winning wines to taste.For members new to The Courtyard and anyone wishing to attend, training for servers is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, at 11:30 a.m. in The Courtyard. For experienced servers who would like to train as a steward, training is scheduled for the same day at 10 a.m. in The Courtyard. Cashier training will be July 11 at 6 p.m. in The Courtyard. Managers will receive information regarding training and meetings.Fair credentials, parking passes and information will be mailed to reach everyone the rst part of July. Your credentials are valid every day of the fair, including sold-out days. However, if you are bringing someone who needs a ticket, it must be purchased in advance. Check out ocfair.com for up-to-date information on entertainment and ticket purchases. Plan for a fun summer and “Always a Good Time.” See you at the fair!—Fred Heinecke, OCWS Director and Co-Chair of The Courtyard CommitteePlan now for OC Fair visits, volunteer opportunities

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July 2024 ocws.org 11EventsENTERTAINMENT: The HangarJuly 19Start Making SenseThe Talking Heads TributeJuly 20 Hollywood U2The World's Greatest U2 TributeJuly 21One More NightPhil Collins and Genesis TributeJuly 24Dead Man's PartyThe Oingo Boingo TributeJuly 25Ticket to the MoonThe World’s Best ELO TributeJuly 26Red CorvetteA Prince TributeJuly 27Atomic PunksA Tribute to Early Van HalenJuly 2824K Magic#1 Bruno Mars TributeJuly 31Elton - The Early YearsA Tribute to Early Elton JohnAug. 1Don’t Look BackThe Boston ExperienceAug. 2Listen to the MusicA Tribute to The Doobie BrothersAug. 3Live From EarthPat Benatar and BeyondAug. 4Mariachi Ambassadors Sol de Mexico de Jose HernandezAug. 8Queen NationA Tribute to the Music of QueenAug. 9No DuhThe World’s Greatest Tribute to No DoubtAug. 10Which One’s Pink?Tribute to Pink FloydAug. 11I Am KingThe Michael Jackson ExperienceAug. 14The Long RunExperience The EaglesAug. 15DevotionalThe Depeche Mode Experi-enceAug. 16Twisted GypsyFleetwood Mac With A TwistAug. 17Zeppelin LiveAmerica’s #1 Tribute to Led ZeppelinAug. 18TUPUAThe Spirit of Aloha

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Event Wrapups12 ocws.org July 2024Commercial Competition WrapupThe 48th annual Commercial Wine Competition was held on June 1-2 at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa. The weekend found 88 professional winemakers and winery principals from throughout California judging 2,518 wines in the largest California-only wine competition in the world. The high caliber of the wines was clearly evidenced by the awarding of 19 Best of Class designations, 147 Double Gold medals, 439 Gold medals, and a plethora of silver and bronze medals. The Competition Committee worked tirelessly for nine months prior to the actual event to bring to fruition another unbelievably successful competition. Following are the committee members who put their hearts, sweat and tears into making the competition a reality:Kevin Coy, Director of JudgesBill Redding, Facilities CoordinatorTeri and John Lane, Head of CatalogingLiz and Lloyd Corbett, CatalogingRobyn and Dean Strom, Volunteer CoordinatorsRochelle Randel, Judges’ LiaisonDave Stancil, Data Entry SupervisorMarcy Ott, Scoring Verication CoordinatorGeorge Ott, Move CoordinatorDave White, BaggingGreg Hagadorn, Sort CoordinatorGeorge Cravens, Assist ExtraordinaireCarol Frank and Sam Puzzo, Label/Bottle Competition CoordinatorsCarolyn Christian, MarketingAnd thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who stewarded, staffed the kitchen, dried glasses, directed trafc, veried scores, input data entries, coordinated judges’ food, and much more.Each year I seem to marvel yet again at the dedication and cohesiveness of the hard-working committee members and volunteers. The competition is a living testament to what we can, and do, accomplish as a team. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who played any part in the success of the 2024 competition!For competition results, check out WineCompetition.com and look to enjoy some of the fruits of the labors of the winemakers who enter and support the competition and the OCWS.—Fran Gitsham, 2024 OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition ChairHome Wine Competition WrapupThe 48th annual Home Wine Competition was held on June 8 at the OC Fairgrounds Huntington Beach Building. Five-hundred and 21 wines were judged and 462 awards were handed out to 183 winemakers.It is amazing how the overall quality of the wines gets better and better every year, since our winemakers founded the OC Wine Society in 1976 and held our rst competitions in 1977. Although home winemakers cannot sell their wines, we tell our judges to evaluate each home wine as if it had a retail value of $20. Many of our wines would sell for far more, with some of them possibly competing with wines selling for over $100.This year, I am happy to announce

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Event WrapupsJuly 2024 ocws.org 13our Best of Show winners in ve categories: Don Sowers, Newport Beach, Best of Show Red Wine, for his 2018 Cabernet SauvignonAdam Gomolin, Oakland, Best of Show White Wine, for his 2023 ChardonnayThad Rodgers, Auburn, Best of Show Dessert Wine, for his 2022 Merlot PortRochelle Randel, Huntington Beach, Best of Show Fruit Wine, for her 2024 Estate Lemon WineChris Miller, Fallbrook, Best of Show Label, for his 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon label.We had 78 judges taste the entries and were supported by 82 people who worked behind the scenes before, during and after to support such a complicated event.As in years past, our OC Wine Society Cooks’ Caucus provided a hot breakfast and lunch for our volunteers. Both were FABULOUS, and we want to thank the 12 people who began weeks ago preparing the menu, purchasing the supplies and starting out early in the morning to make our competition such an enjoyable event. Thank you to all of you who helped us on competition day and the weeks before and after. And special thanks to our Home Wine Competition leadership group, including Stacey and Wendy Taylor, John and Teresa Lane, Ed Reyes, Cheryl Knapp and Lynda Edwards for their weeks of involvement. Because of all of your contributions, we were able to, once again, provide the high-quality competition that we are so proud of.—Kevin Donnelly, OC Fair Home Wine Competition ChairWine Defect Identication Workshop WrapupThe rst OCWS Wine Defect Identication Workshop was held on June 15 with nearly 40 people attending. This event was designed to compare the Faulted "A" bottle, identied by the OCWS Commercial Wine Competition judges against the Non-Faulted "B" bottle. Attendees had the opportunity to experience 42 different faulted wines and learn about the defects. Working in groups, lively discussion ensued as the blind tasting made the identication of the faulted wine challenging. To make the task more interesting, each group also had to identify the varietal of the wine.The collective energy of the groups was stimulating for everyone, regardless of the attendee’s experience level. Several members of the Winemakers’ Group attended as did several new and long-time OCWS members, all seeking to improve their wine knowledge. Each group collectively evaluated seven different wines, then all participants were invited to sample any of the 42 wines.The feedback from the participants was very positive, with a strong recommendation to make this an annual event.Thank you to OCWS members CL and Adrienne Keedy, Mary Ann Mayer, Carolyn and Damian Christian and Ed Reyes, who helped me make this inaugural event a great success. We hope to see you all at next year’s workshop.—Don Mayer, Event Organizer

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Jeff, a former Marine, got to work and discovered that Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon would suit the 2.5-acre property best. One hundred vines were planted for each varietal, and after some additional thought, the couple planted Chenin and Grenache Blanc for the burgeoning white fans they were becoming, upping their number of vines to 300.The couple aptly landed on Gavilan Hills Vineyard for the name of their wines based on the area where they live. Jeff says the Grenache has ourished so much that he’s constantly cutting growth to have the vines mature and bear the best fruit. While the rst vintage of Grenache and Cabernet is being readied to bottle in August, Jeff expects to get 1,000 pounds of Grenache this fall and 500 pounds of Cabernet. “The most challenging part of wine making so far for us is learning about it,” Jeff says. “The biggest issue is you don’t know if it’s going to be any good.”That’s where the home winemaking group at the Orange County Wine Society has assisted the couple on the rst steps of their journey. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple was referred by an OCWS member to the non-prot organization. Since that time, they have not only tapped into the wealth of knowledge among the OCWS winemakers but also have taken courses at Mt. San Jacinto College to learn more about the winemaking process. “The message from the (OCWS) winemakers has been ‘take your time,’” Jeff says. “’Be patient.’”Jeff has meticulously charted the vineyard’s progress on an Excel spreadsheet, even labeling each row in alphabetical order. A green thumb at heart, Jeff can often be found monitoring what is happening in the vineyard to ensure the end result is the best result.The couple also has tastefully redesigned their backyard to host rustic, intimate weddings. What better way to toast a newly minted marriage than providing wine made from grapes only a few feet away?The couple also has been experimenting like most newly minted winemakers often do. They have made fruit wine – blackberry and pineapple, respectively – and they plan to pull about 20 percent of the upcoming Grenache yield to make a rose. Given the amount of grapes they plan to harvest this fall, Jeff and Cindy says they plan to sell half of it, most likely to the OCWS home winemakers group. “This has been about doing something we enjoy,” Cindy said. “It has opened up a new door for us. It’s very satisfying.”Jeff and Cindy are eagerly anticipating how their wine will be received. They were encouraged when one of the instructors at Mt. San Jacinto College got a recent preview and was impressed with how the wine tasted.Jeff and Cindy have embraced the process of making wine, enjoying the journey along the way – and chronicling it on a YouTube channel — which is a testament to passion and that aforementioned patience.“You plan and you build something and get to see the fruits of your labor – literally,” Cindy says.For more information about the winery, visit GavilanHillsVineyard.com.Feature Story14 ocws.org July 2024HOMEGROWN, from page 1Gavilan Hills Vineyard in Riverside County boasts 300 vines, producing Grenache, Cabernet Savignon, Chenin and Grenache Blanc, and in some seasons fruit wines (below).

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July 2024 ocws.org 15Photo of the MonthThe OCWS sponsors a photography contest and you are invited to partici-pate! 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 up-coming 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. THE 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 somehow wine oriented. It may be of a winery, vineyard, the winemak-ing 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 anytime but will be considered only for the month it was submitted. There is a limit of ve (5) submissions per month. Upon submission, rights to the photo are given to the OCWS for marketing purposes, so before you submit it make sure it is your property. Please get permission from any people in the photo.The photo must be submitted in one of the following formats: JPEG, RAW, TIFF or Photo-shop. Any size is acceptable, 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 en-tered 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. Photos are due by the last day of the month to be considered for that month’s winner. 1245Calling all OCWS photographersTHE GRAND ILLUSIONThe Photo of the Month winner is Orange County Wine Society member Paul Gareld. His beautiful shot was captured at the Hitching Post Winery in Buelton.36

OCWS Newsletter JULY 2024

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