OCWS Newsletter OCT2024 : simplebooklet.com

t is a great honor for me to serve as the president of the OCWS. Watching the organization develop over the past several decades has been a great highlight of my life. With the summer over, we begin a new board year in October and plans for 2025.ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETINGThank you to those who attended our Annual Business Meeting on Sept. 6. A recording of the proceedings is available to members on our website.BOARD ELECTIONSPlease join me in congratulating our newly elected board members Fran Gitsham, C.L. Keedy and Daniel Vlahovic. They will be joining the remaining six board members for the 2024-2025 board term: Sue England, Linda Flemins, Fred Heinecke, John Lane, Rich Skoczylas and myself. Our volunteer board of nine directors spends countless hours organizing events and performing administrative duties. I would like to again thank them for their commitment to the organization and their dedication to making our amazing events and programs very successful. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION RECEPTIONBefore the pandemic, our volunteer recognition was handled at the in-person Annual Business Meeting. With the transition of the meeting to online, we have separated our volunteer recognition into a new event. On Oct. 20, we will hold our rst Volunteer Recognition Reception in The Courtyard at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to enjoying appetizers and wine, we will recognize the volunteers who have dedicated so many hours to the organization. Based on the number of hours volunteered in the past year (September to August), volunteers will be invited to attend the reception and receive a voucher for $10, $25 or $50 toward a future OCWS event. The President’s Award will also be presented at the event. Invitations were sent in mid-September to those receiving awards. Space allowing, we will provide an opportunity for those not receiving awards to purchase tickets to attend and help celebrate our amazing volunteers.VINTAGE MEMBER LUNCHEONSThis past May, we started Vintage Member Luncheons to help us prepare for our 50th anniversary celebration in 2026. Attendees are helping us gather stories and information about the organization that we are compiling into a book. Invitations have been sent out through a join date of 2000. If you joined after 2000, look for your invitation in the future as we work through the list over the next 15 months. If you received an invitation to one of the previous events but were unable to attend, you will be kept on the invitation list until you are able to attend. UPCOMING EVENTSWe have a host of upcoming events. With over 1,000 members, it is important to purchase tickets as soon as they become available as they often sell out. Once they sell out, please contact our ofce to be put on a waiting list. Upcoming events: Varietal Hours (every other Tuesday), Hocus Pocus Fall Social (Oct. 6), Winemakers’ Group Quarterly Meeting (Oct. 19), OCWS Outing at Laguna Canyon Winery (Nov. 1), Bubbles 'n' Brunch at The Cannery (Nov. 3), Holiday Dinner Dance (Dec. 6) and Winemakers’ Group Holiday Potluck (Dec. 22). For more details on all upcoming events, please read the articles in this newsletter and sign up online.2 ocws.org October 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 ChristianIsee PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, page 3

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October 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.comVINOS UNIDOS, from page 1CLOSINGThank you to all our wonderful Orange County Wine Society members who volunteer their time and attend our events. As a membership organization, we rely on your The Orange County Wine Soci-ety extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Membership for the following members were ap-proved by the Board of Directors at the September meeting: Robert and Kristen Adams, Michelle Agui-lar, Scott and Holly Andersen, Dave and Kathy Anderson, Eric d’Ablaing and Norma Ayala, John and Yvonne Browning, Christina Byrne and Connie Hiatt, Robie and Michele Capps, Lori Carso and Mike Mailman, Timothy and Mary Carter, Sandra Chambers and James Kinkade, Debra Clarke, Michelle Coon, Scott and Pam Crane, Nicole Crenshaw and Graham Berg-er, Diane Dales, Aimee Didion, Matt Downs, Philippe and Katie Earl, Donna Eggleston, Jennifer Ervin and Lauri Travers, John and Ginny Fien, Eva Finn, Kris Flaig and Christine Ames, Gen Forsythe, Louis and Gretchen Francisco, Steve and MaryAnne Fried-man, Shane and Mely Dinsdale, The-resa Garson and Joanna Hussey, Ray and Amy Gerace, David Glanzrock and Courtney Catania, Rick and Leslie Gol-son, Martell Gonzalez, Leticia Guillen, Ron Gulli and Sharon Townsend, Jose Gutierrez and Xochilt Salinas, Salem Halabi and Jessica Skorupski, Dayna Halley and Bryan Hatton, Collin Hart, Nicole and Theresa Hayford, Mack-enzie Hernandez, Thomas Higgins, Jaime Isaza and Elizabeth Sanchez, Julie Johnson, John Keller and Jip Moungpruan, Kimmy Khosrovani, Cin-dy Kidder and Jerry Sargent, Christine Kotchian, Linda Kraemer and Michael Beaty, Jessica Lane and Sam Brigh-toneld, Michele Laughlin and Celeste Wayne, Damien Lorton, Kevyn Marin and Eufelia Corona, Justine Marsing, Laura Martin and Audrey Balthazar, Loree Martinez and Diane Gonzales, Dan Martinez and Amy Thomas, Jessi-ca McMillen and Wendy Harris, Kellie Miller and Michele Joyce, Edward and Laura Miller, Ethan and Seleah Mill-er-Bazemore, Titiana Miranda, Susan Morales, Susan Muras, Nick Murdick and Kimberly Stermer, Arika Nabors, Andie Nelson, Chris and Andrea Norris, Cassie Olah and Justin Grant, Greg and Teresa Oldham, Jennifer Opdahl and Laurian Cornia, Robert and Gail Palaeologus, Nicole Payne, Marie Peck and Laurie Mills, Brian Penny, Jen Plebani, Lisa Ponsford and Jennifer Smith, Alexandra Ragan and Richard McGibney, Ron Raya and Doris Milligan, Nancy Recinos, Asia Roth and Bryan Betbadal, Dawn Salucci and David Schoonover, Maria and Martha Sanchez, Daniel and Kelly Schlundt-Bodien, Doug and Sandy Schoonover, Greg and Renee Selby, Daniel Sharp, Denise Shue and Bill McKee, Brian Standaert, Gerry and Alison Stukkie, Mona Sylvester and Art Holland, Deborah Thomas, Igor and Celeste Toro, Yvette Trevino and Destiny Hildalgo, Phyllis Truesdell, Liz Tutton, Jessica Velasco, Tracy Viloria, Brian and Ida Wade, Karen Walsh, Allan Wasch, Billiae Weber, Bruce and Karen Winters, Dennis and Lori Young and Poya and Betsy Zadshiri.As of Sept. 1, OCWS has 1,005 members. New members: For new members trying to log onto their account, go to OCWS.org. Your default login is the primary member’s email address. The default password is the primary mem-ber’s zip code. Both 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 CORNERPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, from page 2participation and you have made this an incredibly successful organization over the past several decades. Sharing wine, food and good times with such an amazing group of individuals is a magnicent honor. Cheers to all!

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4 ocws.org October 2024Bubbles ’n’ BrunchOur next brunch will be at an old Newport Beach favorite.The story of The Cannery covers 100 years of American history. Com-mitted to continuing their promise of delivering the best and freshest sea-food, steaks and chops, The Cannery is a historical landmark preserved by Southern California restaurateur Ron Salisbury of El Cholo fame. The historic building was around long be-fore the Salisbury family took it over, operating as a restaurant on the Rhine Canal. If it wasn’t for local resident Jack Croul, who saw a dream in the building and its history, it would not be standing today. In the fall of 1999, Jack purchased the property back from developers for three times its asking price. Having no knowledge of restaurant management, Jack con-nected with Ron Salisbury through a friend. Jack quickly entrusted the on-going success of The Cannery to Ron and assisted with the costs associated with restoring the building. Update: Our brunch will be held on the patio.You will have a choice of a starter, a choice of entrée from three selec-tions and a choice of dessert. Coffee, tea and sodas, corkage, tax and gratu-ity are included.The price for this sit-down brunch will be $82 for members and guests. Parking is valet at $8 per vehicle. Carpooling or ride sharing is suggest-ed. 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. No. 1 Bring a bottle of your favorite Champagne and/or wine.No. 2Bring champagne and/or wine glasses.No. 3 Please wear your OCWS name badge. No. 4Please drink responsibly.The last day to sign up, make changes or cancel to receive a refund is Oct. 29 because we need to contract with the restaurant the attendance count. Any cancellations after this date will be lled and refunded from the waitlist. Looking forward to toasting with you again!—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Champagne Brunch Coordinatore CanneryRestaurant3010 Lafayette Ave.Newport Beach, CA11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 3Sign-Up Deadline:Tuesday, Oct. 29

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Home WinemakersOctober 2024 ocws.org 5October means many things to many people. Most wine afcionados immediately think of the harvest parties and special events happening at winery tasting rooms. For grape growers, it’s the end of many months of work nurturing and tending the vines. For winemakers, it’s the beginning of a new vintage. Fresh grapes are now arriving and our work is just starting. Precious grapes that had been in the hands of a grower are now in the hands of the winemaker. This is the winemaker’s rst opportunity to control the winemaking process and it starts as soon as the grapes are harvested. There are many things to consider right now. How are the grapes handled after picking? What methods, if any, will be used to extract color and avor from the grape skins? How much will acidity be adjusted? What yeast will be used to ferment? To what dryness do you ferment? How will the wine be pressed? During processing, will the winemaker use gentle methods like gravity to move the wine and preserve avor?These are among the many decisions made in just the rst few weeks of processing a new vintage. Other decisions like clarication, using oak, blending, and aging come later and at a much slower pace. Arguably, harvest is the most important time in the winery. Whether you’re making a hundred bottles as a home winemaker or a hundred barrels at a commercial winery, the decisions are the same. The choices and actions the winemaker takes at this time have a profound impact on how a wine will turn out years into the future.Think about that the next time you open a bottle of your favorite wine. The reason it tastes the way it does now is because of the decisions a winemaker made, possibly many years ago. While the harvest celebrations were happening in the tasting room then, the winemaker was hard at work creating the wine you’re tasting now.The Winemakers' Group will be having our post-harvest celebration too. Our next quarterly meeting and potluck will be Saturday, Oct. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. The Yorba Linda location will be announced approximately one week prior to the event. Signups are now open on the OCWS website. Cost is $5 per person to cover supplies. All OCWS members are welcome to attend. Attendance is limited so sign up now!—Ed Reyesed@ocws.orgCelebrating the HarvestSAVE THE DATEFo r t h e a n n u a l W i n e m a k er s Gr o u p ho l i d ay pa rt y. th i s y e ar ’s e v e n t w i l l b e 4 t o 8 p.m . su n d ay, de c . 22, i n yo r b a li nd a . th e f e s t i v e li g h t s a n d d e c o r at i o n s at t h i s b e au ti f u l l a k e s i d e l o cat i o n w i l l b e s u r e t o p u t yo u i n t h e h o l i day sp i r i t. we b si t e s i g n u p s w i l l o p e n no v. 1. yo u d o n’ t n e e d to b e a Wi n e m a k er t o at t e n d . al l ocws m e m b er s a r e W e l c o m e . co m e j oi n u s!Merchandise MESSAGEOCWS logo apparel for sale at upcoming eventsMerchandise will be available for sale at the upcoming Fall Social event in October. 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 through May. —Courtney, Merchandise Maven

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Mini-Tasting6 ocws.org October 2024The Results ARE IN1st Place2020 Cordon of Santa BarbaraGSNSanta Ynez Valley, CA$38Rich and deep with spice and black raspberry. Smooth, balanced and long. Tagged “246” in honor of Highway 246 that runs the course of the Santa Ynez Valley.Accolades: 93 points Double Gold2nd Place2022 Peirano EstateRed BlendLodi, CA$18Aromas of dark, rich plum, raspberry and cranberry ll the nose with a hint of sweet blood orange behind the plum. The palate is bright plum, perhaps satsuma plum, with a raspberry and cranberry medley.Blend: Malbec, Cabernet. Sauvignon, Merlot and TempranilloAccolades: 93 points Double Gold3rd Place2021 Sycamore RanchPetite SirahPaso Robles, CA$50The wine opens in the glass with bright oral aromas, caramel and choco-late followed by touches of black g, blueberry, cherry and raspberry with a pretty cherry liqueur and licorice quality to the nose. The palate follows with soft ripe fruits, cherry, black g and blueberry with undertones of blood orange, a rocky minerality and cocoa nibs throughout.Accolades: 94 points Double Gold (2023)According to Sam Puzzo, the rst Mini-Tasting was 35 years ago this month. The 2024 Gold Medal Mini-Tasting is the largest one we’ve had, with 11 sites (members’ homes) across the county, and nearly 170 people enjoying 10 wines in a blind tasting. The attend-ees each contributed a dish and each site voted for its favorite dish and the chef was awarded a bottle of wine as Chef of the Evening. The Gold Medal Mini-Tasting is unique in that there were 10 different varietals represented, and all were very highly rated by the judges at our commercial competi-tion. The wines were served in ve blind ights of two wines each and the attendees judged each wine, voted for their favorites and tried to determine the varietal. With such a wide range of wine varietals, the favorites across the 11 sites were pretty varied. Nine of the wines were the rst place choice at one or more of the sites. The Dolcetto was the only one that didn’t nish as a top choice at any of the sites. The wines included familiar varietals along with a few that were less familiar to many of our members (Charbono, Dolcetto and Teroldego). The Charbono and Teroldego tied for fourth place overall across the 11 sites.The overall winner was Cordon of Santa Barbara’s GSM. It got rst place at one site, second place at three sites and third at additional sites. Second place overall was the Peirano Estate Red Blend from Lodi. It got rst place at two sites and second at one. Third overall was Sycamore Ranch’s Petite Sirah from Paso Robles with one rst place, two second place nishes and two third place nishes.— George Cravens,OCWS Director

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Mini-TastingOctober 2024 ocws.org 7Gold Medal Mini-Tasting attendees brought a deli-cious dish to share and then voted on a Chef of the Evening. The results at each host site are:Hosts: Hank & Chris BruceChef: Donna Hisey — Carol Shelton DuckHosts: Sam Puzzo & Carol FrankChef: Beth Marie Nierman — Vegan KabobsHost: Fran GitshamChefs (tie): Rochelle Randel — Mediterranean Cod with Blistered Tomato and BasilLynda Edwards — Apple Carmel Crunch Hosts: Fred & Cheryl HeineckeChef: Tamara Reddy — Pumpkin, Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna Hosts: Karl & Virginia KawaiChefs (tie): Jim Burk — Beef with Red WineKevin Coy — Scalloped PotatoesTom Stevens (guest) — PaellaHosts: John & Courtney Molina Chef: Linda Shepard — Death by ChocolateHosts: Eberhard & Mary Anne NeutzChef: Ivan Moad — Tri-TipHosts: Jay & Betty Jo Newell Chef: Irene Scott — EmpanadasHosts: Don & Elee Phillips Chef: Damian & Carolyn Christian — Smoked Pork Loin with Bacon Jam Au JusHosts: Craig & Rona Rowe Chef: Derrick Willis — Firecracker SalmonHosts: Mark & Jody TheissenChef: Gayle Pratt — Caprese Corn SaladCongratulations 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 EVENINGNeapolitanIngredients 1/2 17.3-oz. package puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed3 oz. instant vanilla pudding and pie lling mix1 cup milk1.5 cups thawed frozen whipped topping1.25 cups sliced strawberries2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugarInstructions HEAT oven to 400°F.UNFOLD pastry sheet on a lightly oured surface. CUT pastry sheet into three strips. CUT each strip into four rectangles and place the pastries onto a baking sheet.BAKE for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. SPLIT each pastry into two layers, making 24 in all.PREPARE pudding mix according to the package directions except use 1 cup of milk. FOLD in the whipped cream.RESERVE eight top pastry layers. SPREAD 2 Tbsp. pudding mixture on each of eight bottom pastry layers. TOP each with 1 Tbsp. strawberries and another pastry layer. TOP with remaining pudding mix-ture, strawberries and reserved top pastry layers. SPRINKLE with confectioners’ sugar and use piping bag to drizzle melted chocolate on top.—Recipe courtesy Greg BrettChef of the EVENING

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8 ocws.org October 2024EventsThe Witching Hour is Upon Us – and soon! Join us at The Courtyard for this year’s Fall Social and Halloween celebration on Sunday, Oct. 6. The festivities kick off at 2:30 p.m. and continue until 6:30 p.m. This year’s theme is a bewitching tribute to the beloved lm, Hocus Pocus, and The Courtyard will be transformed into a den of ickering candles, cobwebs and spells. Set the mood and pick up a hypnotizing elixir from the Wine Wall—$20 (cash only) a bottle. All proceeds and donations benet the Scholarship Fund. Reconnect with friends and make new ones while dancing to the eerie beats of DJ Henry “Streak” Martinez. Indulge in delicious treats from the Cook’s Caucus and savor wines from our cellar. Don’t forget to participate in our silent auction, featuring enticing gift baskets Fall Membership SOCIALReady to conjure up some Halloween fun?SAVE THE DATETh e Co ur T ya r doC Fair & evenT CenTerCosTa Mesa , Ca(Auction closes 5 p.m.)• Waterford Glasses• Soup Basket• Little Ghosts• Gardening Basket • Christmas Wreath(Auction closes 5 p.m.)• Charcuterie Plate• Wine Wreath• Party Basket• Ghost Décor• Christmas Goodies(Donations only)• Christmas Santa Décor• Christmas Cork Décor• Christmas Ornaments• Jewelry(Auction closes 5:30 p.m.)• Spa Basket• Personalized Wine Glasses• French Dinner for 6• Large Christmas Basket• Wine Wreath(Auction closes 5:30 p.m.)• Tobin James Basket• Wine Glasses• Italian Dinner Basket• Christmas Wreath(Donations only)• Christmas Santa Ornaments• Christmas Cork Ornaments• Christmas Cork Ornaments• Homemade Bread(Auction closes 6 p.m.)• Hockey Tickets and Entertainment• Gardening Basket with Plaques• Winery Glasses• Corking Around(Auction closes 6 p.m.)• Garden Tour and Restaurant Gift Card• Wine Lovers Basket• Christmas Goodies• Watercolor Paintingwith wines, glassware, dinner coupons and gourmet goodies. For a full list of auction/donation items, please check out the accompanying information in the newsletter. Payments can be made via cash, check or credit card.In addition to all the mystery and magic, we will have a costume contest with prizes in three categories: 1) Funniest Costume; 2) Most Original Costume; 3) Best Couples Costume. So come dressed to kill!At our spring event, we raised $2,500 through the auction and Wine Wall. With your help, we aim to surpass that amount at the Fall Social. Tickets are $45 for members and $50 for guests. Mark your calendars for Sunday, Oct. 6 for a magical Autumn Social! Get your tickets online NOW – you won’t want to be left in the dark. —JoBeth Skaggs, Fall Social Committee MemberWicked Good Auction ItemsWe’ve conjured up some spook-tacular donation and auction items just for you! At right is a brief list of our hauntingly good collection that will be on display. Note whether they are donation or auction items and the auction close times for each table. All funds go into the OCWS Scholarship Fund. TABLE 1TABLE 2TABLE 3TABLE 4TABLE 8TABLE 7TABLE 6TABLE 5

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October 2024 ocws.org 9EventsOCWS funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including California State Polytechnic University, Pomona or Cal Poly Pomona. Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) supports California winemaking with a beverage program that spans three colleges and includes a campus vineyard called Horsehill Vineyard, which is a collaborative wine project between CPP and South Coast Winery. The vineyard was planted with clippings provided in 2001 by the late Don Galleon, who served as one of our commercial wine competition judges for many years. Growing and harvesting campus grapes are part of the College of Agriculture’s plant and soil science majors. The label design for the wine made from these grapes is part of the visual arts in the College of Environmental Design. CPP also teaches wine appreciation, beverage marketing and salesmanship in a group of courses in the Hospitality Management degree at the Collins College. The CPP students are very appreciative of the OCWS' support to help make nancial ends meet during their studies. —Damian Christian, Scholarship ChairOCWS Scholarship PROGRAMSpotlight: Fresno State UniversityJust a friendly reminder there is always time to donate to the OCWS Scholarship Fund for 2024. There are two ways to donate:Mail a Check — Make your check out to OCWS 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.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. DONATE TODAY12Holiday Dinner DANCEThe 2024 OCWS Holiday Dinner Dance will be held Friday, Dec. 6 at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel near the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa. Imagine an evening that 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. During dinner, the brave reghters from Costa Mesa show up to gather the toys that OCWS members have so graciously donated for the Spark of Love toy drive. 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 of the meal, wine and live music is $100 for members and $110 for non-member guests. The hotel is also offering a special room rate of 15 percent 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 toy drive that benets local children in need. Please consider bringing an unwrapped gift to donate to this worthy cause.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 often sells out and space is limited, so sign-up today! DINNER MENUSalad 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 Wonderland slated for Dec. 6

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Events10 ocws.org October 2024The OCWS Varietal Hours are moving 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 your time. What started as a way of gathering 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 miss-ing Monday Night Football!So here is our challenge to all of you: If you haven’t already attended one of our 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 some-thing OR you might teach us some- thing. NO. 3 You won’t regret spending that hour of your life with us. And you won’t even have to drive home.So picture this… Your own com-fortable furniture. A glass of wine in your hand. Chatting with fun friends, some you know, some you may not. Varietal HOURNew Night: Now the Fun Happens on Tuesdays!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 every other Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m.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. 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 10 p.m. the Monday 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 Co-Chair DATE TIME VARIETAL HOSTS Oct. 29 7 p.m. Spooky Wine or Label Lee & Cathy Painter Oct. 15 7 p.m. Favorite Red Blends Damian & Carolyn Christian Nov. 12 7 p.m. Veteran-Owned Wine or Wineries David Price Nov. 26 7 p.m. Wine Paired for Thanksgiving Ed Reyes Dec. 10 7 p.m. Wine for the Holidays Stuart Frick

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Photo of the MonthOctober 2024 ocws.org 11FUNNEL CAKE & FUNOCWS member Theresa Nelson toasted to good times at the OC Fair this summer, pairing her dessert with a glass of port.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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12 ocws.org October 2024Feature StoryBALDYGA, from page 1band, the couple had to nd the space for the cellar.They nally settled on a 6x6 spot in the corner of the family room where a wet bar was previously located. The couple got some of their inspiration from Bacchus Secret Cellars in Irvine where Laureen once worked. After consulting with a contractor on the design and its features, the cellar was built and has become a centerpiece of the Baldyga home.The outside of the cellar is adorned with about 30 wine case panels emblazoned with the logo and name of wineries from around the world that the Baldygas have gotten from Bacchus or collected themselves.Some of the panels, represented by a few of the most renowned wineries such as Caymus, Silverado, Opus One and Screaming Eagle, are separated by rows of corks. The cellar’s door has bunches of grapes etched onto the glass.At just 36 square feet, the cellar holds 300 bottles and has enough room to seat two people. A majority of the wine is from Duckhorn and Calcareous vineyards, where the couple are wine club members.“We like to store the Duckhorn for about ve years and then drink it,” Tom said. “Both wineries are extremely consistent with what they make and Calcareous produces excellent Syrahs and have great whites like Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc.”The cellar also has a glass rack and two storage spots for wine accessories. One of those spots is a nook with a marble top. On the back wall is a painting entitled “Perfect Zen” by popular artist Michael Godard.Like any good cellar, the couple ensured it was temperature controlled and would hold enough wine to make it worth their while. Tom has a few other suggestions for anyone planning his or her own cellar.“I’d recommend nding a place that has drainage built in,” Tom said. “Try to know someone who can do the design. It’s amazing what you can do with a small space.”Tom said the cellar does serve the main purpose of storing the wine but he and Laureen also make sure they enjoy the wine with family and friends. His prized possessions are a 1994 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2011 Perry Moore Cab. “I don’t think I would change a thing,” Tom said. “I like that it’s not too big so it’s always full. But part of the fun is drinking the wine and relling the cellar.”(Clockwise from top left) The entrance to the cellar; a 1994 Harlan Cab; wine case panels outside the cellar; and a nook with artwork.

OCWS Newsletter OCT2024

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