OCWS Newsletter SEP2024 : simplebooklet.com

t is hard to believe that summer is ofcially coming to an end this month. As I close this year as president, I am reminded of what an amazing group of people we have in this organization. Whatever our backgrounds or beliefs, we all share a common love of wine and the willingness to share our wine journey experiences with each other. It always astonishes me (and others) that this organization is made up of over 1,000 volunteers who come together to put on such amazing events. For those who joined at the OC Fair, I welcome you to this organization that has been a part of my life since the OC Fair in 1986!Website UpgradeWe have recently gone through a major website software update. A big thank you to Stacey and Wendy Taylor for their dedication to making this transition go smoothly and polishing up the look of the website. The CourtyardWith the OC Fair behind us, we owe many thanks to Fred Heinecke, Fran Gitsham and all of those who helped make The Courtyard at the OC Fair happen. We broke records this year and had an incredibly successful fundraiser and membership event. Board ElectionsEach September, we have board elections to replace three outgoing board members. Candidate statements are posted on our website, and you will have an opportunity to hear them speak at the Annual Business Meeting Sept. 6. Ballots will be emailed in September. Now is a good time to log on to your account to conrm your email address.Annual Business MeetingFor more details on our successes throughout the year, including the Courtyard, please attend the Annual Business Meeting Sept. 6 via Zoom. The OCWS board has found that this format works well for this annual review of the organization’s nances and activities. Please note that we are adding a new event in October to replace the social aspect of past business meetings.Volunteer Recognition ReceptionThis Oct. 20, we will hold our rst Volunteer Recognition Reception. Please note this is a date change from Sept. 29 to allow us to hold this event in The Courtyard and be able to present the new 2024-2025 Board of Directors. This event replaces the volunteer recognition portion of the Annual Business Meeting. In addition to enjoying appetizers and wine, we will recognize the volunteers who have dedicated so many hours to the organization. Invitations will be sent mid-September to those receiving awards.Vintage Member LuncheonsWe continue to move forward in time with our Vintage Member Luncheons as we prepare for our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2026. 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. Invitees are helping us gather stories and information about the organization we are compiling into a book.ClosingTo all of you who have contributed to this organization this year, I send my heartfelt thanks. There are too many to mention here, but I look forward to recognizing you Oct. 20. To those who are new to the organization, thank you for joining us. I welcome you to this incredible organization that will bring you new friends and great memories on your wine journey. Cheers to all!2 ocws.org September 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 ChristianMerchandise MESSAGEOCWS logo apparel for sale at upcoming eventsMerchandise will be available for sale at the upcoming Fall Social event in October, as well as the New Member Mixer. 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 off in the OCWS ofce. Merchandise also will be available at the upcoming winemaker dinners, January through May. —Courtney, Merchandise MavenI

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September 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 Soci-ety extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Membership for the following members was ap-proved by the Board of Directors at the August meeting: Michelle Agui-lar, Sheila Bergum, Troy Blaser and Lydia Flathmann, Bo and Susan Burch, Mary Carlson and Manny Martinez, John and Teddy Caruso, Jewel Christie and Scott Clark, Jeff and Kimberly Conrad, David and Linda Cook, Erin Crockett, Stewart and Julie Davis, Brenna Duncan, Alexis and Ariana Dzmura, Eugene and Rona Esparza, Rick and Sonia Goodman, Al Guerin, Tessa Harden and William Olivieri, Sylvia Herre-ra and Alyse Reynolds, Shannon Herzog, Jasmine Johnson, Keith and Barbara Kuntz, Stephen Litman and Kim Morris, Jon Liuzzi, Vin-cent Marfone and Ashley Wilhardt, Chris and Nancy Melander, John and Jennifer Moses, Ron and Mara Paul, Nicole Payne, Lori Ratzlaff, Cyndi Rhone, Tamika Rushing, Chris and Natasha Shapiro, Greg and Jennifer Smith, Ashley Weller and Pearl Jemison-Smith, and Julie Zylstra. As of Aug. 1, the OCWS has 965 members.New Members: For new mem-bers trying to log onto their ac-count, go to OCWS.org. Your de-fault login is the primary member’s email address. The default pass-word is the primary member’s zip code. Both may be changed under the tab ‘My Account’ once you log on. However, there may only be one login/ password per membership.—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Business AdministratorNew Members CORNERNew Member MIXERSAVE the DATE1 to 4 p.m. Sunday Sept. 15 (exact location will be emailed 3-5 days prior to event)Attire: Casual (event will be out-doors, weather permitting)Wine, water and light appetizers will be served. This is an invitation-only event. New members are invited to a New Member Mixer event. At this free Orange County Wine Society event, new members can meet other new members and the Board of Directors as well as learn more about the many events the OCWS has to offer. This event is restricted to new members who joined on or after Aug. 15, 2023, and who have not previ-ously attended a new member mixer. To sign-up, go to OCWS.org, log on to your OCWS account, and look for the New Member Mixer under Events. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday May 15.If you have never logged on to your OCWS account, your username is the email of the primary member on your account and your password is your zip code. You will be prompted to change your password the rst time you login. If you have issues access-ing your account, please contact the OCWS ofce staff at (714) 708-1636.Hope to see you there!—Linda Flemins, OCWS Director & New Member Mixer ChairCelebrating new OCWS members

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4 ocws.org September 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 restauranteur 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. Our brunch will be held upstairs in the Prager Room.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. 1. Bring a bottle of your favorite champagne and/or wine.2.Bring champagne and/or wine glasses.3. Please wear your OCWS name badge. 4.Please drink responsibly.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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Mini-TastingSeptember 2024 ocws.org 5Chefs of the EVENINGPear TartIngredientsCRUST1/2 cup butter or margarine1/3 cup sugar1/4 tsp. vanilla1 cup ourFILLING8 oz. cream cheese1 egg1/4 cup sugar1/2 tsp. vanilla4 cups peeled pears, sliced thin1/3 cup sugar1/2 tsp. cinnamon1/4 cup sliced almonds (This tops the torte beautifully, but I have omitted it often, and it’s still delicious.)InstructionsMIX butter, sugar, vanilla, and our.PRESS into bottom of a 10-inch-deep dish pie pan.MIX cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla.POUR into pastry-lined pan.TOSS together pear, sugar and cinna-mon.ARRANGE over cream cheese mixture as desired.SPRINKLE almonds on top.BAKE at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and 350 degrees for 25 more minutes. ALLOW to cool before removing from the pan.—Recipe courtesy OCWS members Mary Anne & Eberhard NeutzKumquat CheesecakeIngredientsCRUST5 1/2 oz. graham crackers2 1/2 oz. sugar4 oz. butterCHEESECAKE1 lb. cream cheese8 oz. mascarpone 6 1/2 oz. sugar3 1/2 oz. sour cream4 eggs3 oz. heavy cream8 oz. slightly warmed kumqhat marmaladeGANACHE8 oz. chocolate6 oz. heavy creamCandied kumquat slicesInstructionsMIX graham crackers crumbs with sugar and warm butter until it forms a ball. SPRAY 10” cake pan and put parchment paper circle in the bottom. APPLY crumbs rmly and evenly over bottom of pan. PRE-BAKE for 5 minutes at 325 degrees.MIX cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar with paddle until completely smooth, scraping sides often. ADD sour cream and blend. ADD eggs one at a time, blending well between each egg. ADD cream and marmalade and blend thoroughly.SPRAY sides of cake pan and coat with sugar. POUR onto prepared crust and place in water bath.BAKE in 325-degree oven until set, about 1 1/4 hour. Check with a toothpick in the center until it is clean when removed. When done, let cool completely and re-move from pan.CHILL overnight. GANACHEHEAT cream in a saucepan almost to a simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate. COOL slightly and pour over cheesecake, allowing decorative drips down the side. PLACE candied kumquats over the top.—Recipe courtesy OCWS member Jim Burk

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Fun Facts6 ocws.org September 2024 1What was the rst commercially produced American sparkling wine made from 100 percent chardonnay grapes? A. KorbelB. Gloria FerrerC. SchramsbergD. ScharffenbergerAnswer: C. Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs from Schramsberg Winery in Calistoga, California was rst made in 1965 and the rst commercially produced American sparkling wine made from 100 percent chardonnay grapes.2Because they tend to have a bit more body, which wine style generally goes well with main courses:A. RosesB. BrutsC. Blanc de BlancsAnswer: A. Roses3True or False: There is no such thing as vintage champagne.Answer: False. Vintage Champagne is made from grapes from a single year harvest. Non-vintage Champagne is a blend of grapes from harvests from different years. 4Approximately how many bubbles does a normal glass of Champagne have? A. 3 millionB. 900,000C. 2 millionD. 1 millionAnswer: D. Approximately 1 million. The 1 million gure comes from Gérard Liger-Belair, PhD, in the department of physics at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, in France – he used special high-speed cameras!5The wire cage that holds a sparkling wine cork into the neck of the bottle is called a:A. BirdcageB. StallC. HelmetD. MuzzleAnswer: D. Known in French as a muselet or muzzle, the wire cage that holds a Champagne or sparkling wine cork in place is very important in opening a bottle of bubbly safely. The muzzle should not be removed before the cork is eased out. Rather, the muzzle should be loosened (about six turns will loosen it), and then the wire removed with the cork at the same time.6Which of the below sparkling wines is usually NOT made in the traditional method of second fermentation in the bottle?A. Spanish CavaB. Italian LambruscoC. South African Cap ClassiqueD. French CrémantAnswer: B. Lambrusco is usually what the Italians call frizzante (zzy), not quite sparkling enough to be considered spumante (sparkling). Most is made by the Charmat method also known as the “Tank Method,” in large pressurized tanks. That said, just a few top Lambruscos are made by the traditional method. 7Which sparkling wine is not made in the Traditional Method or Method Champenoise?A. Crémant d’AlsaceB. ProseccoC. CavaD. FranciacortaAnswer: B. Prosecco is made by the Martinotti, Charmat, or Tank Method. In this method, the second fermentation (which creates the bubbles) takes place in a large tank. By contrast, in the traditional (Champagne) method, the second fermentation takes place inside the individual bottle. This is one of the reasons Prosecco is relatively inexpensive, while Champagne is relatively expensive. Wine WISDOMUnusual Facts About Sparkling Wines/ChampagneHopefully, for most of us the 2024 Orange County Fair (OC Fair) is now another fun memory in our minds – or is it a “bubbly” memory? A “bubbly” memory of explosions of OC Fair food tastes; wine pouring energetic co-workers; and fun, fair fantasies, I mean memories! Below are some fun-lled facts about the celebratory drink of sparkling wine/Champagne.TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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Fun FactsSeptember 2024 ocws.org 78Most of us know that the bubbles in a sparkling wine or champagne come from a second fermentation process. There are different methods to achieve this second fermentation process. In the Traditional/Classico/Method Champenoise methods a "Liqueur de Tirage” or dosage is inserted inside the bottle. This "Liqueur de Tirage" can be comprised of:A. A wine-base and sugar (cane) liquidB. A wine-base, sugar (cane), yeasts (indigenous or selected), and the addition of minerals.C. A wine-base, sugar (cane), yeasts (indigenous or selected),D. All of the aboveAnswer: D. All of the Above.9What are the three main grapes that French Champagne regulations require to be used in making Champagne?A. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot BlancB. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot NoirC. Chardonnay, Marsanne, Pinot NoirD. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot MeunierAnswer: D. Chardonnay (white), Pinot Noir (red), Pinot Meunier (red)10French Champagne regulations require at least 15 months of aging for Non-Vintage Champagnes including 12 months of lees aging before release, but Italian regulations require how many months of lees aging for their Franciacorta?A. 18B. 22C. 15Answer: A. Franciacorta must be aged 18 months, 24 months for Rose, 30 months for Millesimato (vintage) and 60 months for Riserva.11What region is the largest sparkling wine region in France?A. The Loire ValleyB. The Rhône ValleyC. ChampagneD. ProvenceAnswer: C. Champagne12What region is the second largest sparkling wine region in France?A. The Loire ValleyB. The Rhône ValleyC. ProvenceD. AlsaceAnswer: A. The Loire Valley. More sparkling wine is made in the Loire than in any other French region except Champagne. 13This rustic method of making sparkling wine predates the Traditional Method and allows the wine to naturally re-ferment in the bottle causing wine to be carbonated but in more of a frizzante (zzy) style. The wine is bottled before primary fermentation is nished, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars resulting in a cloudy, rustic bubbly that can sometimes smell pretty funky. This method is called:A. Pet-NatB. AncestralC. Petillant NaturelD. All of the aboveAnswer: D. Pét-Nat is a contraction of the French term pétillant-naturel (natural sparkling). Pét-Nat sparklers can be white, rosé, or red and are usually stoppered with a crown cap (just like beer). Because of the way they are made, the sparklers have highly unpredictable avors.Next time you drink a glass of sparkling, think of it as what it really is, an explosion of bubbles – celebration bubbles! Cheers!—Linda Flemins and CL Keedy,Wine Education CommitteeTEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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8 ocws.org September 2024Home WinemakersWelcome to all our new OCWS members who joined at this year’s OC Fair! My wife, Debbie, and I became members many years ago after visiting The Courtyard during the fair. Just like many of you, we joined because we were interested in wine, wanted to expand our wine knowledge and wanted to meet like-minded people.For several years we had attended OCWS fair seminars, tasted at The Courtyard and “talked wine” with the many members who served us at the tasting bar. We knew the Orange County Wine Society would be a great place to learn about wine.PROMOTING WINEMAKING SKILLSWhat we didn’t know at the time was the winemaking aspect of the organization. The Orange County Wine Society was started by a group that included home winemakers. One of the organization’s objectives is “to promote the knowledge of winemaking.” The rst OCWS president was a home winemaker, Jim Graver, who also led the Winemakers Group for over 30 years. Jim was one of the people who inspired and encouraged me to start making wine when I joined the OCWS some 18 years ago.I knew people who made beer but never anyone who made wine. Winemaking seemed so magical to me. But here was a group doing it so I had to try it for myself.Well, turns out winemaking really isn’t so magical. It’s just something that not a lot of people do as a hobby. Like anything else there’s a learning curve to it. But as I kept at it, my winemaking skills improved. What has helped immensely is the mentoring and shared knowledge I’ve received from other winemakers. It is rare to nd a group so willing to help newcomers and share their knowledge.SHARING THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOROne of the things I love about the winemakers is that we’re all so eager to share our wines. We can share them at private events. But due to alcohol beverage laws, we cannot offer them to the public. That’s why you don’t see our wines at the OC Fair.At OCWS member-only events, though, we can and do showcase our wines. We will be pouring them at the upcoming New Member Mixer and the Fall Social on Oct. 6. Stop by and taste them. Our winemakers make not only traditional red, white and rose wines but fruit and dessert-style wines too. We’d love to share them with you. You may be surprised by how good they are.You might also see our wine at a Mini-Tasting or other OCWS events throughout the year. We have potluck meetings where we get together, taste each other’s wines and talk winemaking. We also run the OC Fair Home Wine Competition in June where you can volunteer to help and, of course, taste our wines. You don’t have to be a winemaker to participate, all OCWS members are welcome to come and see what we’re all about.GROWING OUR KNOWLEDGEMaybe your interest will be piqued enough that you might want to make it. We have classes and educational opportunities throughout the year where you can learn. We also source high-quality grapes from commercial vineyards annually to help our winemakers produce the best wines possible.HEIGHTENING OUR APPRECIATIONI joined the OCWS to learn about wine. Making wine has given me an appreciation in ways I never expected. For instance, in making my small batches, I’m struck by the fact I’m taking my wine through the exact same process and using the same type of equipment as commercial wineries, albeit on a much, much smaller scale. Conversely, I’m awed that they consistently produce high-quality wines on the scale they do.Does your wine education journey include winemaking? Whether it does or not, all are welcome to attend Winemakers Group events and taste our wines. We would love to share them with you.—Ed Reyes, ed@OCWS.orgOCWS Membership Through a Winemaker's Lens

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September 2024 ocws.org 9EventsCome on out to The Courtyard for this year’s Fall Social and help celebrate the spirit of Halloween on Sunday, Oct. 6. The afternoon promises chills, thrills, spells (and spills!).This year’s event will be a witchy homage to the charming lm, Hocus Pocus, and features a costume contest with prizes in several categories, including Best Couple, and Most Original amongst others. The witching hour begins at 2:30 p.m. and lasts until 6:30 p.m.Connect with friends and meet new members while dancing to DJ Henry “Streak” Martinez’s spine-tingling tunes. Savor delectable treats from the Cooks’ Caucus, including a mashed potato bar, and enjoy wines from our cellar. Bring your charitable spirit for our silent auction, featuring enticing gift baskets lled with wines, glassware, dinner coupons and gour-met treats. Purchases are accepted via cash, check, or credit card.Purchase a bottle from our Wine Wall to support the OCWS Scholarship Fund. A bottle of wine is $20 — cash only.At the Spring event we raised $2,500 between the Auction and the Wine Wall. With your generosity we hope to exceed that amount at the Fall social. Again, all proceeds from the Silent Auction and Wine Wall go to the Scholarship Fund.To contribute auction items, contact Alice Polser at (410) 299-8810 or drop them off at the OCWS ofce between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $45 for members, $50 for guests and all proceeds. So, don’t get left in the dark! Mark your calendars for Sunday, Oct. 6, for a spellbinding Fall Social!—JoBeth Skaggs, Fall Social Committee MemberFall Membership SOCIALReady to conjure up some Halloween fun?SAVE THE DATE2:30 t o 6:30 p.m .Su n day, oc t. 6th e co u r t yar doc Fair & event centercoSta meSa , caIf 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. 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, Varietal HOUROCWS Varietal Hours...Where The Fun Never Stops! DATE TIME VARIETAL HOSTS DATE TIME VARIETAL HOSTSand more.Regardless of your knowledge of wine, the Varietal Hours have some-thing for everyone. Varietal Hour is held every other Monday 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 or George Cravens at george@OCWS. org for help and information, even if it means contacting us days before the event, and we will walk you through the process and even do a short Zoom meeting, just for you, to get you com-fortable with the process.—Don Phillips, OCWS Varietal Hour Co-Chair Sweet Wines Sept. 16 7 p.m. (or as sweet as you YOUR NAME HERE can handle) Sept. 30 7 p.m. Veteran-Owned Wine David Price

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10 ocws.org September 2024NewsOCWS funds scholarships for eight California colleges and universities, including California State University, Fresno, which offers bachelor of science degrees in viticulture and enology. Fresno State has the largest commercial winery on a university campus in the United States with their on-campus estate vineyards, crush facility, barrel and bottling rooms. Fresno State has approximately 150 viticulture and enology students per year and many make wine from grapes grown on campus and also from donated grapes from all over the state. Additionally, Fresno State offers a group of courses covering wine appreciation, beverage marketing and salesmanship under their Hospitality Management degree at Collins College. Fresno State students are very appreciative of the OCWS support, as many of them work several jobs to make nancial ends meet during their studies. Next month we will be highlighting another one of the colleges/universities supported by the OCWS scholarship fund.—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 TODAY12The OCWS Annual Business Meeting will be held on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. In our continued efforts to reach the most members possible, the meeting will again be presented via Zoom Webinar.The meeting will focus on the current state of the organization, including a year in review and nancial status. We will cover events and highlights of the year, as well as discuss plans for the remainder of 2024.Our Annual Election for Board of Directors is upcoming, and this meeting will give everyone the opportunity to hear from the candidates, who will present their qualications and goals.Sign-ups for this event are required, although there is no cost to attend. A Zoom Webinar link will be sent to each attendee in advance of the meeting. This is a member-only event.Please note that the former in-person social aspect of this event will be replaced with the Volunteer Recognition Reception on Oct. 20, when we will present volunteer awards. Honorees will receive notication in early September.On behalf of the entire OCWS Board of Directors, I encourage you to attend this important meeting. The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the OCWS Bylaws and government regulations for 501(c)(3) nonprot organizations.We look forward to seeing you at this important business meeting. For those unable to attend the annual business meeting, a recording will be posted for your viewing.—Carolyn Christian, OCWS PresidentSAVE THE DATE: 2024 OCWS Zoom Webinar

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Photo of the MonthSeptember 2024 ocws.org 11The 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 photographersA MEAL WITH A VIEWThe Photo of the Month is courtesy OCWS mem-ber Dorothy Pemberton, who was vacationing in Bordeaux, France, when she snapped this win-ning picture in front of the Grand Theatre. Dor-othy, who admits this is her rst photo ever, says she loves big, bold Italian wines—always Cabernet. 36

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12 ocws.org September 2024Feature StoryHUBER, from page 1Among the winery’s features are automatic wine tasting machines.celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is home to a eet of wines whose grapes are sourced from Napa, Sonoma and Lake County.Huber grew up on a ranch in Canada and he knew he always wanted to be tied to the land or agriculture for a living. In the early 1990s, he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he met his mentor, Gianni Seminari, an oenologist and winemaker from Milan, Italy.There, Huber began making wine and would get his grapes from California and bring them over the U.S-Canadian border. Along with his brother, they opened a winery in the Vancouver area in 1993 and three years later, they opened another. After garnering a slew of awards and acclaimed recognition, Huber turned his sights to California. In 2004, he opened Laguna Canyon Winery, Orange County’s rst urban winery.Huber, now 61, takes pride that the entire winemaking process – from crushing the grapes, fermenting, pressing, barrel aging to bottling the wine – happens at his location in Laguna Beach. In 2021, he drove 2,500 miles in ve days back and forth to Sonoma County hauling three varietals. “It gives you more control over every step of the winemaking process,” Huber said. “Every harvest you get to create different wines, and each one has a their own unique expression and style.”Huber is a rm believer that much of a wine’s essence is lost during ltering. He has remained committed to making unltered wines. He only produces two barrels of each of his red wines.“I believe that unltered red wines increase the quality by at least 20 percent,” he said. “The way they taste in the barrel is the way they will taste in your glass.”Production now sits at about 1,000 cases a year, more than 2½ times what Huber made when he rst opened his doors in Orange County.The results have clearly paid off. In honor of the winery’s 20th anniversary, Huber entered a dozen wines into the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition and 10 of his entries received a medal, including Double Golds for his 2022 Due Viti-Two Point O, an Italian Style blend, and the 2020 Grenache.“What I do now really is winemaking for a passion, more so than making wine for a prot,” Huber said. “To me, it’s about the craft and making the highest quality wines.”The winery has the ambience of a traditional tasting room with a musical air for Huber’s love of '80s hard rock on a massive 160-inch big screen TV. Visitors can pour their own wines thanks to automatic wine tasting machines straight from Tuscany — a needed “pandemic pivot.” He also offers an educational, one-on-one premium wine and barrel tasting experience.The winery also hosts monthly wine pairing dinners where the different varietals are infused into the dishes for a superb epicurean experience. For instance, one dinner featured let mignon topped with a demi-glaze made with Huber’s reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and paired with the same Cabernet.Huber also recently hired a new enologist who was the head winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Saint Helena for 15 years. He called her the “missing piece of the puzzle to my Picasso of award-winning, handcrafted boutique wines.”Huber’s goal is to purchase ve acres of vineyards somewhere in Southern California so he can tie it to the winery that would be the pinnacle of the dream he has made a reality for most of his adult life. While his biggest challenge may be getting more people in the door who are on their way to or leaving Laguna Beach, Huber considers himself blessed by the profession that has provided him with so much and the people who have been along for the ride.“You get to make great wines and then you get to meet great people,” he said. “When you put great wine with great food and get to meet a lot of nice people in a great winery atmosphere, what’s better than that?”NEW EVENT:OCWS OutingOrange County Wine Society members are invited to a special tasting of Laguna Canyon wines 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. Cost includes a tasting of 10 wines—one rose, two whites and seven reds. Cost is $50 per person and includes a charcuterie plate. Signups will be available Sept. 1 online at OCWS.org. SIGN-UP DEADLINE: Monday, Oct. 28

OCWS Newsletter SEP2024

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