OCWS Newsletter SEPT2025 : simplebooklet.com

The headline read, “Afcianados Take Their Wine Seriously,” and the story covered many aspects of our organization including The Courtyard operations and wine seminars during the OC Fair, the Commercial Wine Competition, the OCWS Scholarship Fund and much more. While the article captured all the work we do, it was the photos that captured another aspect of our organization: all the joy we bring to people. Whether it is helping increase sales of the limited production and boutique wineries that enter our competition, to the students who benet from our scholarships, to the general public who simply feel a sense of happiness when tasting the amazing California wines we serve. What we do truly pairs wine education and fun and binds us together.THE COURTYARDThe Courtyard has been one of many success stories this year. While the wine industry continues to see a decline in sales across the country, our numbers have increased. We owe many thanks to Fred Heinecke, Fran Gitsham and all of those who helped make the The Courtyard at the OC Fair happen. We had a record-breaking year, raising funds and recruiting members. A special shout out to Liz and Lloyd Corbett and their team for the amazing Featured Winery Program to support our Scholarship Fund and to Ed Reyes and Sara Yeoman and their team for the incredible wine seminars.BOARD ELECTIONS AND BYLAW CHANGESEach September, we have board elections to replace three outgoing board members and present any proposed bylaw changes to the membership for a vote. This year the terms are ending for Rich Skoczylas, Linda Flemins and John Lane. I would personally like to thank Rich, Linda and John for their years of service to the organization. Candidate statements are posted on our website and you will have an opportunity to hear them speak at the Annual Business Meeting. Ballots will be emailed in September. Now is a good time to log on to your account to conrm your email address.50TH ANNIVERSARYNext year marks our 50th anniversary as a nonprot organization. We would appreciate your input and ask that you share your memories of the organization by going to OCWS.ws/50th and completing our survey. Look for more information next month on our 50th Anniversary Fund with your chance to donate to preserving the OCWS archives for the future and obtaining our 50th anniversary logo merchandise.IN CLOSINGAs I close this year as president of this remarkable organization, I am reminded of what an amazing group of people we have. 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 members who come together to put on such amazing events. To those new to the organization because of the OC Fair, I welcome you and wish you all a wonderful wine journey.Cheers to all!2 OCWS.org September 20252024-25 Board of Directors Carolyn ChristianPresidentCarolyn@OCWS.orgFran GitshamVice PresidentFran@OCWS.orgRich SkoczylasSecretaryRich@OCWS.orgFred HeineckeTreasurerFred@OCWS.orgSue EnglandDirectorSue@OCWS.orgLinda FleminsDirectorLinda@OCWS.orgDaniel VlahovicDirectorDaniel@OCWS.orgCL KeedyDirectorCLKeedy@ocws.orgPresident’s Message By Carolyn ChristianJohn LaneDirectorJohn@OCWS.orgIt has been an incredible year for the Orange County Wine Society. On Aug. 2, OCWS graced the front page of the OC Register. What a truly proud moment to receive such recognition from our local newspaper.

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September 2025 OCWS.org 3New Members CORNERThe Orange County Wine Soci-ety extends a warm welcome to its newest members! Memberships for the following members were approved by the Board of Direc-tors at the August meeting: Greg and Ann Adams, Terry Ashcraft, Amy Benton and Sarah DuVal, Craig Blunden and Wendy Lee, Amy Burns and Trevor Maloof, John and Molly Calder, Brent Colquitt, Phil and Allison Crou-let, John and Noreen DeWitte, Mike and Michelle Easton, Debby Flynn, Robin Franks and Mary Duggan, Sarah Gibbons, Kimberly Gross and Becky Thams, Steve and Pat Illencik, Scott Joslyn and Debra Spindel, Karl Larson, Allison Larson and Carmela Chiurazzi, Kerry McBride, Harold Morehead and Carol Ostergaard, Raylene Myerson, Debbie Ochoa, Tracy Ortiz and David Nelsen, Robert and Jennifer Preece, Jen-nifer Van Dyne and Kristina Ross, Timothy Younger, and Evelyn Zohlen and Mark Prendergast. As of Aug. 1, OCWS has 1,065 members. For new members logging on to their account for the rst time, log on to our website, OCWS.org. Your default login is the primary member’s email ad-dress. The default password is the primary member’s zip code. Both may be changed under the “My Account” tab once you log on. If you joined us online, then you will have created your password. There may only be one login/password per membership.—Rochelle Randel, OCWS Business AdministratorThe 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 DirectorsDamian ChristianAlice PolserRochelle RandelEd ReyesWebsite AdministratorWendy TaylorOCWS PhotographerSue EnglandCopyright (c)2025 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 Merchandise: OCWS.org/merchandise2025 Wine Competition Results:WineCompetition.comWelcome to OCWS! We’re excited to have you as a member and want to ensure you feel supported and connected from the very start.What Is the New Member Friend Program?The New Member Friend Program is designed to help you get the most out of your OCWS experience. As a new member, you can be paired with a New Member Volunteer who will guide you through your rst events, answer your questions and provide a friendly face to greet you.How It Works• Are you interested in attending an event but unsure how to sign up, what to bring or how things work?• Do you have questions about your membership or upcoming activities?• Would you like someone to meet you at an event and help you get ori-ented?If so, simply contact the OCWS ofce at ofce@ocws.org and let us know you’d like to participate. Please include your preferred form of com-munication (text, phone or email), and we’ll match you with a New Member Volunteer who will reach out to you directly.Participation in the New Member Friend Program is completely optional.Discover OCWS EventsTo explore all OCWS events and sign up, visit our OCWS Events Page. Please log in to your account to view event details and register. If you have any trouble with your account, our website experts at the OCWS ofce are here to help—just email ofce@ocws.org or call (714) 708-1636.We’re Here for YouOur goal is to welcome you and help you make the most of your OCWS membership. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re glad you’re here.—Alice Polser, OCWS MembershipMember LiaisonNew members invited to participate in optional outreach program

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4 OCWS.org September 2025EventsSo, you think you can cook chili?Fall SOCIALMark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable Wine Coun-try Hoedown & Chili Showdown! Dust off your cowboy hats and boots and join us for the OCWS Chili Cook Off, where talented cooks will present their nest chili creations for you to sample. Enjoy a wide variety of chili tastings plus savory dishes from the Cook’s Caucus.If you’re interested in entering as a chili cook, see story below. Our judging panel will crown the winners in each category, while event attendees can cast their votes for the “People’s Choice Award” and the best overall display.Show off your western air! Don your favorite cowboy hat, sport your biggest belt buckle and add some spurs for a chance to win “Best Dressed Western Outt.” Each guest will receive a wristband to give to the person they think is best dressed. The individual with the most wristbands will win a fantastic bottle of wine.Ready to dance? The 3 to 7 Band will be performing live throughout the event, bringing a lively mix of music to keep the party going. The dance oor will be open, so bring your best moves and get ready to have a great time.Don’t miss Rochelle Randell’s Wine Wall, a special fundraiser for the Scholarship Fund. For just $20, you can select a bottle of wine, all valued over $20—and some worth much more! It’s a fun way to support schol-arships and take home a wonderful bottle of wine at a great price.If you’d like to volun-teer, simply choose your preferred time slot and area when you purchase your tickets at OCWS.org/events. All volunteers will be entered into a prize drawing during the event.We can’t wait to share a fantastic afternoon of delicious food, lively music and great company with you at the Hoedown & Showdown!—Betty Jo Newell and Alice Polser, Fall Social co-chairsJoin us for Wine Country Hoedown & Chili ShowdownOCWS is holding a Chili Cook Off during the Fall Social. The event is the Wine Country Hoedown and Chili Showdown. We are looking for chili cooks to join us in the Cook Off. The entry is free and open to teams with at least one OCWS Member. The Chili Cook Off is always a lot of fun. Slots for cooks are lling up. Reserve your entry in the Cook Off by emailing Alice Polser at ajpolser@gmail.com.CATEGORIESYou may enter your chili in one of the following categories, but only one category:• Best Chili with Beans• Best NO Bean Chili• Best Chili with Wine• Best Non-Traditional Chili (white, meatless, other)Please select the category you wish to enter. Additionally, all chilis are also eligible for the People’s Choice Award. This award will be voted on by the attendees after tast-ing the entries. THEMESEach team is encouraged to decorate their table area in the theme of the event. The Courtyard is going western for our Wine Country Hoedown and Chili Showdown. You can be as creative as you are inspired to be within the four-foot length of your area. You will also have the wall behind your area to work with. The attendees will vote for their top display choice.Each team is eligible for two cooks to enter the event for free. Prizes are not mon-etary and are meant to carry the spirit of the event.RULES TO ENTER1. Each team will have four feet of table space for work and display2. No more than two cooks may be at the table at a time3. Each entry must provide at least six quarts of chili for tasting4. Contestants will have access to set up starting at 11 a.m. If you need to set up earlier, let us know5. Chili must be ready for judging by 1:30 p.m.6. Each team must provide their own way to keep the chili hot, such as a crockpot, camp stove, etc. Each team will need to bring a heavy extension cord to access electrical outlets.7. Bring your ladle or spoon for serving.8. OCWS will provide cups and spoons for tasting.9. Each team must have at least one OCWS member.3-7 PMOCTOBER 11

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September 2025 OCWS.org 5EventsWinemakers GROUPOctober Winemakers Quarterly Meeting, Potluck SlatedThe next Winemakers Group quar-terly meeting and potluck will be 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. Signups are now open on the OCWS website. he La Habra Heights location will be announced one week prior to the event. All OCWS members are wel-come, you don’t have to be a wine-maker to attend. The OCWS member cost to attend is $10 per person. A member can purchase a ticket for a non-member for $15. 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 nec-essary for your dish and a bottle of wine per person (homemade or commercial) to share. Plates, napkins and tableware will be furnished. Winemakers, if you just started a batch or two of wine from fresh grapes, this is a great place to meet with other winemakers and get answers to your winemaking questions. We will also have a short meeting to review the grape harvest and announce upcoming events.Attendance at this event is extremely limited so sign up now! Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged. Volunteers are needed to help direct parking, set up prior to event and help clean up after. You can sign up to help when you register to attend the event. I hope to see you there. Cheers!—Ed Reyes, ed@ocws.orgQUARTERLYMEETINGAre you looking for a creative way to repurpose all those wine corks you’ve been saving in boxes, bags or decorative vases? Join us for a fun and inspiring class where you’ll learn how to craft a stunning wine cork wreath. This unique project is perfect for both beginners and experienced crafters. We’ll guide you step by step as you transform simple corks into an eye-catching wreath that will add a personal touch to your décor. Once your masterpiece is com-plete, you’ll have the opportunity to decorate it with your choice of ribbon, grapes, leaves or any other embellishments that suits your style.Want to keep it simple? That’s great too – sometimes less is more! I love to display mine undecorat-ed on a stand in the hallway for a charming, rustic look.Some things to keep in mind:• All materials provided. Please bring a hot glue gun if you have one. You’re also welcome to bring your own special corks if you’d like to include them in your wreath.• Space is limited to just 20 participants. We want to ensure everyone gets personal attention, so don’t wait to reserve your spot. Not only will you leave with a beautiful handmade piece, but you’ll also be contributing to a great cause—net prots from this class go to the Scholarship Fund.• Ready to join us? Please email Betty Jo Newell at bettyjonewell@yahoo.com to sign up. If you already registered and paid at the Spring Social, you’re all set—no need to contact us again. We’ll reach out soon with the details and location.We can’t wait to get crafty with you and see the amazing wreaths you’ll create. Let’s turn those saved corks into something beautiful together. —Betty Jo Newell and Alice Polser, event co-chairsSAVE THE DATEDATE: Sunday, Sept. 28 TIME: 1 to 4 p.m. COST: $40PLACE: Location will be shared when you sign upIndulge in the art of making wreaths

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If you haven’t heard of our Varietal Hours by now, now is your chance to check it out. Because of the success we are having on our change to Tuesday nights, we are greeting new Members every Varietal Hour. And now that the OC Fair is in the rearview mirror, we are starting up right away.The Varietal Hours are FREE. Sure, you say, nothing is free, and if it is then it’s not worth my time. Au contraire, my friends. What started as a way of gathering during the COVID-19 quar-antines 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!So here is our challenge to all of you: If you haven’t already attended one of these Varietal Hours, please attend one. Yes, just one. We promise you three things:1) You will have fun2) You might just learn some-thing OR you might teach ussomething3) You won’t regret spendingthat hour of your life and youwon’t even have to drive homeSo as we enter the fall lineup of events, we invite you to join us. Your own comfortable furniture. A glass of wine in your hand. Chatting with fun friends, some you know, some you may Tuesday nights, the fun begins again!6 OCWS.org September 2025Varietal HoursSEPTEMBER 2TIME:7 p.m.THEME:Oaked vs. Unoaked ChardonnayHO ST:David Pricenot. Right there in your own house with friends, old and new. And here’s the best part: You don’t even have to clean up everyone’s mess. We’re always happy to have new members join the fun and meet some people who enjoy wine.Each event has a theme, but we never “kick anyone off the island,” so it never matters if you follow the theme. The set-ting is very casual, with stories told about each of the wines we’re drinking, what we do (or don’t) like about them, where we got them, and more.Regardless of your knowledge of wine, the Varietal Hours have something for everyone. Varietal Hours are held 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday.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 contacting him days before the event, and he will walk you through the process and even do a short Zoom meeting, just for you, to get you comfortable with the process.The event is open to all OCWS mem-bers, but sign-ups are required. Please log on to the OCWS website to register for the event no later than 7 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 also invite anyone to host an up-coming 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. Cheers!—Don Phillips,OCWS Varietal Hours ChairSEPTEMBER 16TIME:7 p.m.THEME:Oceania WinesHOSTS:Lee and Cathy PainterSEPTEMBER 30TIME:7 p.m.THEME:African Wine (not South Africa)HOSTS:Don and Elee PhillipsOCTOBER 2TIME:7 p.m.THEME:Adriatic Wine(not France or Spain)HOSTS:Scott & Maneula Harral

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September 2025 OCWS.org 7NewsThe OCWS Annual Business Meet-ing is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. In our efforts to reach the most members possible, the meeting will again be via Zoom. The meeting will focus on the cur-rent 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 rest of 2025. Our annual election for the Board of Directors and Bylaw Changes takes place in September and the business meet¬ing gives everyone the opportuni-ty to hear from the candidates, who will present their qualications and goals during the presentation. In addition to the organization’s -nancial health, we also will be present-ing volunteer awards. This is a friendly reminder that if you received an award last year, your online coupons are expir-ing at the end of October.Sign-ups for this event are required, although there is no cost to attend. A Zoom link will be sent to each house-hold in advance of the meeting. You only need to sign up once per house-hold un¬less you will be viewing the meeting on separate computers. Please note this is a member-only event. 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 the meeting. For those unable to attend, a recording will be posted for your viewing.—Carolyn Christian,OCWS PresidentMembers encouraged to attend via ZoomAnnual Business MEETINGWhen you attend OCWS functions, look for the white ribbons on name tags. A white ribbon indicates that the member joined OCWS within the last few months. We use the ribbon to help all members easily recognize and welcome new members.For each event, we match attend-ees to the membership roster and identify new members. During check-in, these members receive a white ribbon to adhere to their name tag. The ribbons are easily removed and will not damage the name tag.If you spot a new member wearing a white ribbon, please take the oppor-tunity to say hello. While many of us want to reach out and welcome new-comers, it can be hard to know who they are. The white ribbon provides an easy way to identify and greet them.It’s always enjoyable to learn what brings people to OCWS. Are they home winemakers? Have they trav-eled widely and tasted wines around the world? Do they have a favorite California winemaker—perhaps one who participates in our Commercial Wine Competition? Did they join during the Fair because they saw how much fun we have serving? Or do they simply enjoy drinking wine? Our new members are diverse and interesting, making it a wonderful time to get to know them.Are you a new member looking to connect with other newcomers? The white ribbon makes it easy to spot fellow new members and start new friendships.So, look for the white ribbons and introduce yourself. —Alice Polser, Membership Member LiaisonKeep an eye out for the White RibbonCurrently, the OCWS scholarship fund has awarded over $946,000 since 1981. We have a goal to reach the $1 million mark for our 50th anniver-sary in 2026. This is just a friendly reminder that the OCWS is a nonprot 501(c)(3) and contributions to our scholarship fund are tax deductible. (But please check with your tax expert). Don’t wait until the end of the year! It is a good time to make a donation to the OCWS Scholarship Fund. There are several ways to donate:1. 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.2. Donate Online – Log on to your account at ocws.org and go to the schol-arship donation page: ocws.org/product/scholarship-donations/ You can make your donation online and print a receipt for tax purposes at the same time.—Damian Christian,Scholarship ChairOCWS aims to reach $1 million in donationsScholarship UPDATEMembers join the Wine Searcher Group on the OCWS Facebook page and accept the challenge to taste the 150 different varietals that were judged at this year’s OCWS Commer-cial Wine Competition. Then share your experiences with your fellow Searchers. Get the list, available of the Facebook group page, and start exploring!Join OCWS Wine Searchers GroupWine Searchers GROUP

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8 OCWS.org September 2025Wine Wisdomsee PAIRING, page 9 WINE Food Pairinge have just completed a very successful Courtyard at the 2025 OC Fair that included more than a dozen wine seminars, many of which were structured to explain and illustrate the art of wine and food pairing. Our members leading the sem-inars paired wine with fair food, BBQ, snack food and cheese. Sparkling wine was paired with sweets and grapes with grains. The pairings all sounded like fun and it can’t be that difcult, matching wines with different foods, can it? Oh yes it can and congrats to our members who successfully developed and led the seminars, because wine and food pairing, something that has been going on for centuries, is not an easy task. Given that from the beginning of time, food and wine were consumed together and there was probably no attention given to matching the food with the wine or the wine with the food. What local food and wine you had was what you consumed. But in essence this was pairing. One of the many approaches to food and wine pairing today is region-al/geographic proximity of the items paired. An actual concerted effort to pair food and wine started in Europe when taverns and inns evolved into restaurants. The origin of the word restaurant comes from the French word, “restaurer,” which loosely translates to “provide food for.” It was during this development of restaurants, with the increased use of tableclothes, plates, knives, forks, spoons and glasses, that the basic concepts of drinking red wine with meat, white wine with sh and fowl and sweet wine with dessert were adopted. Pairing had begun.Wine and food pairing began in Europe with the epicenter being France. In fact, the historical relevance of the French structured meal matching food and wine is so important that in 2010 UNESCO added, “The gastronomical meal of the French – the art of the pair-ing of food with wine” to its Lists of In-tangible Cultural Heritage. It was during the 1920s and 1930s that the matching of culinary dishes with wine started to become a science, as well as an art. Nu-merous culinary, scientic, geographic and historical books were being written. Even though many of the pairings of the Middle Ages had some medicinal basis, the new “rules” for pairing were chang-ing all of that. But it really wasn’t until &W

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Wine WisdomPAIRING, from page 8September 2025 OCWS.org 9the 1980s that interest in food and wine pairing increased in the United States. Restaurants started to promote wine dinners, food magazines suggested pair-ings and wineries were making culinary suggestions on their wine bottle labels. What, however, are the “rules” or proposed suggestions to pair food and wine? When you look for help to an-swer that question there is no shortage of expert advice. See a non-exhaustive list of some suggestions that I found when looking into this subject in the box below. You will notice that some of the sug-gestions are still the pairing suggestions of old. But as is so often true, there is no stopping creativity even when trying to pair the right wine with the right food. New pairing suggestions have been developed using scientic/chemical anal-ysis to build molecular avor harmony. Krug Champagne has added specially composed music to the equation in an ef-fort to create harmonious pairings. Spe-cic bottles of Krug Champagne Grande Cuvee have a code that allows you to hear the paired music. And when all else fails check with Articial Intelligence. The wine “paired” with prime ribs of beef – full bodied red with high tannins such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec or a Bordeau blend; and for let of sole cooked in butter, lemon and herbs – a light crisps white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or a dry, unoaked Chardonnay like Chablis. Not bad pairings but even AI uses the old rules – red with meat and white with sh. However, to paraphrase Tim Han-ni, a Master of Wine, the diner’s taste preferences should be matched to the wine not the food. And I agree. I often say my favorite wine is the one in my glass. When it comes to wine and food pairing, experiencing as many different pairings as we could with the wine sem-inars is fun and educational and a good basis to build on. We can each choose a wine to pair with our meal. Will it always be a perfect or even good pairing, perhaps not. But when you nd a wine you like, open it, and if it pairs well, so much the better. Just enjoy it. Cheers!—C.L. Keedy, Wine Education CommitteeCommittee looking for past newslettersThe 50th Anniversary Committee is busy preparing for the big event next year. Currently we have copies of 30 years of our monthly newsletter The Wine Press, and we are hoping to get copies of all 49 years. If you have any of the dates, we would like to scan your copies to add to our archives.If you have any of the issues listed below of The Wine Press, or any of the Free Run newsletter that OCWS used to produce for the OC Fair, please contact Carolyn Christian at carolyn@OCWS.org to arrange a time to scan your newsletters. Thank you!—OCWS 50th Anniversary Committee50th ANNIVERSARYRULES TO PAIRING WINEWine should balance the food avors – complementary pairingWine should contrast a food avor – contrasting pairingHigh-acid wine pairs with high acid foodWine should be sweeter than the foodMatch wine with the sauce not the meatRed wine with red meatWhite wine with sh or fowlBitter wine with fatty foodSweet or bubbly wine with spicy foodHigh-acid or sparkling wine with salty food and Local/regional wine with local/regional food

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Photo of the Month10 OCWS.org September 2025We’re looking for your best wine-themed photos for the OCWS Monthly Photography Con-test. Whether it’s the golden glow of the sun through vineyard leaves, a joyful toast among friends or a perfect swirl in the glass, we want to see your vision of wine.Each month, our Photography Committee will select a Photo of the Month to be featured in the OCWS newsletter and showcased on our website. The winner will also receive a bottle of wine from the OCWS cellar.Theme: Wine in all its formsSend entries to: Photo@OCWS.orgLet your creativity ow—capture the moment, share your passion and maybe take home a little something to sip on!THE RULESELIGIBILITY: Entrants must be current OCWS members in good standing. Submitted pho-to(s) must have been taken by the entrant while an active OCWS member.THEME: All entries must be wine-oriented. This may include wineries, vineyards, the winemaking process, the nished product or the enjoyment/consumption of wine. Be creative, don’t limit yourself.SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Photos may be submitted to the OCWS at any time and will be considered in the month submitted. Limit ve (5) entries per month. File formats accepted: JPEG, RAW, TIFF or Photoshop. Any size is ac-ceptable, however 3000 x 2400 pixels (8”x10” at 300 dpi) is preferred for print quality.RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS: Upon submission, rights to the photo are granted to OCWS for marketing purposes. Ensure the photo is your property before submitting. Obtain permission from any people shown in the photo.ADDITIONAL NOTE: If insucient entries are received in a given month, the committee may move submitted photos to a future month’s contest.HOW TO SUBMIT: To enter, attach your pho-to(s) to an email and send to photo@OCWS.org. Please include: your name, phone number, picture location and picture title. Photos must be received by the last day of the month to be consid-ered for that month’s contest.1245Snap the spirit of wineThis month’s winner of the Photo of the Month is Don Phillips’ submission, titled “100-Year-Old Wine.”Winning Photograph36

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FeatureSeptember 2025 OCWS.org 11OC FAIR, from page 1worked tirelessly to make the annual fair run a seamless affair.While volunteers look forward to earning free vouchers to taste award-win-ning wines or a host of varietals, here is a different kind of taste worth savoring:There were 41,644 transactions, 208 volunteers who worked 1,486 shifts. There were 7,505 tastings of award-winning wine, 11,405 varietals, 2,849 Champagne splits, 2,600 glasses of premium red and 3,751 glasses of premium red. One hundred and thirty-seven bottles of red wine were sold, while there were 156 bottles of white wine sold.Concert specials, you ask? There were 2,887. Nearly 2,000 glasses of house wine were poured and the Taste of Fair weighed in with 2,045. And 47 cases of Govino glasses were sold.The best-selling white wine was the 2024 Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc at 53 cases and the performing red was the 2022 Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon at 44 cases.Joining the OCWS ranks were 138 new members – 60 dual memberships and 18 single memberships.Sixteen seminars were held and 10 of those were sold out. Even more prom-ising is that most of the seminars were nearly comprised equally of curious fairgoers and OCWS members.Over at the Featured Winery Program, Liz and Lloyd Corbett did another fan-tastic job of bringing 15 wineries to The Courtyard. If you didn’t get to visit the booth during the weekend, you missed out on some screaming deals. Bella Grace Winery offered 30 percent off and a at shipping fee. Sculpterra gave half off a case and only $25 ship-ping, while Macchia gave steep dis-counts on their entire selection of wines, with one OCWS member, who also is a Macchia club member, to exclaim that the deals at the OC Fair were better than the club discounts. Eberle offered a 20 percent cut to everyone and a 40 percent discount to military and police. Wine Guy and Wine Gal Winery offered a second case of wine free with a purchase of a case of wine for $450. All that to say that the Featured Win-ery Program raked in $30,361, 31 percent higher than in 2024, with the proceeds going to the OCWS Scholarship Fund. And good news! Eberle, Sculpterra, Mac-chia, San Simeon and Bella Grace have already signed up to return in 2026.Combined with the $16,586 collect-ed in the donation jars and credit card tips, nearly $47,000 was raised for the Scholarship Fund – and that doesn’t even account for the counter sales, which will be revealed at the Annual Business Meeting.To all those who helped at the fair, the OCWS board and The Courtyard Committee extend a heartfelt thanks and appreciation. For those who haven’t yet volunteered, there will be no better time to experience the fun and camaraderie the fair provides next year as the OCWS celebrates its 50th anniver-sary.

OCWS Newsletter SEPT2025

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