OCWS
If you plan on staying at the Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel for the weekend of the Commercial Wine Competition, please make reservations no later than May 20. The OCWS has booked a block of rooms for OCWS members at a discounted rate and this rate is guaranteed only until that date. The special rate does […]
Setup for The Courtyard is scheduled for Saturday, July 7. We need to move all of The Courtyard material from the storage trailer, clean the refrigerator, clean the counters and shelving, hang posters and signs, etc. The setup will start at 9:00 am and will end by 2:00 pm so everyone going to the Gold […]
Sign ups for The Courtyard will be online starting May 1. Shifts are generally filled on a first-come basis, so if you have favorite shifts, it is best to sign up early. All volunteers will be issued an OC Fair pass that is good on any day of the Fair and an off-site parking permit with […]
The OCFEC requires each person pouring alcohol to sign a Server Responsibility Statement. This is an OC Fair form, not an OCWS form. Therefore, please do not write any messages on the form. The form states that you have attached a copy of your server certificate to the form; this step is handled by The […]
Suzanne Skoczylas, beloved wife of OCWS Director, Rich Skoczylas, and long time OCWS member, sadly passed away on March 19, 2018. Her amazing, upbeat attitude belied physical battles suffered for many, many years. Her love for her husband, and for life itself, sustained Suzy through 42 years of numerous bouts of cancer. She can first and foremost be described throughout those years as the epitome of a true survivor.
Born in Oklahoma City, Suzy became a medical secretary and was set up on a blind date with Rich, then a young Air Force officer, by her mother who worked with Rich at Tinker Air Force Base.
Suzy and Rich were married on May 3, 1972 and shortly thereafter moved to Boston, where Rich was transferred, before moving to California in 1978. After moving to California and settling in Fountain Valley, Suzy and Rich joined The Wine Society in the early 1980s.
Always at Rich’s side, Suzy supported him through many years of chairing numerous OCWS events, several stints on the board of directors, the creation of amazing desserts for events and, always when able, Suzy was found volunteering herself for many OCWS gatherings.
Suzy’s love of people and passion for helping others found her active with the Newcomers Clubs of Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, CHOC, the American Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Angels, and as a volunteer for several years at Orange Coast Memorial in Fountain Valley supporting cancer patients.
Suzy leaves behind her loving husband, a brother, a sister and a brother-in-law and many, many friends, along with an amazing legacy of strength and love. Suzy was an incredible woman whose memory will be treasured and held in many hearts.
Spring has sprung! If you haven’t previously done so, it is time to spring into action and sign up for an Alcohol Server Training (TIPS) class. There are just a few classes left in May and June. TIPS certification is valid for three years. If you were TIPS certified in 2015 and are planning to […]
December 19, 1949—March 4, 2018 It is with great sadness that I write of the passing of Chris Cunningham. Too often our paths cross with someone who is almost larger than life. Unfortunately, we do not know their whole story nor do we recognize their amazing attributes until they are gone. Chris, a member of […]
Over 100 members and guests attended the February 24 Mini-Tasting at six host sites. The blind tasting consisted of five flights of two wines each with wines from the Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita Hills, Russian River, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Willamette Valley (Oregon). The scores for the wines were very close, […]
Calling all volunteers! The 2018 Commercial Competition will be held Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3, and volunteers are crucial to its success! This event offers many opportunities to meet winemakers, add to your wine knowledge, and enjoy getting to know your fellow OCWS members and how our competition works. There are many tasks where […]
When looking for motivation for this month’s article, I came across the above quote which made me think of all the people in the organization that I have had the privilege to meet and spend time with, mostly while volunteering at one event or another, and for the amazing friendships I have found. The Wine […]