Wiens Team with Orange Coast Winery

Saturday, September 17^th, marked the first-ever Orange Coast Winery Wine Club Members BBQ held at the Palisades Tennis Club on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach.  The Orange Coast Winery, located at 869 16^th Street in a funky warehouse, has quickly picked up momentum in the six months since it opened.  Owners Gus and Jennifer DeFalco have been wowing patrons with their award-winning wines and personal touches at their family-owned business.  According to Gus, it was time to celebrate with their faithful Wine Club Members in a big way.

Thanks to the generosity of Ken Stuart, owner of Palisades Tennis Club along with manager, Terri DeLong, the DeFalco’s hosted close to 200 Orange Coast Winery Club Members and friends to a foodie’s delight free of charge.   The menu consisted of BBW Hot Italian Sausages, BBQ breasts of chicken marinated in their own Beach Blend white wine with honey mustard sauce, BBQ chicken from leg and thigh marinated in Sonoma Zinfandel red wine sauce, BBQ whole white corn on the cob basted with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and unsalted butter, New York style garlic toast grilled to perfection, BBQ baked beans served with six styles of beans in a Smokey Sonoma Red Zinfandel sauce with bacon, mixed salad and nine additional veggies with a choice of creamy blue cheese or zesty Italian dressing, and topped with fresh grilled white peach halves covered in full fat French Vanilla ice cream.  Palisades own café manager, Jose Cervantes, was the grill chef for the feast.

Serving the Orange Coast Winery’s finest selections of reds and whites was Christian Henderson also from the Palisade Tennis Club.  Guests were offered an impressive selection of wines including their 2007 Sonoma Zinfandel, a 2007 Mendocino Merlot, the 2007 Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc, a 2007 Santa Barbara Chardonnay, and the ever-popular 2007 Beach Blend White.

The group delighted in the music by two local groups.  Personal friend, K. C. Fockler, took to the upper deck first and filled the air with jazzy notes to get the party started.  Don Brennan, www.donbrennan.com, a professional musician available for private venues, finished the afternoon with easy listening guitar tunes and kept the festivities going well into sunset.
For many of the Orange Coast Winery Wine Club Members, this was their first opportunity to meet Gus’ wife, Jennifer, who spends much of her time traveling while Gus holds down the fort and creates his winery magic.  The BBQ was also an opportunity for the DeFalco’s to introduce their new business partners, Doug and Debbie Wiens of Temecula.  The Wiens’share the same vision and passion for wine, gourmet foods, and family values as the DeFalco’s and will be a welcome addition to the winery.  Between Doug and Debbie’s shared expertise in viticulture, marketing, and events, the combined forces will continue to make Newport Beach history in the world of wines.

For additional information on the Orange Coast Winery, visit their website at http://www.orangecoastwinery.com or call 949-554-4920.  Business hours are noon-5:00 Saturdays and Sundays.  Let the Orange Coast Winery plan your next private event or stop by soon to taste their award-winning wines.  Tasting fees are $10 and include a beautiful crystal logo glass.  All wines are reasonably priced between $15 and $28.  Catch the wine wave at Orange Coast Winery located in the heart of Newport Beach.