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| OHCC LIVING | MARCH 2023 | 29 What do Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Mississippi, Delaware and Rhode Island have in common? According to the website worldpopulationreview.com, they all produce hardly any wine, less than 0.01 percent of the nation's total. (There is a vineyard on the island of Maui but production is limited, and some of it is made from pineapples.) The other 41 states all produce at least 0.01 percent of the country's wine. California produces 84 percent of U.S. wine production. If California were a country, it would be the fourth largest wine producer in the world, behind France, Italy, and Spain (maybe not in that order). Washington is the second largest, but it accounts for just over 5 percent of the total. Washington State wine is strongly represented in stores around here. New York is in third place with 3.5 percent of the total. New York wine is pretty good – we've had wine from the Finger Lakes region (a climate similar to Germany) and from the North Fork of Long Island (a climate moderated by the Gulf Stream) and were very happy with it. We haven't found New York wine around here though. Trailing behind New York are Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Vermont and Virginia. We've found Oregon wines in San Diego stores, particularly from Willamette Valley, but no wine from the rest of the top ten. Texas is eleventh, and as former Texas residents, we can use an old Sinatra line, and tell you Texas wine will take the paint off your deck if you have a boat. We tasted Vermont wine in a fabulous restaurant called Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, Vermont, and it was not up to the quality of the restaurant. Given the climate, it's amazing they grow grapes there at all. Maybe someday the Wine Tasting Club can figure a way to do a multi-state wine tasting that is not restricted to the West Coast. Residents of Ocean Hills Country Club can join the Wine Tasting Club by signing up at the Clubhouse and paying the annual fee of $15. Wine Tasting Club Welcome to March. We hope that you continue to be ready for new travels and adventures, and we are excited to share our trips and club events. March 13 Program: Our social hour begins at 6:30 pm in Abravanel Hall. The program starts at 7 pm. We are extremely pleased that our guest speaker will be Melissa Sciacca, Executive Director, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Best known for their work to protect elephants, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. March 23 - Trip: Join us for our trip with a guide to visit Sights around San Diego. We will visit Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial and Cross, atop an 822-foot hill with plaques honoring veterans including 27 medal of honor winners, six presidents, and more. We'll visit Old Town San Diego, the birth place of California. After lunch, we'll tour the San Diego Central Library, a nine-story structure topped by an iconic steel-and-mesh lattice dome. Our final destination is the Barrio Logan, which is home to bold, colorful, and thought-provoking murals, and is the largest collection of Chicano murals in the world. April 13 - Trip: We're off to visit The Huntington Gardens, including a 60-minute guided Estate Outdoor Walking Tour. We'll explore some of the 130 acres of magnificent gardens and learn how Henry and Arabella Huntington's San Marino Ranch was transformed into the world-famous cultural landmark. Aug. 1 - Trip: We're traveling again to see the fabulous Pageant of The Masters in Laguna Beach. Presented in an outdoor amphitheater, this 90-minute show presents "living pictures" recreating classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. The theme is "Art Colony: In the Company of Artists." Oct. 13 – 18 - Trip: Join us as we travel with the AFC tour company to New Mexico to the Annual Balloon Festival where over 100 hot air balloons from around the world will participate in a Mass Ascension. Over 30 OHCC residents have already signed up for this fantastic trip! Complete information about each of our trips is on flyers which are also available in the Clubhouse. We certainly hope you will come and join us on our trips and at our events! ~ Your Travel Club Board. Travel Club

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