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30 | OHCC LIVING | AUGUST 2026 | Newbies is the official welcoming group for residents of OHCC. We host quarterly potlucks where both new and longtime residents can meet, connect, and socialize. Our June 27 potluck on the Lanai was a wonderful success with 81 attendees, including 33 new residents. We are especially grateful to Sue Silva, Your OHCC Resident Realtor, whose generous sponsorship helped defray event expenses. A team of dedicated Newbies volunteers greeted guests at check- in and arranged a beautiful potluck table. We missed our usual MC Rosemary Bray as she is healing from an injury and couldn't attend. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to have her back soon. Meanwhile, David Dern and Mike Ackerman stepped in to help the program run smoothly. We recognized our newest residents, Keith and Lisa Sawottke, who moved into a rental on June 15 while they wait for their home remodel to be finished. Keith's wife calls him a pirate because he enjoys the Caribbean and drinking rum. In fact, he has classified his new den as his "Rum Room." A prize was awarded to Brian and Anna Schmitt, who came the farthest from NY to be closer to Anna's dad. Brian is still working and Anna recently retired and enjoys doing pottery. A second "farthest" prize went to Tom and Joan Miller, who hailed from Salida, CO. Since June 27 was Tom's birthday, the entire group sang to him. Many of our Newbies had fun facts to share. Scott Miller and his wife Lisa Crubaugh said their grandkids refer to OHCC as "Fort Knox." Doreen Heyer-Raney and her husband Bruce purchased her mother's home and shared that her mother, Betty Heyer, taught line dancing at OHCC for 25 years. Her parents moved to OHCC in 1988 and were one of the original owners. Darren Procsal was a winemaker in Northern CA for 42 years and is now looking forward to brewing beer with his sons. Karen Lloyd grew up in Vista and loved it; after living in Park City, UT, she is happy to be back in North County and is currently enjoying drum circle. It was a wonderful afternoon getting to know our newest neighbors. Welcome to OHCC! Lynn Bible and Rosemary Bray have been coordinating Newbies for almost four years and will be stepping down after the December 2026 event. We are looking for volunteers to take over planning and hosting future Newbies gatherings. If interested, please contact us at ohccnewbies@gmail.com The next Newbies potluck will be held Sat., Sept. 26, from 1 to 3 pm on the OHCC Lanai. More details will be shared next month. Sincerely, Lynn Bible and Rosemary Bray, Newbies Co-Leaders Newbies German Wines: A Tradition of Precision and Elegance Germany may not produce as much wine as France, Italy, or Spain, but it has earned an international reputation for crafting some of the world's finest white wines. With a winemaking history dating back nearly 2,000 years to the Roman Empire, Germany has perfected the art of producing wines that beautifully balance fruit, acidity, and minerality. Germany's vineyards are concentrated in 13 official wine regions, known as Anbaugebiete. Among the most famous are the Mosel, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, and Nahe. Many vineyards are planted on steep, sun-drenched hillsides overlooking rivers, where the water reflects sunlight and moderate temperatures, allowing grapes to ripen in Germany's cool climate. The country's signature grape is Riesling, which accounts for nearly one-quarter of all vineyard plantings. Riesling is prized for its versatility, producing wines that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Typical flavors include green apple, peach, citrus, apricot, and floral aromas, often accompanied by a distinctive mineral character. High natural acidity makes Riesling exceptionally food-friendly and gives many wines the ability to age gracefully for decades. While white wines dominate production, Germany also produces excellent reds. Spätburgunder, known elsewhere as Pinot Noir, has become the country's leading red grape and is gaining worldwide recognition for its elegant structure, bright cherry flavors, and silky texture. Other popular varieties include Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). German wine labels can seem intimidating, but they often provide valuable information about sweetness, vineyard location, and quality level. Wines labeled Kabinett, Spätlese, and Auslese indicate increasing levels of grape ripeness at harvest, with sweeter styles generally produced from riper fruit. In recent years, Germany has also embraced dry wines, identified by the term Trocken, which have become increasingly popular around the world. Whether enjoyed with seafood, pork, spicy Asian cuisine, or simply on a warm afternoon, German wines offer remarkable freshness, elegance, and complexity. For wine lovers looking to explore beyond the familiar, Germany provides an outstanding combination of tradition, quality, and exceptional value in every glass. All residents can join the OH Wine Tasting Club for $15 per person per year by signing up at the Clubhouse front desk. ~ ChatGPT - Jody McDonough Wine Tasting Club