Province Does It Again

Merlot & Manuscripts: Province Toasts Its Storytellers at a First-Ever Wine & Writers Night

Good wine, great words, and wonderful neighbors came together at Province Town Hall for an evening that felt like the start of a beautiful new tradition.

On Friday evening, September 25, Province Town Hall at Province in Maricopa was full of good conversation, the clink of glasses, and something a little less expected at a wine tasting: the sound of neighbors reading their own work aloud. The Province Wine Group presented its first-ever Merlot & Manuscripts: A Wine & Writers Night Out, a 90-minute celebration that paired carefully chosen wines with the stories, poetry, and memoirs of Province's own authors.

From 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., guests filled round tables set with bottles, glasses, and plates of snacks. Some were longtime residents greeting old friends. Others were new to the neighborhood, and many of them left the evening with new friends. That was exactly the point. As the event invitation put it, the evening was a chance to meet and mingle with wine lovers and gifted writers, whether you'd been in Province for years or just unpacked your boxes.

Vines and Verses

The heart of the evening was a short program of readings. Each author stepped to the podium while a slide on the big screen showed their book, their photo, and the wine chosen to accompany their work. It was a clever touch that turned every reading into a small pairing experience: a sip, a story, and a moment to savor both.

Author Joe Vass, who writes under the pen name Max Cossack, opened with a reading from his novel Blessed With All This Life. His passage was paired with a glass of red.

Author Yvonne Rose shared from The Messman, subtitled A World War II Hero Tells His Story of Survival & Segregation on the Battleship USS North Carolina. Her reading was paired with a crisp white. It was a reminder that some of the most important stories in our history are carried by the people living right next door.

Between readings, the room buzzed. Guests compared notes on their favorite pours, asked authors about their writing journeys, and lingered at tables long after their glasses were empty.

A Room Full of Friendship

What stood out most was the warmth. Friends gathered for photos, arms around each other and smiling, the kind of pictures that say more about a community than any headline could. Women in bold prints and elegant blues posed together near the doors, and small groups formed and re-formed all evening as people found common ground over a shared love of books, wine, or simply a good night out.

Here's to the Next Chapter

For a first-time event, Merlot & Manuscripts felt remarkably at home. It honored the talent living within Province, gave residents a reason to gather and connect, and showed how naturally good wine and great writing go together.

Congratulations to The Province Wine Group, the featured authors, and every neighbor who came out to raise a glass. We hope this is only the first page of a long and wonderful story.

Good wine. Great words. Good company.

References

Province Community Association, "Facilities" (Town Hall): provincecoa.com/151/Facilities
Province Community Association, "Welcome": provincecoa.com/home
Max Cossack, Blessed With All This Life (Amazon): amazon.com
Max Cossack titles, copyright Joseph D Vass (Audible): audible.com
Yvonne Rose, The Messman: A World War II Hero Tells His Story of Survival & Segregation on the Battleship USS North Carolina (Amazon): amazon.com
Battleship North Carolina, "Black History": battleshipnc.com