Michele Musgrove
On Nov. 20, 2025, we heard the sound of champagne corks popping, signaling a proper beginning to the holiday season.
There is something magical about a glass of sparkling wine. We learned about the methods of making these effervescent wines, how to read the labels for levels of sweetness/dryness, and entertaining tales from history tied to sparkling wines.
A fabulous pairing of Lee Moffitt of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Kelly Campbell, our Wine Club Wine liaison, educated and entertained us! We discovered the process for making sparkling wines, and champagne is equally magical.
Pro tip: “A party without Champagne is just a meeting!”
Another round of festivities came dashing in just like the season with our Holiday Mixer on Dec. 2. Festive decor, creative chefs, fine wine, and wonderful Wine Club friends mixed together fabulously to wrap up our year of wine adventures! Holiday mingling was a pure delight as we savored the offerings of four of our Ranch House Grill chefs! Each plate the chefs provided was uniquely delectable. One stood out as a top favorite in our “Chef Challenge” of the evening!
One guest echoed the many in saying, “Great turnout, excellent wines, and the food was fantastic! It was hard to vote on the best offering by our Ranch House Grill chefs as they were all SO good!”
Our difficult choices were:
* Citrus Chicken Salad paired with Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend
* Autumn Fruit Cheese Puff paired with Jaboulet Parallel 45 Rouge (Cote de Rhône)
* Red Chili Braised Short Rib with White Cheddar Polenta paired with Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon “Fleur” 2022
* Sage Crusted Pork Tenderloin Medallions paired perfectly with the best mulled wine ever!
Drumroll please … our 1st Place winner was Chef Manny with his scrumptious Autumn Fruit Cheese Puff!
Wishing you all the joy and wonder of the holiday season and new year! Enjoy your favorite glass of holiday cheer with friends and family!
Would you like to join us for another year of wine tasting adventures? Check out our website at wineclubofsbraz.clubexpress.com.