Rotary Club of LWR hosted annual Suncoast Food & Wine Fest.
By
Amanda Sebastiano
| 11:56 a.m. November 15, 2015
East County
Neighbors
Share
Wine enthusiasts and food connoisseurs pleased their pallets Nov. 14 at the 12th annual Suncoast Food & Wine Fest, hosted by the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch. The Sarasota Polo Club grounds transformed into a sea of white tents, which offered more than 300 red and white wine variations and food samples from 40 restaurants, such as The Melting Pot and Michael's on East. Attendees talked wine and recipes with local chefs and wine manufacturers. The event is the Rotary's largest fundraising activity of the year, and it will benefit various local nonprofit organizations.
Mother-daughter duo Rosanne and Selina Ray toast to a good time.
Mark Lowry, of Bradenton, samples food and wine.
Mike Heitzman, of Sarasota, serves up slabs of meat from Michael's on East.
Justin Elliott, of Tampa, tries a range of meat dishes.
Laura Williams, of GreyHawk Landing, and Diane O'Connor, of Eagle Trace, dive in to a range of food samples.
Attendees enjoyed samples of more than 300 wines.
Ryan Adamchak and Lauren Earl, of Bradenton, enjoy red wine and time with friends.
Dave and Kay Goodman traveled from Venice for the event.
Charlayne Hunter-Gaunt serves up red wine from her African wine brand, Passages, alongside her husband, Ron.
Sherlie Bente, of Lakewood Ranch, enjoys a glass of red wine.
Tom and Marilyn LaConte, of University Place, search for their next food sample.
Friends Jessica Montalvo, Jennifer Groff, Dustin Meshberger, Jamie Chyorny, Lindsey Meshberger, Pam Minore and Marcella Marogi enjoy a range of wines.
Anna McBride, of Germany, samples sweet treats.
Lakewood Ranch resident Andrew Keusch decides which type of dessert she'd like.
Manatee Technical College culinary student Glen Evans, of Bradenton, arranges an appetizer.
Snowbirds Dick Burtt, of Massachusetts, and Herb Sears, of New Hampshire, enjoy tasting different wines.
Don Baugh, Bob and Leigh Simons, and District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh enjoy an afternoon with their friend and former Ranch resident, Eva Rey.
The Miller family — Jeremy, Josh, shelby, Maria and Jack — spend family time outside.
Cindy Loebel, of Tampa, and Adam McMullian, of Bradenton, talk about wine.
Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch members Fred Lopez and Denise Pope wait for attendees to arrive.
