- April 26, 2024
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Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch member Vonda Johnson pours Champagne for guests in the VIP tent.
Seth Powell and Austin Kelley grill up oysters for Half Shell Seafood House.
Jada Hallbeck, Amy Shuck, Christina Weger and Stephanie Consiglio, all of Lakewood Ranch, are ready to a day of tastings.
Daniel Campana tastes an ethnic dish that reminds him of one his grandmother made.
Lakewood Ranch's Charlene and Bob Schmitt are all smiles.
Jim and Kathy Baker, of Lakewood Ranch, attend for the third year.
Clockwise from front left: Chelsea Chana, Julie Hendrix, Megan Zabikow, Katie Truxton and Alison Clough know each other through the Lakewood Ranch Moms Group.
Lakewood Ranch's Mary Boswell gets a plate of desserts from a vendor.
Mary and Larry Boswell, of Lakewood Ranch, say they enjoyed the oysters.
Former Rotarians Jerry and Denise Hearn, of Tara Preserve, make sure to support the event.
Kathy Goering, Deborah Ericson, Sharyl Smith, Patti Coit, Mary Clarke and Carol Law, of Bradenton, are ready for wine.
The Capital Grille chef Kelvin Le serves up a lobster mac and cheese.
Kevin and Susan Baird, of Lakewood Ranch, say they are impressed with the food samples.
Tom Magliula and Robyn Erhardt, of Lakewood Ranch, sample tiramisu and other desserts.
"This is like heaven," says Kathy Wingfield as she fills her plate with dessert samples from Manatee Technical College's culinary program.
Lynette Revel raves about desserts made by Manatee Technical College's culinary students. "The mousse is perfect," she says.
Joe Peters and Lissette Eckert, of Panther Ridge, met up with Todd and Christal Czaja, of GreyHawk Landing.
Debbie Balle, of Palm Aire, tries a red blend wine. "Everything is delicious," she says.
Carolina Caceres pours a Bodega Reserva de los Andes wine for Dragonfly Winery Corp.
Jenae Warren, of North Port, samples wine. Of the food, she likes the lobster.
Wine Fest veteran Joan Fernandes, of Ellenton, brings her friend Lisa Butterick, of East County.
Mark Collins, Jim Nilsson, Joan Nilsson and Pat Collins, of Country Club East, come together every year.
Gary McDermitt, formerly of Lakewood Ranch, pours a Coppola Directors Cut cabernet that gets rave reviews from patrons.
Chip Hanley, Steve Hart, Silvia Sacalis and Beverly Adkins, of Lakewood Ranch, love a Coppola Directors Cut cabernet.
Brian Ehrlich and Mike Huyck, of Sarasota, focus on craft beer samples.
Country Club East residents Joan Nilsson and Pat Collins chatted easily, wine glasses in hand, as they lingered beneath a white canopy tent, pausing for wine samples and tastes of food, such as Macadamia nut-crusted snapper, butter chicken and tiramisu.
Every year, the women and their husbands — Jim Nilsson and Mark Collins — attend the Suncoast Food and Wine Festival at the Sarasota Polo Club. The event is hosted by the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch and 100% of proceeds from sponsorships and ticket sales benefit local charities and Rotary initiatives through a grant process.
“We support it because it’s a great cause and we come because it’s great fun,” Pat Collins says.
The Nilssons have another home in Connecticut and time their travels so they can attend.
About 1,800 guests turned out for the the 16th annual event featuring food from more than 40 restaurants and more than 100 types of wine to sample. Guests also enjoyed craft beer samples, cooking demonstrations and live music.
Event sponsor Artistree Landscape Maintenance & Design transformed the Sarasota Polo Club sidelines from a grassy lawn to a colorful, lush oasis filled with palm trees and other tropical plants.
