Original painting featured on event posters, to be auctioned at Wine Fest event on Feb. 25

(Fort Myers, FL – August 17, 2011) – SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. announces the SWFL Wine & Food Fest 2012 weekend event will be held Feb. 24 and 25, 2012, at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club with Northern Trust as its title sponsor. This marks the fourth year with Northern Trust as title sponsor and the fourth year hosted at Miromar Lakes.  Last year’s Wine Fest activities netted $1.6 million surpassing its $1 million goal achieving the status of Lee County’s all-time most successful fundraising event.

Since its inception in 2009, the Wine Fest has raised nearly $3.5 million net for Southwest Florida Children’s Charities’ primary beneficiary The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Edison State College’s pediatric nursing program and Florida Gulf Coast University’s endowed scholarship for pre-medical students pursuing study in pediatrics.

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is a two-day event that begins with chef/vintner dinners in private homes throughout Southwest Florida and concludes with a Grand Tasting and Auction the following day. The Grand Tasting features gastronomic delights from more than a dozen of the region’s finest chefs along with signature wines from California, Oregon and other popular wine regions.

In announcing the sponsorship, Fort Myers Northern Trust President, Sandy Robinson said, “We are committed to improving the quality of life here in Lee County through our support of organizations and events including Southwest Florida Children’s Charities and The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest.”

In addition to Northern Trust, the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is sponsored by Miromar Lakes, Lee Memorial Health System, Saks Fifth Avenue, Grandeur Magazine and the News-Press Media Group, Gulfshore Life Magazine and Gulfshore Business Magazine as well as several private donors.

“The Wine & Food Fest has been successful because it combines wonderful food and fine wine

with an exciting fundraising event that helps our community,” said Steve  Machiz, M.D., founding chairman of the Wine & Food Fest. “Each year the event raises the bar with the wine offerings, food pairings and auction packages.”

For more information The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, please go to www.SWFLWineFest.org, or call 239-278-3900.

WHAT: The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest

9 Chef Vintner Dinners, 13 Wine Fest trustees, 9 Wineries, 3 wine distributors, 9 dinner chefs, 12 Chef stations at the Grand Tasting, 31 Live auction lots  (all detailed on www.swflwinefest.org)

Expect 400+ guests on Saturday at Grand Tasting

WHEN:  Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, 2011

WHERE: Chef Vintner Dinners will be held Friday, Feb. 25 at locations from Fort Myers, Bonita,

Miromar Lakes to Naples

Grand Tasting and Auction will be held Saturday, Feb. 26 at Miromar Lakes Beach Clubhouse, 10160 Miromar Lakes Blvd., E, Miromar Lakes, FL 33913

WHY:    To raise financial support for The Children’s Hospital of SWF, secondary beneficiaries include Edison State College pediatric nursing program and FGCU’s endowment for pre-medical studies for students interested in pediatric medicine.

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is a signature event of the SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides funding to local charities serving local children. For more information, visit www.swflwinefest.org or call 239-278-3900.

Wine and travel packages along with other unique items to be auctioned Feb. 26 at Wine Fest (Fort Myers, Fla. – February 2, 2011) – For those who want to rock and roll, travel and/or acquire wines from some of the finest wineries in the world, the auction offerings up for bid at this year’s SWFL Wine & Food Fest on Feb. 26 will not disappoint. The event will be held during the Grand Tasting and Auction at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club and the auction lots are available for viewing now at www.SWFLWineFest.org.

Donated by trustees and friends of the Wine Fest, bidders will have the chance to compete for a stay at Staglin Vineyards’ estate to experience the harvest and a wine making experience as special guests of this year’s signature vintner, or a one of a kind necklace and earrings crafted of AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams’ guitar picks adorned in black diamonds by Mark Loren Designs’ original design capped off with a year’s worth of Norman Love’s BLACK dark chocolate confections and as if that is not enough, walk away with an authentic music award presented to the band from Ireland’s music industry personalized to the winner by Cliff Williams himself.

Or, fly to Vegas for choice seats at the Lady Gaga’s Monster Tour concert, the Beatles LOVE Cirque show, stay at the Bellagio and enjoy dinner at two fabulous Vegas restaurants, or if something closer to home is more attractive, then attend the “Charities’ Angels” Rock and Roll Party where Wine Fest Trustee Michele Eddy will host a dinner and wine party at her riverfront home for 30 with the headline band of Steve Luongo, Larry Hobbs and Mark Hitt with singing sensation Randy Jackson of Zebra.  If sports are your thing, then you and three of your friends will attend the US Open Congressional in June, or you and friend can get tickets to the NCAA finals, the Major League All Stars game or golf with Shula and join Chris Evert courtside, or send your child to Michael Jordan’s basketball camp.  And the auction has adventure too from race car and dog fight in the air experiences to Dory boat white water rafting in the Grand Canyon and luxury skiing and excursions in Aspen.

Smackdown in Paris book cover represents auction lot that reenacts this historical competition

When it comes to wine, there isn’t anything like it.  Bidders can obtain the wines of the 1976 Smackdown in Paris competition that put the US winemakers on the map, magnums of each of the participating vintners in this year’s Wine Fest, the Best Bordeauxs, and amazing wine tastings and tours.

What makes this auction extra special is that 100% of what is raised during the auction will go directly to the benefitting charities.  The primary charity is The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida which has received over $2 million over the years of the festival’s success.  The secondary charities are Edison State College’s pediatric nursing program and Florida Gulf Coast University’s endowed fund to support a local pre-med student considering studying pediatrics.

Tickets for the Wine Fest weekend of fun range from $500 for Saturday Grand Tasting and Auction tickets to $750 and up to $1,500 per person to also attend a Chef Vintner Dinner, depending on the dinner and availability.

For more information, to receive an invitation or to purchase tickets, go to www.SWFLWineFest.org or call 239-278-3900.

Black Ice Auction Lot Norman Love of Norman Love Confections-Cliff Williams bass player for rock band ACDC and Mark Loren of Mark Loren Designs

(Fort Myers, FL- January 21, 2011) –The trustees of The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest have announced its lineup of chefs and vintners participating in the upcoming weekend event to be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25 and 26. 19 chefs will join 9 wineries and 3 wine distributors in the event, which features Chef Vintner dinners at select homes on Friday evening, February 25, and a Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 26 at Miromar Lakes Beach Club. The Wine & Food Fest benefits local children’s charities.

“The pairing of wine and food is an important culinary concept and is the cornerstone of the Wine & Food Fest,” said Steve Machiz, M.D., Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest founding chairman. “We are thrilled by the caliber of our chefs and restaurants, the diversity of their culinary styles and their interest in serving the community.”

From local area restaurants, chefs Norman Love and Nathaniel Reid from Norman Love Confections, Angelina’s Ristorante, Marbin Alvirez from Bayfront Bistro, Jason Grasty from Roy’s Restaurant, Thomas Pedit from Miromar Lakes Beach Club, Michael Ragusa from the Sandy Butler, Jayson Rydell from Flipper’s on the Bay/Lovers Key Resort, Shannon Yates from Lush, Christian Vivet from Blue Windows Bistro, Andreas Singer from the Hyatt Coconut, Andre Gratesol from French Bread Oven, and Caroline Hostettler from Quality Cheese, Inc., will be featured in the Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday.

Alvirez, Angelina’s, Grasty and Love join chefs Harold Balink from Cru, Fabrizio Aielli from Sea Salt, Todd Johnson from Rumrunners, Derin Moore from Ritz Carlton/Naples Beach Resort, Nathaniel Reed from Norman Love Confections, Brian Roland from M Waterfront Grille and Melissa Talmage from Sweet Melissa’s in preparing Chef Vintner dinners on Friday evening.

Like its first name, The 2011 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest will also host a number of special, featured wineries.

 ”We have raised the bar again this year but we also go below the radar with some of the invited wineries,” said Machiz. “Our wines are so good and some of their production is so limited, we’re privileged to offer these ‘secret Napa wines’ at our Chef Vintner dinners and Grand Tasting.”

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is pleased to feature these very fine wineries:

Staglin Winery

Our 2011 Signature Vintners, Garen and Shari Staglin have helped raise over $725 million for important causes all over the country.  They have also earned a richly-deserved reputation for quality, elegance, and putting in a bottle everything that’s right, wonderful, and meaningful about wine, receiving stratospheric ratings by every major critic on the planet, including an uncanny 98-point rating from Wine Spectator for their 2007 Rutherford 25^th Anniversary Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.  Most of their wines are so good they sell out instantly, so this weekend is an excellent opportunity to sample them…and enjoy.

Taittinger Reims

Our 2011 Champagne Reception sponsor, Taittinger is a grand marque of French champagne, one of the few still controlled by members of the family that founded it (in 1930). It’s one of the most visitor-friendly champagne houses. The Romanesque cellars were dug from the site of Gallo-Roman chalk mines in use from the 4th to the 13th century.

Benovia Winery

Located on the west side of Route 12, just southwest of Healdsburg in the Sonoma Valley, Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane produce very limited quantities of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.  Even though the winery was established a few short years ago, the wines have received outstanding reviews from just about every wine critic and publication in the country.

Production of all wines is around 3,000 cases a year…making them a rare treat, indeed.

Justin Winery

Founded by Justin and Deborah Baldwin in 1981, this Paso Robles winery enjoys a magical combination of soil and climate that produces big, bold wines with tons of finesse.  The Baldwins, inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux, produce traditional Bordeaux blends that get plenty of points from the critics.  Their JUST Inn restaurant is another supreme achiement, garnering 4 stars, three forks, and every other kind of iconic praise that the travel industry can bestow. 

V Madrone

Chris Tilley is one of those rare (and fortunate) people who was actually born and raised in Napa Valley.  In fact, he graduated from St. Helena High School.  Along with his wife Pauline, they have returned to their roots (or rootstock) and established their winery directly on Route 29 just south of Calistoga.  Over the past few years they’ve expanded their excellent offerings from a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon to a Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and a Chardonnay that’s so good they can’t keep any of it for themselves.

Fisher Vineyards

The Fishers have supported our event for several years, donating their excellent Cabernets and Chardonnays, as well as elegant and gracious hospitality at their showplace winery high up in the mountains between the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.  Their flagship Coach Insignia Cabernet is a favorite among wine lovers (and wine critics).  They currently farm several vineyards on their mountain property, and 57 acres on the Silverado Trail adjacent to the famed Eisele Vineyard.  Juelle and her husband Fred encourage their children Whitney, Cameron, and Robert in their efforts to continue the family tradition.

Silver Oak

Silver Oak wines are sort of like Sara Lee cakes.  “Nobody doesn’t love them.”  We love them, too.  Unlike most winemaking enterprises, the owners of Silver Oak dedicate themselves to producing only top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa Valley.  This is the third year that Tom Johnson, the winery’s Ambassador Emiritus, is joining us to pour Silver Oak’s elegant Cabernets, and the very fine Merlots from the company’s Twomey winery. 

Tablas Creek

We’re pleased to welcome back Tablas Creek, since their wines were such a sensation at last year’s event.  The winery is owned by the folks from Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape, and their California wines, made in the grand tradition of the Southern Rhone, offer the same sophistication, elegance, and grace. 

Villa Erbice

Just east of the picturesque city of Verona, in the town of Mezzane, the Erbice family established their winery in the 1870s.  Since then, they’ve crafted wines that truly capture the soil and the soul of this unique region.  The red wines, bottled under the Valpolicella designation, are blends of well-known indigenous grapes.  And if you like Soave, you’ll love the whites of this family’s winemaking heritage.

Patz & Hall

When four people who really like each other decide to make wine together, great things can happen.  It’s true of Donald Patz, James Hall, Anne Moses and Heather Patz, who joined forces to establish Patz & Hall in 1988…and turn it into one of California’s most celebrated wineries.  Specializing in single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, they source their fruit from the finest vineyards, then craft the wines with a passion and dedication that borders on the obsessive.  Their wines consistently receive 90+ ratings from the critics.

 Northern Trust Bank is the title sponsor of the 2011 Wine & Food fest. Along with Miromar Lakes Beach Club, other supporters of the event include News-Press Media Group, Gulfshore Media, Saks Fifth Avenue, Norman Love Confections, Angelina’s Ristorante, Palm Printing and Strategic Solutions.

The Wine & Food Fest Grand Tasting and Auction will be held in the Beach Clubhouse at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club and its outdoor waterfront venue. Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club is a residential waterfront resort community with over 700 acres of contiguous aquamarine freshwater lakes, three miles of private, white sandy beach and “Signature” championship golf. Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club is located in Miromar Lakes, just north of Naples.

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is a signature event of the SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides funding to local charities serving local children.  The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is this year’s beneficiary and secondary beneficiaries are Edison State College’s pediatric nursing program, and Florida Gulf Coast University’s pre-med endowment for scholarship for a local student interested in studying pediatrics.

For more information about Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest: www.swflwinefest.org or information on sponsorship or ticket sales, call 239-278-3900.

Original painting featured on event posters, to be auctioned at Wine Fest event on Feb. 26

(Fort Myers, Fla. – 1/06/11) – Twins James and Grace Novakovich, ages 4, of Fort Myers, created a collage of rainbows, flowers, clouds and brightly colored paintings for our poster “It’s a Wonderful World.”

The twins were born prematurely at a mere 27 weeks, just three quarters of their way to full term.  Their mom Jennifer was transported by The Children’s Hospital Neonatal Unit ambulance from North Collier Hospital so she could deliver at the Fort Myers facility where the physicians and staff specialize in caring for the tiniest of infants.

Jennifer couldn’t see the babies for the first few days but when both mom and babies were well enough, they reunited.  And Jennifer spent the next 3 ½ months visiting her newborns in the neonatal unit whenever she could.

“Imagine a baby whose legs were a big as your index finger,” says Jennifer.  “When I first saw them, they were so tiny among a mass of tubes and machines.”

The babies were not fully developed and were very sick.  The fought for their lives.

“It was very scary but the whole time, I had a sense of hope,” says Jennifer.  “I knew without a doubt that they were getting the best care possible.”

Jennifer said it was hard on her to be a parent and yet not be able to help her babies.  “I just had to look at the doctors and nurses and say ‘please take care of my child.’”

Now nearly five years later, her babies are active, intelligent, happy youngsters. 

“Looking at them today, you’d never know they had such a rough start,” says Jennifer.  “It’s a miracle.”

Their original watercolor and acrylic painting will be auctioned off at the Wine Fest’s grand tasting on Feb. 26. Wine Fest Chairman Dr. Steve Machiz says the children’s artwork is typically one of the highest-bid lots.

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is a signature event of the SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides funding to local charities serving local children. It begins the evening of Feb. 25 when 13 families will host 9 dinners at private homes around Southwest Florida for invited guests donating $1,000 to $1,500 per seat. Each dinner will feature wines by featured vintners and Southwest Florida’s finest local chefs.

Then on Feb. 26, the chefs, vintners, dinner guests and others come together at the Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club for the Grand Tasting and Auction. Participating chefs prepare their favorite signature dishes to accompany the wine tastings.

The Auction features exceptional packages of special and unique wines, exclusive trips, amazing dining experiences and more. All proceeds from the auction and event ticket sales will benefit three causes benefiting children’s health care in our area: The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Edison State College’s Pediatric Nursing Program and an endowment to Florida Gulf Coast University to establish a pre-med student scholarship.

Last year’s event netted $932,000 resulting in a $700,000 donation to The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida and $50,000 to Edison State College and $50,000 to Florida Gulf Coast University for their respective pediatric nursing and pre-medical education programs.

To view the video about the twins and an interview with Jennifer, or for more information about the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest or ticket sales, visit www.swflwinefest.org or call 239-278-3900.