SWF Wine & Food Fest announces dates, venues

COURTESY PHOTOS Beatrice Miner, a regular patient of the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, designed and painted last year's Wine Fest poster. The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest will be held Feb. 27 and 28 at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club. The event begins on Friday, Feb. 27 with Chef Vintner dinners at select area homes and continues on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28 with a Grand Tasting and Auction at Miromar Lakes. The event is presented by SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. and will benefit the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and the Pediatric Nursing program at Edison State College.

"We are thrilled to be holding the 2009 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest at Miromar Lakes," said Dr. Steve Machiz, Southwest Florida Wine and Food Fest chairman. "To have our Grand Tasting and Auction on the waterfront at Miromar Lakes makes the event as unique to Southwest Florida as its location is. And the Miromar Lakes Beach Club will showcase the Food and Wine Fest as one of Southwest Florida's signature events."

The Southwest Florida Food and Wine Fest begins with a series of Chef Vintner dinners, pairing renowned vintners with both premier visiting chefs and local celebrity chefs. The dinners will be hosted in some of the most exclusive private residences

Last year's Southwest Florida Wine Fest was held in November. This year, organizers moved it to February to coincide with the Naples event. in Southwest Florida.

The next day, the Grand Tasting and Auction will he held beachside at the Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club. The Grand Tasting exhibits the talent of some of the area's finest chefs who will prepare samplings of their specialties alongside wine tasting stations showcasing wines from some of the world's greatest wine-growing regions. After that, the auction features exceptional packages of wine, exclusive trips, amazing dining experiences and artwork from artists including Robert Rauschenberg and more.

Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club is a residential waterfront resort community with more than 700 acres of contiguous freshwater lakes, three miles of private, white sandy beach and "Signature" Championship Golf Course.

The Southwest Florida Wine and Food Fest is a signature event of the SWFL Children's Charities, Inc., that provides funding to local charities serving local children.

For more information about Southwest Florida Food and Wine Fest, visit www.swflwinefest.org