7th Annual Key Biscayne Wine, Food & Silent Auction presented by Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation
Nov. 11, 2011, 6:30-10 p.m.
The Links at Key Biscayne restaurant
6700 Crandon Blvd.
Key Biscayne, Fla., 33149
keybiscaynewinefest.com
7th Annual Key Biscayne Wine, Food & Silent Auction set for Nov. 11 presented by Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation Event offers opportunity to sample prestigious American wines, bid on exciting silent auction packages for a good cause
Fine American wines are center stage at the 7th Annual Key Biscayne Wine, Food & Silent Auction. Guests will taste wines, including several award winners, from prestigious wineries in Washington, Ohio and California, all competing for the title “Best in Show.†Shari Gherman, president of the American Fine Wine Competition and the Gold Medal Wine Tour, returns as the event’s wine director. Gherman’s palate “is one of the best I’ve ever seen,†according to Miami Herald wine writer Fred Tasker.
Presented by Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation, the evening’s activities at the golf club setting include an array of delicacies from outstanding Miami restaurants prepared to compliment the wines. A silent auction will feature more than 100 items, including high-end travel destinations, tickets to sporting events, an Asian cooking class for two, and gift certificates for gourmet and cultural experiences.
“This is a fun and relaxing evening to be enjoyed by everyone who shares an interest in wine, from educated enthusiasts to novices,†Ruben Weisson, chairman of the event and longtime Rotary of Key Biscayne member.
The wine tasting is from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $65 a person before Nov. 4 and for Rotary and participating charity members, and $75 at the door. For ticket purchase and a complete list of the wines to be tasted, visit keybiscaynewinefest.com. Complimentary valet parking will be provided.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Weisson at 305-416-6440 or visit the event’s website at keybiscaynewinefest.com. The deadline is Oct. 28.
Proceeds will benefit the Rotary of Key Biscayne Foundation’s charitable giving program. Rotary will collaborate with Association of Retarded Citizens of South Florida to benefit the ACE Academy in Homestead. The elementary school for children with mental and physical disabilities in Florida City is located in one of the poorest communities in South Florida. The school will receive help in purchasing therapeutic equipment and materials to help 40 children in kindergarten to 5th grade gain better motor coordination in their daily living activities.
The event also will benefit Fundacion Manos del Sur, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Miami that provides education, health and nutrition services to underprivileged children Latin America. This year’s proceeds will help its Fundacion Nina Maria in Chia, Colombia, a poor area near Bogota, purchase needed medical equipment to treat children ages 0-18 who suffer from physical and mental disabilities, are victims of sexual abuse or abandonment. The co-sponsor club is Rotary Club of Bogota Chico, which provides oversight of the funds. Past recipients include the Diabetes Research Foundation and School for the Blind in Argentina. During its 35-year history the foundation has raised more than $530,000 through this event and its annual Key Biscayne Art Festival to fund charitable scholarships and grants.
The panel of judges include some of South Florida’s most discerning wine palates and wine educators: Chip Cassidy, hospitality management professor at Florida International University, Roberto Colombi of The Boca Raton Resort, Barry Alberts of Berries to Wine Inc., and Henry Barrow of La Bottega Wine Wisdom.
Cuisine with an international flavor will be prepared by area restaurants, including 900 Bistro Argentino, Costazul Peruvian restaurant, Old Lisbon, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Doggi’s & More, and The Plaza Italian restaurant.
Other sponsors of the event are Strategic Imports, Stefano’s Wine and Liquors, The Islander News, Key Biscayne and Brickell magazines, El Dorado Furniture, FJ Turbine Power, Key Pharmacy, KeyBiscayners.com, iVinoMiami.com, Lancaster & Reed, Arsicare Group, The Berenguer Group, Island Clinic at Key Biscayne, and Alvarez & Marsal.
All presented wines will be available for sale at the event through Stefano’s Wine and Liquors. The wine retailer of Key Biscayne will coordinate orders and delivery, donating 10 percent of proceeds to Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation.
