PHOTOS Southwest Florida Food and Wine Festival kickoff gala

Robin Mullen, Greg McManus and Jim Wolf share a laugh at the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest kickoff dinner at Angelina's in Bonita Springs. Mike Shapiro

Left, Wine & Food Fest trustees Dave Gibbons, Ester Lee Machiz and Pat Gibbons are planning for another growth year for the Southwest Florida Food & Wine Fest. The festival kickoff dinner was Wednesday night at Angelina's in Bonita Springs. Mike Shapiro

Left, Suzanna Racine, Sue Passmore and Mary Jo Rader try their hand at tasting some of the wines brought to the kickoff dinner by Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest signature vintner Staglin Family Vineyard. Mike Shapiro

Counting trustees and fans of both Angelina’s Ristorante, event venue in Bonita Springs, and festival signature vintner Staglin Family Vineyards, about 100 eager supporters gathered Wednesday for an evening of relaxed camaraderie to kick off work toward the 2011 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest.

Generous aperitif pours of an unexpected donation of six cases of a special Fisher Vineyards Unity wedding rosé, prior year festival vintners, set the light-hearted event tone. Following an hour-long reception, diners sat down to a four-course dinner designed to complement four exclusive Staglin vintages, according to master sommelier Andrew McNamara, who guided the dinner pourings.

McNamara described the bottle labels — one depicting “Winged Woman Walking,” the other a replica of Shari Staglin’s necklace cameo of the Goddess Salus. A crispy, “Salus” Napa Valley 2007 Chardonnay paired the cured Coppa ham and whipped Gorgonzola first course while a welcome Estate Chardonnay 2008 was a perfect accompaniment to the second course of seared striped bass served atop King Crab ravioli.

Then it was on to a pair of 2006 reds accompanying the last two courses that featured a Staglin Cabernet Sauvigon, another “Salus” labeled choice poured alongside braised veal cheeks and olive oil grilled polenta and segued to an Estate Cabernet Sauvigon married to a Wagyu New York strip with creamed Zellwood corn.

Dr. Steve Machiz, founding chairman of the festival and its charity, SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. spoke for himself and his wife, Ester Lee Machiz, in describing “how excited we are with the sellout crowd and to have Shari and Garen Staglin as featured vintners this year.”

“Isn’t it wonderful that we spent an evening pouring Staglin’s best wines and eating Angelina’s best foods,” Marshall Hanno, a founding trustee, exclaimed, “and that nobody left without a new best friend!”

Carolyn Rogers, fest coordinator and spokewoman, explained that the festival’s $1 million, 2011 goal is “not all about the money but what the money can do.”

The nonprofit organization primarily provides funding to the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida as well as to the Edison’s pediatric nursing program and scholarship aid to local pre-med students in pediatrics enrolled at WGCU.

The fundraising festival will be held at Feb. 25-26 in private homes and at the grand tasting and auction at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club. For full information visit www.swflwinefest.org or call (239) 278-3900.