Popping the cork on its 12th annual Forks & Corks weekend-long festival, the Sarasota-Manatee Originals cheersed to another successful year of food and wine exploratory events, ranging from intimate gatherings to grand-scale tastings. Florida foodies came far and wide this past weekend to enjoy the top-shelf wines, celebrity winemakers and curated cuisine from the finest independently-owned local restaurants on Florida’s Suncoast.

May 2-4, guests experienced Winemaker Dinners around town, showcasing some of the medal-winning wines perfectly paired with menus at select Originals establishments. Led by some of the world’s greatest wine purveyors–some coming from as far away as South Africa to host these inspiring dinners and providing guests with a rare and educational experience. Then, a University Master Class took place at Michael’s on East Ballroom on Saturday, May 4, with seven world-renowned industry professionals and winemakers leading an exclusive seminar showcasing 14 award-winning wines from around the globe along with a stunning cheese board by Artisan Cheese Company. Guests cleansed their palettes as the panel lead them on a guided tour of “Old World” and “New World” wines from California, Oregon, Portugal, Italy, France and more. A “pop-up” Retail Tasting immediately took place following, at Michael’s Wine Cellar, hosted by some of the area’s leading local wine merchants.

The granddaddy of all its events took place Sunday, May 5 at the Grand Tasting–culminating the weekend with an instant sell-out at John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. With presenting sponsors Audi Sarasota and Suncoast Porsche, The Ringling's entire courtyard filled up with participating vendors and thousands of hungry and thirsty attendees. Guests sipped, savored and sought shelter from the rain for the extravaganza of touring and tasting, set up under tents throughout the historical grounds. Quality wines from a collection of more than 350 wines from around the world were sampled–each hand-selected and professionally tasted, judged and recognized as a medal winner. Mingled in with the imbibing, attendees explored culinary creations from 60 local restaurant members of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals. JPan, enRich Bistro, Overture of Art Ovation, Mattison’s, Michael’s On East, Duvals and Pacific Rim, were among the many, cooking up gourmet grab-and-go bites. A retail tent was also available, where patrons were able to purchase various varietals offered–making Forks & Corks one of only a few festivals in the Southeast to provide the opportunity to purchase showcased wines on-site during the event.

“I’m thrilled with the overall success of the 2019 Forks & Corks Grand Tasting. The Sarasota-Manatee Originals are an incredible team, and we are so thankful for the support of this community.” says Sarah Firstenberger, executive director of the organization. “Our member restaurants truly shined on Sunday, and the participating wineries showcased an amazing array of wines from around the world. I can’t be more proud of what we accomplished this weekend. We are already looking forward to 2020.”

The Grand Tasting also celebrated “Best in Show wines”, with 2014 Rombauer “Diamond Selection” Cabernet Sauvignon and 2016 Paul Cluver “Estate” Chardonnay coming out as the top winners this year. In terms of the fundraising portion of the festival, Sarasota-Manatee Originals expect 2019’s Forks & Corks to be the most successful in funding for its charitable partners. “This year, we are hoping to top our highest amount raised to date,” says Firstenberger. In 2018, $20,000 was raised to fight hunger for All Faiths Food Bank. The final number for 2019 is still being calculated and will be announced in the next few days. 

Photo courtesy of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals.

The West Florida-based, Southern Italian-inspired eatery focuses on traditional Neapolitan pizza and homemade pasta for carb-loving epicureans. Having created a loyal cult following within Tampa and St. Petersburg already, now it’s Sarasota’s turn. Hand kneaded with tradition and integrity, the Bavaro family moved to the Tampa Bay area to open its doors and Italy-imported gold-domed oven in 2009, as the first traditional Neapolitan pizzeria in the state of Florida. Now determined to share their sacred family recipes as far and wide as possible, Dan Bavaro, his wife Anna-Maria and their five children make up the immediate family, but their Italian philosophy remains that anyone who works or dines there, is just as much considered part of la famiglia.

Bavaro’s coveted wood-fired oven came overseas, handmade by a family in Italy that owner Dan Bavaro stayed with when he studied the crucial and authentic elements to Neapolitan-style pizza-making. Seeking a (941) pizzeria to call home, he acquired the neary 100 year-old building across from Regal Hollywood Stadium in downtown. With table dining close enough to watch the open kitchen make magic in the larger-than-life oven, two inside bars, a covered patio and an outside bar with a custom fireplace, the newly-renovated building showcases an Old-World and industrial cocktail of Mediterranean architectural/design styles.

The ‘from scratch’ pizza involves live yeast culture for the dough, strained and dated back over 100 years to an old bakery in Napoli, Italy. Try the thin crust delicacy on Friday, May 17, 11:00am-11:00pm and onwards—marking Bavaro’s official opening day.  

Photo provided by Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana and Pastaria, 27 Fletcher Ave., Sarasota, 941-552-9131.

Opening Day details here.

Sarasota County Schools is actively looking for volunteers interested in helping students enrolled in summer programs. Summer volunteer opportunities include:

Summer Learning Academies – Offered at all Title I elementary schools, this full-day program runs for six weeks, Monday through Thursday. During the morning, there is a focus on reading and math. In the afternoon, students participate in STEM activities as well as a variety of enrichment activities including field trips.

Summer Reading Camps – Offered to third graders who need more time and instruction before being promoted to the fourth grade, the six-week program runs Monday through Thursday at Toledo Blade Elementary School, Gocio Elementary School and Gulf Gate Elementary School. Tutors will work one-on-one with the same two students each week; a commitment of at least an hour a week is preferred.

Dive Into Reading – Offered only to rising second graders registered for Bentwood Elementary School’s SLA, each student participating in this new, experiential enrichment program will be provided with books to add to their home library. Students will also be paired with volunteer mentors to work on reading comprehension, vocabulary and emotional and behavioral education in relaxed settings.

No formal experience is necessary to volunteer. 

Sarasota County Schools Office of Community Involvement

Americans for the Arts, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations for advancing the arts and arts education in America, has announced that Michael Martella, president of Boar’s Head and Chairman of the Van Wezel Foundation’s Board of Directors, will be honored with the Business Committee for the Arts Leadership Award. This award recognizes individuals for their extraordinary vision, leadership and commitment to supporting the arts and for encouraging other businesses to follow their lead. 
Under Martella’s leadership, the Boar's Head brand is known for its support of the arts community. In addition, Martella was appointed to the Board of Directors at the Van Wezel Foundation, Inc. in 2007 and quickly rose to the Chairman’s position, where he has led fundraising activities to support programming and long-term sustainability. Through the Boar's Head Family Series and Family Nights, family-friendly productions were added to the Van Wezel’s Main Stage program, and children can attend free of charge during Family Nights. They can also attend post-show "Talk Backs" and events, where they can interact with some of the visiting artists.

Presented annually, the Arts and Business Partnership Awards honor 10 U.S. companies, a business leader and an arts and business partnership for their exceptional commitment to the arts through grants, local partnerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships and board membership. 

Boar's Head

Mary E. King, realtor with Keller Williams Realty Select, Lakewood Ranch office, which services all of Sarasota and Manatee County, has been elected to the Board of Venice Area Audubon Society (VAAS) for a three-year term and Chair of Conservation. As a member of VAAS’s Conservation Committee, King has been offering a program to Homeowner Associations based on National Audubon’s initiative, “Plants for Birds” and UF/IFAS Extension Service’s Florida Friendly Landscaping Principles. She has plans to expand the membership and scope of the VAAS Conservation Committee, including outreach programs in the community. King will also be involved with Audubon Florida’s Regional Conservation Committee, comprised of 11 Audubon Chapters from Cedar Key to Venice. 

Venice Area Audubon Society

Realtor Tony Booker has joined RE/MAX Platinum Realty as a Sales Associate in the Venice, FL, office. He specializes in residential properties, commercial properties and vacant land. Booker has 42 years of real estate experience, last serving with Bright Realty. His commitment to professionalism is reflected in his numerous designations, including Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Certified Real Estate Appraiser (CREA), Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS), Military Relocation Professional (MRP) and Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR). He is still active as a real estate broker doing referral business in Phoenix, AZ, where he has held a broker’s license since 1981. His customers and peers have voted him a Five Star Real Estate Agent for best in customer service, and his consistently high sales volume has earned him Lifetime Membership in the President's Roundtable of the Phoenix and Glendale Realtor Associations. 

RE/MAX Platinum Realty