Varietals and More owners Rob and Michele Wayne hosted a delightful summertime wine-tasting last Thursday at their charming wine, craft beer and cheese shop to benefit the Hibiscus Children’s Center and its Vero Beach facility, Hibiscus Children’s Village. Roughly 50 discerning guests attended the sold-out fundraiser, drawn as much for the cause as the chance to sample some of the gourmet boutique’s wonderful selections.
Every nook and cranny of the cozy store, which the couple opened in May 2015, is filled with delightful surprises from around the world, such as Kantha throw blankets from India and hand-stitched wine carrier bags, augmenting the wide variety of wines and delectable deli treats.
Various wine distributors offered samples of their wares alongside tables overflowing with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres that were paired with each wine. Wine glasses in hand, attendees made their way carefully through the tiny space sampling antipasti and charcuterie plates as well as Rob Wayne’s fabulous quiche bites.
In addition to glasses of Il Bruciato from Southern Wine & Spirits and a Renato Ratti from Breakthru Beverage Group, guests also enjoyed a special drink from Stacole Wine. The cool concoction was made with Cappelletti, an Italian aperitivo, mixed with Francois Montand Brut, a French sparkling wine and sweetened with orange slices.
“It’s a very light and refreshing summer cocktail, like a spritzer,” said presenter John Edwards. “It is the No. 1 cocktail served in Italy right now.”
“I am Italian and I like it,” said Angie Watson, giving the drink high marks. “It is definitely a great summer poolside drink.”
Rob Wayne has been a supporter of Hibiscus since 2009 when he was then-manager of the local Crown Wine & Spirits store. He has been a particularly active participant with the organization’s Passport to Wine and Dine events, which this season will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at Bent Pine Golf Club.
“This year we are going to be holding Wine and Dine at Bent Pine featuring Italian cuisine and wines,” said Barbara Petrillo, event co-chair. “We moved it to February to include more of our seasonal residents.”
“I think in being part of a community it’s important to give back, so I have chosen particular charities such as this and the Treasure Coast Food Bank to concentrate all my efforts on,” said Wayne. Even Wayne’s children got behind the effort, manning the front of the shop and passing out sampling glasses to the participants.
“Our shop is all about family and we are committed to creating an environment for our customers like they are in their own living room,” said Wayne.
“We are so grateful to our third-party event-holders like Varietals,” said Loreto Murray, HCC director of outreach and events. “Rob and Michele are great supporters of our mission and we really appreciate the efforts of our business community, especially during the summer.”
