S.W AND RICH HERMANSEN
Staff Writers
wine@lbknews.com
The Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center has a unique role in the Rosemary District close by downtown Sarasota in southwest Florida. Its mission: “…creative expression and community engagement that amplifies the voices of our diverse community, and promotes peace, sustainability, democracy, and economic & social justice”.
The name “Fogartyville” comes from the 19th Century Fogarty family settlement on the banks of the Manatee River what became West Bradenton. The venue hosts music performances, community meetings, and the independent radio station, WSLR 96.5. Its ambiance reminds one of Old Florida cool outposts such as Key West, Captiva, Matlacha, and Lake Worth Beach.
The Mardi Gras celebration at Fogartyville had sold out days before we arrived. No more than two hundred guests sat at tables in front of a small stage to hear Kid Red (A.K.A. Larry Chiri) and the NOLAsota Krewe or Pontchartrain All-Stars (take your pick) pull out all of the stops on the Fat Tuesday carnival finale before the start of Lent. Kid Red hosts the Louisiana Gumbo segment on Radio WSLR Wednesdays 2-4PM, making him the obvious choice for the Mardi Gras gig.
At the door we asked to observe the event from the wings. The staff invited us to sit at sit at a table in the patio a few yards beyond the indoor seating. Fogartyville does not serve food or drinks by the glass. They did offer donated bottles of wine and wine glasses. We found a 750 ml bottle of an Oregon red wine, a 2022 Eola Hills Whole Cluster Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity Legacy Vineyard, a fortunate find at a concert for $30.
The concert began not long after we settled in the patio. Early on the theme from the HBO series Treme’ set the mood. By the end of the first set, the partygoers were coursing through the aisles to the beat of When the Saints Go Marching’ In. The All-Stars featured David Sowler, guitar; David Breckerd, baritone sax; Karen David, keyboard; Bart Delarme, bass; Scott Blum, drums; and Dorothy Blum, percussion. They created the energy of an impromptu New Orleans jazz session. An authentic Mardi Gras evening, we’d say.
Going past Lefty’s on Lime and down 5th Street a block and a half from Arts and Central and Wink, Wink on Boulevard of the Arts, we could envision the Rosemary District as a compact version of the music scene in New Orleans. We fear that the intense development will overwhelm the area instead of supporting it.
At Vino Bistro on 5th Street, we stopped to order a glass of the Sicilian Italian white Grillo while the Robbie Rose Trio played the Basin Street Blues. Reminds us of local bars along the Charles Street Trolley. Laissez les bon temps rouler.
S. W. Hermansen has used his expertise in econometrics, data science and epidemiology to help develop research databases for the Pentagon, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Agriculture, and Health Resources and Services. He has visited premier vineyards and taste wines from major appellations in California, Oregon, New York State, and internationally from Tuscany and the Piedmont in Italy, the Ribera del Duero in Spain, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in Australia, and the Otego Valley in New Zealand. Currently he splits time between residences in Chevy Chase, Maryland and St. Armand’s Circle in Florida.
Rich Hermansen selected has first wine list for a restaurant shortly after graduating from college with a degree in Mathematics. He has extensive service and management experience in the food and wine industry. Family and friends rate him as their favorite chef, bartender, and wine steward. He lives in Severna Park, Maryland.
