Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine Magazine Presents Proceeds to Florida International University

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- One month after announcing the 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival raised over $1.4 million for Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager presented a check in the amount of $1,508,435 to the School's Dean, Joseph J. West.

"All proceeds from the Festival benefit the students, the educational programs and the facilities at our School including the Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center," stated Dean Joseph J. West at a reception held on Wednesday, May 23 at FIU's Biscayne Bay Campus which houses the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

According to Dean Joseph J. West, the majority of the funds raised will continue to be allocated to a construction project fund for the expansion of the School's existing dining room into a full service Teaching Restaurant. Other revenue from the Festival is invested in the maintenance and support of the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, a 4,500 square-foot facility that features the latest technology for beverage tasting and analysis. Additional funds are awarded as scholarships to the students of the School who demonstrate exceptional performance while volunteering in all facets of the Festival.

In addition to the tangible benefits, the students of FIU's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management also receive priceless experience by volunteering for the Festival. Culinary students receive the rare opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the most celebrated chefs in the world including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Eric Ripert, Ferran Adria, Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller and Nobu Matsuhisa among others. Students of one of the many wine classes offered at the School are also fortunate enough to work with and taste wines from the world's most respected winemakers including Ch??teau Haut Brion's Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Ch??teau Margaux's Paul Pontallier and brothers Peter and Robert Mondavi who all participated in the 2007 Festival. Other students fill positions in sponsorship activation, operations, logistics, public relations, marketing and auction coordination and together offer the support to make it possible to produce a Festival of this caliber and size.

In 2008, as the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival continues to improve, it will expand its student participation opportunities to include new positions as ambassadors to all chefs, culinary personalities, winemakers and beverage authorities participating in the 2008 Festival and beyond. "The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival continues to provide students with real-world, hands-on experience afforded to them by participating in the Festival," said West. "I always tell the students that they may not remember their history courses at the University, but they will always remember the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival and the role they played in it."

"We couldn't be more proud to partner with FIU and raise much-needed money to support one of the finest Schools of Hospitality and Tourism Management," stated Schrager who also holds the position of Director of Special Events and Media Relations at Southern Wine & Spirits of America.

The 2008 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (Thursday, February 21 - Sunday, February 24) will include the ever popular Moet & Chandon BubbleQ, Wine Spectator's Best of the Best, the signature Grand Tasting, the Amstel Light Burger Bash, Kidz Kitchen, a Tribute Dinner honoring Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a first-class wine program and several new events that will be announced before tickets go on sale in mid-October.

The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food &Wine magazine is produced by Florida International University and Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the festival, visit http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com/ or call 877-762-3933. For more information about Florida International University visit http://www.fiu.edu/, for the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management visit http://www.hospitality.fiu.edu/ and for more information about Southern Wine & Spirits visit http://www.southernwine.com/.