When it comes to combining wine, cheese and good music, you're probably thinking that it can't get much better than that, right?

Wrong.

Try adding those three elements with a good cause, and you've got yourself a mighty fine time.

At 6:30 p.m. Monday, Scott's on the Square in downtown Gainesville will be host to Vino and Vivaldi, a wine and hors d'oeuvres benefit for the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to good food and wine, the event will feature a live performance from the Gainesville Symphony String Quartet with concertmaster Kenny Lambert.

The 75-member orchestra performs four concerts each year at the Brenau University Pearce Auditorium. All of the proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit GSO programming.

"The money will be used for things like our holiday concert and the capital campaign for our new school of music," said Candace Monnerie, GSO media relations executive director.

"We will be opening the school in January. We'll be using GSO professional musicians with high-level degrees who are experts of their instruments to teach the classes."

Since local public schools lack formal orchestral instruction, the GSO school will help fill a void in the community, Monnerie says.

"We will also be featuring other performing arts classes," Monnerie said.

The wine and cheese event will also go to support a new Gainesville Youth Orchestra, which the GSO plans to
launch in January.

"It will be open to elementary through college students," Monnerie said.

"Not only will they get the opportunity to play with their peers in a big orchestra, they'll also have the opportunity to perform side-by-side with the professional GSO."

The fundraiser is for a 21-and-older crowd.