Many people in Southwest Florida join professional net-working groups in order to make contacts in the business community. Typically, they meet once a month over breakfast or lunch, with the occasional happy hour thrown in for levity.

Now there’s a place in Fort Myers that offers a new way to mix and mingle professionally without the requisite meetings. Best of all, at Reserve Cigar and Wine Bar, relaxing with a drink and fine tobacco not only is condoned, it’s encouraged.

Since opening in September across from Page Field, business has taken off slowly but surely. The 6,200sf establishment is owned and operated by Patrick Leslie, who has created four businesses under one roof: a full-liquor bar, a cigar store, a liquor store and a private club.

Lushly appointed with leather seating, fine art and plasma TVs, Reserve is not your typical, smoke-filled lounge or sports bar. In fact, it’s not smoky at all, thanks to a state-of-the-art air filtration system. Because the system refreshes the air approximately every two minutes, patrons won’t find their eyes burning or clothes reeking when they leave. Even the sometimes-pungent smell of cigars is muted to a musky fragrance.

Reserve’s first-class furnishings and tasteful tapas and dessert menu belie the fact that a Tony Roma’s restaurant was the property’s previous occupant. The entrance features a marble floor with a decorative crest and a stunning, sculptural glass chandelier, reminiscent of the Dale Chihuly installation at The Phil in Naples. Murano glass pendant lights provide tasteful, soft illumination throughout the main bar, which is open to the public.

In addition to ambience and drinks, Reserve features an impressive list of 100+ red, white and sparkling wines from around the world. It also serves more than a dozen appetizers ranging from edamame, sub sandwiches and crab cakes to trays of meat, cheese and/or fruit or a combination thereof ($4.95-$24.95). Imaginative desserts average $7.50 and include Apple Tart, Mango Cheesecake and Marquise au Chocolat, among others.

To further sweeten the deal, Reserve also offers hot-brewed or espresso-based coffee to enjoy while using its free wireless Internet service.

Leslie says he modeled the idea for Reserve after an establishment in Jacksonville, one of many cities he lived in while working as a manager for a national car rental company. “The goal is to provide a relaxed, upscale environment where people can socialize, conduct business and smoke if they want to,” said Leslie. “Although I don’t smoke cigarettes, I appreciate a good cigar.”

Finding one to enjoy is no problem at Reserve, which features a glass-walled, 215sf, walk-in humidor. Reportedly the largest in-house humidor in our area, it contains hundreds of quality cigars from dozens of respected purveyors in Honduras, the Dominican Republic and beyond. Each is guaranteed to be “one of the best cigars you’ve ever smoked or we’ll buy it back.”

In addition to the humidor and expansive main bar, the adjacent liquor store also is open to the public during Reserve’s regular hours of operation. It offers cold beer, high-end liquors and more than 100 wines for purchase, along with various wine and cigar accessories.

You don’t have to be a member to enjoy these areas of Reserve, but as one might expect, membership has its privileges. For fees ranging from $1,000 - $3,000, individuals may join The Cellar, Reserve’s private club, located beyond the main bar. In this case, the velvet rope is a thumbprint scanner that grants electronic access through a frosted glass, sliding door.

Once past the James Bond entrance, members will find a private bar spanning 19 feet, overstuffed leather sofas, chairs and sectionals, and individual, climate-controlled lockers for storing wine and cigars. Each cedar-planked lockbox has an engraved, brass plate with the member’s name as well as company name for members seeking discreet, dignified promotion.

The Cellar also contains a 10-seat conference table in an area that can be cordoned off for small, social events and private business meetings. This section is equipped with a 50-inch plasma monitor and wired to accommodate PowerPoint presentations. Members may reserve it for private viewings or parties on a first come, first served basis; non-members must pay $250 for the privilege.

Memberships to The Cellar are offered in three categories (Wine, Cigar and Corporate) at the Gold, Platinum and Reserve levels. Besides access to the exclusive, members-only bar and the above-mentioned perks, member benefits include discounts on all no-sale items, revolving credit, a free cigar/wine etiquette class and more. The top-level Reserve membership, for example, comes with a choice of trips (Las Vegas or Bahamas), limousine service for an evening and/or a $400 wine card.

Other membership options include combination Cigar & Wine Memberships ($1,500 Ñ $5,500, according to membership level) and Corporate Memberships for up to five members for $3,000. Fees are charged on an annual basis and memberships are not transferable.

Despite its exclusivity, Reserve has no reservations about helping community causes and organizations. Recent beneficiaries of its on-site events include Toys for Tots, Abuse Counseling & Treatment (ACT) and Special Equestrians. This summer, it plans to host an event on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House.

Movers and shakers interested in what Reserve has to offer may want to join soon. Membership is capped at 200 and already, more than half have been purchased.

(Reserve Wine and Cigar Bar is in Fort Myers at 10950 South Cleveland Avenue, south of Boy Scout Drive, across from Page Field. Open daily from 10 a.m. until midnight Sunday Ñ Wednesday and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. DJ on Friday night, with live entertainment every Saturday starting at 9 p.m. For more information, please call 239-210-0300 or visit www.reservecigarandwinebar.com.)