Food and Wine Questions...

[vettechick99]

Hi all!

This will be my second trip to Disney during Food and Wine, but I've never done anything other than sampling food and drink at the booths. Has anyone done the seminars or meals and did you think they were worthwhile? I love wine and would like to know more, but my fiance doesn't care about it (but he does love beer!!!!).

Thanks in advance!

 

[nativetxn]

I've never experienced the Food and Wine festival so I'm going to bump this back to page one for you so that some of our veterans can offer advice.

 

[Baloo]

I haven't attended any of these but talked with several people who highly recommend the Party for the Senses Tasting.Joe and I are planning on attending it this year....here's what we have on the DIS.


Party for the Senses Food-and-Wine-Tasting weekly events made it's return to the 2003 festival, and brought the creations of 18 eminent chefs and featured more than 50 wines and beers. The 2002 Food and Wine Pairings also made its return. With the demand it had, Disney increased guest opportunities to reserve the more intimate Food and Wine Pairings, by increasing seating by 60 percent. The Food and Wine pairings are scheduled at Coral Reef Restaurant, Le Cellier restaurant and Restaurant Marrakesh.

Party for the Senses features more than 30 wines with flavorful foods Oct. 18 and 24, and Nov. 1, 8 and 15, for $85 in World Showplace.


Here's a link to some more info we have about F&W at the DIS!
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm

 

[CarolA]

The seminars are an excellent value. They are free and most of them are pretty entertaining and well done. My only complaint is that at the cooking one they were just letting the same people stay which really limited how many people could get in. Maybe I was just there for a bad management day. At the wine ones they clean the entire room out.

 

[TDC Nala]

Last year they did an International Beer Tasting dinner. This was a lot of fun and almost way too much food and beer. They had it on Wednesday nights at the Rose & Crown. Beer fans should love it. It cost around $50. There were also free international beer tasting seminars at the garden next to the Rose & Crown and a free beer seminar sponsored by Sam Adams in the America pavilion.

Also for beer fans: Sam Adams usually has a table at the Party for the Senses. I tried the Sam Adams Utopia, which is a very limited and expensive edition brew and the guy pouring it said it's the beer with the highest alcohol content. It doesn't even really taste like beer.

At the cooking seminar I did notice that they let people stay... heck, I noticed some of the same people camping out there practically all week.

 

[nasmith]

Hi- I was lucky enough to go to the F & W fest twice this past year (once with my sister, a second time with my DH)- and it's now our favorite time of the year to go!! The Party for the Senses were fabulous (I went to 2, would have gone EVERY week if I could!)(Not the same event twice- different wineries are represented (with a few duplicates), and different food from different chefs. This is not "snack" food - these are high-end mini-entrees (lobster, lamb, sushi, seafood, foie gras.....) and desserts. You can tell your Fiance that there was beer available (Interbrew had a booth (they market Stella Artois, Bass, etc..) and that Sam Adams had a booth- at which you could sample their "Utopia" beer ( the Most expensive beer in the world- at $300 a bottle -if you could get it) (I put that in just as a selling point for your Fiance ). Definitely worth the money - don't eat much before hand - you'll be stuffed!!

I also went to one Food and wine pairing at the COral reef (about $35 each) which was excellent; One "Lunch and Learn" with Gale Gand and Rick Tremunto; and one Signature Dinner (Piedmont region of Italy at the American Pavillion). All were excellent - but I had the most fun at the Party. IMHO, Disney gives you your money's worth when you go these special events - the more you pay, the more you get (obviously)- but they are high-class, fine dining experiences. The only thing that would make me wary would be if someone in my party was a very picky eater - because there isn't a menu, and you don't get to pick your food (but I've never had a bad meal!).

The free wine seminars are great too - if you are there on a weekend, and plan on going to a popular seminar (like "Champagne")- get there early! They do "sell"-out. They also had a fabulous Beer seminar sponsored by Interbrew at the Rose and Crown - basically my DH and I were given 5 different bottles of beer to taste (and drink!)- free. Of course, it is too early to find out what seminars they are having this year- but keep it in mind! As far as the wine goes- I was a "beer gal" mostly before I started attending this festival - and I have totally changed my mind about wine now- they do a great job of pairing the wines with the meals- and that is what first changed my opinion of wine!

 

[vettechick99]

Thank you all so much! I guess when we get closer to time I'll have a better idea of what's planned for that week! I know he would love any of the beer ones!

Thanks!!!