Wine Pairing Event @ Food & Wine Festival

[Jo-Anne]

We will be at WDW at the start of the F&W festival and I think my DH would enjoy attending the Wine Pairing event at Le Cellier on Oct 1 3-4:30. It states that you get to sample 3 wines with 3 "tasting portions of fine cuisine". Has anyone dones this - what are the type of wines - do the wines match the country that event takes place in? Also does anyone know what type of food would be sampled? Thanks, Jo

 

[nasmith]

Alot of the food and wine pairings are new this year - I've been to 3 in the past - all at the Coral Reef restaurant....Based on my experience, I imagine that the food will be similar to that served at Le Cellier - but not something you will find on the normal menu (and probably a bit more creative). The wines will more than likely be from one winery- and someone from the winery will be there to represent them. At the Coral reef, one of the Assistant Chefs was in charge of planning the meal (with the wine pairings in mind) and they used it as an opportunity to showcase their talent - the food was definitely yummy and first class!

Unfortunately - you don't get to pick your menu (and you won't know what it is until you're seated) - You get what is served --- The only menu I've saved was from 2 years ago (and they've paired it down to 3 course to 3 now) - but it included:

Seafood Bouillabaise (prawn and Crab with a saffron broth) paired with a Sauv. Blanc

Crab Cheesecake (Stilton blue cheese) paired with a Reserve Merlot.

Honey Laquered Duck (with collard greens and Indian Corn relish) paired with an Estate Chardonnay

and a Sorbet trio (Chocolate tuille in a fruit consomme) paired with a Riesling. All wines were from Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Hope this helps....

 

[webray]

It is one of those..go and be surprised event. Take your palette and enjoy!

As with most food/wine special events..menus are not posted before hand.

 

[BriarRosie]

And if you're still interested after nasmith's wonderful synopsis,
call ASAP. Many dates have already sold out.

If you call and find your dates sold out, try calling back a couple weeks closer to your dates to see if anyone canceled.

 

[SamSam]

We have been to several Wine Pairings the last couple of years and all of them have been memorable. I dug through my stuff and came up with 3 different menus from Coral Reef, I'm not sure what happened to my other menus BUT they others were of equal quality.
1) - Warm Lobster Salad over Root Vegetables
- Pan Seared Sea Bass served with ginger, white rice and
lemon broth
- Seared Lamb served with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Assorted cheeses....smoked gouda, gorgonzola & dubliner

2) - Pan-seared Salmon Filet with baby atichokes, roasted garlic,
fresh lemon & artichoke bottoms
- Grilled Ahi Tuna served with porcino mushrooms, grilled
asparagus, in fersh herb butter
- Roasted Vegetable Galette with roasted tomatoes, shallots
fingerling potatoes, calamata olives, fresh thyme
- Poached Pears served with honey marscapone cheese and
cranberry spiced pear sauce

3) - Butter Poached Maine Lobster, lobster risotta with
mascarpone and english peas
- Heirloom Tomatoes, opal basil, balsamic drizzle and asiago
- Seared Atlantic Salmon, french beans, fingerling potatoes,
watercress, mustard vinaigrette
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin, creamy polenta, chantarelles, hen of
the wood mushrooms and red wine
reductions.

All were delicious and each were paired with a specific vineyards wines. Yum....I can hardly wait for this years pairings.

 

[TDC Nala]

The Le Cellier pairing was offered last year. The offerings will differ depending on the chef and the winery that are sponsoring the particular pairing you attend.

the menu from November 14, 2003 at Le Cellier:

Vine Ripened Tomato Stack of Sauteed Spinach, Shiitake Mushrooms with a Balsamic Reduction

Seared Rare Tuna with Chili Spice, Vegetables and Fish Broth

Grilled Aged Strip Loin of Beef, Yukon Potato Risotto with Black Diamond Cheddar and Sauce Foyot

Each course came with a glass of wine. They are not full portions but are larger than the sample tastes you get at the booths in the World Showcase.

The winery was St. Supery from the Napa Valley. All the wines served at this pairing were reds. The chef was Brian Piasecki, who I understand does work at Le Cellier.