Epcot
International Food and Wine Festival
It’s about Discovery. It’s
about Exploration. It’s about Experience.
by Joe Hegedus and Sharon Kurland
You’d
think this is a beginning of a description for a vacation to an exotic
island. Or maybe it’s for a boating adventure. Nope, this was the way
Disney tried to explain their Grand Tasting Dinner during this year’s
Food and Wine Festival.
Lured in by the promise of “grazing
from station to station” and having my palate “pampered by the velvety
nectars”, I was treated to a wonderful evening.
These special dinners are held at the
Odyssey Center at Epcot during the food and wine festival and feature
guest chefs and wineries from around the world. Like similar events held
in large cities throughout the country, you are treated to a sampling of
food and wine like none other.
We arrived for the dinner around 6:45
PM. Upon checking in at the door (yes reservations were required), we were
given our tickets to trade in for our souvenir wineglass. A small crowd
was gathered outside by 7:00 PM, the slated starting time for the event.
Shortly after, we were welcomed into the restaurant. The Odyssey was
formerly a fast food establishment at Epcot. It’s poor location made it
none too popular, so it was eventually closed. It now is home to banquets
and special events like this one. Spread throughout it’s interior were
stations with the different chefs and along side them, representatives
from one or two vineyards.
After getting our wineglasses and
looking over the selection and layout of the area, we started on our
dinner. Without having any tables to sit at, it was more like a large
cocktail hour with people walking around with plates and wineglasses. It
apparently is a very popular event with the locals of the area, as many
people started up conversations over their dinners.
If you are looking to be pampered and served, this is not the type
of event for you.
We decided to start with something we
knew. The “New England Clam Bake” selection courtesy of the Yacht and
Beach Club. The chef explained each thing on the plate to us and we headed
to our seats. We decided to stop between each taste to sit and enjoy the
food. Turned out to be a great plan for the evening.
After sampling a Chardonnay from the
adjoining booth, we decided to get a bit more adventurous. On to the Grand
Floridian booth (There were more than Disney restaurants there but like I
said we started conservative). There we sampled some Sablefish with a
Squash Ragout. Very Tasty.
Before I bore you with the details of
everything I ate and drank that night, which could go on for quite a
while, let me say it was a wonderful time. I’ve included a link to all
of the dishes that were served and wineries present.
My personal favorites were the Mushroom Tamale with Salsa Verde for
a meal and the wines from Bridgeview and Villa Maria wineries. After
sampling some of the deserts and getting one last glass of wine, we headed
to a VIP viewing area for Illuminations 2000, Reflections of Earth.
Now, this is definitely an adult
event. Besides the cost, a modest $60 per person for 2 hours of eating,
the atmosphere just did not suit well for younger children.
I would say that if you have
experienced dining around World Showcase and would like to take that to
the highest level, this is a dinner event not to be missed.
The dinners took place this year on
Thursday and Friday nights of the festival.
If you are one to make plans early,
next years Food and Wine festival will be at Epcot from October 20 through
November 18, 2001. See You
There!!!
Grand Tasting
"Celebrating the
artistry of food and wine"
Friday, November 17, 2000
Chefs
-
Venison Carpaccio on Pumpernickel
Toast
Preserved Willamette Valley Fruits and Oregon Blue Cheese
Cory Schreiber, Wildwood, Portland, OR
-
Passion Fruit Mojo Seared Pork
Tenderloin with Bonito Manchego Gnocchi and a Mushroom Ropa Veija
Marty Blitz, Mise en Place, Tampa, FL
-
Sea Scallop with Geoduck and
Dahlia Root Ceviche
Sea Urchin Emulsion
Scott Kidd, Raincity Grille, Vancouver, B.C.
-
Caramelized Apple and Pear
"Caviar" with Warm Cacao Blinis
Lauren Carratie, The Regent Wall Street, New York, NY
Wineries
-
Hugel Riesling "Jubilee"
1997
-
Hugel Gewürztraminer
"Jubilee" 1997
-
Hugel
& Fils, Alsace, France
-
Morgan Sauvignon Blanc 1999
-
Morgan Chardonnay 1999
-
Morgan
Winery, Monterey County, CA
-
Bridgeview Pinot Gris 1999
-
Bridgeview "Blue Moon"
Pinot Noir 1998
-
Bridgeview
Vineyards, Rogue Valley, OR
-
King Estate Reserve Pinot Gris
1998
-
King Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
1997
-
King
Estate Winery, Eugene, OR
-
Baumard
Quarts de Chaume 1989
-
Domaine
des Baumard, Loire, France
-
Guigal
Côte Rotie 1997
-
E.
Guigal, Rhône, France
-
Meerlust Merlot 1996
-
Meerlust,
South Africa
-
MacRostie Carneros Chardonnay 1998
-
MacRostie Carneros Merlot 1997
-
MacRostie
Winery, Sonoma County, CA
-
Fess Parker Marcella's Chardonnay
1997
-
Fess Parker Santa Barbara County
Pinot Noir 1999
-
Fess
Parker Winery & Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, CA
-
St. Supéry Chardonnay 1998
-
St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon
1997
-
St.
Supéry Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, CA
-
Edmeades Anderson Valley
Chardonnay 1997
-
Edmeades Mendocino Zinfandel 1997
-
Edmeades
Winery & Vineyard, Mendocino County, CA
-
Vega Sindoa Cabernet-Tempranillo
1998
-
Bodegas
Nekeas, Navarra, Spain
-
Abadia Retuerta Rivola 1999
-
Abadia
Retuerta, Sardon de Duero, Spain
-
Charles
Heidsieck Mis-en-Cabe 1993
-
Charles
Heidsieck Mis-en-Cabe 1996
-
Champagne
Charles Heidsieck, Champagne, France
Special
Thanks to Oneida Quality Tableware and Garnier Thiebaut Fine French Linen.
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