Epcot's Food and Wine Festival

[robr]

This happens every fall down here in Orlando. Here's the link with schedule of events for anyone interested:

http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw/images2003/nonlanguagespecific/specialevents/EpcotSchedule.pdf

It's a good time!

[robr]

BTW, I will be there Nov. 5th or 6th, if anyone wants to meet.

[jv38]

I will be around on that same weekend.

Epcot is my favorite place on earth and the Food and Wine Festival, my favorite time of the year.

...And I'm not driving!

[robr]

I think Inniskillen is having a tasting at 11 am on both mornings. I'll be there. I'll be the big guy with the goatee wearing lederhosen and an alpine hat, carrying a tuba, covered with tatoos and facial piercings. Just yell out "Bernkastler!" and I'll find you.

[This message has been edited by bernkastler (edited 10-07-2005).]

[robr]

Just kidding.

[robr]

Well, I went yesterday. It was great, as usual. We tried to get into the Inniskillen tasting, but the line outside was at max capacity about an hour before it teven started! Next we tried Sterling, same story.

The only one we were able to get in to was Kendell Jackson, which was well done, but unfortunately the wines we tasted were all KJ, of course. Oh well... the only one I liked was the Sauvignon Blanc. It was really quite good, crispy with a nice combination of fruit flavors. The presenter had two flat panel video screens and put up notes with photos for each wine. The photos for the SB included one of a kitten, which the presenter said nothing about. I overheard a woman behind me ask her friend, "Why is there a picture of a cat up there?" I turned around and said, "That would be because of the cat piss flavor in the wine" to which they all giggled and nodded. I think she knew the answer to her question.

Otherwise, we walked around the World Showcase and ate samples of Greek Mousaka, Canadian maple salmon (with a glass of icewine!), Norwegian meatballs (with a glass of a sweet cherry wine, I don't remember the name of), French quiche Lorraine and Beaujoulais (and chocolate creme brule), Morrocan beef shish-kabob (the best I ever tasted) German knockwurst and sauerkraut and apple strudle (with an semi-sweet Auslese), Aussie lamb with polenta, and a few other delicacies.

I bought a half bottle of Madonna Rhine beerenauslesen, which I believe is pretty close to eiswine, but not as expensive!

All in all it was a great time, and I highly recommend it.

BK

[This message has been edited by bernkastler (edited 11-07-2005).]

[Innkeeper]

Sounds like fun. Too bad they don't have anything like that when we get down there in the middle of the winter.

[jv38]

I was able to attend last weekend. Really enjoy the Castilla y Leon region wines (Ribera Del Duero, Toro, and two other regions that I don't remember). I was very impressed with the Val and the Abadia Retuerta. There was an Albariño wine (Vega Del Sol, or something like that) that impress me as well.

The Australian Wines were disappointing because they did not have anything that I haven't try before, but anyway they were good as always.

I was not able to attend any of the tasting because most of them were full already or they were too expensive. Epcot is one of my favorite places and the Food and Wine festival is the best.

Looking forward to next year's [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[wondersofwine]

The Beerenauslese wine will probably taste much sweeter than an Eiswein. It is from very ripe grapes with probably some botrytis or "noble rot." The Eiswein is from ripe grapes but usually has more acid content to balance the sugar. Both can be quite a treat but I generally prefer the Eiswein.
Forgot to say that the food sounds great. Too bad you missed out on the Inniskillen tasting.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 11-08-2005).]

[robr]

Hi JV,

Yes, I saw the Spanish wine pavilion, and I really wanted to try some of them, but it was one of the most popular areas and it was a bit crowded both times I walked past, so I skipped it. Next year I will make the effort to go there and try two or three of them. I like Spanish reds, but have only had a couple so far.

I am already looking forward to next fall to do it again!

[jv38]

Bernkaster:

Chances are that they may have something different next year... Sadly...

Some of the pavillions don't came up year after year. I remember one from Jerez where they had an excellent Amontillado. I think that was like two years ago.

The Australian tasting they bring it in every couple of years.

I think for Spain they bring like a different region every year.

I hope I'm wrong because I did enjoy that tasting.

[This message has been edited by jv38 (edited 11-11-2005).]