Disney Vacation Trip Reports, News and Information
Disney World November 2008 - Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival 2008
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Introduction
I entered via the Epcot International Gateway located along the Epcot World Showcase between the UK and France Pavilions. Immediately I noticed that this was the busiest I had ever seen the Epcot showcase area except maybe right before Illuminations when people are scrambling for a place to watch. I decided to walk around the World Showcase heading starting with the UK and ending with the France Pavilion.
A short walk further I ran into the Istanbul Booth and quickly realized that although I could capture the booths via pictures there would be no way that I could describe the wonderful aromas coming from these dishes they had prepared. With each booth there were different yet incredible smells of cooked and baked products. Some smells were spicy, some were savory and some where indescribably incredible.
Just to set the stage for things that should be common to all of the food booths is that each dish was (or at least all I noticed) were served on a small plastic plate about the size of a desert plate. On each booth's menu, under each listed dish, there was a suggested wine pairing or beer in some cases. The glasses of wine were served in small plastic wine glasses and varied slightly in pouring. The beers were served in either a 12-ounce disposable container or a 22-ounce collector edition mug for certain special beers as indicated on each booth's menu. Most booth menus consisted of 2 entrees, a desert and a variety of beverages or snacks.
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| Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival Center | |
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| Notes The festival center was located in one of the pavilions that was no longer in use. As I walked into the Festival Center there was a map that clearly laid out where everything was. I had stopped in right around 1115 and noticed that Cat Cora was scheduled to do a cooking presentation/demonstration in little over 2 hours so I was curious if there was any line and how long it was. Looking around I found a long line of people waiting in line to see Cat Cora. In talking to one of the cast members there, she told me that only 93 people would be admitted to the event and that there were already over 60 in line waiting. I walked around the Festival Center for a while taking pictures and trying to gain a peak at the current presentation that had already started and was completely full but to no luck. As I went to leave the pavilion, I noticed that there were now an additional 10-15 people in the line. I had wanted to see Cat Cora but no way was I willing to wait in line for 2+ hours for her 1330 presentation so I headed over to the Epcot World Showcase to resume my adventures exploring the various food and wine booths. |
| Samuel Adams Beer Seminar | |
| Beers Tasted Samuel Adams Boston Lager - Full flavored and complex. Malty sweetness, balanced with distinct citrus, pine and spicy notes. A strong smooth finish and mouth feel. Samuel Adams Light - A smooth, rich and complex malt character that ranges from roasty to sweet. A subtle hop note reminiscent of mango and apricot. Samuel Adams Octoberfest - Primarily malty, slightly fruity with medium bitterness. Samuel Adams 13th Anniversary Lager - Robust, malty, spicy, crisp finish from wheat malt; earthiness from East Kent Golding hops.           |
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| Notes Out of the four beers we tasted, the Samuel Adams 13th Anniversary was the best by far. It is the best American Beer I have ever had the privilege of tasting and it may be one of the best beers in the world. The venue was completely packed with every seat in the house taken. I was very surprised at the popularity of the event, but it was obvious that some people were primarily there for the free beer as I saw a few people guzzle all four beers upon being seated long before the event even started. Our speaker for the event was John Bowen, an employee of the Boston Beer Company, who makes Samuel Adams beer. John was an exceptional speaker and kept everyone entertained while also teaching us a thing or two about the history of beer. The tasting only lasted about 15 minutes which seemed to go by very quickly. This will be one event that I will look to do again next year if it is offered. |
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| The Brewers Collection | |
| Beverages Stella Artois Hoegaarden Staroparmen Boddingtons Tennet's Lager Harbin Beer Tiger Beer Dasani Water Evian Water Snacks Parmesan and Garlic Pita Chips Sun-dried Tomato Pita Chips Pretzel Crisps Mustard and Onion Pretzel Crisps |
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| Notes The Brewer's Collection, hosted by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and located just past the Rose and Crown in the UK Pavilion. Their menu offered 7 different beers (all draft), bags of chips and pretzel crisps, and a selection of 2 types of waters. I tried the Hoegaarden which I found very much like a wheat-based beer. |
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| Istanbul | |
| Entrees Meze - Eggplant puree, cucumber and tomato salid, pita bread Manti - Spiced beef ravioli with yogurt sauce Deserts Pistachio Baklava Beverages Kavaklidere Cankaya White Kavaklidere Yakut Red Efes Pilsner Beer |
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| Notes The Istanbul Booth had a very pleasant aromas of spices and possibly bread coming from the booth. |
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| Montreal, Canada | |
| Entrees Cheddar Cheese Soup Maple-glazed Salmon with Arugula and Roasted Corn Deserts Maple Custard topped with an Almond Crumble Beverages Chateau des Charmes Chardonnay Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard Chateau des Charmes Riesling Chateau des Charmes Merlot St. David's Bench Vineyard Chateau des Charmes Vidal Icewine Moosehead Beer |
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| Notes As I approached the Montreal booth there was a strong smell of cooked fish. At first I thought maybe trout but after reading the menu I saw it was salmon. |
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| Athens, Greece | |
| Entrees Greek Salad Spanakopita - Savory Spinach and Cheese Pastry Deserts Melomakarona - Honey Spice Cookie with Walnuts Beverages Boutari Moschofilero Oenoforos Asprolithi Kourtaki Mavrodaphne of Patras Vatistas Cabernet Sauvignon-Agiorghitiko Blend |
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| Notes We didn't have time to stop by the Athens, Greece booth but everything looked delicious and smelled great as we passed by. |
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| Krakow, Poland | |
| Entrees Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream Beverages Chopin Vodka Raspberry Cocktail |
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| Notes My wife ordered the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies. She said the Kielbasa was perfectly cooked, very flavorful with just the right amount of spice. She also said that the caramelized onions and sour cream were the perfect compliment for the potato perogies. She also ordered one of the Chopin Vodka Raspberry Cocktails and said that she really enjoyed it. She said she couldn't taste the vodka when she drank it but could definitely feel it afterwards. |
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| San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| Entrees Mofongo - Green Plantain Mash with Pork Cracklings and Shrimp Salsa Pastelon de Amarillo - Beef and Yellow Plantain Casserole Deserts Brazo Gitano - "Gypsy's Arm" Guava Roll with Shredded Coconut Beverages Frozen Pina Colada with Bacardi Superior Frozen Mojito with Bacardi Limon |
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| Notes Everything in the San Juan, Puerto Rico booth looked great but we didn't stop except to take in the wonderful smells and watch some of the people coming off the food line with their dishes. |
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| Reims, Champagne | |
| Champagnes Moet & Chandon Imperial Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose |
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| Notes Everything looked good in this booth as we saw lots of people enjoying various champagnes. |
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| Santiago, Chile | |
| Entrees Camaron con Pebre - Shrimp with Cilantro Sauce Spicy Beef Empanada Deserts Dulce de Leche - Caramelized Milk Pudding with Toasted Almonds Beverages Montes "Limited Selection" Sauvignon Blanc Montes "Limited Selection" Cabernet-Carmenere Montes Classic Series Chardonnay Montes Alpha Syrah |
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| Notes I passed by this booth with my mouth watering from both reading the menu and the wonderful smells. I wondered back a while later to try the Spicy Beef Empanada paired with the Montes "Limited Selection" Cabernet-Carmenere wine. |
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| Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| Entrees Pastel de Choclo - Beef and Corn Casserole Grilled Beef with Chimichurri Sauce Beverages Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec Bodega Norton Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Bodega Norton Chardonnay Bodega Norton Torrontes |
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| Notes Everything smelled great at this booth but we didn't have a chance to stop for tasting. |
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| The Mouse Catch | |
| Cheeses Asiago Pressato, Italy Manchego, Spain Dorothea, Holland Beverages Italy - Martini & Rossi Prosecco Spain - Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza Holland - Heineken Beer |
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| Notes I could certainly smell cheese as I passed by this booth and next to people coming out of line with their plates. I didn't stop as I had my sights set on Mexico City which was coming up. |
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| Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Entrees Chilaquiles - Baked Tortilas with Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla con Chorizo - Spicy Sausage and Cheese Tortilla Deserts Capirotada - Mexican Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Beverages L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah Agua de Horchata L.A. Cetto Chardonnay L.A. Cetto Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
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| Notes I had passed by a lady with a few booths earlier and had asked her what she was eating and she told me it was a Quesadilla con Chorizo from the Mexico City booth. I couldn't wait to get here to try it for myself. I ordered the Quesadilla con Chorizo along with the recommended L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah and sat down on a nearby bench to give it a try. The aroma and taste was fantastic. I was expecting some heat which slowly built with each bite. Finally by the last bite it got noticeably hotter for a few seconds. The wine pairing was a perfect compliment. |
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| Barcelona, Espana | |
| Entrees Chilled Tomato and Garlic Soup Seared Tuna Loin with Roasted Red Peppers - Spicy Pepper Coulis and Garlic-Herb Ciabatta Deserts Churro with Choclate Sauce Beverages Bodega Don Olegario Albarino Poema Cava Brut Bodegas Julian Chivite Gran Feudo Rose Abadia Retverta Seleccion Especial |
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| Vienna, Austria | |
| Entrees Beef Goulash with Bacon Dumpling Jafelspitz - Boiled Beef Brisket with Red Potatoes and Horseradish Cream Sauce Deserts Buchteln - Apricot Jam Roll with Vanilla Sauce Beverages Iby Zweigelt Leth Gruner Veltliner Leth Riesling |
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| Notes As I approached the booth, Gemma came out to meet me. She was one of the cast members from Austria assigned to work the booth and she was very sweet so I asked to take her picture which you can see at the very top of this story. Later I came back by the booth and she wasn't working but again the folks inside the booth stopped what they were doing to talk to me and posed for another picture. I think if I were giving a friendliest booth award Austria would be one of the top runners! The food and wine they were offering looked fabulous but I wasn't quite ready for more food at that point. |
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| Shanghai, China | |
| Entrees Chicken Sha Cha Pork Pot Stickers Deserts Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream Beverages Dragon Hollow Chardonnay Tsing Tao Beer Plum Wine Green Tea Cooler Mango Gingerita with Rum |
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| Notes The Shanghai booth was very busy and as I passed by there was an unmistakeable aroma of Chinese food in the air. I was still full from Mexico City or I might have stopped. |
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| New Delhi, India | |
| Entrees Samosa with Tamarind Sauce - Spicy Pea and Pasta Pastry Shrimp in a Red Curry Sauce over Rice Deserts Mango Mousse Beverages Sula Chenin Blanc Kingfisher Premium Lager Sula Sauvignon Blanc |
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| Cape Town, South Africa | |
| Entrees Durban Spiced Chicken with Coconut Milk-Infused Root Vegetables Bobotie with Mango Chutney Deserts Spice Cake with a Chocolate Sauce Beverages Fairview Pinotage Goats do Roam The Goatfather Red Blend Fairview Sauvignon Blanc Fairview Goats do Roam White |
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| Notes As I passed by the Cape Town booth I could clearly smell the African spices which reminded me of my dinner in Jiko located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge this past July. |
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| Melbourne, Australia | |
| Entrees Pepperberry Prawns on the Barbie with Sweet Potato Hash Chilled Barramundi Fish with a Fennel Slaw Grilled Lamb Chop with Caramelized Onion Jam and Pea Shoots Deserts Wattleseed Mousse - Coffee-infused Lady Fingers with Wattleseed Filling Beverages Cooralook Chardonnay Green Point Shiraz Yellowglen Pink Cooralook Pinot Noir Foster's Lager |
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| Notes The Australian booth was really a series of several booths. There was the Melbourne booth for food and beverages, there was then a wine booth called Victoria Crossing Wine Walkabout and there was a wine tasting area called The Laneways Cellar Door. There was also the Melburnian Wine Bar which is covered below. |
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| The Melburnian Wine Bar | |
| White Wines Cooralook Chardonnay Greg Norman Estates Chardonnay Lindeman's Bin 65 Rutherglen Estates Alliance Red Wines Cooralook Shiraz Rosemount Estate Diamond Shiraz Rutherglen Estates Red Rose Wines Green Point Pinot Rose Beers Foster's Lager Foster's Special |
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| Notes I ordered a glass of the Cooralook Chardonnay which was awesome as expected. The people here and at all of the Australian booths were super nice and hospitable. |
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| Munich, Germany | |
| Entrees Spaetzle with a Creamy Mushroom Ragout Regensburger Sausage with Sauerkraut in a Pretzel Roll Deserts Apple Strudel Beverages S.A. Prum Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett S.A. Prum Essence Riesling S.A. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling, Spatlese Schloss Reinhartshausen Old Vines Riesling Beck's Pilsner Beck's Oktoberfest |
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| Notes I had to stop in for some Spaetzle as I have a rule to always order Spaetzle when it is offered. I wasn't real sure about the mushroom ragout but it was a great combination and I loved it. My only regret was that I hadn't ordered the Sausage as I saw one when I was checking out and the presentation was incredible! The pretzel roll looked great! |
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| Bologna, Italia | |
| Entrees Pizza with Sausage Baked Ziti Deserts Cream Puff with Mascarpone and Gianduja Chocolate Beverages Placido Chianti Sartori Pinot Grigio Tantinel Prosecco Moretti Beer Virgin Primavera - Strawberry and White Peach Nectar Cocktail |
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| Notes Just as I was finishing my Spaetzle from Munich someone walked by with a slice of sausage pizza from Bologna. I couldn't resist and ordered a slice for myself along with the recommended wine pairing. The pizza was good but wasn't excessively better then most good American pizzas but the pairing again was a big winner and made the combination awesome! |
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| Cork, Ireland | |
| Entrees Potato Leek Soup with a Dubliner Cheese Crisp Boxty with Bacon Chips and Kerrygold Garlic & Fresh Herb Butter Deserts Irish Cheese Selection with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread Beverages Guinness Draught Beer Frozen Irish Coffee |
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| Hops & Barley Market | |
| Entrees Boston Crab Cake with Corn and Barley Salad New England Lobster Roll Beverages Samuel Adams Boston Ale Samuel Adams Boston Lager Samuel Adams Light Samuel Adams Octoberfest Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Samuel Adams Honey Porter Samuel Adams Black Lager Samuel Adams Pale Ale Samuel Adams 13th Year Anniversary Festival Beer |
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| Notes The Crab Cake was incredible and the Lobster Roll was even better. I hadn't heard of the Samuel Adams Festival Beer but decided to give it a try. This is undoubtedly the best American beer I have ever tasted and perhaps one of the best beers in the world. It was an extra bonus to have this wonderful beer featured in the Samuel Adams Beer Seminar which I took shortly after finishing my Lobster Roll and Crab cake. The selection of Samuel Adams beers was incredible featuring 9 varieties with something for just about everybody. |
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| San Francisco, United States | |
| Entrees Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Seared Beef Medallion with Cheddar Cheese Polenta Deserts California Strawberry Shortcake Beverages Rosenblum Cellars, Kathy's Cuvee Viognier Beaulieu Vineyard, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Dynamite Vineyards, Merlot |
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| Tokyo, Japan | |
| Entrees Spicy Tuna Roll California Sushi Roll - Crabmeat and Cucumber rolled in Rice Seaweed Salad with Shrimp and Oranges Beverages Takara Plum Wine Ozeki Dry Sake Hana Raspberry Sake Kirin Ichiban Draft Beer Ocha Gyokuro Iced Green Tea |
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| New York State Wine Adventure | |
| Wines There was a variety of 6 different New York wines available for tasting. Heron Hill - Semi-sweet Riesling Fox Run 2007 Riesling Airship White Merritt Estate - Bella Rossa Fiori Vidal - Ice Wine Fox Run - Arctic Fox |
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| Wellington, New Zealand | |
| Entrees Bay Scallops with Baby Greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette Lamb Slider in a Brioche Roll Deserts Kiwi Meringue Tartlet Beverages Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Villa Maria Private Bin Unoaked Chardonnay Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling |
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| Marrakesh, Morocco | |
| Entrees Kefta - Ground Beef with Fresh Tomato Salad in a Pita Pocket Brewat - Seasoned Chicken Pastry Deserts Walnut and Honey Baklava Beverages Guerrouane Red Casa Beer Bodegas Pinord Moscatel Zambra Sangria Iced Mint Tea |
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| Lafayette, Louisiana | |
| Entrees Cajun-style Crawfish Etouffee Seafood Gumbo - Shrimp, Crab and Catfish Stew Desert Praline Bread Pudding, Bourbon Caramel Sauce Beverages Abita Amber Beer Abita Purple Haze Beer |
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| Lyon, France | |
| Entrees Escargot Persillade en Brioche - Snails with Garlic Butter in Brioche Quiche au Fromage de Chevre et Poireaux - Goat Cheese and Leek Quiche Deserts Creme Brulee Chocolat au Lait Beverages Merlot, Bordeaux Rouge, Chateau Haut-Mondain Vouvray, Michel Picard Sparkling Pomegranate Kir Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, Georges Duboeuf French Orangeade |
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| Epcot International Food & Wine Pictures | |
| Click here to see the entire Epcot International Food & Wine Fe.... |
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