The World Report
Page 2 of 4
Over near Germany I spot “From Vine to Wine” hosted by the Mondavi Family of Wines. Could this be a little part of Disney’s California Adventure here in Florida? This is a 30 minute walk through tour where you can find out the process of making wines from harvesting to aging. This tour is very interesting and worth the 30mins of time. At the end of the tour you get to sample some of Mondavi’s wines. All for free!!!
Normally I would stop by Italy to taste some Penne al Carbonara but I am still full from the first two stops and I want to save room for some Sushi in Japan. I do notice that Alfredo’s has added an outside sitting area to their restaurant since the last time I was here and there is an artist displaying his work in the courtyard. Very nice additions to Italy.
History of Beer
I buzz past Australia since I am not a Lamb Chop lover (the food, not the character) and head to the American Adventure and one of the things I am most looking forward to: “The History of Beer in America” . It begins with a walk through tour with some history about beer and some authentic props like kegs and tap handles. You then move into a small outdoor seating area where you participate in a 15 minute seminar on how beers are made with a small tasting of several Sam Adams brews. This is a great seminar if you are a beer lover or even if you're not. A side note: Disney has done a great job with some of the temporary structures that the festival is housed in. This one at the American Adventure looks like it has been here for years. Just down the walkway there is a Specialty Beer Garden where you can sample some more beers.
Off to Japan, here I get the opportunity to watch a sushi chef at work. It is amazing to watch. We are told that sushi chefs go through years of training. But all this sushiing is making me hungry so I move outside to the Japan booth for some sushi and some golden shrimp. Excellent! I decide to skip the tofu pudding. Between Morocco and France I take a moment to check out the “The Terrace”. This multi purpose area has everything you need from cooking demonstrations from WDW chefs to a wine shop to the Advance Wine Seminars to all the Food and Wine merchandise you could possibly want. If you don’t want to shop here, you can also shop at the entrance to World Showcase for your Food and Wine t-shirts, poster and glasses. There is also a book store at the entrance.
Feeling pretty full I bypass the Mediterranean and France food kiosks and stop by the Kids’ Marketplace. Here they are offering Yummy Sushi which is made up of Rice Krispy Treats and gummy worms, Honey Puffs and Sombrero Spritzers. I don’t think my son will eat any of that so I move on. The Poland, Canada , Spain and Ecuador booths all have long lines. It is mid afternoon and the crowds have moved into World Showcase to sample the many foods from around the world.
One last stop on this visit: the Odyssey Restaurant. Here the festival is offering one of the highlights of the month. The Grand Tasting and Winemakers Dinner. I won't be trying those this trip, but you can read more about them and other Specialty Dining opportunities at the end of the article.
Well I have gained enough weight for today but I plan to be back at the Food and Wine Festival on Sunday to try some of the other countries I missed during this go round. Hope you enjoyed this small tour and I look forward seeing you at Epcot. How will your recognize me? I will be the 300lb guy wearing an LSU hat and an LP Button.