Daily Loaf

(For more on the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, check here.)

As in the past, the food took top billing at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, with the wine trailing in second. And beer made a big comeback appearance, but there were enough vinous highlights to keep my attention. Some quick hits:

• I found the best and most surprising food pairing at the Austrian station: Mushroom Soup with Chive Dumplings washed down with Leth Grüner Veltliner and Paprika Beef Stew with Bacon Dumplings and Iby Zweigelt. The citrusy tart gruner melded beautifully with earthy mushroom goodness.

• A more expectedly fabulous combo occurred at New Zealand: Sea Scallops and Veggie Slaw with Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the incredible Lamb Sliders and Villa Maria Cabernet/Merlot.

• If you’re looking to try decent wines from an up-and-coming-yet-unusual area, head to Read the rest of this entry »

(Check here for more on the food and wine pairings at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.)

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to indulge in Disney’s International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT Center. This marks the 14th year of an event that promises the chance to eat and drink your way around the world without ever having to break out your passport.

After attending this event for the past few years, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a majority of the regional menus had changed (after being exactly the same for the past few go-arounds) and that they’d added a few new cuisines, now up to 25 different international marketplaces. There were also more culinary classes and wine tastings to attend this year, many involving well-known food and wine celebrities like Iron Chef Cat Cora (who has a new restaurant, Kouzzina, that just opened at Disney’s Boardwalk), Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel), the Deen Brothers (yes, Paula’s boys) and lying TV chef Robert Irvine.
Read the rest of this entry »