If you love good food and wine, and you’re in the vicinity of Walt Disney World on October 7 & 8 —perhaps for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival — you will not want to miss the second annual Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin hotel.
From everything I’ve heard, the inaugural Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic was awesome. Since I missed it last year, I’m not making the same mistake twice!
One of the great things about the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is you don’t need theme park tickets to attend.
While I plan on doing both events, if you’re a local, the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is a great option if you don’t have season or yearly passes to get into EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival. The event is only two days, so you’ll want to make arrangements to be in town the second weekend in October– the 7th and 8th.
So let’s get to the good stuff:
The Food & Beverages!
For the outdoor festival, more than 30 stations will offer attendees plenty of opportunity to indulge in the best of both food and drink. Guests can savor appetizing selections from restaurants, including Shula’s Steak House, Il Mulino New York Trattoria and Todd English’s bluezoo. Beverage stations will provide educational experiences and feature offerings such as wine, sake, beer and cocktails created using liquid nitrogen. Wines from various regions from around the world will be offered including France, Italy, California and Australia.
To finish, guests can delight in a selection of desserts from the only two-time World Pastry Champion, Laurent Branlard, the hotel’s executive pastry chef. During the festival, the crowd will be entertained by live musical performances.
PLUSÂ an opportunity to meet celebrity Chef Todd English!
The Seminars!
Those looking for a more in-depth experience can choose from a variety of hour-long beverage seminars taught by certified wine sommeliers and beer and cocktail specialists from the hotel’s team. Attendees will learn drink origins, pairing tips and enjoy an informative tasting experience. Seminars will be offered both evenings and include Wine Blending; Modern Mixology; Riesling Rendezvous; Base to Bubbles; Beer, Please! and All Things Sake. A new seminar offering, Spanish Wines, will teach guests about Spanish wine regions and creative Spanish wine blends.
The Deets!
Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8
4:30pm – 5:30pm – Beverage Seminars
5:30pm – 9:00pm – Tasting Stations Open on Causeway
Where:Â Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd.
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
Ticket Information:
– Advance purchase event-only tickets are available for $65 and include unlimited food and beverage samples on the causeway
– Seminars are an additional $35 per person, per class (causeway festival ticket required)
– One and two-night packages including tickets to the outdoor festival for two are available, starting at $255 per night
For more information or to book, visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500
