Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites, introduced in 2016 as the Wine & Dine Studio, returns for the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, beginning July 15th, 2020. This year, the focus is on wines from California and favorites from festivals and Marketplaces from years past.
Menu for Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Food:
- đ Roasted Lamb Chop Served with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies, Australia – $7.75 (ADDED OCTOBER 27TH)
- đ Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream, Poland – $5.50
- đ Seafood Fishermanâs Pie, Ireland – $6.50
- đ Spanakopita, Greece – $4.25
Beverages:
- đ Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique, Seneca Lake ($19/bottle) – $7.00
- đ Conundrum Red Blend, California ($23/bottle) – $6.00
- đ tenshÉn RhĂŽne Style White Blend, Central Coast ($20/bottle) – $7.00
- đ Lang & Reed Wine Company Cabernet Franc, North Coast ($27/bottle) – $6.00
- đ Frogâs Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley ($30/bottle) – $10.00
- đ Kurt Russellâs Gogi Wines Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills ($75/bottle) – $16.00
- đ Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu CuvĂ©e Mousseux ($20/bottle) with Boba Pearls – $9.00
- đ Guinness Baileyâs Shake ($18/bottle) – $11.00
As this is a celebration of the festival’s 25th season, all menu items come from past festivals. The Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi comes from the Poland Marketplace, which last appeared in 2016. Also last seen in 2016 is the Seafood Fisherman’s Pie from the Ireland Marketplace, which had the Guinness Bailey’s Shake last year. The Spanakopita comes from the Greece Marketplace, which last appeared at the festival in 2018. All wines come from last year’s menu at Appleseed Orchard, while the Bleu Spectrum appeared at Light Lab in 2017 and 2018.
Photos of Menu Items from Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
*NEW* Roasted Lamb Chop Served with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies, Australia – $7.75
This Australian dish is served with mint pesto and potato crunchies. The meat was rare. It was soft, tender, and fell apart when we cut it. It had a great flavor with a good lamb note, although the mint pesto was strong (and delicious). We were disappointed that the âpotato crunchiesâ turned out to be crushed up potato chips, and not in very small pieces. They did add a nice bit of salt and crunch though. Overall, this was a really delicious dish, especially if you enjoy rare meat. If you donât, this may be a dish to pass up. With the sauce, it was a little greasy, so be sure to grab some napkins. We wonât judge you if you lick your plate clean!
*NEW* Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream, Poland – $5.50
Frankly, this pierogi was gross. You only get one and itâs nothing more than an overcooked Mrs. Tâs Pierogi. There were only a few slices of kielbasa and theyâre a cheap store brand you can barely taste. They were also overcooked and too tough. The caramelized onions were the only edible part of the dish.
*NEW* Seafood Fishermanâs Pie, Ireland – $6.50
The fishermanâs pie was good. There was a good amount of seafood without being fishy, and it was a good portion size for what you pay. Plus it was piping hot. It wasnât anything overly special, but still a decent dish.
*NEW* Spanakopita, Greece – $4.25
Unfortunately, the spanakopita wasnât good either. Spanakopita should have a flaky, crunchy bite to it but these were chewy. The phyllo was greasy. One of our reporters called it âthe Samâs Club.â The spinach and feta flavor was decent, but not worth the texture.
*NEW* Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique, Seneca Lake ($19/bottle) – $7.00
Forge Cellarsâ description of the Dry Riesling Classique is that “candied lemon, apricot peel, Asian pear, and anise join with salinity to give impeccable freshness.”
*NEW* Conundrum Red Blend, California ($23/bottle) – $6.00
According to Conundrum Wines, the Red Blend “offers aromas of ripe berries and plums, warmed by a hint of cocoa. Dried fruit and the taste of chocolate-covered cherries come through on the palate” with “a wisp of smokiness.”
*NEW* tenshÉn RhĂŽne Style White Blend, Central Coast ($20/bottle) – $7.00
tenshÉn Winesâ description of the RhĂŽne Style White Blend is that “aromas of tangerine and ripe melon lead to flavors of peach and apricot. Balanced acidity and juicy honeysuckle accent the finish with a hint of hazelnut.”
It is for sure a cold-climate wine. Itâs almost like a muted icewine. Itâs interesting; itâs not bad, but you have to be a white wine drinker. Itâs got a little bit of sweetness to it, it is not a dry wine.
*NEW* Lang & Reed Wine Company Cabernet Franc, North Coast ($27/bottle) – $6.00
According to Lang & Reed Wine Company, the Cabernet Franc has “violet, raspberry, and herbal scents,â while âthe palate follows with tender integrated fruit flavors and an energy thatâs provided by supporting acidity and tannin structure.”
First of all, you can tell thereâs refrigeration on the cup, which is weird for a Cabernet Franc. Itâs way too cold, and it needs to open up; itâs tight. I feel like it should be a dry wine. Itâs so cold, it takes away so much from the wine. Itâs got a ground, tobacco-y, dark licorice taste to it. Itâs an okay Cabernet Franc; nothing special, crazy, bold, or exciting.
*NEW* Frogâs Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley ($30/bottle) – $10.00
According to Frogâs Leap Winery, their Zinfandel has “delightful aromas of summer-berry conserve combined with a touch of spice and fresh fruit flavors.”
Juicier, definitely more fruit-forward. Thereâs a little more sweetness to it, but itâs still big enough, it holds up to be a zinfandel. Again, itâs served cold, which is very strange; it should be room temperature. But itâs better than the Cabernet Franc. Frogâs Leap is sold in almost every store, so most people probably have this. Itâs an okay zinfandel. More fruit forward, a little more sweetness, but still a red wine. Not a sweet red, but on the sweeter side for a zinfandel.
*NEW* Kurt Russellâs Gogi Wines Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills ($75/bottle) – $16.00
From Gogi Wines: “Itâs smooth on the front palate with ripe pomegranate, bright cranberry and a hint of dried fig. A seamless integration of dark fruit, plush tannins and minerality are at play. Just when you think you have this one all figured out it takes you ‘off the grid’ with lively Moroccan spices, sticky cherry tobacco and lingering licks of black raspberry.”
*NEW* Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu CuvĂ©e Mousseux ($20/bottle) with Boba Pearls – $9.00
Taking a page from the Festival of the Arts, this is a glass of colored champagne with boba balls in it. While there is no straw this time, itâs still the exact same thing. While the boba balls and champagne together make for a good flavor, this isnât the best way to enjoy them. Drinking it in this way means you are having a bunch of champagne followed by the boba crashing into your mouth all at once. Not a bad drink option, but there has got to be a better way to ingest this colorful treatâŠ
*NEW* Guinness Baileyâs Shake ($18/bottle) – $11.00
Baileyâs will run you about $18/bottle at your local liquor store, but good luck being able to mix a Guinness and Baileyâs shake at home like this. Fortunately Epcot takes the mixing pain away and provides the end result: a smooth, rich, and creamy shake thatâs simply to die for. Thereâs a hint of the Baileyâs cream liquor and an underlying flavor of the Guinness beer. A few chocolate flakes on top help bring this mixture together into one perfect drink. Plus you get a souvenir plastic cup to take home (somehow a rarity at this event), whatâs not to love?
Location of Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites is located in World Showplace, between the Canada and United Kingdom Pavilions. Once inside, Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites is the first Marketplace on the right. The World Showplace Marketplaces feature a virtual queue for guest entry. Find out more about the process here!
More Information
- REVIEW: Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites Serves Frozen Pierogis and Little Else at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2020
- All of our Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival coverage is available from our landing page at https://wdwnt.wine!
- Previous coverage:
- REVIEW: Wine & Dine Studio at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2019
- REVIEW: Wine & Dine Studio at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2018
- REVIEW: The Wine and Dine Studio in Future World, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival 2017
- VIDEO: Food & Wine Review, The Price is Right Force Friday Edition and More on WDW News Tonight 2017
- TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (9/21/16) â Food & Wine 2016 Review, Goodbye Stitch, & The Price is Right
