We are on day 1 for this year’s Walt Disney World’s 2018 Food & Wine Festival. Today we take a look around the start out at the Festival Central with the “Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar” and “The Festival Center Wine Shop”.  Then we head out to booths for France, Germany, and Ireland.

For more information about the Disney Food & Wine Festival visit the Disney Food Blog.

The Festival Center

The Festival Center is home to many showcases, culinary demos, beverage seminars, and of course… merchandising.  It is hosted in the old Wonders of Life pavilion.  Most of the demos and seminars here are a very low cost (usually under $20 a person) and range from wine flights, to cocktails, to dishes, to pairings.  This year they have merged both the beverage and culinary showcases together to make room for some tasting areas. Be sure to hit up one of these demonstrations on your trip to get even more out of the festival. Merchandise ranges from glasses and wine to expensive handbags and Annual Passholder exclusives.

Photo courtesy of ziggyknowsdisney.com

The Festival Center Wine Shop

The Wine Shop is where you can get a wide range of wines that are showcased in this year’s festival, along with a few small plates.  We tried two of the flights: The White Wine and the Pinot Noir Flights.   We skipped most of the small plates as we had a lot more to check out.

Click here for the Full Booth Offerings

• White Flight (overall)
  3 White wines samples of 3 ounces each: Fess Parker Riesling, MacMurray Estate Vineyards Pinot Gris, and Silverado Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. Overall was ok, but failed to hit that “Disney Average”.  
  • $6.00
  • Tasel Rating: 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2
• Fess Parker Riesling, Santa Barbara County
  Pretty standard granny smith Riesling wine.  Easily able to be drunk on its own or alongside a light meal. 
  • $5
  • Tasel Rating: 3
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4
• MacMurray Estate Vineyards Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley
  Unfortunately for Mrs. Tasel, I pointed out the “cat pee” profile of this wine… and now she can’t un-smell/taste it, reducing her rating of it.  It’s not obnoxious in your face, but once you notice it, it is hard to miss.
  • $5
  • Tasel Rating: 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2.5 2
• Silverado Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
  Also has the strong “cat pee” profile.  Mrs Tasel already knew about it and that might have tilted her view (as she said “that’s nasty”).  I thought it was pretty standard Sauvignon Blanc but definitely has that smell profile.
  • $6
  • Tasel Rating: 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 0.5

• Pinot Noir Flight (overall)
  3 Pinot Noir samples of 3 ounces each: MacMurray Estate Vineyards, Kurt Russell’s Gogi Wines “Birdie”, and Skywalker Vineyards Sommita. Was the priciest of the 3 flights, and definitely tasted better overall.  None really stood out, but all were very enjoyable.
  • $12.50
  • Tasel Rating: 3.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3

• MacMurray Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
  Black currant, Chocolate, peppery notes.  Would pair really well with spicier foods like fajitas.
  • $7.00
  • Tasel Rating: 3.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3
• Kurt Russell’s Gogi Wines “Birdie” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
  A very smooth Pinot Noir.  That averages out the flavor but means it loses some of the individual notes of the MacMurray Pinot Noir.
  • $16.00
  • Tasel Rating: 3
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5
• Skywalker Vineyards Sommita Pinot Noir, Marin County
  Chalky, and not too dry.  Strong alcohol heat.  Would pair well with stronger meals.  Might be too dry to be enjoyed on its own depending on your preference.
  • $13.00
  • Tasel Rating: 3.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5

Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar

New this year in the Festival Center is the Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar.  As the name implies, it serves Mimosa (along with a number of other food items).  We tried three of the brunch beverages this time around.

Click here for the Full Booth Offerings

• Fromosa: Frozen Mimosa featuring White Claw Lime Hard Seltzer
  Can’t really taste any alcohol, strong berry flavor.  Reminds me of a fruit punch bowl, frozen in a glass. Dangerously tasty, as you might be tipsy without realizing it.
  • $6
  • Tasel Rating: 4
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4
• Tropical Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Pomegranate, Orange and Grapefruit Juices
  Tastes like a guava/passion fruit flavored punch, although the sparkling wine is much more noticeable.  Not as “refreshing” but has a lot more flavor profile.
  A DFB recommended drink
  • $6
  • Tasel Rating: 4
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4
• Key Lime Mimosa with Key Lime Sparkling Wine and Cranberry Juice
  Very fresh flavors.  Champagne is there but not overpowering.  Little tart between the cranberry and key lime flavors.
  
  • $6
  • Tasel Rating: 3.75
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4

France

France’s offering doesn’t change much year to year.  Usually some sort of escargot dish, a creme brulee dish (which we avoid as the metal tins impart a metallic taste to the dish), and of course delicious mixed drinks.  Little hint: this, like most of the booths, has 2 lines.  The second line is around back and is often empty.

Click here for the Full Booth Offerings

• Carbonade de Boeuf, Purée de Pommes de Terre: Beer-braised Beef with Bacon, Onion and Mashed Potatoes
  Very flavorful, but doesn’t go much past that.  You are going to get what you expect with this dish.  Which is a very well done hearty pot roast dish.
  • $6.25
  • Tasel Rating: 3
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5
• St-Germain Sparkling Kir: Sparkling Wine and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
  Light, sweet, and bubbly.  Very light floral notes.  Was missing that “Wow” or “Yum!” flavor.  But overall a really enjoyable drink on a hot summer (or Florida Autumn) day.
  • $8.50
  • Tasel Rating: 3
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5
• La Passion Martini Slush: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron, Cranberry and Passion Fruit Juice
  Sadly melts very fast in the hot Florida sun.  The tart cranberry comes through, but alcohol doesn’t.  Very tasty, and easy to drink a lot before you realize how much alcohol is in this drink.
  • $10.75
  • Tasel Rating: 4
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5
• Croissant aux Escargots: Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley
  The Escargo (snails) tastes like mushrooms, and the croissant is light and flaky.  But just can’t get past how much garlic is in this dish.  Was going to give it a 3, but all that garlic just overpowers the other flavors. 
  • $5.75
  • Tasel Rating: 3 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2.5

Germany

Germany is another staple booth that is their year after year.   We return each year for the delicious Apple Strudel.  While there you might be surprised that they feature a wine flight instead of a beer one.  If it is a range of beers you want, check next door for the Brewer’s Collection booth.

Click here for the Full Booth Offerings

• Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce
  Apples are fork tender, but not mushy.  The pastry is light (but not flaky).  Vanilla sauce is bland by itself but adds a nice counter for the main dish.  There are also some golden raisins in the dish.  Overall a very tasty dessert.
  • $4.00
  • Tasel Rating: 4.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4.5
• Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese
  A very light baked pasta and cheese dish. Not heavy at all. Has almost an eggy flavor, although no egg that I could tell of (maybe egg noodles?).  Could almost be a breakfast type dish.
  • $4.25
  • Tasel Rating: 3.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3
• Villa Wolf Pinot Noir, Pfalz
  Pretty average Pinot Noir.  It was tasty, but nothing special that jumped out at us.  That might be due to when we drank it though…. and on that a note: Drink this before the Rieslings, as their sour notes do not play nice with each other.
  • $5
  • Tasel Rating: 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2
• Riesling Flight (overall)
  3 Riesling samples of 3 ounces each: Carl Graff Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett, and Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken. Overall quite
  • $6.50
  • Tasel Rating: 3.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3
• Carl Graff Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Mosel
  Crisp apple flavor.  A refreshing, and well-done Riesling.
  • $5
  • Tasel Rating: 3.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.25
• J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett, Mosel
  Tart pear flavor.  Slightly sour notes.  Still refreshing, however.
  • $5
  • Tasel Rating: 3.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3
• Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mosel
  Falls somewhere in between the Carl and J&H Rieslings.  Sour, but not as much as the J&H.  And again… refreshing.
  • $8
  • Tasel Rating: 3.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3

Ireland

Ireland, or as we called it the “Yes please” booth for 2018.   This year, save for the Honey Mead Wine (which we also almost purchased), we tried everything the Ireland booth had to offer.     This is definitely a “must do booth” for this year’s festival!

Click here for the Full Booth Offerings

• Warm Irish Cheddar Cheese and Stout Dip with Irish Brown Bread
  We’ve had this in the past, and it’s been really good.  Sadly this year the dip “Broke” (aka the cheese separated) so was grainy.  Was still good…. but not nearly as enjoyable as usual.  Although we rated it low, this is normally a really good dish.
  
  • $4.75
  • Tasel Rating: 2.5
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2.5
• Roasted Irish Sausage with Colcannon Potatoes and Onion Gravy
  Very solid dish.  The sausage was good, although tasted like a standard “breakfast” sausage, the rest of the dish more than made up for it.  Very bangers and mash feel to the dish.  If you can sample this may be in the mornings or when a  little cooler might be ranked even higher on your list!
  
  • $5.50
  • Tasel Rating: 3.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 3.5

• Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
  A very heavy Guinness… Goes very well with the Roasted Irish Sausage dish.  Has some chocolate notes.  Definitely earns the name “Extra Stout”, or a meal in a glass. However, it was not too thick or heavy as I expected.  It was very drinkable.
  
  • $4.25
  • Tasel Rating: 3
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 2.5
• Guinness Baileys Shake
  Come with a glass to keep (which is always a plus).  Mrs. Tasel could taste the Guinness, but I only got the Baileys flavor (Although this may be due to me just having the Stout).  Tastes like a Bailey’s and milk.  Could easily drink a pitcher of these.  Quite tasty.
  
  • $10.50
  • Tasel Rating: 3.75
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4
• Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
  Gooey in the middle, but stiff on the outside.  In between a flourless chocolate cake and a lava cake.  Very rich with a dark chocolatey taste.  
  
  • $4.25
  • Tasel Rating: 4.25
  • Mrs Tasel Rating: 4

Check out our other 2018 Food & Wine coverage:

• EPCOT 2018 Food & Wine Festival – Food Coverage Day 1
• EPCOT 2018 Food & Wine Festival – Food Coverage Day 2
• EPCOT 2018 Food & Wine Festival – Food Coverage Day 3
• EPCOT 2018 Food & Wine Festival – Festival Extras
• EPCOT 2018 Food & Wine Festival – Must have items!