Day 1379: Food & Wine - Part 4

The 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival technically isn't my first. My family attended one many years ago, but I don't remember much of it, and there's no arguing that this festival can get a lot more fun once you're 21 years old. That's actually part of the reason my family went this year, because for me, Food and Wine really does mean Food and wine. 

Having turned 21 in July, I had my sights set on a few alcoholic beverages across the festival, although we only got to try a couple of them due to time (and the intense heat that made you want to drink nothing but water), but they were worth it and definitely got me even more excited about future festivals where I'll be able to try more! 

First, in Ireland we tried the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, which I liked. I use a notorious amount of honey back home, whether it be in tea or in dishes I make, so having it in a wine was really a different experience!

We also tried the Neige Premiere "Apple Ice Wine" from Quebec at the Canada stand, which sort of just tasted like fancy apple juice to me, but my mom liked. It's not that I disliked it, but more than it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Still, I'd say it's a great wine for someone who hasn't tried much wine before! 

Finally, we made a stop at the Craft Beers stand in the Odyssey Center for the one beer I really wanted to try at the festival - the Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale, which is made in Plant City, FL. None of us are huge beer fans, but I actually really liked this ale, which definitely had a hint of blueberry! 

Otherwise, that was about it. I was finally going to try the dole whip with rum, but the machine was down when I went to go grab one, so that'll just have to wait for another day. Just a bit of a reminder though - as possible as it is to try all the different dishes at the food and wine festival, always remember to drink responsibly. It's impossible to try everything in one day, so split it up, even if the serving sizes are small. It'll make your trip around the showcase easier and you'll feel better because of it! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1374: Food & Wine - Part 2

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is filled with glorious food all around World Showcase and throughout part of Future World, but the fun doesn't stop there. In the festival headquarters, located within the old Wonders of Life Pavilion, you can find all sorts of seminars, merchandise, and information...not to mention the wide alcohol selection that you can bring back home. 

On our first day at the festival, we made time to attend not one, but two workshops in the Festival Center. The first was a wine tasting, which was a spectacular way to help me understand the wide arrays of wine that are now available to me. Having just turned 21 in July, wine is a pretty wide spectrum, and as I learn what I prefer in the bottle through a process of trial and error, the tasting was really educational. 

In the matter of an hour or so, we tasted three wines from a Vineyard in California and learned about not only how the wine is made, but about the uniqueness of each variety. In fact, beyond the basic idea that "old wine is better wine," I had no idea why, or that there's actually a sort of "best by" date on each kind of wine. I can't remember all the details off the top of my head, but basically one wine might be best within two or three years of the bottling date, while another might be best after eight. 

Our second workshop was all about crafting mason jar meals, a prominent concern in my everyday college life. We started out the seminar by learning how to create a delicious salmon salad with goat cheese and onions, which I didn't get to eat a lot of because of my allergy to to salmon. Don't fret though, because after that we made Mason Jar salads of our own with fresh strawberries, some more goat cheese, almonds, and plenty of greens, and I must say, it was one of the most delicious Mason Jar salads I've ever had, and it was pretty neat to make it myself at Epcot! 

These workshops and seminars are available throughout the festival for varying costs, but I highly recommend them! They also vary on topic, but there's usually something that might interest you, and some come with food (or wine!), and who doesn't love that? 

Have a magical day!