Cheese Lovers’ Guide to Food and Wine Festival
In every Resort, there is a lounge. In every lounge, there is a small plates menu. On every small plates menu, there is a cheese board. There has been somewhat of a cheesy trend that’s slowly spread its delicious wings over Walt Disney World Resort, and judging from the newest restaurants’ menus- like Wine Bar George and Baseline Tap House– cheese and charcuterie boards have become the norm for wine-loving foodies and appetizer-crazy dinner goers. Because of that, we have the ultimate cheese lover’s guide to the Food and Wine Festival!
This year, the cheese craze has interwoven itself into the Food and Wine Festival’s menu offerings like never before! Each year I find it hard to imagine the chefs can ‘up’ the menu selections any further, and each and every year I am proven horribly wrong. For example, this year, the selection of cheese boards and cheese plates and cheese seminars and cheese pairings and…let’s just say there are so many cheeses to choose that just when you think you’ve made a decision, your choices will change with the discovery of that next charcuterie. To alleviate those pesky unknowns, take a look at the ultimate cheese lovers’ guide to The 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!
Seminars for Cheese Lovers
I enjoy popping around the outdoor kitchen kiosks throughout World Showcase during Food and Wine Festival, although the special, chef-taught seminars are what make this particular Festival a true foodie paradise. Located in the Festival Center, this year’s seminars include an offering of 7 cheese and wine- focused presentations perfect for guests who daydream of sipping and sampling this fall. Each of the seminars require an advance reservation (we can help with that!) and can be booked right away. Here are the drool-worthy options:
- Mediterranean Cheeses and Wines
Hosted by Max McCalman
September 15, 2018
Taste amazing wines and cheeses deeply rooted in ancient Mediterranean diets as well as culture. - French Cheeses and Wines
Hosted by Tonda Corrente
September 22, 2018
Savor a classic assiette de fromage accompanied by a variety of elegant French wines famous around the world. - Italian Cheeses and Wines
Hosted by Max McCalman
September 29, 2018
Enjoy Italian viniand formaggi pairings that provide a delicious glimpse into the country’s noble yet rustic lifestyle. - The Great Cheeses and Wines of the United States
Hosted by David Gremmels
October 6, 2018
Summon your inner wine and cheese connoisseur with some of the finest selections produced in America. - Great British Cheeses and Ales
Hosted by Max McCalman
October 13, 2018
Learn how traditional British cheeses and ales pair in perfect harmony, something loyal fans have known for decades. - Old World Classic Cheeses and Wines
Hosted by Erin Hedley
October 20, 2018
Experience delightfully unique pairings of Europe’s most acclaimed wines and cheeses from various regions across the continent. - Season’s Best Cheeses and Wines
Hosted by Max McCalman
November 10, 2018
Sample top seasonal cheeses, both domestic and imported, for a pièce-de-résistancepairing that closes the Festival on a highly delectable note!
Outdoor Kitchens
If kids are keeping your cheese-hungry taste buds from sitting in on a full-length seminar, parents everywhere (mine circa 15 years ago included) feel your pain…and so do the Disney chefs! Well you and those with an affinity for keeping things moving are in luck, because the outdoor kitchens have seriously amped up their cheese offerings this year, and I for one cannot wait to make my way to each and every one of the stands to have a taste- or 12 – of the saltiest, creamiest, sharpest cheeses Epcot has to offer. Here are all of the can’t- miss kiosks for fellow cheese lovers!
- Brazil- Attention gluten-free folks; the Brazil kitchen is serving up a gluten-free, vegan cheese bread that not only will satisfy your cravings for a nice warm piece of bread, but will also deliver a creamy texture of cheesy goodness to palates of cheese-lovers everywhere…gluten free or otherwise!
- Festival Center Wine Shop- If you visit the Wine Shop at this year’s Festival, make sure to say hi, because I’m planning on taking up permanent residency here for the entire duration of the Festival! Although I will definitely be drinking more than my fair share of Skywalker Vineyards’ wines, the cheese plate featuring four different types of cheeses will certainly make that wine taste much better, don’t you think?
- Ireland- Two things: 1) warm Irish cheddar stout dip with brown Irish bread. 2) A massive pint of Guinness. Enough said.
- Spain- New this year, the charcuterie in a cone from the Spain outdoor kitchen caught my attention on the first day the menus were announced. Served in a cone-shaped paper, the combo of olives, meats, and cheeses sound like the perfect portable snack to order as a pre-dinner appetizer as you stroll through the Festival.
- The Cheese Studio- Ok cheese lovers, if for some reason you can only make it to one outdoor kitchen during the Festival, it simply has to be The Cheese Studio! Hosted by Boursin, every item on the menu incorporates either a sweet or savory cheese, so you really can’t go wrong no matter what way your taste buds pull you. Which cheese will you choose? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below! One of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Platinum level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article: Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer thrilled to be a part of your Disney vacation planning! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!
