Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returning for 6th year
While Epcot continues its annual International Food & Wine Festival, another annual Food & Wine event will be happening within walking distance to the park.
On Oct. 30 and 31, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic will celebrate its sixth year featuring global culinary specialties at the Epcot Resort area hotel. The event will include more than 40 food and wine stations, 10 food and wine seminars and the opportunities to meet the award-winning chefs.
Guests will have numerous opportunities to sip and savor along the hotel’s causeway all weekend while listening to live entertainment, and even some spooky fun on Halloween night.
Culinary offerings headline the two-night event, featuring cuisine from the hotel’s own award-winning signature restaurants: Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Shula’s Steak House and Todd English’s bluezoo, with wine and spirits samplings from around the globe.
This year’s menu introduces new interesting and unique dishes including ginger cured Hamachi with nitro lime, mascarpone chestnut ravioli with Italian sausage, celery root and bacon jus and smoked Wagyu short ribs accompanied by a parsnip puree, melba toast and pommery mustard sauce.
Favorite dishes from past years also return, such as the shrimp cocktail steamroller, Thai chicken salad with organic greens, green papaya tamarind and ginger dressing as well as the dragon sushi roll with crispy shrimp, tuna and avocado.
The hotel’s world champion Pastry Chef, Laurent Branlard, provides a sweeter side to the evening with desserts like chocolate almond crunch cake and éclair with caramelized banana cream and coconut streusel. This year Branlard will also introduce his S’more Sundae Action Station, combining the classic desserts of the s’more and sundae.
New to this year’s event is a food truck area, featuring cuisine from the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and Cabot Cheese – a favorite from last year – as well as an exclusive beverage truck.
Also new this year is a fair-themed food area, Carnival Corner. The area will offer the nostalgic childhood-inspired comfort foods, corn dogs and funnel cakes. For a twist on the traditional and for the first time at the event, guests can enjoy nitro kettle corn, a special kettle corn recipe served smoking with liquid nitrogen.
Guests looking to revisit their younger days with an adult twist can enjoy prosecco, served in a variety of exciting colors and flavors.
Seminars once again return to offer guests the chance to receive a hands-on and tasty educational experience. Seminars cover topics including wine blending, Italian wines, champagne, beer, mixology, tequila, pasta making, sushi and sake, wine and cheese pairing and the Brazilian cocktail, caipirinha.
All seminars require separate tickets in addition to the causeway tickets, and space is limited.
As an upgraded ticket option, guest can once again experience a beer garden, featuring a variety of local and seasonal brews from around the world, alongside Oktoberfest-inspired cuisine made by the hotel’s cooks.
To add to the event’s appeal, guests can enjoy a meet and greet with celebrity chef Todd English. Guests can also meet the world’s only two-time world champion pastry chef and the hotel’s very own executive pastry chef, Laurent Branlard. Barbeque fans shouldn’t miss the Cib’s Smoke House station for signature barbeque dishes from the hotel’s Executive Chef Robert Ciborowski.
“This event is a way for us to celebrate our love of food, wine and beverage with others who share that same passion,” said the hotel’s Director of Food & Beverage Tony Porcellini. “What continues to bring back people year after year is the one-of-a-kind, fun, street-party atmosphere our guests enjoy.”
Tickets to the Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic are available as part of a hotel package or individually, starting at $50 for A La Carte tickets. For more information or to book, visit SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500.
