Press Release
2010 Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival Epcot®, Walt Disney World® Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida Early October – Mid-November 407-824-4321
Take an eclectic tour of the world at the 2010 International Food & Wine Festival as you sample delicious foods and fine wines during this international culinary celebration at Epcot®, which also offers nightly concerts (Eat to the Beat!), celebrity-chef cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and the talents of street performers from acrobats to musicians. Admission is charged for certain events at the 15th-annual Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival. International Food & Wine Festival Highlights
- More than 300 national and international wines
- 45 fabulous days long
- More than 76 kinds of international foods, each appetizer-sized portion priced $2-$5
- More than 160 of America's most celebrated chefs and Walt Disney World® Resort chefs
- 1,200 wine and beer seminars featuring more than 100 topics
- More than 1,200 fireworks rockets exploding each night over World Showcase Lagoon in "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" grand finale to the festival
- 135 Eat to the Beat! concerts performed
- 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne
- 1.2 million hors d-oeuvre plates
- 2.1 million Vanity Fair napkins
- 750,000 beer cups
- 690,000 sumptuous samplings
- 600,000 forks
- 338,000 wine glasses
- 100,000 miniature desserts, including creme brulee, traditional apple strudel, baklava and more
- 3,000 gallons of soup, including cheddar cheese soup (Montreal marketplace), seafood gumbo (New Orleans marketplace), and chilled tomato and garlic soup (Barcelona marketplace)
- 1,500 pounds of fresh strawberries
The six-week festival will showcase tastes from countries on six continents. More than 25 international marketplaces will serve tapas-sized portions of regional specialties at $2-to-$5 each, and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each kiosk. Daily complimentary wine and beer tastings serve up sips from around the world, and culinary demonstrations dish up featured taste treats. A series of special culinary programs features a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.
Other festival highlights include: The Festival Welcome Center, complete with a Champagne and Wine Bar, complimentary wine seminars and book signings; some 250 Disney chefs and guest chefs conducing culinary demonstrations and hosting elegant dinners and tasting events; a weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting event featuring tempting tastes from eminent chefs, more than 70 wines and beers, and live entertainment.
Wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary and cultural exhibits, and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission. The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting, Food and Wine Pairings at select Epcot restaurants, Regional Feasts, Epcot Wine Schools, Cheese Tastings, Sweet Sundays, and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate admission.
Simple Tips for Beginning Wine Tasters: Lift your glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine in the bowl of your glass. Raise your glass to check the wine's color. Swirl the liquid gently rotating your wrist; as the wine leaves trails, or legs, it reveals alcohol content. A wine with high alcohol content normally will have slow-moving legs. Sniff deeply and try to identify the wine's traits, which could range from essence of raspberry to chocolate. Sip – but don't swallow yet. Hold the wine and swish it across your tongue and inner cheeks before exhaling slowly through both nose and mouth. The taste will be that much more vivid!
Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information about the 2009 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and to make reservations for special events and programs.
