Theme Park means park food. Disney World is just for kids. And Disney sommelier? Well, that’s just an oxymoron, right? You wouldn’t be alone if you thought so, but you’d better think again.
Last October my wife and I attended Walt Disney World’s 12th Annual International Food & Wine Festival at the Epcot World Showcase. By day we visited attractions and attended the festival. By night we feasted in as many of the Signature Dining establishments as we could get reservations in. We had an absolutely amazing time, and I’ve been blogging about it ever since.
Please join me now for a series already in progress that began here.
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I’d done North America from Canada to Mexico. I’d been through South America by way of Chile, Argentina and Peru. My tour of the southern hemisphere was rounded out by visits to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. On Day #7 of our trip, I woke up with dreams of the Far East.
Across distant oceans lies the world’s most populous nation and what Anthony Bourdain has called the mother of all cuisine, China. In Epcot, it’s also home to a permanent pavillion in the World Showcase.
Chinese culture has affected western ways far more than the reverse. Architecture or noodles? Take your pick.
But one thing China hasn’t been traditionally is a wine culture. The presence of its booth at the festival intrigued me.
I’d experienced South Africa’s chicken skewer and Chardonnay combination, so when I saw the same pairing here I decided to give it a try. In this case, an authentically Chinese Chardonnay from the He Lan Mountain appellation was offered.
My Chicken Sha Cha came in a peanut sauce, and it was done just right with chewy edges and a juicy center.
After a bite, however, the wine seemed…undersaturated. That’s polite, euphemistic winespeak for watery. Onward, then, to my next stop: the island neighbor of my last.
Home of another permanent pavillion, your arrival in Japan is definitively marked by a 5-story pagoda with shingled eves as blue as the sky. Here, you enter the serenity of gardens alive with the watery chatter of small falls emptying into shallow, rock-lined pools, and the occasional splash of a playful koi.
For the festival Japan, too, had a booth.
They may call sake “rice wine”, but to me its just grain alcohol by another name. Show me the fruit!
Introducing: Takara Plum Wine. It was dessert wine sweet, but not heavy. Like plum nectar with a kick, it was elegant and balanced without any of that wineyness you might be inclined to associate with fermented fruit. It came paired with a classic spicy tuna roll.
As I’d come to learn, what each booth really offered the interested visitor was a chance to experience a professionally arranged pairing. Some bite matched with some sip in a way that was intended to better the both. The secret for wine with spicy food is a bit of sweetness. As incongruous as it may seem, one the best partners for a sizzling plate of Thai is a chilled, off-dry Riesling from Germany.
Rounding out my tour of the East was the nearest of the Far. India’s booth burst from the bushes like a bull elephant. There’s more to Asians than Orientals.
Here again I was on unfamiliar territory. Indian wine? Remembering Ms. Vivante’s affinity for France’s white lady of the Loire, I knew what to chose: the Chenin Blanc.
In this case, it was a Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc estate bottled in Nashik, India. I found it to be rich with fruitiness. It was one of the more memorable wines I encountered at the festival, one worth looking up back home. Though you’re not likely to find it in the grocery store or even a wine shop, you can get it on eBay. From the winery: “Semi-dry, refreshingly light wine bursting with fresh, fruity characters which make for a delightful aperitif. Pair with food that has a hint of sugar and spice, such as Southeast Asian or Gujarati dishes. Serve well chilled.”
For the festival, Sula’s dance card was marked with a deep-fried Samosa (spicy pea and potato pastry) and Tamarind Sauce (just the “sugar and spice” called for). Quite nice.
Another successful day at the festival, with a blog-worthy dinner yet to come!
-inspector vino
