Dinner #10 brought us back to the Grand Floridian, our home base for this gastronomically epic adventure. It is the very essence of Victorian luxury situated right on the beach of Seven Seas Lagoon.
September 12, 2008
WINE: Luxury on the Lagoon
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August 7, 2008
WINE: Europe East to West
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It was Day #10 of our trip, the second to the last, and I was back at the Festival again.
A never-ending series of differently shaped clouds coasted across the building tops on a light breeze. Each seemed to pause in turn for their moment in the spotlight of a late afternoon sun. A glowing sky parade, I had thought, pausing to snap a shot. Yet another of Disney’s sideshow entertainments.
Now with something like an air of familiarity, I strolled around Epcot’s World Showcase looking for tasting booths I hadn’t been to yet.
June 22, 2008
Between Epcot’s Italy and Germany pavillions lies nestled a miniature European town planted like a bonsai forest, alive with dwarf species of all real, living trees.
It’s similar, but not quite as grand, as the scenery in a ride at Disneyland. As native Southern Californians with season passes, my wife and I visit Storybook Village several times a year. I’ve always wanted one.
We live in a townhome with no proper yard. There’s a patio, but the planter space is limited. A miniature garden, then, seemed like just the thing…
June 14, 2008
WINE: Moroccan Supper
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Epcot stays open an hour later than the parks, making it just right to head on over to for eats after the amusements close. With at least one restaurant in each of the World Showcase’s eleven country pavillions, the place is fertile ground for foodies of all stripes.
Having tasted at their booth earlier, I was interested in further exploring the cuisine of Morocco. Lucky for me, my wife had booked us a reservation that night at the Restaurant Marrakesh.
June 3, 2008
WINE: Mediterranean, Part Dos
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When last I’d left the Festival, I was working my way west along the Mediterranean, having gotten as far as the boot of Italy. Upon my return to the region this ninth day of our trip, I trekked further still along that route all the way out to Epcot’s representative for the Iberian peninsula.
May 28, 2008
As night fell on the 8th evening of our trip, my wife and I made our way through the retro neon turnstyles of Disney’s MGM Studios into a carefully reconstructed facsimile of a bygone Tinsel Town.
May 13, 2008
WINE: The Mediterranean
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Day #8 at the Festival was to begin my tour of the Mediterranean…and some of Florida’s signature unpredictable weather.
Having just come from the Far East, my figurative arrival at the sparkling blue-green waters of the Mediterranean Sea was by way of the shores of Turkey.
May 7, 2008
WINE: Shula’s Steakhouse
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My wife and I, we have an affinity for the beef. So as the seventh day of our trip drew to a close, we sought out the Dolphin Resort wherein lies Shula’s.
We arrived at dusk, a bit early for our reservation, which gave us the time for a sunset walk around the lagoon.
As night fell, it was time to head back to the hotel. Our table awaited.
May 1, 2008
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.
April 24, 2008
A while back a friend of mine asked me what I thought would make the ultimate $100 cellar. Fancy wine’s not cheap and there’s so much good stuff to chose from. I thought about variety and balance. You’d need some reds, of course, but also some whites. You’d want to be able to pair with different kinds of food.
After much deliberation, I came up with the following list:
- Turnbull Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon ($34), an amazingly rich, fruit-forward cab that rivals competitors at twice the price
- Mollydooker Shiraz ‘The Boxer’($20), classic Aussie Shiraz concentrate almost sweet with oak vanilin
- Rombauer Napa Valley Chardonnay ($27), heroin for Chardonnay addicts
- Van Volxem Saar Riesling ($17), delicious off-dry lemon and apricot that pairs with almost anything
That got me up to $98. Say what you will, but there’s really no other choice for that last $2: the infamous Two-Buck Chuck itself…
- Charles Shaw Cabernet ($2), smooth and easy drinker consistent across vintages
Okay, new vintages have been released since I originally priced this list and some have gone up. But still, it was a perfect $100. I’m a genius, right?
Then I thought about it some more…
tableauvivante
Inspector Vino
