Sneak peek of the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival menu!

This past weekend we attended the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival preview for Tables in Wonderland members. Marianne Hunnel and Chef Jens Dahlmann were there to talk about the new menu items and Marketplace booths. Take a look!

Reception

Puerto Rico will be returning! We were able to sample the Sweet Corn Sorullitos with Mayo Ketchup.

As usual, South Africa is part of the festival. We were able to sample the Bobotie with Turkey and Mushrooms. Guests have been able to enjoy this menu item at Boma – Flavors of Africa for breakfast.

Epcot Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann was hard at work preparing the Nueske’s Pepper Bacon Hash with Sweet Corn, Potatoes, Hollandaise and Pickled Jalapeños that will be served at Farm Fresh. It was wonderful watching him work! He puts so much care into his presentation.

We are thrilled to see Scotland included in this year’s line up! This time guests will be able to enjoy a Sea Scallop with Spinach, Cheddar Gratin and Crispy Bacon. This was amazing!

Vegans will be excited to see Terra back at the festival. This year, on the menu will be “CraB’less CraB Cake” with Pepper Slaw and Cajun Remoulade featuring Gardein. Also returning will be Brazil! The Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onion, Avocado and Cilanto will be on the menu again, but new will be Pao de Queijo – Brazilian Cheese Bread.

Fan favorite, Hawai’i, will be coming back. We were able to sample Aulani Sunset featuring Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum. It’s not just pretty, but refreshing as well.

A variety of wines were available for sampling. The most interesting was Papperboy Red. The wine was described as “cheap and cheerful” by Marianne Hunnel. We found it to be sweet. As you can see, the bottle is made of paper, hence the name. We were curious as to the construction of it, so we tore through the paper to see a very thin plastic used to contain the wine. Definitely a twist on “boxed wines”. Other wines available to try included The Great American Wine Company – Chardonnay and Domaine Chandon – Brut Sparkling Blanc de Noir.

Duke’s Cold Nose Brown Ale by Bold City Brewery, Jacksonville, FL was one of the craft beers available for sampling.  When I posted this on Instagram, michaela57 commented that Duke is a sweet dog that walks around a “lil bar in Jacksonville, FL”.

MMMHops Pale Ale by The Hanson Brothers, Tulsa, Oklahoma was a last minute addition to the preview party. The brewery was founded by The Hanson Brothers, as in the band Hanson. Yep, that’s right! The kids that brought you MMMBop are grown up and are bringing MMMHops Pale Ale to you know. One cool thing about their brew, 10% of proceeds go to the non-profit charity Take The Walk.

Dinner

The event was held in the World ShowPlace Pavilion between Canada Pavilion and United Kingdom Pavilion in Epcot. After the reception, guests were able to take a seat at their designated table. We were table eight. Joining Dining at Disney was Tony Caselnova from Disney By the Numbers, Rick Howard from Travel with Rick, John Donahue, Krista Joy from Disney Ways, Norma Alfonso and Raphael De Varona from Da Mouse.

Epcot Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann and Culinary Program Manager Marianne Hunnel walked us though the menu and beverage selections that we were enjoying throughout the night. These two are the masterminds behind this amazing festival!

Of course, Greece is back! We were treated to the Vegetarian Moussaka paired with MAN Chenin Blanc. This dish was surprisingly good. It had mushrooms, potatoes and soy product (we’re guessing tofu) and topped with cheese.

New this year is Patagonia, a blend of Argentina and Chile. For this course, we were served Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Arugula Chimi Churri paired with Goats do Roam White 2013.

This year, Puerto Rico is part of the line up! On the menu will be “Carna Guisada con Arroz Blanco” – Slow Braised Beef with Puerto Rican Grown Rice. The dish was paired with Medalla Light Beer and Sangriiia Cocktail. If you enjoy very light beers like Bud Light and Miller Light, then this beer is for you.

For dessert, we received a dessert trio. From Hops and Barley, Fresh Baked Carrot Cake with Craisins and Cream Cheese Icing; from Refreshment Port, Croissant Doughnut Holes and from Bean to the Bar Warm Drinking Chocolate, and paired with Rosa Regale. It was the perfect way to end a delightful evening.

Looking for more information on the festival? Check out our 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival page! Below are the details of what we know so far.

What menu items are you looking forward to trying the most? Share with us!