Epcot center has some of the most romantic spots in all of Disney World.
Where else could you take a romantic walk through a granite gorge complete with
rushing waterfalls or walk hand-in-hand through a beautiful and aromatic rose garden.
Indeed Epcot has a few romantic sights. And this is the section of our site
where we will talk about it.
Choose the section you want to explore and we'll fill you in on the
romantic spots to see, the coziest restaurants and the best couples activities to try.
Epcot is also home to many wonderful events and festivals. Those,
too, will be discussed here.
Imagine stepping into a place where you could taste and savor the
flavors of the world without having to commit to a full meal. Imagine being able to taste
the wonderful flavors of dozens of renowned wineries without the huge price tag of a full
bottle. Now stop imagining and prepare your senses for the Epcot International Food and
Wine Festival.
Throughout the year Epcot stages several premier events. At Christmas it is the
Candle Light Processional, in the Spring it is the Garden and Flower Show, in the fall it
is the Food and Wine Festival. For lovers of international cuisine and wines there is no
better time to visit than the fall.
Spread out around the World Showcase Lagoon are small food and wine stands. Most
are within, or at least near, their respective countries. But, many are from lands not
represented by an Epcot pavilion. These are interspersed between lands. There is even a
Bier Garten for those who prefer beer and wish to sample several excellent micros and
imports. Most appetizer sized samples are inexpensive at $1 - $4 each. And most wine
samples were between $3 and $6. A bargain when one thinks of how expensive it might be to
sit down to a dinner that does not suit your taste.
Among the other activities available during the festival are wine and beer
tasting seminars. These are conducted by authorities in their fields and offer much
insight into the art of wine-making, wine-tasting and how to serve wine.
Then there are the Grand Tastings. These wonderful events take place in the
former Odyssey Restaurant and are magnificent. Representatives from sixteen vineyards
offer tastings of several of their vintages. Along with the wine comes tastings of
Featured Chef's creations. During our visit we sampled the wines of the Staglin Family
Vineyards, Pepi Winery and Galante Vineyards. We also tasted dishes prepared by chefs such
as Megan Romano of AquaTerra Restaurant in Palm Beach, FL, Anne Rosenzweig of The Lobster
Club in New Your City and Tiffany Sawyer of Epcot's La Cellier Steakhouse. Combined the
food and wine make for a wonderfully romantic evening.
As you enter the Tasting you are handed a wine glass for you to use all evening.
The aromas of the Chefs' dishes surround you in a heady fog, beckoning you to enter the
room and begin your exploration. As you round the corner you see the tables laid out in
stations, each covered with crisp linens and laden with a wonderful array of food and
wine. The decor is elegant, deep burgundy colors with rich wooden and metal accents,
tiered on at least 4 different levels. The lighting, while bright enough for comfortable
movement, is subdued enough to make the room, even when crowded, seem very intimate and
romantic. Snappy jazz tunes are performed by a live band as you move from table to table,
sampling the delicious cuisine and wonderful wines.
The crowd was a mixture of the knowledgeable and the wine novice. We fell in to
the later of the two groups. Most people were very friendly and helpful, few were
pretentious. The vineyard representatives were all very pleasant and helpful to novices.
Particularly the Staglins of the Staglin Family Vineyard, whose Chardonnay was my personal
favorite.
Walking around and tasting I found myself having one of the best times I had ever
had. The mood was definitely romantic, the food was wonderful and the wine exquisite. As a
romantic activity at Walt Disney World this event rates very high on the list.
