Disney's California Adventure is gearing up again for the annual Food and Wine Festival (April 16-May 31). Disneyland might not be the first place you think of for wine, and indeed, Walt Disney didn't want alcohol in the park. When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the resort's hotels served alcohol, but none was allowed in the Magic Kingdom. In 1982, under CEO Ron Miller (Walt's son-in-law and now, interestingly enough, the co-owner of Silverado Vineyards in Napa Valley), EPCOT Center opened and the World Showcase pavilions served alcohol appropriate for each nation. This was Disney's first in-park drinking. A decade and a half later, Epcot began its International Food and Wine Festival and the concept worked so well and was so popular that it was taken to Disneyland Resort and added to California Adventure a few years after that park opened in California. California Adventure had a wine history of its own, however. When the park opened as Disneyland's second gate in 2001, the Golden Vine Winery (sponsored by Robert Mondavi) had a tasting room, and upscale restaurant, a market, and mini-vineyard near the center of the park. While Mondavi later pulled out its sponsorship and the Golden Vine was cut back in terms of its offerings, the Food and Wine Festival has now become a popular event at the park. The event combines wine tastings, wine pairing seminars with several exclusive demonstrations. There are always plenty of celebrities on hand, some of them chefs, some of them not, to give the event a special flavor.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Disney's California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
Disney's California Adventure is gearing up again for the annual Food and Wine Festival (April 16-May 31). Disneyland might not be the first place you think of for wine, and indeed, Walt Disney didn't want alcohol in the park. When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the resort's hotels served alcohol, but none was allowed in the Magic Kingdom. In 1982, under CEO Ron Miller (Walt's son-in-law and now, interestingly enough, the co-owner of Silverado Vineyards in Napa Valley), EPCOT Center opened and the World Showcase pavilions served alcohol appropriate for each nation. This was Disney's first in-park drinking. A decade and a half later, Epcot began its International Food and Wine Festival and the concept worked so well and was so popular that it was taken to Disneyland Resort and added to California Adventure a few years after that park opened in California. California Adventure had a wine history of its own, however. When the park opened as Disneyland's second gate in 2001, the Golden Vine Winery (sponsored by Robert Mondavi) had a tasting room, and upscale restaurant, a market, and mini-vineyard near the center of the park. While Mondavi later pulled out its sponsorship and the Golden Vine was cut back in terms of its offerings, the Food and Wine Festival has now become a popular event at the park. The event combines wine tastings, wine pairing seminars with several exclusive demonstrations. There are always plenty of celebrities on hand, some of them chefs, some of them not, to give the event a special flavor.
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