The 2009 California Food and Wine Festival Map and other Essential “Gluttony” Information

G’day, Aj here and as you may of already guessed, I love the food and wine festivals at Epcot and at the Disneyland resort, and as I write this, I am starting to get excited about my visit to Disney’s next gastronomical offering.

From today to June 7, 2009, a World Celebration comes to Disneyland Resort. This six-week festival showcases California’s rich fusion of flavors. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, seminars and recipes that reflect the Golden State’s regional and culinary diversity at the Fourth Annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival.

The line up this year in California looks to be better than ever, with larger food portions of all of our favourites including the delicious sliders, cheddar cheese soup and Lobster pops.

More than 600 complimentary experiences will be available at the fourth annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, including culinary demonstrations, children’s programs and wine and spirits seminars. In addition, food and wine aficionados will get tips from Disneyland Resort chefs, mingle with noted winemakers and celebrate at the spectacular ticketed events, including the gala Festival finale “Taste Food-Wine-Life.”

Featured celebrity chefs, including Guy Fieri of the Food Network, along with nearly 100 Disneyland Resort chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations that showcase their talents and an international mix of delectable dishes. Guests will collect cooking tips while they watch the pros in action, discovering new twists on timeless classics and sampling the festival cuisine. Guests will also taste delicious festival-inspired dishes at the Wine Country Trattoria, Pacific Wharf Café, Farmer’s Market and other eateries inside Disney’s California Adventure park.

Guests will enjoy several new signature events this year.
• Behind the Scenes With… – Unique opportunities to share food, wine and conversation with cooking personalities from popular television programs and celebrity winemakers. The stars include Guy Fieri (“Guy’s Big Bite”), Keegan Geerhard (“Food Network Challenge), Tommy Lasorda (Lasorda Wines), and John and Nancy Lasseter (Lasseter Family Winery). The evenings begin with tasty appetizers and exquisite wines, followed by question-and-answer sessions hosted a special chef.

• Sweet Sundays – The sweetest of all events features a light buffet breakfast and sparkling wine at the Golden Vine Winery at Disney’s California Adventure. Guests will see demonstrations and taste three signature desserts created by acclaimed pastry chefs, including chefs from Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. in San Diego and Cake Monkey Bakery in Los Angeles.

• Festival Wine Walks ¬ Guests will explore wines of the world, or a single region, when they purchase a tasting passport and select up to four tastes of spectacular wines. A tasting tour that features craft brews will also be available. Delicious wine country tapas that complement the beer and wine will be available at The Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery.

• World Celebration Dinners – Disneyland Resort chefs will create an elegant menu that blends the food, wine and celebrations of regions around the world. France, Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain will be featured.

• Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, of the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant, will add a new class to his “Introduction to Wine Tasting.” The “Advanced Wine Class” includes three two-hour sessions that take guests to the next level in their knowledge of wine regions, varietals, growing and harvesting techniques. Both entertaining classes will offer training as well as a blind tasting to test the participants’ skills.

Events returning for 2009 feature Disneyland Resort chefs and premier winemakers.
• Winemaker Dinners – Disneyland Resort chefs will partner with premier California winemakers to prepare outstanding culinary delights at six exclusive “Winemaker Dinners,” on selected Friday nights. Each Festival meal will be paired with award-winning vintages and served at Steakhouse 55, inside the Disneyland Hotel.

• Napa Rose Cooking School – Disney Executive Chef Andrew Sutton will once again lead this hands-on course that sells out quickly. Each class will create and enjoy a themed meal paired with wines and each class member will go home with an official chef’s coat to commemorate the experience. This amazing opportunity takes place in the show kitchen of the renowned Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Guests must be at least 18 years of age.

• Festival Wine Receptions – Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunset and weekend evening under the stars, on the patio of the Golden Vine Winery inside Disney’s California Adventure park. While sampling from a variety of selected wines and enjoying hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, guests will meet fellow wine enthusiasts, make new friends and discover new favorite wines.

If your intending to join us at Westfest, make sure that you check out the following locations:

Festival Welcome Center Presented by AARP

The Sunshine Plaza serves as the hub for all festival information including daily event schedules and same-day reservations – if available.

Festival-Inspired Dining

Enjoy festival inspirations at Wine Country Trattoria, Pizza Oom Mow Mow, Pacific Wharf Café, Farmer’s Market, Award Wieners and Taste Pilots’ Grill. Expertly paired wines and beer are also available.

Festival Wine Shop & Bistro

Shop for spectacular bottles of wines or enjoy a glass on the outdoor Lower Patio of the Golden Vine Winery. Open daily. For your convenience, bottles will be delivered to Package Pickup.

Festival Gift Shop

Shop for specially designed Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival merchandise to commemorate your visit.

The Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery

Relax on the Upper Terrace of the Golden Vine Winery and enjoy outstanding wines from California and international vineyards. Wine flights are offered by varietal, location or theme. Wine-country tapas are available for purchase.

NEW! Festival Wine Walks

Take a tasting tour of the finest wine regions and travel the globe without ever leaving the Festival. Each walk’s tasting-passport offers up to four tastings from around the world or a single region.

The following image is this years California Food and Wine Festival Map:

Festival events held in Disney’s California Adventure may require park admission, which is not included in the event price. Some events require an additional fee and pre-registration. For details and pricing information, visit www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.

Don’t forget that the travelears will be visiting this great event during its opening week, so stay tuned for our exclusive reviews.

We look forward to sharing a slider and a glass of Napa red with all of you during the festivities at Westfest ’09.

Enjoy,

Aj