Food & 🍷Wine Festival 2021

Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival 2021 is in the books! As you must know by now, I live for Epcot’s Festivals!

Epcot offers 4 Festivals each year:

Jan & Feb: Festival of the Arts 🎨

March to July: Flower & Garden Festival (my personal favorite!) 🌷

July to November: Food & Wine Festival 🍷

November & December- Festival of the Holidays 🎄. I enjoyed this Festival mid-December! Look for that review coming soon!

Now, back to Food and Wine! I was lucky enough to catch the opening day of Epcot’s Intl. Food & Wine Festival in July! Excitement is always in the air when a new Festival begins. I just wish it wasn’t so darn hot.

As a total foodie and cocktail connoisseur, I was all in. I visited Epcot on 3 days (just a few hours each day) but happily got to taste many food & drink items. Plus, I also had a blast checking out all the exclusive Food & Wine Festival merchandise. O M G… such cool stuff.

Themes this year: Remy from Ratatouille! Apple Orchard with Minnie Mouse! Orange Bird & Figment, too! I snagged a bunch of merch: a cute Remy tank top, an oh-so-convenient wristlet gift card (reloadable), a Corkcicle Remy travel mug, and a new Remy MagicBand! Can you tell I love Remy!! We have pet rats…9 currently and my fave boy is named Remy, of course!

This year’s Festival hosted over 30 different Food Booths! Wow! Now, some weren’t open when I visited, I’m looking at you Ireland and Alps…I’m still dreaming about those booths. Alas, I did find some favorites that I can wholeheartedly recommend! Prepare to drool on your phone, tablet, or keyboard. 😋

Now, I’m a total wine lover but I’m not gonna lie here…drinking red wine in 90+ degree heat accompanied by ridiculously high humidity is a no-go for me personally. I’m also not a huge beer drinker, but I do enjoy a nice, cold brew on occasion. However, I am a big fan of cocktails and bubbly (year-round) and especially during the summertime. Bring it on!

PRO TIP: Before you get started, make sure to pick up a Food & Wine Festival Passport! Have a game plan and highlight booths/foods/drinks you want to try. Check off as you go. I also recommend setting a budget (gasp!), I know…but all these little bites & drinks really add up fast. I used my re-loadable Remy wristlet gift card for all my charges.

Now on with my RECOMMENDATIONS & REVIEWS:

Canada! O’ Canada…How I love thee…I lived in Canada for 7.5 years (thank you to our Air Force life)! So, this booth holds a special place in my heart! The FOOD here is always delicious.

• Canadian Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Soup served with a Pretzel Roll 💗💗💗 Tasty, flavorful but not what I wanted on a hot summer day.
• “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (gluten/wheat-friendly) 💗💗💗💗💗 Simply the BEST. Mouthwatering, tender filet and that sauce…truffle-butter. Decadence. I wanted more!

France! France is my favorite pavilion in the World Showcase- the Eiffel Tower, the quaint, romantic Paris vibe, Les Halles (BEST food ever), all things Beauty & the Beast, and now, Remy’s Ratatouille! Plus, France is home to my favorite, must-have every visit, Disney drink: Grey Goose Citron Slushy!

• Croissant aux Escargots: Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley 💗 Sadly, not that good. I didn’t get many escargots (which I love) and the croissant was just a grease bomb.
• La Passion Martini Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Cranberry and Passion Fruit Juice 💗💗💗💗 I really enjoyed this slushy! Perfect combo sweet/tart & strong!

Germany! Ich liebe Deutschland. I’ve been to Germany a couple times (mainly because I studied German in high school and at university). One of the most beautiful countries in the World with some of my favorite people ever. The food here is pure comfort.

• Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll 💗💗 Good but not great. Pretty basic.
• Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce 💗💗💗 I really liked this. Simple but oh my…I could drink that Vanilla Sauce.
• Weihenstephaner Lager, Freising 💗💗 For beer, it’s one of my faves. Went perfect with a brat & strudel.

Hawaii! Aloha, Ohana! Do not miss this booth. Everything was amazing! Now, this is a total summer meal. I wanted MORE of everything.

• Teriyaki-glazed SPAM® Hash with Potatoes, Peppers, Onions and Spicy Mayonnaise💗💗💗💗 Absolutely delicious. This is an awesome snack with a ton of flavor! #hangovercure
• AULANI Sunrise: Vodka, DOLE® Pineapple Juice, and Grenadine 💗💗💗 Such a sweet, yummy drink. It’s a vacation in a cup. This cocktail is easy to make at home, too.

Italy! Simple, elegant and oh so yummy. I enjoyed everything I ate…was it the best, nah, but their Italian Margarita…ooooh, I could drink these all day long. It was summer in a glass.

• Mezzelune Croccanti: Crispy Half-moon Breaded Mozzarella-filled Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce💗💗 These were just so-so for me. Not much flavor and a bit soggy.
• Ravioli: Grilled Chicken Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce, Romano Cheese and Prezzemolo 💗💗 💗These were a little better in the flavor profile but it lacked oomph.
• Bomboloni: Cream-filled Italian Doughnut with Raspberry Sauce and Powdered Sugar 💗💗💗 Like I’m going to ever refuse a bomboloni. Even the name is cute. These were good!
• Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello 💗💗💗💗💗 Okay, I got 2 of these…freaking amazing. Limoncello goes wonderfully with Tequila.

Japan! When in land of the sun, you must get SUSHI. I did and it was wonderful. Fresh, tasty and spicy…just how I like it. Plus, it’s a total insta-getter photo op!

• Spicy Hako Sushi: Spicy Tuna and Salmon served Box-style with Red Tempura Crunch and Volcano Sauce 💗💗💗💗 I really enjoyed this hot & spicy sushi but be warned, you’ll need some water to put out the flames!

Mexico! I’ve got to say, Mexican food and margaritas are my ultimate pleasure foods. I always make it a point to stop at the Mexico booth. I wish I made a second stop for the Chilaquiles con Chorizo. Everything was sooo goood! The El Tigre Margarita was perfection.

• Taco de Ribeye: Shaved Ribeye, Red Onions, and Poblano Peppers on a Corn Tortilla with Ranchera Salsa, Cotija Cheese and Chives 💗💗💗 Really great flavors! Everything in this taco made my mouth sing!
• El Tigre Margarita: Ojo de Tigre Mezcal with Pomegranate, Prickly Pear, Pineapple, and Ginger Juices served on the rocks with a Hibiscus Salt Rim 💗💗💗💗 When in Mexico, get yourself another margarita. This one hit the spot. Excellent combo: strong, slightly sweet with a bit of heat! Margaritas make me smile.

Shimmering Sips by Corkcicle! You had me at Bubbly!! They had 3 different mimosas or you could get the flight. Having already tried the other 2, I went with the new one. It is my favorite of the bunch! Light, refreshing and clearly, this one lets the Bubbly shine!

• Key Lime Mimosa with Key Lime Sparkling Wine and Cranberry Juice 💗💗💗💗I would drink this morning, noon and night. 100% loved it.

While enjoying all these eats & sips, I also was on the hunt, a scavenger hunt! I bought the $9.99 map for Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt! Oh my, this is so much fun! Seriously, just do this. It’s perfect for Everyone! When you find all the Remys, you can earn a prize! This year’s prize was a small bowl: Remy, Figment, Belle or Minnie Mouse. Of course, this was tough: but I chose Remy! Cheese lovers should partake in Emile’s Fromage Montage (try 5 cheese dishes!) from 5 food booths and earn a special prize…strawberry cheesecake soft-serve in really cool souvenir cup! Cost is the amount of the food, $23.50.

There is also Live Entertainment found at Canada Mill Stage, America Gardens Theatre, and America Gardens Bandstand! So nice to enjoy some music as you eat, drink, shop and explore Epcot.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed myself to the fullest (pun intended)! So, if you’re going to WDW next year during July-November, make it a must stop and experience the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. Your tummy will thank you! Wishing you Good Eats and Plenty of Cheers!

Enchantingly Yours🥀 ,

Angie Baycura