The Food & Wine Classic is a tradition for many at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels. The 2021 Fall Edition took place on October 29 and 30, and I was invited to attend the second evening. The weather was perfect, and there was a party atmosphere.
Don’t confuse the Food & Wine Classic with the Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT. They have nothing to do with each other. The Food & Wine Classic is kind of a showcase that shows off some of the best from the restaurants that are located at the Swan & Dolphin. You pay one price, and all of your food and beverages are included. It is for the 21 and up crowd.
I attended the Spring Edition of the Food & Wine Classic last April. It was a much smaller version of the Fall Classic. In the Spring there were plenty of COVID protocols, but things have relaxed greatly since. Most of the Food & Wine Classic is held outdoors, and there was still plenty of hand sanitizer around. There were precautions being taken, and everything felt safe.
The longest lines that I noticed all evening were for the Shula’s Steakhouse booths. There were two of them, both serving Roasted Linz Heritage Black Angus Beef Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Carrots. Many people say that Shula’s has the best steak in the state of Florida, and having two booths made it possible for more people to get a taste. Other popular booths included Todd English, Picabu, The Fountain, and the Swan & Dolphin Pastry Booths. Amare had a booth as well. This restaurant has not yet opened, it will be located inside the new Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. Even when there were lines they moved quickly. The portions were small on purpose so that Guests could try more items.
Wine is also an important part of this annual event. There were unique vintages from several popular regions. There were several American wines from California, Oregon, and Washington. International regions included France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. There was also sake from Japan. Some of the booths had people on hand to talk about the selections. Inside the Swan there was a room referred to as Bubbles, which had sparkling wines and champagne.
While not in the name, there were also plenty of craft beer selections. Most of these were found in the area that was called the Beer Garden for the night. There were also some food booths in the Beer Garden which paired well with beer, such as soft pretzels or sloppy joes.
There was also live entertainment. The American Sirens performed in Bubbles. Adam Duss sang in the Beer Garden. The highlight was Epic Live! They are a dance party cover band, and they performed well known songs from the 70’s and 80’s. By the end of the evening a good part of the crowd was dancing and singing along.
If you are thinking about attending a future Food & Wine Classic, you might want to book a Stay and Play Package. You’ll receive tickets for the event, plus a room at the Swan or Dolphin so that you’ll be close to where everything is happening. Packages sell out fast, so once the information on the next Food & Wine Classic is available you’ll want to book sooner rather than later.
The staff at the Food & Wine Classic deserves a special shoutout. I did not encounter one person working who wasn’t helpful. They all seemed to be having a great time, and they worked efficiently to make sure that everyone was served in a timely manner. Well done. I had a great time, and I’d like to thank all those who were involved for an incredible evening.
