California craft wines to debut at Disney World’s Epcot festival

A Napa Valley Chardonnay and a Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon will make their debut at the 20th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Walt Disney World Resort starting Sept. 25. The wines were specially created to celebrate the annual event’s two decades.

Each wine, which includes “festival” in its name, will be served from a keg that holds 26 bottles, according to a Disney World statement. The point? To cut down on waste such as bottle, cork, cardboard and paper labels.

However, bottles of the wines will be on sale too.

The Epcot festival will feature ethnic and specialty cuisines. New marketplaces include Napa Valley-inspired Artistry of Wine & Cheese, which will serve tastings of each, and a New Eats area based on the ABC-TV show “The Chew” with chefs Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall and others.

The show will broadcast from Epcot during the festival and spin off two marketplaces: Sustainable Chew, which will serve dishes inspired by the “Chew” hosts, and Chew Lab, which toys with the molecular side of cooking.

Highlights of the festival include a masquerade party with gourmet tastings and cocktails on Oct. 31 and Burger Block Parties thrown by “The Chew” cast on Sept. 25, Oct. 8 and Nov. 6.

Entry to the festival, which runs until Nov. 16, is included in the cost of admission to Epcot. A single-day ticket costs $97 for adults and $91 for children 3 to 9 years old, excluding tax.

Tickets for special events such as the Yelloween Masquerade Party for the Senses and Burger Block Parties go on sale July 30.

Info: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival