Welcome to our weekly series, Travel the Fest. We will showcase different countries featured in EPCOT’s Food + Wine Festival and share our picks for what to eat and drink. We hope you enjoy this series, and check back every Monday for the newest post!
It is an exciting time of year from September 25-November 16, 2015! This festival is truly international so we want to explore the countries and regions represented along with the food and wine. The destinations are diverse and very exciting!
Patagonia
Our first stop is Patagonia. I knew it was in South America, but very little else. It is actually a region on the southern tip of South America that encompasses both Chile and Argentina. This region is regarded as the epitome of natural beauty as it is widely untouched by man. It is a huge expanse occupying almost half of both Chile and Argentina, yet sparsely populated with less than 2 million people. The population is primarily European immigrants and the Tehuelche and Mapuche indigenous people. Visitors say you feel such great isolation and vast emptiness, yet the waters are teeming with wildlife, deserts are vast and you can get so close to ancient glaciers that you can actually walk inside them. Patagonia has 6 national parks and is known for its hiking both on trails and glaciers, whale watching and dinosaur fossils. It is also the gateway to Antarctica and penguin watching through Ushuaia. This is where expeditions to Antarctica begin. I can’t wait to make it there myself one day!
Patagonian cuisine is known for intense and rich flavor and colorful presentation. Fish, seafood and lamb are most popular. Argentina is regarded as the top wine producer in South America and is best known for its Malbec. Most Argentinian wine is consumed within in its own country. Chile, however is now a top exporter of wine around the world for many different varietals. It is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc for the whites.
This booth was new to the fest last year and was very well received! The following are the offerings this year:
Food
- Beef Empanada
- Grilled beef skewer with chimichurri sauce and boniato purée
- Roasted Verlasso salmon with quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri
Wine
- Undurraga Sparkling Wine Brut
- Calle Ocho Chardonnay
- Kaiken Torrontés
- Terrazas Reserva Malbec
For me, the healthiest and tastiest choice will be the Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad paired with Calle Ocho Chardonnay or the Kaiken Torrontés. The truth is I may also go back later to taste the Malbec!
