Wine and Cheese at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in Epcot

This spring break, I drove to Orlando with some girlfriends to spend the week at Disney World. On Thursday, we visited the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. There were special food and wine specials for the event, and we ate and drank our way through the World Showcase at the park.

Greetings from Florida!

In Italy, we stopped into the Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar for glasses of wine and cheese. I wrote about the three wines I had at the Wine Cellar in previous posts, but here they are listed again:

A. Querceto Chianti

B. Feudo Arancio Stemmari Nero d'Avola

C. Allegrini Valpolicella Classico

Lots of glasses of wine and water

All three wines were Italian reds. The Chianti and Valpolicella were fruity, while the Nero d'Avola was more savory.

The restaurant was very dark, and I'd already had a margarita in Mexico, so I did not remember the specific names of the cheeses we tried. I do remember the types, though:

1. Semi firm cow's milk cheese- creamy and sweet

2. Soft goat's cheese- savory

3. Soft Gruyere cheese- savory

Left to Right: Cheeses 1, 2, and 3, plus bready nibblets

The Tasting Notes

Querceto Chianti
Cheese 1: The wine brought out the saltier notes of the cheese.
Cheese 2: There was not much difference in taste with either the wine or the cheese. The two did not seem to compliment each other.
Cheese 3: On its own, the gorgonzola is very salty and creamy, with a distinctive throat burning sensation. This wine amplified that sensation to uncomfortable levels.
Verdict: I didn't like the wine and I thought it did no service to the cheeses.

Feudo Arancio Stemmari Nero d'Avola

Cheese 1: The smokiness and charcoal flavors of the wine overpowered this mild cheese.
Cheese 2: The creaminess of the goat's cheese mellowed out the smoke profile of the wine. These two paired exceptionally well together!
Cheese 3: The wine balanced well with the punch of the gorgonzola. It mellowed out the aftertaste and brought the two taste profiles to new heights.
Verdict: I loved this wine, and it paired so well with the creamier cheeses. I'm a fan!

Allegrini Valpolicella Classico
Cheese 1: The flavors of the wine and the cheese stay independent of one another. This cheese was not really helped by any of the wines we tried.
Cheese 2: The wine takes the back seat and lets the creaminess of the goat cheese dominate. It's great!
Cheese 3: The wine adds an odd charcoal flavor to the gorgonzola. It does not neutralize the gorgonzola though, for it is a strong taste.
Verdict: This wine paired best with the goat cheese.