ORLANDO, Florida — A highly-anticipated food and drink event is adding new noshes and more live entertainment than ever before.

  • Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine adding new dishes 
  • Event has five themed areas this year
  • Ten seminars also available at the event

The ninth annual Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is not just a culinary experience — it's sensory, it's visual, and it's immersive.

This year, they have five themed areas, including a Hawaiian-themed one.

"This is the Pig & the Poke," Luciano Sperduto, Assistant Food and Beverage Director, showed us during a special media preview. "It's going to be located out on our resort's private beach. We're going to take a pig, (and) we're going to bury it in the sand. It's an earth-baked Kaluha pig. We're pairing that with some Basmati rice and we also have the tuna poke."

The Pig & The Poke is one of the three themed areas with live music to help "tell the story," if you will.

"Besides our live entertainment that we're going to have on the causeway, we're going to have an authentic Polynesian band out on the beach," he said. "It's a three-piece band ... strumming some good Polynesian tunes. We also have (Hawaiian beer) that goes along with this as well."

But Sperduto says failing to bring back a fan favorite would not be a good move for him.

"The Carnival Corner is one of our staples that we have here," he said. "It's going to feature fun carnival games ... One of the new (food) trucks has funfetti-fried Oreo."

If you like sparklings, the Bubble Lounge is back but with added entertainment.

"There's a live band in there as well called Vintage Vibes," he said. "So they play familiar music, but they give it this sort of flapper/speakeasy kind of feel to it."

The Classic has about 62 wine booths and 26 food ones. TIP: Sip from a neighboring booth when you nosh, as many are there intentionally for pairing.

If you want to expand your knowledge — from pasta-making and craft cocktails, to Italian whites — 10 seminars are available. They start at 4:30 p.m. and last about an hour.

WHAT:

  • Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic

WHEN:

  • Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  • Sunday, October 28 - Bubbles Brunch at Il Mulino New York Trattoria from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH:

  • Causeway event tickets are $127, optional Beer Garden upgrade is $28.