What’s your dream dining experience?

Californian Dreams of ambrosial feasting and exquisite spirits will be fulfilled during the Year of a Million Dreams at Disneyland Resort when Disney’s California Food and Wine Weekends 2007 return, April 27 through May 20.

The four extended weekends (Thursdays-Sundays) will present an abundant bill of fare for everyone from fine wine connoisseurs and skilled epicures to lovers of good food and neophytes wanting to experience and learn more about world-renowned flavors of California cuisine.

The second annual Disney’s California Food and Wine Weekends at Disneyland Resort will feature culinary demonstrations, cooking and wine-tasting seminars and a “Taste of California” Marketplace in Disney’s California Adventure park. Each weekend will begin with a Thursday night “kickoff event,” a lineup of exclusive Celebrity Chef Dinners showcasing the likes of Donna Scala of Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa Valley, Robert Curry of Auberge du Soliel in Napa Valley (May 3), Chef Jamie Gwen of KABC radio and KTTV Ch 11 (May 10), and Guy Fieri of Food Network (May 17). Advance reservations are required, and the dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.

In recent years, with such fresh and audacious restaurants as Napa Rose, Yamabuki, Steakhouse 55, Catal and the Vineyard Room at the Golden Vine Winery, Disneyland Resort has been building its own reputation for fine dining in the parks, the Downtown Disney district, and the hotels. At the celebrated Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, the staff has been training in the sommelier’s art as a complement to Executive Chef Andrew Sutton’s succulent creations. Under the leadership of Napa Rose Manager and Sommelier Michael Jordan, some 250 members of the Disneyland Resort Food & Beverage team have been certified as Level One sommeliers, including 42 at the Napa Rose alone, the largest number at any restaurant in the world.

In fact, the Friday night Winemaker Dinners – featuring a multi-course meal with knowledgeable and creative wine pairings – will be among the highlights of Disney’s California Food and Wine Weekends. Each dinner will be hosted by a renowned winemaker including Jeffrey Stambor (Beaulieu Vineyard, May 4), Alison Doran (Levendi Estates, May 11), and Dave Miner (Miner Family Vineyards, May 18). The location for the 6:00 p.m. reservation-only dinners will be Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel. 

Each weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a variety of complementary demonstrations and seminars will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis inside Disney’s California Adventure park. They will include:

** Culinary Demonstrations – Complimentary 30-minute cooking demonstrations on topics such as classic dishes or specific spices will be presented by Disneyland Resort chefs each day at the Upper Terrace of the Golden Vine Winery;

** Wine, Beer and Spirits Seminars  – Noted winemakers, brew masters and Disneyland Resort sommeliers will offer educational tasting seminars on the Lower Terrace of the Golden Vine Winery or at the Pacific Wharf Stage;

** “Taste of California” Marketplace at the Lucky Fortune Cookery in the Pacific Wharf district will offer a delectable array of tapas-sized gourmet food for purchase;

A highlight of each Saturday, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., is the reservation-only Napa Rose Cooking School featuring Executive Chef Andrew Sutton of Disney’s award-winning Napa Rose restaurant. Sutton will lead a hands-on cooking and learning experience for a small group of participants who will create a themed meal with expertly paired wines. The class is held in the show kitchen of the elegant Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand California Hotel and Spa. 

More information about the Disney’s California Food and Wine Weekends 2007 (Dates and times of specific events, prices, etc.) can be found at www.DisneysCaliforniaFoodAndWineWeekends.com. 

Information about new attractions, the “Year of a Million Dreams,” and vacations at Disneyland Resort is available at www.disneyland.com.

A Special Disney Report by The Mole