Not much magic in Orlando: The Arnold Palmer, Bay Hill Resort, March 7-10, 2024
Wine is not the first thing that springs to mind when considering a trip to Orlando. And it certainly is not the beverage most associated with The King, even if at one point he slapped his name on wine like he did with almost every other conceivable kind of merchandise.
But back to Orlando and the other towering presence, namely Disneyworld. By reputation, the Grand Floridian’s Victoria and Albert’s has the best wine program around, but it’s not available online. So even if they really have the advertised 500 wines from 35 regions, you’ll have to trust them. This brings new meaning to the wine flaw known as “mouse.”
As for the rest of what’s out there, it’s just what you would expect, almost like the town is so committed to entertaining your kids they forgot about you. Other than some big chains it’s slim pickings. Following is the best of what I could find but speaking of fantasy land, I felt like I had to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince or two.
Wine Bar George features a list that can be searched by varietal or country. Choices are limited but mostly well curated and the breadth of varietals is genuinely impressive. There are separate categories for white and red, but also “outstanding” white and red with some surprisingly great if expensive options, like a four-bottle vertical of Emidio Pepe Montepulciano, some first growth Bordeaux, and even Harlan.
Christner’s Steak and Lobster has a very large but somewhat nondescript list. It’s all kind of perfunctory until you get to California reds, where you can cherry pick some winners. There’s a “Very Rare” list offering genuine excitement in that department. Pricing is all over the place. Skip the $750 Opus and try the $200 Forman cab.
Other No-See-Ums
There is no online list at the The Wine Room about a half hour away in Winter Park. The website shows about a half-dozen labels, some of which are genuinely impressive. You can buy any wine by the bottle or get a taste via 1, 3, or 5oz pours from their state-of-the-art dispensing machines, so your Sassicaia or Screaming Eagle will always taste fresh (or so they say).
Bull and Bear at the Orlando Waldorf boasts “an extensive award-winning wine list featuring applauded boutique vintners.” No applause for the restaurant for not giving us any idea what that means.
Retail
Tim’s Wine Market is a small, boutique with a couple of outlets. When I say small there are no more than 20 red wines from Italy listed in the Orlando shop. Selections in general are from obscure producers and low priced. I’d buy a case of Vajra Nebbiolo for $20/bottle and call it a day.
