Here are some quick tips for fun food events this week, including Wine Wars, Earth Day, and more.
When you pick up the new Edible Orlando street edition, make sure to check out the Getaway Guide. Whether your idea of an Orlando-based getaway is fine dining or a burger by the pool, we’ve got you covered. Check out those drinks from Knife & Spoon at Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes up top and start planning!
Edible Orlando writer John Graham has looked at the fun food events in Orlando over the next couple weeks and the forecast is very wine-y. Keep reading for the best events ahead in Central Florida from Saturday, April 15, to Saturday, April 28.
Wine Wars, Craft Beer Festival
Saturday, April 15
Wine Wars returns to The Veranda at Thornton Park, 5 – 9 p.m., and this time, it’s a red wine battle royale. Teams (1-3 people) bring three bottles of the same wine, then everyone samples and votes. The winner gets to take home one bottle from every team. The loser takes their own wine back. Tickets are about $40 per person after tax and fees. With each ticket, you also get a code for 20 percent off Winery Direct red wine at any Total Wine around Orlando. Part of the money collected at Wine Wars goes to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida.
For the beer folks, check out the 4th Annual Rotary Craft Beer Festival, 4 – 7 p.m. in Avalon Park. More than a dozen local breweries will have samples, as well as live music and food trucks. General admission tickets are about $35 with taxes and fees. If you upgrade to VIP, it’s around $58, but you also get in an hour early (3 p.m.), a t-shirt, a tasting class, food truck discount, and can sample special release beers. You must be 21+ to attend. The beer fest raises money for both brewery-chosen charities and the Rotary Club of Avalon Park.
Thursday, April 20
Corks and Forks is back in Maitland at the Venue of Lake Lily, aka the Maitland Civic Center, 6 – 9 p.m. That’s unlimited wine (and beer and cocktail), sampling plates from more than a dozen local restaurants, and live music. Tickets for the al fresco evening are around $71 with fees for general admission. VIP (around $135) gets you in early at 5 p.m., as well as a VIP lounge, VIP hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar with full pours. Proceeds benefit the Maitland Civic Center.
Science of Wine, Sunflowers, Earth Day
Saturday, April 22
How do grapes and yeast become Shiraz? It’s science! The Science of Wine returns to Orlando Science Center, 7 – 10 p.m. Not just a chance to sample 150+ fine wines and cuisine from local restaurants, you can also roam all four floors of interactive exhibits and maybe even learn the scientific reason why you like the wine you like. General admission tickets are $125, or $100 for OSC members and young professionals. The event benefits Orlando Science Center’s mission to “inspire science learning for life.”
Long and Scott Farms in Mount Dora has a six-acre sunflower trail that should be in bloom for Wine Your Way Out, 4:30 – 9 p.m. It’s date night on the farm, so wear shoes you can get dusty. You’ll wander the sunflowers, hit Instagramable spots, sample local wines and charcuterie boards, enjoy the sunset, and make smores by the fire pit. You can also purchase full glasses of wine after the tastings. The 21+ night out is $28 in advance or $18 if you’re the designated driver. Scott’s Country Market will also be open, which is up and running for the season with fresh produce, local eggs and more, Tuesdays – Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday is also Earth Day, the anniversary of the start of the environmental movement in 1970. Central Florida Earth Day at Lake Eola Park, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., is the largest Central Florida Earth Day gathering, sponsored by Vegetarians of Central Florida. Admission is free. 
The Ward & Wellbeing Earth Day Block Party is organized by Winter Park’s The Center for Health & Wellbeing and starts with the Run for the Trees 5K at 7:30 a.m. in Ward Park (registration required). The free Earth Day Expo & Open House goes from 8 – 11:30 a.m. with the option of buying a Rise & Dine Breakfast from Nourish Coffee Bar.
Picnic Project, Taste of Baldwin Park, Appetite for the Arches
Dees Brothers Brewery in Sanford is offering Taste & Sip, a craft beer lunch, 1 – 4 p.m., as a fundraiser for Picnic Project. Your $45 ticket gets you tasting plates from a dozen Sanford restaurants and drink pairings (craft beer, sangria, lemonade.) Live music too. Picnic Project is a non-profit at the Neighborhood Co-Op in downtown Sanford, providing plated meals and weekly grocery distributions since 2009.
Thursday, April 27
Taste of Baldwin Park is a night out for lakeside sipping and cuisine sampling under the stars, 7 – 10 p.m. at Harbor Park. That’s unlimited tastings from 30+ restaurants as well as beer, wine, spirits and live music. Tickets are around $66 with fees for general admission until April 20. After that, they go up $10. The $98 (with fees) VIP option includes early access, wine and cocktail bars with full pours, and luxury bathroom trailer. VIP also goes up $10 after April 20. You can save a bit by buying tickets in packs of four. Taste of Baldwin Park benefits the non-profit Caring by Sharing United.
Orlando chefs will test their creativity by turning ingredients from McDonald’s into fancy eating for the Appetite for the Arches benefit, 7 – 10 p.m. at the Canvas Event Venue near Florida Mall. Each chef station will be paired with wines and craft cocktails. If that’s not enough, you also get a McDonald’s French fry station with handcrafted dipping sauces. Tickets for the cocktail-attire evening start at $195 or $375 for two, with a $250 option for early entry. The three Ronald McDonald Houses in Orlando are a home-away-from-home for families with children receiving treatment at local hospitals.
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