For all of the exploration we love to do as we roam the Disney parks, we are also hotel nerds. Even if we aren't staying at a different resort each time, we still enjoy visiting them, especially for dinners. We know that all of the restaurants are going to be kid-friendly, but when we go to one of the higher-end places as a treat, we wonder how three young boys who have been dragged all over the place are going to respond to having to sit for a while as their parents enjoy a delicious meal. Fortunately for whatever reason, every time we have gone to Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge, it seems to always go extremely well.

That is just one of many reasons why we like to eat dinner at Artist Point every time we go down to Disney World for a visit. The theme here is Pacific Northwest cuisine with sustainable and organic ingredients. Additionally, they have quite the wine list (I feel like I say this frequently, but the restaurants in Disney have unreal adult beverage inventory). Since I can easily feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices available to me, I went for the Taste of the Pacific Tasting Menu. With wine pairings, which I added on, the whole experience runs you a cool $100 (or two Disney dining meal credits).

I was given a glass of Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut to start. After sweating out in the parks and rehydrating with water, a refreshing glass of bubbly is always welcome. Light, yet creamy, it had simple apple and citrus flavor that primed the pump for me to stuff my face. Chateau Ste. Michelle is easily the largest winery in Washington. Additionally, they own many other brands under "Ste. Michelle Wine Estates." Some you may have seen before include 14 Hands, Columbia Crest, and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

After that, my Duck Ragout came out with a glass of Sokol Blosser Pinot Gris. For a long time, my only familiarity with the winery was in the form of their Evolution White Blend, a wine stew of roughly a dozen grapes that makes for a lush, golden, easy-drinking wine. Sokol Blosser's Pinot Gris also has some of the richness I experienced with the Evolution blend, but the finish is much drier, with a green fig and citrus fruit going on in it. When tasted with the Duck Ragout, a noticeable floral aroma came out, almost like chamomile or honeysuckle. I also tried this with the Land Greens Salad, and that released a peachy flavor that complemented the, uh...peach in the salad! Normally, pairings don't work that way, but in this case it did.

After that, it was time for Buffalo Strip Loin, which I had to prevent the six-year old from taking away from me. The pieces I was able to have went well with the Roco Gravel Road Pinot Noir that I chose over the Waterbrook Malbec. While it would have been interesting to try a Malbec from Washington, I was feeling Pinot Noir today and rolled with it. I'm sure the fuller body and sturdiness of the Malbec would have been wonderful, but the Roco offered a fresh blackberry flavor and peppery spice that came out in this pairing that I really liked. This was a great first-time experience for me with a product of this winery.

Finally, it was time for the desserts to come out. Let me tell you this: I am not a sweet/dessert wine drinker, except for Port or Madeira in the wintertime. However, when I sampled the NxNW Riesling Icewine (sorry, not pictured) with the Crème Brûlée...my goodness! This may have been the best food and wine pairing on the list, and one of the best ones I can remember. It was an explosion of apricot, mango, and kumquats (Yes, kumquats. Normally, I stay away from unusual fruits as a wine descriptor, but that's exactly what I tasted!). NxNW is a brand from King Estate, whose Pinot Gris we will never refuse. I was so full, I didn't care that the children wanted to steal my second dessert.

By the way, this could easily be in the category of "If It Grows Together, It Goes Together" as this was a classic illustration of how Pacific Northwest cuisine works so well with its wines. I can't recommend Artist Point more to you. The service was fantastic (as Disney tends to be anyway), but our server was also sharp and new his stuff when it came to the wines. Hopefully if you are making the trip to Disney World, you get this place on your dining to-do list.