Review: A Visit to Wine Bar George at Disney Springs in July, 2022

Hi everyone!

Wine Bar George at Disney Springs has been a popular and very well reviewed restaurant since it opened in 2018. Not only is it a wine bar, but the restaurant serves a delicious array of small plates and a few entrees. Wine Bar George is from Master Sommelier George Miliotes, who you can often find onsite. He helped to open the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in the 90s and served as manager for a number of years.

We were invited to Wine Bar George, and tried some old favorites but also some new-to-us items. Here is a look at our experience!

Wine Bar George is in The Landing section of Disney Springs, across from Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar.

Until August 14th, 2022, guests can purchase a Frozen Old Fashioned made with Dole Whip Orange as part of Flavors of Florida. It is so tasty and refreshing. Purchase a limited edition Corkcicle and receive the drink with it! The Frozen Old Fashioned can be purchased inside or at The Basket counter location outside. This has been an extremely popular item this summer since Flavors of Florida started and rightly so.

There are two floors to Wine Bar George. We were seated upstairs. There is indoor seating and also tables outside with a great view of Disney Springs.

Here is a look at my Frozen Old Fashioned in a standard glass. The orange straw made a terrific addition. In addition to cocktails, Wine Bar George has 140 wines available by the glass, bottle, and the ounce. Jeff ordered the Lil’ Tiki Too, which I don’t see on the menu anymore. It had George Dickel Rye, Ron Zacapa rum, pimento dram, orgeat, and orange bitters. Two very different drinks to start off.

We started off with a few small plates. The first, Saganaki on Fire, was new for us and features flaming Vlahotiri cheese with Metaxa and crostini. I don’t personally eat a lot of cheese – mostly mozzarella, and this also is a pretty mild cheese. This is a must-do for our visits in the future now.

We received two other small plates at the same time.

The House-Made Hummus with cucumbers and naan bread is always so nicely presented and a often a go-to of mine when visiting. The cucumbers are a nice, light option for the hummus.

The House-Made Meatballs are as good as ever, with triple cheese polenta and tomato sauce. The polenta adds a lot to the soft meatballs.

Jeff ordered the Jorge’s Red Sangria, which is a secret recipe and a very popular drink at Wine Bar George.

There is not only the bar downstairs, but there is one upstairs as well.

Before showing our next food items, we took a walk outside. For those who choose to dine outdoors – and we usually do – there are a number of tables with cover.

We were glad that George was there (but not surprised he was). He is not only extremely nice and accommodating, but a wealth of knowledge on wine and more.

George had poured a Trefethen 2019 chardonnay, one of the wines currently on tap.

We ordered two lunch entrees. There are a total of three, available between 12 p.m. – 3:00 p.m Monday – Friday. On our own, we are more likely to come here for lunch. First up, the Chicken Salad Sandwich with roasted tomatoes, brioche and house-made chips. Jeff really likes this sandwich.

This is one of my favorite items at Wine Bar George, the Steak Frites. The skirt steak is covered with caramelized onion aioli and served with fries. This is the same skirt steak that you can order as a family style plate, except accompanied differently with potatoes, seasonal vegetables and chimichurri. We have had it that way as well, which is great for 2-4 people.

I researched wines from the menu ahead of time, and had already chosen the Chanrion 2020 from Burgundy, France. I tend toward French wines more than others. This was a perfect pairing choice for the steak.

For dessert, we chose something we’ve not done before – the Chocolate Experience. George discovered a similar experience at an Australian winery and modified it for Wine Bar George.  We received three wines and three chocolate types from The Ganachery (along with some fruit). George said that Pastry Chef Stefan Riemer is one of the best in the world (and not just Walt Disney World) at creating chocolate. There is a moscato wine with the white chocolate; the milk chocolate with the 20-year Tawny Port, and Seven Falls Merlot with the dark chocolate. The merlot with the dark I thought made the best pairing. The moscato was a little sweet for me.

The Ganachery makes chocolate just a minute or two walk from Wine Bar George. This was a very nice experience.

We hadn’t been back to Wine Bar George in a while, we’ve dined out less overall during the pandemic than before it. That said, I have learned quite a bit about wine and champagne during this time – including visiting the Champagne region of France during a trip to Paris. It has given me a different view of wine pairings with meals. For example, previously I would just choose what I thought I might like, sticking within budget. Now – still sticking within budge – I looked at what food we would be eating and ended up choosing a wine that went with my main dish.

Of course, if George is around – as he often is – he can make recommendations as well. He is the expert. I do recommend Wine Bar George as always, and I look forward to picking up another Frozen Old Fashioned this summer (and enjoying the upstairs patio once the weather cools a bit). Thank you to Wine Bar George for having us!