LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Even if you're a wine neophyte, you can cut through the mystique of wine tasting to become a savvy sipper at the 11th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Sept. 29-Nov. 12. So slather on the sunscreen, don a pair of comfortable shoes and begin the wine quest at Future World in Epcot.

As your tram glides toward the park entrance, review these simple tips for beginning tasters:

• Lift your glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine in the bowl of your glass.
• Raise your glass to check the wine's color.
• Swirl the liquid by gently rotating your wrist; as the wine leaves trails, or legs, it reveals alcohol content. A wine with high alcohol content normally will have slow-moving legs.
• Sniff deeply and try to identify the wine's traits, which could range from essence of raspberry to chocolate, or even tobacco!
• Sip -- but don't swallow, yet. Hold the wine and swish it across your tongue and inner cheeks before exhaling slowly through both nose and mouth. The taste will be that much more vivid!

First stop, Festival Welcome Center. Celebrate the start of your grape expedition with a glass of bubbly at the center's Champagne and Wine Bar. There, Epcot cast members can fill you in on the day's wine-tasting schedule and on details of special events such as Food and Wine Pairings, The Odyssey Cooking School or the weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting.

Before heading outside, catch a complimentary wine seminar and visit the Festival Wine Shop offering more than 300 wine selections from the cellars of the prestigious wineries showcased at the festival's seminars and dinners. You can also meet representatives from more than 100 wineries around the world and purchase their wines by the glass at the Meet the Winemaker location. At the center, winemakers such as Antinori, Caymus Vineyards, Lynch-Bages, Grgich Hills or Piper Heidsieck showcase wines ranging from Cabernets and Chardonnays to Rieslings and Champagnes.

Don't miss the new American Wine Tasting Adventure in the American Adventure Courtyard featuring the winemaking regions of Napa Valley, Sonoma, Washington State and Virginia. Buy a passport and taste one wine from each region. An Australian passport tasting experience, Australia: Discover Down Under, is featured at the Aussie Walkabout between the China and Germany pavilions.

Complimentary wine seminars are scheduled daily, and you can explore more than 25 international marketplaces around World Showcase, where ethnic cuisine and wine samples range from just $1.50-$4.50. There are also some great ways to try new levels of tasting experiences: at one of the daily Food and Wine Pairings, or at a weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting.

Food and Wine Pairings ($40 per person, park admission required) are scheduled throughout the week at several popular Epcot restaurants including Coral Reef Restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh and Le Cellier Steakhouse. There, winery principals lead you through a tasting of three wines that are paired precisely with complementary foods.

At Party for the Senses each Saturday night in the grand World ShowPlace ($125 per person, park admission required), you'll taste some of the finest cuisine by more than 25 eminent chefs and sample from more than 70 wines and beers as you chat with the winemakers and enjoy the first-rate entertainment of Cirque du Soleil.

Day-long Epcot Wine Schools ($150, breakfast, lunch and certificate included) including the new Tour de France, South America, Burgundy and South Africa wine schools, take place some Saturdays and Sundays during the six-week fest.

As you complete your trip around the world's longest, largest wine fest, favorite wines will be available for purchase at the Festival Welcome Center, says Jason Cha-Kim, the festival's beverage manager.

"You'll have the opportunity to wine and dine around the World Showcase and learn about the basics of wine from the very best vineyards in the world," says Cha-Kim, who traveled to several wine regions that will be represented at the festival. "You'll come away from the festival with an understanding of the major wine-growing regions, how to taste wine correctly and really enjoy it, what wines to look for at home, and how to pair food and wine. It's a great way to explore and learn about wines from around the world."

Entrance to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, plus wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary exhibits and all attractions and park entertainment is included with regular Epcot admission. Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information or reservations for special events and programs, or visit the Web site: disneyworld.com/foodandwine.