May 12, 2025
Do you keep a spreadsheet of must-try restaurants in your city? Are you known for experimenting in the kitchen? Is a wine bar a requisite stop on any trip you plan? Then you’d probably love a travel experience designed around a fantastic food and wine festival!
Keep reading to discover three delectable festival options more than worthy of your next vacation—plus luxury stays that would make the ideal homebase as you eat and drink your way through the festival:
Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival, California
Best for: Wine aficionados—and golf lovers.
Just south of San Francisco you’ll find this fantastic food and wine festival hosted every spring, featuring Napa Valley and Central California wineries. I can personally vouch that the wine supplier list at this event is out of this world; you won’t find a bad bottle here! The festival is hosted by the seaside in Monterey, at the iconic Pebble Beach Resorts, home to the #1 public golf course in the country. If you plan it right (and well in advance) you can combine your trip with a round of golf on the world-class links!
Stay at:
Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach: A gorgeous Mediterranean-style hideaway that’s a part of Pebble Beach Resorts; you can hop on a complimentary shuttle to the food and wine festival. A great option for golfers—when you stay here you can reserve a tee time at the Pebble Beach golf course up to a year in advance.
Bernardus Lodge & Spa: Play up the wine side of the event with an authentic wine country retreat at this serene estate, nestled among vineyards in Carmel Valley, against the backdrop of the Santa Lucia Mountains.
Alila Ventana Big Sur: This property is a little farther afield from Pebble Beach, but that’s a part of the appeal—the drive to get here takes you through old-growth redwood forests and over the iconic Bixby Canyon Bridge, as you snake along the dramatic California coastline. Enjoy an all-inclusive stay that fully envelopes you in nature.
FOOD & WINE Classic Aspen
Best for: Celebrity chef sightings
Hosted by the beloved magazine FOOD & WINE, this well-known festival attracts the biggest and buzziest names in the industry. Snag a ticket and enjoy cooking demos and seminars led by renowned chefs, epic parties, and more than 200 wine purveyors exhibiting at the Grand Tasting Pavillion. The event ushers in the summer season in Aspen, a luxe Rocky Mountain city with a walkable downtown full of fabulous shopping. A chef-friend of mine calls this a can’t-miss festival!
Stay at:
Hotel Jerome: Part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, this swanky hotel has a prime spot in downtown Aspen and is a true social hub of the city. It leans into its historic Western roots—the property was built in 1889—with lots of leather, antlers, and Western textiles. Think of it as Cowboy Chic.
The St. Regis: Nestled right at the base of Aspen Mountain, this elegant resort is the host hotel for the FOOD & WINE Classic—so stay here if you want to be in the middle of all the action. You can take a break from all the wine-ing and dining with a plunge in the heated outdoor pool or hot tubs with breathtaking mountain views.
Outstanding in the Field
Best for: Localvores
This isn’t a food festival, per se—but it’s one of the most unique food + travel experiences I’ve ever come across! Outstanding in the Field is a collective that hosts pop-up dinners around the world, in stunning locations that feature guest chefs from the area and hyper-local ingredients. They’re often located at picturesque farms, vineyards, or groves right outside of major metropolitan areas—so attending one is a great way to combine a city break with a stay in the country.
For example, you could attend a pop-up dinner at Wild Harmony Farm outside of Providence, Rhode Island. You’ll dine in lush pastures surrounded by meadows of wildflowers where farm animals roam freely, while dining on Chef Renee Touponce’s creative, low-waste take on seafood. It takes place on August 26, 2025—perfect for a late summer getaway to the gorgeous coast of Rhode Island.
Stay at:
Ocean House: This luxe, family-friendly property is a classic New England coastal charmer. Perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill (less than a 45-minute drive from Wild Harmony Farm), the butter-yellow estate is the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in Rhode Island. Summer is the perfect time for a stay; every Friday guests can meander down to the beach for a lobster boil with live music.
The Chanler at Cliff Walk: Combine your farm feast with a stay in Newport, RI, home to resplendent Golden Age mansions and the famed “Cliff Walk,” a 3.5-mile coastal walk boasting amazing views of the ocean (and all the oceanfront mansions). You’d be staying in one of those mansions when you check in at The Chanler, an intimate and historic boutique hotel with a can’t-be-beat location. If you want to explore further afield, the hotel offers two luxury SUVs to whisk you away.
VIP your food & wine escape
If you’re looking for property perks that are as juicy as a big, bold pinot noir … you’re in the right place. Each of the properties featured above are a part of Virtuoso, the world’s leading collection of luxury travel brands. EP Signature Travel is proudly affiliated with Virtuoso through my host agency Gifted Travel Network.
That means I can pass on incredible Virtuoso perks to clients, including: complimentary breakfast, spa/hotel credits, room upgrades (if available), early check in/late check out, and more.
If you think exclusive VIP perks make the perfect pairing with your food and wine escape, then get in touch to start planning—or browse and book your own Virtuoso stay right here.
