San Diego Bay's Wine & Food Festival: Only in business since 2004, this Festival almost immediately became a "must" foodie event. In the organizers' own phrase, it's a "lip-smacking, glass-clinking, celebrity-watching, swishing-swirling, mouth-watering king of event." Who can resist that? The 5-day SDB Wine & Food Festival features seminars, cooking classes by award-winning chefs, olive oil competition, dueling chef competitions, winemaker dinners, auctions, celebrity cookbook signings, entertainment—and lots and lots of food and wine. More than 60 fine-dining restaurants and 160 worldwide wineries cook and pour.

Aspen's Food & Wine Classic: Each June since 1982 Aspen has hosted this renowned three-day event with its fabulous food, incredible wines, demonstrations, classes, a wine auction, and lots of schmoozing. Some of the biggest names in the food business lead seminars and engage in Q&A sessions with the audience (among recent stars: Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Pépin, Wolfgang Puck). Back-dropped by beautiful mountains, participants wander through large tents sampling a bounty of glorious food and wine from hundreds of international exhibitors. And Aspen itself has a great deal to offer every season of the year.

 

 

Denver—The Great American Beer Festival: An annual, three-day event held in late September/early October since 1982, The Great American Beer Festival is sponsored by the Brewers Association (established in 2005 by a merger of the Association of Brewers and the Brewers' Association of America). The Festival brings visitors from around the world to sample nearly 2000 American beers (in 2008 over 46,000 people attended). More than 100 international judges take the measure of 2000+ domestic beers to award medals in 75 beer-style categories. The Festival celebrates America's innovative beer culture, highlighting small and independent craft brewers. Activities, seminars, dinners, and other events add luster to this already lustrous event.

Lake Buena Vista—Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: For six weeks each year, from late September to early November, Epcot (part of the Walt Disney World Resort) shows off tantalizing bites and sips from around the planet. Epcot's IFWF is huge, offering not only dozens of spots dishing up food, but cooking demonstrations, seminars, dinners, wine/beer tastings... You can walk from one pavilion or "marketplace" to another, sampling food, perusing native crafts, listening to music. Each Saturday night a party takes place: entertainment is provided, while you visit food stations where dishes have been prepared by Disney and visiting chefs. Some events are free with Epcot admission/parking; other events—let's face it; they're the really good ones—require a fee. It's all mostly about food, and it's all mostly fun.

Longboat Key—The Stone Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival: Held near Sarasota at the Colony on Longboat Key each October since 1989, the 3-day Longboat Key Festival may be the country's most casual foodie get-together. You'll feel at ease attending a cooking class in your tennis togs, or strolling up to a buffet table—groaning with crabs, shrimp, and oysters—in your bathing suit. Dress it up a bit and hit the patio at dusk for a theme drink, and then work your way through a ten-course banquet. Casual, yes; but serious, too. Chefs come from the country's best restaurants to cook for you, and winery sponsors include the likes of California's Schramsberg, Far Niente, and Hogue.

Miami—Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival: Definitely a "ya'll come" kind of thing—SOBEW&FF is a national, star-studded, four-day event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities like Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay and Paula Deen (the latter two shown here). The Grand Tasting Village, wine seminars, cookbook signings, tastings, star-spottings, cooking competitions, the Food Network Awards Show—it's fun!

Maui—Kapalua Wine & Food Festival: Since 1972, attendees at Maui’s Kapalua W&FF have enjoyed four days of wine and food with celebrated winemakers, chefs, and master sommeliers.  Imagine Maui along with themed tastings, seminars, night-time events, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting seminars, and winemaker dinners—and there's even a golf event for those that like to swing.  If you stay at Kapalua Resort, take advantage of the Festival Package, which typically includes accommodations for two and passes to most festival events. You might opt to stay elsewhere, paying separately for the Festival events that appeal to you. 

Big Island—Kona Brewers Festival: More than 60 types of craft ales and lagers served up alongside island cuisine created by two dozen chefs—as you'd expect, the Kona Brewers Festival is always a sellout event! Aside from the suds and food, you'll also find plenty of live music and entertainment (lots of hula). The signature event: breweries from Hawaii and the mainland "tap up" two types of beer each, which you get to sample to the accompaniment of island-style fish, barbecue, local produce, desserts. At the annual Trash Fashion Show, models pace the runway with attire made from recycled material like grocery bags and tires. And the Beer and Food Pairing Dinner is always a revelation. Other activities include a golf open, a 5K run, and the popular Homebrew Competition.

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Held for 5 days on and around Memorial Day each year, the city's NOWFE attracts America's top chefs. The Experience offers culinary seminars, demonstrations, and most of all winemaker dinners in which local cuisine from top restaurants is paired with wines from nearly 200 wineries around the world. And it's all celebrated against a backdrop of New Orleans' art, architecture, music, people, and antiques. They bill it as a "five-day feast for all of the senses," and they're not exaggerating.

Las Vegas—Vegas Uncork'd: Did you know that most of the world's great chefs have restaurants in Las Vegas? Chefs that are household names to foodies—Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, Joël Robuchon, Nobu Matsushisa, Wolfgang Puck, Guy Savoy and many more. Consider that and then ponder what a food event in Vegas might be like, especially if organized by a trio of powers: Bon Appetit Magazine; a group of local hotels (including über hotels Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Wynn Las Vegas); and the town's Convention & Visitor's Authority. What you've got is one big happenin' scene—Vegas Uncork'd! Four jam-packed days of famous chefs, workshops, dinners, tastings, wine. In 2008 Uncork'd included a Tale of Five Chefs Gala at Bellagio; a delicious weekend wrap-up brunch and a cocktail smack down at Wynn Las Vegas; and the Grand Tasting and a Masters vs. Rookies Pro-Am cooking competition, both at Caesars Palace. Oh, yeah: Wolfgang Puck was co-chair. It happens each May, so start planning.

Charleston's Food & Wine Festival: This popular  4-day southern festival gives you the chance to meet (and eat the cookery of) some of the nation's top chefs, food authors, and wine professionals. At more than 50 events held during the Charleston Food & Wine Festival you'll learn about southern cuisine in general and the Low Country's unique food styles in particular. Annual highlights include the opening night's Celebration of Charleston Chefs, the Restaurant Dine-Around, Bubbles & Sweets, the King Street Sip & Stroll, the Low Country Gospel Brunch, and BBQ, Blues, & Brew. An expanded Culinary Village takes over Marion Square Park in downtown Charleston with two Grand Tasting Tents, culinary competitions, cooking demonstrations, chef tastings, and lots more. This event is usually  held in late winter. »»More about South Carolina's Low Country

Savor: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience—As noted by NBC's "The Today Show," beer is the new wine and can go with just about any food. ” Savor delivers a world-class beer and food pairing experience in celebration of today’s small, independent and traditional craft brewers, making it a must-attend happening for fermented beverage lovers and foodies alike. Attendees will enjoy craft beers from 65 small, independent and traditional craft brewers who will personally pair their offerings with sweet and savory appetizers. Converse with the luminaries of the craft beer industry - brewery owners, brewers and representatives will be on-hand - serving your beer Educational salons and workshops will provide additional opportunities to interact with some of America’s most celebrated craft brewers. »»More about Washington, D. C.