A day spent tasting great wine, eating delicious food and conversing with local culinary connoisseurs is always a great day in my books. This list of the best wine festivals in the USA will give you lots of options for squeezing in a day (or weekend!) of wine-filled fun on your next road trip or staycation.
This is the cumulative list of the USA’s top rated wine festivals by month of the year.
Best Wine Festivals in the USA All Year Round!
1. Key West Food & Wine Festival
January 23rd – 28th, 2024
The Key West Food & Wine Festival is one of the most highly regarded wine festivals in the country. Across 5 days every January, ticket holders can experience over 20 unique events across the tropical islands of Key West. Picture escaping the cold and enjoying curated meals with beautiful waterfront views – talk about fancy!
Complete with refined dinners, costume parties, unique winemaker + chef collaborations, this event should definitely be on your wine festival bucket list!
Ticket pricing hasn’t been disclosed for next year, but past ticket pricing ranged anywhere from $25-$400. Tickets are on sale starting in October!
2. Seattle Wine and Food Experience
February 20-22
The Seattle Wine and Food Experience is an event for wine and food lovers alike! This festival is 3 days long and has a unique theme for each day.
Day one, entitled “Comfort”, is all about (you guessed it!) comfort food. Complete with mac and cheese, fried chicken, and craft beers. Day two is “Pop! Bubbles + Seafood” and sounds like the best day ever – featuring seafood from the Pacific Northwest paired with bubbles. The festival rounds out day three with “The Grand Tasting” where guests enjoy a showcase of cuisine inspired from the region.
Ticket Pricing: $60 for just Day 1, $65 for Day 2 and 3, $50 for just Day 3
3. Charleston Food + Wine
March 6 – 10, 2024
The Charleston Food + Wine festival has tons of amazing events, I’m not sure how how one decides on which to attend! Between tastings, restaurant lunches and dinners, excursions, music events, and cooking classes, there is something for everyone! I’m convinced you’d be able to attend for many years and always find new events.
One event that really caught my eye was the “Wild Oysters” event. Talk about fresh oysters! Board a boat and learn all about harvesting these little beauties and then finish the tour with an oyster roast and samples courtesy of Chef Shaun Brian (and of course paired sips!).
Be sure to secure tickets well ahead of time as many events often sell out 6 months in advance! Tickets are available per event and range anywhere from $45 – $350.
4. Charlotte Wine and Food Week
April 17 – 21, 2024
Next up on our list of wine festivals throughout the year, is Charlotte’s Wine and Food Week. This event brings together the top vintners in the country and Charlotte, NC’s top chefs all while raising money for local charities.
Ticket holders can expect to attend large group tastings, intimate dinners, live auctions and more! This festival has raised over $5.5 Million to the community over the past 34 years.
Deemed one of the top five wine festivals in the country in 2014 and a “must-attend” event by Sommelier’s Choice Awards, you will absolutely want to snag tickets to this event! Pricing hasn’t been released yet for next year’s event, so be sure to check back on their website often!
5. Nantucket Food and Wine Festival
May 15 – 19, 2024
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The Nantucket Food and Wine Festival is next on my year-long tour of the best wine festivals in the US! Nestled just 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, this festival is a great way to kick off the spring season in the great state of Massachusetts.
During this five day event, attendees take part in exquisite tastings, meals, and seminars on one of the most serene islands in the northeast. Events feature wine tastings from around the world including France, Italy, Chile, and the UK.
Plan your spring trip to Nantucket and be sure to stay at the luxury White Elephant, the official host of the event, to really soak in everything the island has to offer! While pricing isn’t released yet for the upcoming festival, past tastings have started at $65 per session.
6. Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
June 14 – 16, 2024
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With picture-perfect Aspen, Colorado as the back drop, it is a no-brainer that this food and wine festival is one of the most coveted by wine enthusiasts across the country. Attendees have the opportunity to engage in over 40 different seminars and demonstrations featuring celebrity chefs and wine and spirit experts – Andrew Zimmern, Nancy Silverton, and Tyler Florence just to name a few!
You can also attend their special event after parties featuring celebrities – Chrissy Tiegan was a host in previous years! Needless to say, this is one of the higher-end events on this list but worth the splurge! Pricing for this upcoming year has not been released at this time.
7. Finger Lakes Wine Festival
Beginning of July 2024
If you have always wanted to live out your toga party dreams while sipping the best wines from upstate New York, then the Finger Lakes Wine Festival is for you! You don’t need to have a refined palette to fit in at this celebration. Complete with costume contests, glamping, live music and fireworks, this event is perfect for both wine amateurs and connoisseurs!
The Fingerlakes is known for its cool-climate winemaking, specifically its riesling grapes. Snag a ticket to this event to learn about and experience upstate New York vintners. Be sure to attend the popular Taster’s Banquet – an exclusive multi-course meal with paired wines curated by Watkins Glen International Execute Chef.
8. Bounty of Yamhill County
Mid August 2024
Nestled right in the picturesque wine country of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this festival brings together fantastic wineries, accomplished chefs and sustainable farms for a long weekend celebration. Given the historical pioneer attitude of Oregon, this is a locally-sourced and down to earth event like no other.
This year on their “Big Night”, guests will experience a Northwest Coast style Salmon Bake complete with a variety of paired wines and sweet treats. They also hold their outdoor Picnic Series events that combine local chefs and winemakers for tastings and live auctions.
Grab tickets to this event and explore the local charm of Oregon wine country!
9. Chow Chow Culinary Festival
2024 Dates Coming Soon!
This wine festival held in Asheville, North Carolina is one of the most unique in the states. Chow Chow prides itself on bringing together local chefs and winemakers to create an educational and accepting environment for people around the world. One of Chow Chow’s foundational beliefs is that the most important (and sometimes hard) conversations occur around the table and great food should always be the vessel.
Held on 3 separate weekends throughout the year, this festival is complete with tastings, seminars, and workshops at affordable prices.
For the September weekend, an event that caught my eye is “Dynamic Women” a multi-course experience of small bites and tastings by 7 top female chefs. The event includes 21 (!!) small bites and up to 7 cocktail samples all for $60! I mean.. what a steal!
Grab your tickets for any of their weekend events throughout the year, and be sure to explore the beautiful city of Asheville, North Carolina while you’re there!
10. New York City Wine & Food Festival
October 10 – 13, 2024
I had to include this festival because not only is it in one of the greatest cities in the world, it’s hosted by The Food Network! I am a HUGE Food Network lover making this event so on my bucket list.
This festival is star-studded and filled with over 80 unique events. Between intimate dinners, grand tastings, culinary demonstrations, and live music, there is something for everyone! You’ll see your favorite Food Network stars everywhere you turn and delicious New York City eats and drinks across every booth.
The most notable aspect is that the NYCWFF works with God’s Love We Deliver and has raised over $14 million to support those in need over the years.
Make sure to grab tickets to this epic celebration of food and wine in the city that never sleeps! Also – there are huge perks for Capital One Card members.. so if you have this card (or are thinking about getting it), that is another reason to snag tickets!
11. Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
July – November (ends Nov 18th in 2023!)
Between the number of people who love Disney World and the number of people who love food and wine, I think there is a large population that know all about this festival (or have at least heard of it). As someone who falls in both the Disney and wine-lover categories, I am ashamed to say I have yet to attend this iconic festival. I actually haven’t even drank around the world yet.. that needs to be fixed asap!! Regardless, this festival is absolutely on this list because it’s in the Happiest Place on Earth.. how can it not be amazing!?
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is an event like no other. With over 30 separate booths, food from around the world, concerts, and free (yes, free!) seminar experiences, it truly is magical. Disney makes it easy and fun to “travel” the world by supplying guests with Passports that serve as maps and menus with stickers so you can take note of what you ate and drank!
Luckily, once you have your Epcot park ticket, you are in the festival and you pay by item. Food is anywhere from $4-9 and drinks anywhere from $3-11. Be sure to check out the menus ahead of time so you know which booths you’d like to visit, as there is a lot to try!
12. Palm Beach Wine and Food Festival
December 7 – 10, 2023
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To finish out my year-long tour of wine and food festivals, I’ve selected the Palm Beach Wine and Food Fest as the event you must attend in December.
This event is star-studded! Past years have included top culinary personalities such as Robert Irvine, Maneet Chauhan, Daniel Boloud, and Marc Murphy. Each event is curated by top chefs and sommeliers and often include 4+ course meals with wine and spirit pairings.
Hosted at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, this event will make you feel like a celebrity for the weekend (especially because you will be surrounded by them!). Make sure to grab tickets way ahead of time, as events sell out super fast!
