Global Escapes

Food & wine

Some of the best travel memories happen at a table.

By the Global Escapes travel team · Updated

Typical length
7 to 12 days
Best time
Harvest season, September to October in Europe
The pace
Long lunches, tastings and cooking classes
Group size
Private or small-group experiences
What we arrange
Tastings, drivers, classes and reservations
Great for
Couples, friends and food lovers

Why travel for food and wine

A farmhouse lunch in Tuscany, pintxos in San Sebastián, a quiet tasting in a family cellar.

We plan trips around what you love to eat and drink, with private tastings at wineries that don’t usually open their doors, cooking classes in local homes, market tours with chefs, and tables at the places you’d struggle to book on your own.

Food and wine trips are wonderful for couples and groups of friends, and they pair beautifully with a river cruise through Burgundy, the Douro or the Moselle.

Where to go

Wine country, food capitals and a few places that are both.

Tuscany & Piedmont

Chianti and Brunello in Tuscany, Barolo and white truffles in Piedmont.

Best months
May to June, September to November
Typical length
7 to 10 nights
Best for
Wine lovers, slow travelers

Bordeaux, Burgundy & Champagne

Grand châteaux, family-run domaines and Champagne cellars carved into chalk.

Best months
May to October
Typical length
7 to 10 nights
Best for
Collectors, Francophiles

Rioja & San Sebastián

Spain’s great red wine country, then pintxos bars and celebrated restaurants on the coast.

Best months
April to October
Typical length
7 to 9 nights
Best for
Food lovers

The Douro Valley & Porto

Terraced vineyards, port lodges and quintas with river views.

Best months
April to October, harvest in September
Typical length
5 to 8 nights
Best for
Wine lovers, river cruisers

Napa & Sonoma

Close to home, with world-class tastings, farm-to-table dining and spa days.

Best months
Year-round, harvest August to October
Typical length
4 to 6 nights
Best for
Long weekends

The Cape Winelands

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, an easy add-on to Cape Town or a safari.

Best months
October to April
Typical length
3 to 5 nights
Best for
Safari add-on

Mendoza

Malbec country beneath the Andes, with asados and horseback rides through the vines.

Best months
October to April, harvest in March
Typical length
4 to 6 nights
Best for
Adventurous foodies

Japan

Sushi counters, ramen shops, sake breweries and kaiseki dinners.

Best months
March to May, October to November
Typical length
10 to 14 nights
Best for
Food lovers

Mexico City & Oaxaca

Street food, mole, mezcal and some of the most exciting restaurants anywhere.

Best months
October to April
Typical length
6 to 8 nights
Best for
Short flights, big flavors

When to go

Harvest is magical but busy. Here’s when each region is at its most delicious.

DestinationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Tuscany & PiedmontJan: Quieter seasonFeb: Quieter seasonMar: GoodApr: BestMay: BestJun: BestJul: GoodAug: GoodSep: BestOct: BestNov: BestDec: Quieter season
FranceJan: Quieter seasonFeb: Quieter seasonMar: GoodApr: GoodMay: BestJun: BestJul: BestAug: GoodSep: BestOct: BestNov: Quieter seasonDec: Quieter season
Rioja & San SebastiánJan: Quieter seasonFeb: Quieter seasonMar: GoodApr: BestMay: BestJun: BestJul: GoodAug: GoodSep: BestOct: BestNov: GoodDec: Quieter season
DouroJan: Quieter seasonFeb: Quieter seasonMar: GoodApr: BestMay: BestJun: GoodJul: GoodAug: GoodSep: BestOct: BestNov: GoodDec: Quieter season
Napa & SonomaJan: GoodFeb: GoodMar: BestApr: BestMay: BestJun: GoodJul: GoodAug: BestSep: BestOct: BestNov: GoodDec: Good
Cape WinelandsJan: BestFeb: BestMar: BestApr: BestMay: GoodJun: Quieter seasonJul: Quieter seasonAug: Quieter seasonSep: GoodOct: BestNov: BestDec: Best
MendozaJan: BestFeb: BestMar: BestApr: BestMay: GoodJun: Quieter seasonJul: Quieter seasonAug: Quieter seasonSep: GoodOct: BestNov: BestDec: Best
JapanJan: Quieter seasonFeb: Quieter seasonMar: BestApr: BestMay: BestJun: Quieter seasonJul: Quieter seasonAug: Quieter seasonSep: GoodOct: BestNov: BestDec: Good
Mexico City & OaxacaJan: BestFeb: BestMar: BestApr: GoodMay: GoodJun: Quieter seasonJul: Quieter seasonAug: Quieter seasonSep: Quieter seasonOct: BestNov: BestDec: Best

Best Good Quieter season

Harvest

Late August to October is harvest across the Northern Hemisphere, a magical and busy time in wine country.

Truffle season

Piedmont’s white truffle season runs from about October into December.

Southern harvest

In South Africa and Argentina, harvest falls from about February to April.

Spring

April to June brings fresh produce, mild weather and quieter cellars.

Find your style

Every food and wine trip is a little different. These are the pieces we build them from.

Private tastings

Cellar visits with the winemaker pouring, at estates that don’t usually open their doors.

Cooking & markets

Shop with a local chef, then cook and eat together in a home or farmhouse.

Celebrated tables

Reservations at the restaurants everyone talks about, timed around the rest of your trip.

Wine by river

Uniworld and Riverside sail through some of Europe’s great wine regions, with tastings along the way.

Villa weeks

A home base in wine country with a private chef for a night or two.

A day in wine country

  1. Morning

    Market visit

    Shop with a local chef for the day’s ingredients.

  2. Late morning

    Cooking class

    Cook, then eat what you made, with wine pairings.

  3. Afternoon

    Private tasting

    A family cellar, with the winemaker pouring.

  4. Late afternoon

    Back to the villa

    A swim, a nap or a walk through the vines.

  5. Evening

    Dinner out

    A table at the place you’ve been reading about.

What we arrange

  • Private tastings and winery visits
  • A driver for wine days
  • Cooking classes and market tours
  • Hard-to-get restaurant reservations
  • Boutique hotels and villas in wine country

Often extra

  • Wine purchases and shipping home
  • Tasting menus at top restaurants
  • Rare and library tastings
  • Travel insurance

You might also like

Taste your way down the river

River cruises through Burgundy, the Douro and the Moselle bring the vineyards to your window, with tastings in port.

Explore river cruises

Good to know

The small things that make a big difference.

Hire a driver

Wine days are better when no one has to drive. We arrange it as part of the trip.

Book tables early

The most sought-after restaurants can book up months ahead. We plan the trip around the ones that matter to you.

Shipping wine home

Many wineries ship to the U.S. You can also carry bottles in checked bags; duty may apply above the allowance.

Pace yourself

Two or three tastings a day is plenty, with a long lunch in between.

Harvest shifts

Harvest dates move with the weather each year, so we keep a little flexibility in fall trips.

Check closing days

Many European restaurants close one or two days a week, and some close for part of August.

Questions we hear a lot

When is harvest season?

Usually late August to October in Europe and the U.S., and February to April in the Southern Hemisphere.

Can we ship wine home?

Often, yes. Many wineries ship to the U.S. directly, or you can pack bottles in checked luggage and pay any duty due.

Do we need to know a lot about wine?

Not at all. The best winemakers love sharing their story with curious beginners.

Can you get us into popular restaurants?

We’ll do our very best, and we plan early for the tables that matter most to you.

How many tastings should we plan per day?

Two or three, with time for lunch and a rest. More than that and they start to blur together.

Let’s plan a trip you can taste

Tell us your favorite wines, foods and places on your list. An advisor will take it from there.

Start planning Call 706.549.1164