Looking for a 2026 trip that hits your palate, your passport, and your playlist? Food & Wine’s roundup of favorite travel stories from 2025 is basically a cheat sheet for planning the year ahead—equal parts delicious and delightfully eclectic. As associate editorial director Ashley Day frames it,
“From Arizona to Vienna, these destinations should be on your wish list.” — Ashley Day, Food & Wine
Consider this your surf-meets-cellar guide to the highlights, with a few pro pairing ideas to make each stop sing.
Lockhart, Texas: Smoke, spirit, and a side of wine
Lockhart’s long been the pilgrimage for brisket disciples, but Food & Wine notes it’s evolved into more than a meat mecca. It’s an easy day trip from Austin, which means you can thread BBQ, honky-tonks, and tasting rooms into one perfectly saucy loop. If you’re mixing smoke with sip, slide west to Driftwood—Driftwood Estate Winery is less than an hour from town—where Hill Country views pair nicely with a zippy rosé or a sun-loving Tempranillo. Brisket meets berry fruit? Tastes like Texas summer.
12 beautiful U.S. vineyards: coast-to-coast tasting routes
Katie Kelly Bell’s curated list stretches across Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Colorado, California, and Texas—12 places with the kind of scenery that makes you wonder if your glass is actually a travel accessory. Booking a harvest-season weekend? Aim for early fall in the Pacific Northwest (cool nights, vivid color), or late September on the Great Lakes for the crisp apple-cider vibe without the frostbite. Pro tip: build in buffer time between tastings. Your palate—and your designated driver—will thank you.
- Washington/Oregon: Pinot and Syrah with forested backdrops. Think light jackets, big aromatics.
- Michigan: Riesling and sparkling on freshwater coasts. Yes, bubbles belong on beaches.
- Colorado: High-altitude reds with clean mountain air. Hydrate like you’re hiking—because you probably are.
- California: Pick your lane—coastal Chardonnay or Paso’s powerhouse reds.
- Texas: Hill Country hospitality with sun-baked varietals. Boots optional, sunscreen not.
Vienna: Cappuccino lore and café culture perfected
Vienna’s coffee tradition isn’t just legendary—it’s officially listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The city claims the cappuccino origin story and backs it up with more than 2,000 cafés spanning grand coffeehouses, pastry shops with their own cafés, espresso bars, and micro-roasteries. The best part? As Food & Wine points out, you can linger over a single cup with zero pressure. Pair your melange with a late-afternoon wander through wine bars in the 1st district—Grüner Veltliner with schnitzel energy is a real mood.
Epcot’s adults-only speakeasy: fireworks with a cocktail chaser
Orlando may scream family vacation, but the most-clicked theme park story is geared squarely at the grown-ups: an adults-only speakeasy tucked behind an Epcot favorite where fireworks become your nightly dessert course. Here’s your move—daytime around the world, evening behind the velvet rope. Think spirit-forward classics, minimal stroller traffic, and the kind of nostalgia that only feels cooler in a dimly lit booth.
Florida oysters: boutique, clean, and always in season
Florida’s farm-raised oysters are having a moment, and for good reason. Boutique aquaculture means cleaner bivalves and consistency you can taste—like terroir, but tidal. The Sunshine State’s year-round harvest gives you freedom to build an itinerary around oyster bars and boat tours, then pop a local sparkling or chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Salinity plus citrus? It’s the gulf-breeze version of surf and turf.
How to stitch these into a 2026 itinerary
One way to play this: start in Austin, day-trip to Lockhart for brisket, then swing to Driftwood for a sunset tasting. Next, hop north for a Pacific Northwest harvest weekend (two regions, three tastings, five new favorites). Slide east to Vienna for café culture and wine bars, then land back in Florida for oyster slurps and an Epcot speakeasy finale. It’s a cross-continental arc that balances high-low pleasures: espresso traditions, fireworks with a nightcap, smoke rings by day, and grape juice with altitude.
Travel-smart tips for flavor-focused trips
- Shoulder season wins: Fewer crowds, better conversations at tasting rooms, and more flexibility.
- Book tastings early: Small, high-caliber vineyards fill up—especially on crisp Saturdays.
- Pair locally: Drink what the region grows best; it’s literally built to match the food.
- Leave room to linger: In Vienna cafés and Texas barbecue lines, patience is part of the ritual.
- Respect the vibe: Speakeasies, cafés, tasting rooms—their magic is in the ambiance as much as the pour.
The throughline in Food & Wine’s 2025 favorites—now your 2026 playbook—is simple pleasures done exceptionally well. Lockhart’s smoke, Vienna’s café etiquette, Florida’s clean oysters, and vineyards that beg you to slow down: none of it requires a five-star checklist, just curiosity and a decent corkscrew. Plan light, taste deeply, and let the destinations do the heavy lifting.
Source: https://www.foodandwine.com/where-to-travel-in-2026-11867234
