Wine, Travel, and Storytelling on the Global Festival Stage-By Jamie Knee
As a luxury wine travel writer and professional wine presenter, few moments feel as rewarding as stepping into a room where ideas, culture, and experience converge. This year, at Fest Forums, that convergence felt especially meaningful. I returned not as a speaker, but as a moderator. I guided a panel focused on the future of food and beverage festivals.
The session, What’s Cooking? Food and Beverage Festivals, brought together leaders shaping how wine, food, and culture are experienced by audiences around the world. Moderating this conversation felt like a full-circle moment. Just one year prior, I had the honor of speaking at Fest Forums. At that time, I shared insights from my work in wine travel media and my role as Director of the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience. In addition, returning to the stage as a moderator reflected not only professional growth, but also the evolving role of storytelling within experiential events.
Curating Experiences That Resonate
The panel featured an exceptional group of voices deeply rooted in wine, food, and festival production: Fred Brander of Brander Vineyard, Michelle Metter, and Tess Hartwell of Flavour Events. Together, we explored how thoughtful vendor curation, intentional wine and culinary storytelling, and smart production decisions create festivals that feel meaningful rather than transactional.
These conversations matter. Across global wine and food festivals, audiences are no longer seeking only tastings. They want context and connection. And want to understand the people, places, and cultures behind what is in their glass or on their plate. This is where my work as a wine travel journalist, festival moderator, and cultural communicator naturally lives.
Wine Travel, Festivals, and Global Perspective
My career has taken me from vineyard tastings in Europe to wine festivals across the United States. I have gone from moderating panels to hosting immersive wine dinners. I have also presented regional wine narratives on stage and on screen. Whether I am covering international wine travel, judging major wine competitions, or moderating conversations with producers and event leaders, my focus remains the same: helping audiences feel transported, informed, and inspired.
Wine festivals and food events succeed when they balance education with emotion. The most memorable festivals are not just about what is poured. Instead, they are about how stories are shared, how cultures are honoured, and how guests feel welcomed into the experience. Moderating panels like this allows me to bridge those worlds. It connects producers, organizers, and audiences through thoughtful dialogue.
Looking Ahead
Fest Forums continues to be an important gathering for those shaping the future of experiential food and beverage events. I am grateful to Wine & Food Festivals for creating a space where meaningful conversations thrive.
For wine festivals, food and beverage events, tourism boards, and conference organizers seeking a speaker or moderator who understands wine culture, global travel, and audience engagement, this work is at the heart of what I do. Bringing ideas together, elevating voices, and shaping conversations around wine and food is not just my profession. It is my passion.
Favorite Food and Wine Festivals Around the World
Over the years, food and wine festivals have been an essential part of my professional journey, not only as a speaker and moderator, but as a wine travel storyteller deeply invested in how place, culture, and hospitality intersect. These events consistently set the standard for excellence, education, and experience-driven programming. Furthermore, they continue to inspire my work across global wine destinations.
Some of my favorite food, wine and travel festivals include:
- Fest Forums
https://www.festforums.com
A global think tank for festival creators, producers, and culinary leaders shaping the future of food and beverage events. - IWINETC
https://www.iwinetc.com
One of the most influential international conferences dedicated to wine tourism, destination marketing, and global wine travel. - San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
https://www.sandiegowineclassic.com
A dynamic, multi-day celebration that beautifully blends wine, food, lifestyle, and coastal California culture. - SommCon
https://www.sommcon.com
A leading professional conference for sommeliers, wine educators, buyers, and beverage directors. - Pebble Beach Food & Wine
https://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com
An iconic luxury festival where world-class wine, cuisine, and destination experiences intersect. - Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
https://www.foodandwineclassic.com
A cornerstone of global culinary culture, known for its depth of education, star talent, and alpine elegance. - Hawaii Food & Wine Festival
https://hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com
A festival rooted in sustainability, regional storytelling, and a deep respect for place. - South Beach Wine & Food Festival
https://sobewff.org
One of the world’s most recognized food and wine festivals, blending culinary excellence with global visibility. - visibility.
- Santa Barbara Wine Festival
https://www.sbcountywines.com/santa-barbara-wine-festival
Hosted at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, this festival highlights the depth, diversity, and terroir of Santa Barbara County wines in one of California’s most beautiful coastal settings. - Sta. Rita Hills Wine & Fire Weekend
https://www.staritahills.com
A deeply rooted regional celebration that brings together winemakers, chefs, and collectors for an immersive exploration of one of California’s most distinctive AVAs.
These festivals represent the kind of thoughtful, experience-led events where wine education, travel, culture, and community come together. They are the spaces where meaningful conversations happen, both on stage and beyond it. Moreover, I am honored to contribute as a speaker, moderator, and wine travel communicator.
