Power of the Palate: Journeying Through Food and Wine

Nadia Al-Amir (L) and Amanda Hathaway co-authored this article.

A new appetite is shaping traveler decision-making. While beautiful scenery and safety still top the list of destination selection drivers, today’s travelers are increasingly looking to indulge their palates. The “food and drink scene at a destination” has quickly risen to be one of the top three motivators for selecting a destination, according to a recent MMGY Travel Intelligence report. We’re seeing this trend explode as travelers build their itineraries around securing that highly coveted experience at the hottest spot in town.

What was once a luxury is now table stakes in the world of hospitality. These elevated offerings also enhance brand reputation and inspire consumer loyalty in powerful ways—something that we leverage for our clients’ advantage. Because when travelers connect with a destination through flavor—whether it’s a fire-cooked meal under the stars or an immersive cooking class—they’re building emotional associations that last long after checkout. And savvy brands aren’t just responding to this opportunity; they’re leading the charge by transforming food into a strategic hospitality asset.

Alisal Ranch, a luxury “dude ranch” nestled in California’s idyllic Santa Ynez Valley, draws visitors from all generations who return year after year for its unique culinary programming. BBQ Bootcamps, Ranch Cookouts—and even a BBQ University—celebrate local chefs, wineries and cooking styles and attract celebrity chefs and culinary brands. Alisal’s strong brand identity and commitment to a superior guest experience allow the ranch to stay true to its roots while showcasing today’s culinary stars and delighting its clientele.

Independent restaurants also play a crucial role in establishing a destination’s unique sense of place. In partnership with our client the James Beard Foundation, we’re expanding travelers’ understanding of what makes a culinary destination. As Stephanie Gravalese noted in a piece we secured in Forbes, “This year’s list features everything from Persian stews in Brooklyn (Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh) to Afro-Caribbean plates in Puerto Rico (Angel David Moreno Zayas of El Gallo Pinto) to wood-fired fish in Helena, Montana (The Union, Best New Restaurant). Chefs working in places once overlooked by coastal media—think Grand Junction, Tulsa, Omaha, Providence—are now front and center.”

And tourism boards are recognizing and rewarding these culinary endeavors. After being named the first-ever chef from West Virginia to win a James Beard Award, chef Paul Smith received both a Distinguished West Virginian Award and a key to the City of Charleston, West Virginia, for “bringing greater attention to the traditions and hospitality of our Mountain State.”

Further evidence of chefs driving the hotel experience comes from such leaders as acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who is combining Nobu style with a strong sense of locality, minimalist design and innate passion for service to create Nobu Hotels. Each is set in a captivating location around the world, including Wagstaff client Nobu Hotel Chicago. Other leaders are taking heed: Charlie Palmer is opening his first food-focused Appellation Hotel in Healdsburg, California this summer; José Andrés recently announced plans for his own hotel brand with the opening of The Bazaar House by José Andrés in Washington, D.C., set for 2027; and other chefs around the world are adding guest rooms to their properties.

As anyone who’s visited a winery while on vacation knows, wine tourism promises a relaxing, memorable experience. It’s not just a trip highlight for the casual wine lover—it’s also a rare source of optimism amid concerns over the health of the U.S. wine market. While this decline is often attributed to changing consumer tastes among younger generations, wine tourism is proving to be a powerful solution.

The act of visiting wineries for recreation and tasting isn’t new, but the consumer experience has grown substantially more sophisticated, thanks to wineries and industry leaders developing richer and more robust offerings. Adrian Bridge, CEO of Portugal’s The Fladgate Partnership, which owns several revered Port houses as well as a handful of luxury hotels, notes that enotourism can benefit the wine market as long as the approach is updated for today’s traveler. “Visitor experiences must be done properly, in line with brand values and positioning and needs to be differentiated. Too many wine brands simply open up a tasting room and do not think about how to create demand or differentiate from their neighbors.”

And he’s put his own advice into practice—Bridge and TFP developed the ambitious WOW Cultural District in Porto. This district creates a multifaceted experience for travelers that also boosts the local economy while driving sales of Port. According to Bridge, Portugal has seen U.S. visitor numbers soar—from 30,000 a decade ago to two million in 2023—a trend that wine tourism initiatives like WOW contributed to and aim to sustain and build upon. “These are people exposed to the country, culture, food and wine. With strong wine tourism, we can showcase our brands and then increase sales in the U.S. market from people who have already tasted them and understood them—that is what WOW and our visitors’ centers can achieve.”

Wine tourism builds more than sales—it forges emotional bonds between brands and consumers. According to Sally Burton, Vice President of Marketing for Jackson Family Wines, enotourism is essential for creating lasting memories and connections with a brand. “Usually, when someone is visiting a winery, they are on vacation or taking a break from their usual routine, so they are relaxed and open to new experiences. A unique wine experience/tasting in a beautiful environment builds a lasting memory, a connection to the person who hosted the visitors and a stronger likelihood of brand recall and repeat purchase.”

Jackson Family Wines has a keen understanding of what travelers are seeking. With a portfolio of U.S. and international wineries, the brand leverages bespoke visitor experiences to inspire brand loyalty. “At many of our wineries, [visitors] are looking for ‘unpublished’ or exclusive experiences, such as library wine tastings or tastings of wines only available at the tasting room.” Beyond offering the exclusivity travelers crave, these experiences drive sales and loyalty through special offers and wine club sign-ups.

Pairing food and wine creates experiences that resonate deeply with travelers. At Napa Valley’s Sequoia Grove Winery in Rutherford, California, this combination is leveraged to share the brand’s philosophy on Cabernet Sauvignon pairings. The winery’s “A Taste For Cabernet” experience challenges traditional tropes around the wine’s lack of versatility. As the winery puts it, “You don’t have to throw a steak at every Cab.” According to Rick Bonitati, president of Sequoia Grove, visitors who partake in the experience seek to recreate it at home for friends and family. By sharing what they’ve discovered, visitors not only relive their time at the winery but also deepen their bond with the brand.

Culinary experiences and enotourism are powerful draws, pulling people from all age ranges and demographics. Even as the U.S. wine market struggles to connect with younger consumers, Millennials and Gen Zers are actively seeking out wine vacations, according to the recent 2024 WineGlass Marketing Wine Consumer Usage and Attitudes Survey. Unlike older generations, younger consumers aren’t seeking education—they want to be entertained. Wineries and wine regions that create one-of-a-kind opportunities to enjoy the world of wine will spark passion and loyalty in their younger consumers.

Travel is a cultural bridge of understanding. And food, wine and hospitality bring curious travelers to celebrate and discover a destination’s identity through shared meals and raised glasses.

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Nadia Al-Amir is Managing Director of PR, North America at Wagstaff. Amanda Hathaway is VP of PR, Wine & Spirits, at Wagstaff.