Winter is a time for food and beverages that nourish the body and cheer the soul. Indulge in gourmet experiences, discover new delicacies and explore the flavours of the world at these cold-season culinary festivals, from slopeside epicurean extravaganzas and mountaintop wine tastings, to midwinter feasts and street food fairs in the snow.
Wine Skisafari – De dl vin
Alta Badia, Italy
Alta Badia, a small valley within the vast Dolomites mountains, has slowly but steadily built itself a reputation as South Tyrol’s gourmet mountain resort. With the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the European Alps, plus a variety of foodie events, it’s the perfect destination for those who want to eat well after a day on the slopes. The Skisafari (3 March 2025) offers an opportunity to discover the right regional wines to accompany the excellent food, with guided tastings in mountain huts.
[Photo: © Alex Moling]
Yuki Matsuri Snow Festival
Sapporo, Japan
Japan takes its festivals seriously – and winter festivals are no exception. This snow festival (4-11 February 2025) takes over the capital of Hokkaido for one whole week. It prides itself on its almost 80-year history and wows visitors with increasingly spectacular snow and ice sculptures year on year. As usual in this part of the world, food and drinks are amongst the highlights of the event, including hot sake served at ice bars and a regional crab hot-pot specialty.
Harbin Ice Festival
Harbin, China
The largest ice and snow sculpture festival in the world (10 December 2024 – early March 2025) has much more to offer than just frozen art. The event also features winter sports, a traditional ice lantern display, amusement park entertainments like ice slides and a ferris wheel – and of course fabulous food. In order to beat the biting cold, much of the typical cuisine is hot and hearty, with a plethora of influences ranging from Russian to Korean. There is even a separate Ice and Snow Food Festival that takes place about a month after the main ice festival in Harbin.
Ski Food Festival
Kaltenbach, Austria
Tyrol’s Hochzillertal ski area celebrates the winter season opening with a two-day gourmet festival (14-15 December 2024). Thirteen mountaintop chalets and restaurants serve cuisine from 12 countries, from Norway to Mexico, with dishes created by celebrity chefs. Skiers can also refuel on the go with samples at the lifts and chairlifts throughout the day.
[Photo: © becknaphoto]
Winter Karneval
Leavenworth, Washington, USA
You could go to a winter festival in Bavaria – or you could visit a festival that bears only a superficial resemblance to the traditions of the Southern German region, but is great fun regardless. The Winter Karneval (1-31 January 2025) in the Washington State mountains is a family-friendly month of snow- and ice-based activities, illuminated by twinkling lights and spectacular fireworks. The town’s German-style eateries offer hearty fare to sustain revellers in the cold.
Jackson Hole Food & Winter Fest
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
This three-day food and wine festival (6-8 March 2025) is a sister event to the summer edition. The tastings, seminars and dinners take place at the mountain resort and other venues, with a focus on local chefs and restaurants. Their work is complemented by contributions from guest chefs, and next year’s edition will have the multiple James Beard Award-winning chef, Rick Bayless, as the featured chef. The food tastings are accompanied by wine, beer and spirits.
Taos Winter Wine Festival
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, USA
For one long weekend (30 January – 1 February 2025), the largest ski area in New Mexico is transformed into a gourmet destination with a side of skiing. Events include a reserve tasting, aprés ski tastings, a grand tasting, chef luncheons and wine dinners. Thirty wineries and 24 participating restaurants ensure that some of the best wines in the world reach every corner of the compact resort.
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Niagara Icewine Festival
Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Between Lake Ontario, the mouth of the Niagara River and the Niagara Falls, each winter a special festival (10-26 January 2025) celebrates the region’s unique icewine. This dessert wine, modelled after German Eiswein, is made from frozen grapes harvested after the first frost. Its flavour is sweet and intense, and the national Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) prides itself on the international accolades and prizes Ontario Icewine receives. The festival goes all-in on the ice theme, with a Cool as Ice Gala, an ice village on the lake, and a Discovery Pass for tastings and culinary pairings at Niagara’s wineries.
Wine Fest/Wine Week
Portillo, Chile
During the Southern Hemisphere winter, the oldest ski area in South America offers off-season snow for those who want to hit the powder year-round. The resort also hosts a range of slopeside events (26 July – 2 August 2025), including not one, but two wine festivals. Chilean Wine Week offers free tastings, while the Wine Fest is more focused on educating visitors on wine produced in Chile (but also: free wine!).
Lōemis Festival
Wellington, New Zealand
This annual arts festival, timed to coincide with the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice (June, 2025 dates TBA), has a strong focus on the arts. In addition to visual and performing, that also includes the culinary arts. The 2024 edition included food events like a winter foraging tour, a Gothic Feast accompanied by music, a Nordic-inspired Midwinter Feast by one of New Zealand’s top chefs, and a zero-waste soup party. The capital of New Zealand has a moderate climate, but Wellington gets windy and chilly, so it will feel like a winter festival – even without ice or snow.
[Photo: © Vanessa Rushton Photography]
[Header image courtesy of Ice Wine Festival]
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