Top culinary travel destinations on two continents

Culinary travel is great because it can be part of almost any other type of travel, since eating is something everyone is guaranteed to do at least occasionally while on vacation. Here’s the latest culinary travel news from two continents.

First up is Orbitz’ Insider Index top wine and dine travel destinations. Its list of most-booked destinations near vineyards—a pretty good way of guessing the main concern of vacationers—is divided by U.S. region. Top in the west is Monterey County, California; Cayuga Lake, New York, in the Northeast; central Virginia in the South; and the Ohio River Valley in the Midwest. Orbitz’ staff insider picks for top wine and dine destinations include Portland, Oregon; Seattle; San Francisco; Charlottesville, Virginia; St. Louis; Fredericksburg and Austin, Texas; and Portsmouth and Newport, Rhode Island.

I also got an email from VisitEurope.com detailing culinary delights by country. For instance, Truffle Days runs from October 1 through November 12 in the village of Livade during Croatia’s annual truffle harvest. And in Switzerland, the Chestnut Festival in Ascona serves up chestnut-based food. In Sweden, fall means lobster season, and apparently some coastal hotels offer “you catch it, we cook it” lobstering excursions. Yum, or ouch?