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Food & Wine Magazine: "2026 Wine Roads Less Traveled" Experience
About This Experience
Some of the world's finest wines are being poured in places that haven't made it onto anyone's wine app yet. This experience takes you there first.
Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine's "2026 Wine Roads Less Traveled," this immersive getaway places you and a guest inside one of nine remarkable wine regions that Food & Wine Magazine calls "gorgeous, fascinating, and worth considering for your next vinous vacation."
You choose your destination: the sun-baked, high-desert rows of Walla Walla, Washington. The oak-draped old-vine fields of Lodi, California. The dramatic basalt cliffs of the Columbia Gorge along the Oregon-Washington border. The bohemian, open-air energy of Valle de Guadalupe in Baja's wine country. The medieval villages and forest-cooled cellars of Alsace and Jura in eastern France. Or the sparkling-wine estates and canal-laced cities of Franciacorta, Friuli, and Venice in northern Italy.
Once you've chosen your destination, the experience unfolds over three, five, or seven nights, depending on your choice. You'll be settled into a well-appointed local hotel or resort that fits the character of the region: a converted estate, a vineyard inn, or a boutique property.
The heart of the package is two winery tours and tasting curated by the town's up-and-coming wineries covered by Food & Wine. You'll tour the vines, hear the story behind the estate, and taste with the people who made what's in your glass.
Three nights lets you immerse in the essentials — two winery visits, a great meal, and time to simply sit somewhere beautiful with a bottle. With seven, the region has room to reveal itself: a morning at the market, a long lunch, a spontaneous detour down a dirt road between rows.
We are grateful to Food & Wine Magazine for exposing these up-and-coming vineyards to us and we are excited to offer a curated trip for your own assessment of these undiscovered treasures!
Location: Your choice of Walla Walla WA, Lodi CA, Columbia Gorge OR, Valle de Guadalupe Mexico, Alsace/Jura France, or Franciacorta/Friuli/Venice Italy
Guests: 2
Available durations: 3, 5, or 7 nights
Zero-Risk Consignment
You don't pay us until you sell it at your event. If it doesn't sell, no problem — there's no cost to you.
Your travel window is generous — three full years* from the date of your auction, event, or travel store purchase. Because this timeline is so broad, the specific featured resorts highlighted in your package may be swapped for a comparable property of equal caliber at any point, without prior notice.
This package is yours to enjoy — or to gift. After registration, you're welcome to pass it along to a friend or family member at no extra cost, provided no booking has been made. However, resale and re-auctioning are strictly off the table. Registration can happen anytime within your 3-year window.
Your stay is meant to be savored in one stretch. Accommodations must be used for consecutive nights and cannot be split across separate visits.
Choice is built in. Travelers can pick from a selection of resorts within their chosen wine region destination — the featured property included, but not your only option.
Here's what your accommodations look like: Boutique hotel or resort room hosting up to 2 guests in the traveler's selected wine region (Walla Walla WA, Lodi CA, Columbia Gorge OR, Valle de Guadalupe Mexico, Alsace/Jura France, or Franciacorta/Friuli/Venice Italy). Featured properties are subject to availability and may be swapped for a comparable property of equal caliber at any point, without prior notice.
Summer is in high demand. Resort availability during June, July, August, and September is extremely limited, and where rooms do exist, expect meaningful surcharges.
Browsing starts after you register. Once your package registration is complete, the Meridian Rewards Group Travel Selection System opens up, letting you view and choose from available resorts and arrival dates. Options typically appear 90 to 300 days before each arrival date, and all reservation requests must be placed no fewer than 90 days ahead of your chosen check-in.
Travel any season you like. This package is valid year-round, though peak-season dates hinge on what's available and may carry additional surcharges.
Nothing is guaranteed until it's confirmed. Every resort and date — featured properties included — is subject to availability.
Once a reservation is locked in, it's locked in. No alterations will be made for any reason — not to the traveler's name, travel dates, resort, or unit size. We strongly urge travelers to safeguard their full investment with travel insurance. A quick online search for "Travel Insurance" will surface plenty of reputable providers.
A few things aren't part of the package: airfare, meals, taxes, personal expenses, and any on-site fees (such as resort or amenity charges) that are payable directly at the property.
The 3-year window is a hard deadline. No extensions will be granted under any circumstances.
Additional conditions may come into play.
*A note on Year 3 travel: Because accommodation costs over such a long horizon are unpredictable, trips taken during the third year may incur a supplemental charge of up to $500.00.