Hungry for spring travel? Fill up on food and wine festivals

For food lovers, choosing which restaurant to hit in a new city can be a difficult task. You can sidestep the issue by planning a trip around a food and wine festival.

Such culinary events take place all year long nationwide. This spring, Maui, Aspen and Austin could be on the tasting menu. Here are some great options.

When: March 18-22.

One of America's most distinctive cities, New Orleans is also a culinary capital. Here you can feast on Creole and Cajun creations, taste influences from Spain, France and the Caribbean while experiencing a depth of culture. Over five days in March, the city turns up the hospitality and party atmosphere for a series of events such as the Grand Tastings, where a few dozen wineries pour and restaurants such as Antoine's, Domenica, Brennan's, Shaya, Gris-Gris, Meauxbar and Commander's Palace dole out bites. Festival experiences include the Vinola wine event, peeping into French Quarter wine cellars and celebrating legendary restaurant Broussard's 100th anniversary. You can purchase some individual event tickets; packages for the full experience range from $340 to $995 (nowfe.com).

When: March 20-21.

Beyond the usual eats and drinks, this festival in Panama City Beach, Fla., adds music (Death Cab for Cutie and Joywave) and the backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico. Two days of deliciousness take place in Aaron Bessant Park, kicking off Friday night with a concert and party featuring recent "Top Chef" winner Kelsey Barnard Clark. Tickets are $175 each and include a private VIP bar and air-conditioned restrooms. Day 2 features the Grand Afternoon Tasting of treats from Northwest Florida chefs, drinks and a concert. The tasting and concert cost $75 (visitpanamacitybeach.com/unwined).

When: April 1-4.

When: April 24-26.

Austin's food and drink scene has blossomed in the past decade. A heavy influence of barbecue and Mexican fare is obvious, along with some of the best sushi you've ever had. Austin Food & Wine presents an ideal way to check it all out. Head south to mingle with chefs such as Austin farm-to-table champion Bryce Gilmore, TV food personality Andrew Zimmern, progressive Mexican maestros Rico Torres and Diego Galicia from Mixtli, and barbecue master Tim Love. Sustainability will be the focus of a special family-style meal under the stars. The all-in ticket costs $625 and a weekender pass is $250 (austinfoodandwinefestival.com).

When: May 13-17.

Do you ever need an excuse to head to Nantucket, the idyllic island enclave 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod? No, but here's a great one: Enjoy five days of eating oysters, drinking rosé, sampling cocktails, attending seminars and so much more. There also will be a Yappy Hour to honor our dog friends for $25, a Pop Open the Bubbles seminar for $150, a Harbor Gala for $275 and more (nantucketwinefestival.com).

When: May 21-25.

When: June 19-21.