Whatever else 2017 brings, one thing is certain: our appetite for eating our way across the planet shows no signs of being sated. Fortunately, travel operators of all kinds are rising to the occasion, offering more opportunities to enjoy good food and wine than ever before. Add in some exciting emerging foodie destinations – from England's vineyards to Tasmania's microbreweries – and we are sure it's going to be a delicious year.
SAVOUR SOME SEOUL FOOD
It's official: Korea is the hot new destination for global gourmets. Just ask that arbiter of fine food, Michelin, which later this year will release its first guide focused on Seoul. There's nothing that boosts a city's foodie cred faster than a shower of Michelin stars, so probably best to make a booking now if you're planning to eat at one of Seoul's top tables, such as Mingles, La Yeon and Jungsik. Michelin Guides don't limit themselves to fine dining, of course, so you can also look forward to tips on where to find the city's best bulgogi and fried chicken.
See: Exploring the best of Korean street food on foot
EAT LIKE A ROYAL AT VERSAILLES
Always wanted to feast like a king? Then head for Versailles, where a new dining venue has just opened. There is only one person the French would put in charge of a meal fit for royalty, and that's the chef who heads one of the world's great culinary empires: Alain Ducasse. Housed on the first floor of Versailles' Pavilion Dufour, Ducasse's new restaurant – rejoicing in the official title of ore: Ducasse au Chateau de Versailles – offers all-day dining. At time of writing, the menu had not been released, but it's anticipated that a three-course lunch will cost around €35.
ENJOY A MOVABLE FEAST
To be honest, Japan Rail's new five-star train looks so glamorous that we were excited about it even before we read about its culinary offering. Traversing a route between Kyoto and Shimonoseki, the elegant Twilight Express Mizukaze has streamlined sleeper carriages and two observation cars with panoramic windows, but we suspect smart guests will spend most of their time in the sleek dining car. The on-board menus have been created by two of Japan's top chefs, Hajime Yoneda and Yoshihiro Murata, who has no fewer than seven Michelin stars to his name. Japan Rail isn't the only track star recruiting culinary heavyhitters: Aussie chef Luke Mangan has just announced a new partnership with south-east Asia's luxurious Eastern & Oriental trains.
twilightexpress-mizukaze.jp/en, belmond.com
DRINK ENGLISH WINE. YES, REALLY
Wineries such as Chapel Down Vineyard in Kent are winning awards for their sparkling wine. Photo: Visit England/Jean Luc Benard
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. With English sparkling wine producers chalking up one triumph after another – including a recent blind tasting where French experts chose an English Nyetimber sparkling wine over a Billecart-Saumon Grand Cru champagne – even legendary champagne house Taittinger has started buying up farmland in Kent. With over 200 wineries opening in the last five years, it is time you checked out the English wine scene for yourself. There are several acclaimed wineries that can be visited on a day trip from London, including Chapel Down in Kent, which is open all year around, or the award-winning Nyetimber in West Sussex, open on selected weekends.
See also: 20 things that will shock first-time visitors to the UK
CRUISE INTO INTIMATE DINING…
A dish at Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver, one of the dining options on board Ovation of the Seas.
When it comes to megaliners, bigger is usually better. On board Royal Caribbean's 4000-passenger Ovation of the Seas, however, they are thinking small, at least when it comes to mealtimes. Instead of gathering passengers in one cavernous main dining room, they have opted for five separate restaurants, offering a much more convivial dining experience. That's leaving aside the 13 other dining options, which include the theatrical Wonderland, where molecular gastronomy techniques transform a meal into a culinary adventure.
See: Biggest cruise ship ever based in Australia arrives in Sydney
… AND A WORLD OF FINE WINES
Cruise lines are also working hard to lure wine aficionados on board. Celebrity Cruises' popular wine blending classes – where guests can create their own blend and have it bottled, complete with personalised labels – are being unrolled across the entire fleet, while the newly refurbished Queen Mary 2 is also touting its wine credentials. Along with wine tastings and master classes, the ship claims to have "the finest wine cellar at sea". Guests can choose from more 450 wines, with by-the-glass choices including top-drawer options such as a 1998 Penfolds Grange.
celebritycruises.com.au, cunardline.com.au/QueenMary2
See: The Queen Mary 2's $177 million makeover
QUENCH YOUR THIRST IN TASMANIA
Visit distilleries such as Lark Distillery on Tasmania's Whisky Trail.
There's clearly something in the water in Tasmania, given the extraordinary numbers of distilleries and micro-breweries popping up across the state. If you have a hire car, you can now follow with the Whisky Trail – visiting acclaimed distillers such as Sullivans Cove or Lark Distillery – or the Beer Trail, taking in microbreweries such as Little Rivers Brewing Company, Kick Snare Brewing and Captain Bligh's Colonial Ale and Cider. If you prefer someone else to do the driving, sign up for a seven-day insider tour of the Apple Isle with chef Christine Manfield, through Epicurious Travel, or a six-day Gourmet Safaris itinerary led by Maeve O'Meara. Expect hands-on visits to cheesemakers, oyster farmers and other local food producers.
taswhiskytrail.com, tasbeertrail.com, epicurioustravel.com.au, gourmetsafaris.com.au
JOIN THE MILE-HIGH (DETOX) CLUB
As airlines around the world continue to battle it out for top culinary credentials, the emphasis is increasingly on food that makes you feel good. Companies such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are packing their menus with healthy choices, with the latter also introducing bespoke "power drinks", including a concoction of berries and spinach with maple syrup energiser. Qantas has chosen to go the locavore route, serving honey made from beehives at its Mascot HQ.
See: Revealed: How your plane meal is made
TACKLE A CULINARY CLASSIC
There's a lot more to Greek cuisine than fried calamari and Greek salad, and this is the year to discover it. Intrepid Travel is launching a nine-day Real Food Adventure Greece that explores the regional cuisines of the Saronic Islands and the Peloponnese, while visitors to Athens can explore the city's vibrant food scene on Context Travel's Beyond Feta walking tour. The country's many artisanal wineries are also overdue for their turn in the spotlight: wine lovers will fall in love with varietals such as the velvety agiorghitiko and the floral malagousia.
intrepidtravel.com, contexttravel.com
LUNCH WITH LONDON'S FAVOURITE LADIES
Men may rule the roost in kitchens around the world but two of London's most anticipated new restaurants will be run by women. While details for both are, at time of writing, still firmly under wraps, London's foodies are looking forward to the opening of Mere, the Charlotte Street restaurant of Monica Galetti, the long-time right-hand woman of Michel Roux jnr. Over in Notting Hill, Gordon Ramsay protege Clare Smyth, the first female chef in London to attain three Michelin stars, is also stepping out on her own. And in another milestone for female chefs, 2017 will see pioneering chef Ruth Rogers celebrating 30 years at the acclaimed River Cafe.
See: Where to eat in London, a chef's guide
JOIN THE CULINARY CHAMPIONS IN MELBOURNE
The greatest foodie show on earth is coming to town. The World's 50 Best Restaurants list may generate controversy when it is released every year, but its launch event invariably draws the world's top chefs. For only the second time, the 2017 awards will be held outside its London base: and this time, they're heading for Melbourne. Expect saturation coverage of the visiting chefs, when the circus rolls into town.
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