Around the world in 80 bites? Surveying 2007’s upcoming array of fine food festivals, it looks like that just might be possible. Yet with monthly morsels like these on the horizon, the hardest part will be keeping ingestion to a mere six noshes per event. Whatever your regimen allows, here are some highlights to start your tasty travel planning.

World Pastry Cup 2007
Where: Lyon, France
When: January 21-22, 2007

Chefs from 20 countries compete against one another in rounds of chocolate desserts, frozen fruit desserts and dessert plates. Because France has won so many times in the past, they are not permitted to compete this year; luckily, there will be plenty of wonderful viennoiseries to sample in local cafes beyond the contest site.

Wine Marlborough Festival
Where: Marlborough, New Zealand
When: February 9-11, 2007

If you think NZ all about lamb chops and “hobbity” backdrops, you have another thing coming: Marlborough is one of the world’s leading Sauvignon Blanc regions, and this festival is one of the best ways to experience it. The mountains that border three sides and the ocean that borders the fourth provide a spectacular backdrop for tastings from 40 wineries, as well as gourmet olive oils and seafood.

Zythos Belgian Beer Festival
Where: Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
When: March 3-4, 2007

For a single Euro, this successor to the much-loved Antwerp 24-Hour Beer Festival offers tastings of all the beers available, from pubby brown and amber to more refined fruit and abbey ales. Highlights include premium beers made with chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, and the opportunity to sample rare Champagne beers like Malheur Brut. Take a side trip to Cantillon Brewery’s open brew day, savor some Belgian frites on-site, and you have yourself one of the continent's top beer celebrations.

A Taste of St. Croix
Where: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
When: April 19, 2007

High-end resorts are renowned for attracting some of the globe’s top culinary talents; what better way to sample their offerings than to squeeze in this multi-chef evening between scuba tours and sunbathing sessions? Fifty restaurants compete poolside and on the beach in five categories, with samples of Caribbean, Cajun, Italian, French, and other cuisines for thousands of attendees.

Boseong Green Tea Festival
Where: Boseong, Korea
When: End of May

Held in green-tea fields that seem to roll on endlessly, the Boseong Green Tea Festival comprises a range of experiential programs, including education on the wide variety of teas, picking tea leaves from a tea field, learning the etiquette for preparing, serving and drinking tea, tasting foods made from tea, and enjoying a tea facial mask. As a bonus, festival-goers will enjoy the dazzling sight of royal azaleas covering the entire area of Boseong, the largest tea-producing area in the country.