Three of the nation’s most influential wine magazines have awarded Washington State with top accolades for 2014. Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and Wine & Spirits have recently released their “Top of 2014” lists which include 37 wineries and 35 different wines from Washington State. These recognitions further cement Washington State’s reputation for crafting wines that rank among the world’s best.
Throughout the year, these publications each score and review approximately 18,000 submissions from around the world and then name their most celebrated wines in the following categories: Top 100 Best Buys, Top 100 Cellar Selections, Top 100 Values, Top 100 Most Exciting Wines, Top 100 Wines of the Year and the Top 100 Wineries of the Year.
“Washington achieves consistency across a range of varieties, with value opportunities encompassing styles from crisp, juicy Rieslings to bold, fruit-forward Merlots,” said Wine Spectator Copy Editor Keith Newton in the magazine’s December 31, 2014 issue. “Top producers hit the sweet spot of quality and price."
Wine Enthusiast named Washington State 27 times to its three Top 100 lists: Top 100 Best Buys, Top 100 Cellar Selections and its most acclaimed, Top 100 Wines of the World. Of the named 27 wines, Washington State landed in the top 10 of each list.
Two Washington State wines made Wine Spectator’s Year’s Most Exciting Wines, and seven additional wines were listed on Top 100 Values. In a collection of producers from around the world with the most exceptional track records in the magazine’s blind tastings this year, Wine & Spirits nodded to six Washington State wineries on its Top 100 Wineries of Year.
“It is an honor, and no surprise, to see our wines listed among the best from around the world,” said Steve Warner, president of Washington State Wine, the organization which represents all wineries and growers in Washington State. “2014 has been an exciting year for us, both as a vintage and now with this recognition. Look for more great things to come from Washington wine.”
TASTE WASHINGTON TICKETS NOW ON SALE - NATION’S LARGEST SINGLE-REGION WINE AND FOOD EVENT EXPANDS AND ADDS NEW EVENTS
Tickets to the 18th annual Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, are now on sale. This four-day extravaganza takes place March 26-29, 2015, at various venues throughout Seattle. Activities include the signature Grand Tasting featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and food from more than 70 top Pacific Northwest restaurants; a series of educational seminars on wine and cider led by the country’s top sommeliers and beverage writers; and the Red & White Party, an elegant, upscale evening with Washington State’s celebrated wineries pouring special selections from large-format bottles.
Ticket prices for the Grand Tasting at CenturyLink Field start at $90 for a one-day general admission pass. Seminars, to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, are $38 to $89. Topics range from “Washington vs. the World,” a blind tasting of the state’s finest Bordeaux-blends against some of the best the world has to offer; to in-depth explorations of the exciting wine-growing regions of the Columbia Gorge and Red Mountain. Tickets to the exclusive Red & White Party, which will be at AQUA by El Gaucho, are $175 per person.
To buy tickets or for more details on winery participation, featured chefs and seminar topics, visit www.tastewashington.org. Taste Washington is produced by Visit Seattle in partnership with Washington State Wine.
About Taste Washington:
Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 70 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 2015 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Airlines; the premier sponsors are Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card, Muckleshoot Casino, Seattle Met and Total Wine & More; and the event feature is Stella Artois. Taste Washington attracts more than 5,000 wine and food enthusiasts to the Seattle area. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit www.tastewashington.org.
About Visit Seattle :
Visit Seattle, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County’s official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. For more information, visit www.visitseattle.org.
About Washington State Wine:
Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSW provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSW is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit www.washingtonwine.org.
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JIM AND ELIZABETH CARROLL - BOOT CAMP DIRECTORS, WE TV’S MARRIAGE BOOT CAMP – PUTS REALITY STARS TO THE TEST
Find Out How they are Helping Famous TV Couples Shape Up Their Marriages In Season Two of WE tv’s Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars
Marriage Boot Camp founders Jim and Elizabeth Carroll have been working with couples across the country whose relationships are on the verge of falling apart for more than 20 years. They can offer their tried and true tips and take your questions, whether your relationship needs rejuvenating or you’re a single looking for lasting love - even on New Year's Eve.
This season, the husband and wife duo are back for WE tv’s Marriage Boot Camp and ready to put reality stars to the test. Among the couples taking part are Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt (The Hills); NYC socialites, Aviva & Reid Drescher (The Real Housewives of New York); Tyson Apostol & Rachel Foulger (Survivor: Blood vs. Water) and musical diva Syleena Johnson and former pro-basketball player Kiwane Garris (R&B Divas).
The couples will work out their issues during intense concentrated therapy. The Carrolls will push these reality star couples to their limits, physically and emotionally, using tough love tactics that will peel back the layers of what makes these reality stars tic, and what is driving their relationships apart.
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GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.