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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 9, 2016 Media Contacts: Kauilani Robinson, Visit Seattle (206) 461-5839/krobinson@visitseattle.org Stephanie Lyon, Washington State Wine (206) 326-5752/slyon@washingtonwine.org

The New Vintage, Seattle’s Urban Wine and Food Event Features Washington Wineries and All-Star Culinary Lineup

Taste Washington Event Designed for Millennials Lands in the Heart of Downtown Seattle

SEATTLE – Sip, taste and dance at the second annual New Vintage event on Friday, April 1,

from 7 to 10 p.m. at the distinctive Motif Seattle. As part of the Taste Washington event line-up,

The New Vintage offers cocktail party-style vibes and features five Seattle area chef stations

paired with 45 wineries. Specialty bites will be prepared and served by Executive Chef Jason

Stratton of Mamnoon, Chef de Cuisine Stuart Lane of Spinasse and Artusi, Chef Derek

Ronspies of Le Petit Cochon, Executive Chef Steven Ariel of Trace, Chef Shota Nakajima of

Naka and Audrey Spence of Motif’s very own Frolik! Kitchen.

Designed for the up-and-coming wine lover and aficionado alike, guests will enjoy the

musical styling of DJ Tina T, a refreshing rosé bar upon arrival and food samples from seven

local restaurants. The event expects to draw more than 500 guests; tickets to this popular affair

are $75 and can be purchased at www.tastewashington.org/the-new-vintage/.

With the New Vintage being part of Taste Washington events, the following Seattle hotels

have created special Taste Washington packages:

• Executive Hotel Pacific • Four Seasons Hotel Seattle • Grand Hyatt Seattle • Hotel Max • Hotel Vintage • Hyatt at Olive 8

• Inn at the WAC • Mediterranean Hotel • Renaissance Seattle Hotel • Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Lake Union • The Fairmont Olympic Hotel • The Paramount Hotel • The Roosevelt Hotel • Warwick Seattle Hotel

Visitors can enjoy a wine and food getaway by booking hotel packages from

www.tastewashington.org or by calling the hotel directly.

Taste Washington, Seattle’s premier wine and food experience officially begins on Thursday,

March 31, with the red & white party, an elegant celebration on the Seattle waterfront at the

gorgeous AQUA by El Gaucho. Featuring exclusive pours of vintage library wine, exceptional

samples and hard-to-come-by wines that will only be available at the red & white party. The fun

continues on Friday, April 1, with three different Taste Washington on the Farm excursions led

by local chefs and Washington State winemakers. Intimate hands-on experiences bring together

wine and food lovers and the people who grow and produce artisanal products that are unique

to the Pacific Northwest. The merriment continues into Friday evening with The New Vintage, a

festive affair in the heart of downtown at Motif Seattle. Taste Washington events conclude April

2 and 3, with two days of educational seminars led by top wine writers and sommeliers at Four

Seasons Hotel Seattle and the Grand Tasting and chef demonstrations at CenturyLink Field

Event Center.

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 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 19th annual event will be held on March 31- April 3 at various locations in Seattle. The 2016 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Airlines; the event feature is Stella Artois; the premier sponsors are Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card, Albert Lee Appliance, AQUA by El Gaucho, Muckleshoot Casino, Seattle Met and Total Wine & More; the magnum sponsor is Fonté Coffee Roaster; and the patron sponsors are Visit Walla Walla and Voya Financial Advisors. The New Vintage sponsors are Voya Financial Advisors, So Delicious Diary Free and Jaguar. Taste Washington attracts almost 5,500 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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Media Contacts: Kauilani Robinson, Visit Seattle 206-461-5839 | krobinson@visitseattle.org Averyl Dunn, Washington State Wine (206) 326-5750 | adunn@washingtonwine.org

2016 Taste Washington Facts

Taste Washington, Taste Washington, Seattle’s premier wine and food event, includes four exciting days of tastings, experiences, eating, learning and more from March 31 - April 3, 2016. WHAT’S NEW

Thursday, March 31: red & white party An elegant affair in your red and white best. Enjoy exclusive pours of vintage library wines, one-of-a-kind barrel samples and reserve vintages. This exclusive event will provide coveted tastes of wines from the past and sneak peeks of wines to come. Friday, April 1: Taste Washington on the Farm Three unique lunch excursions join together local farmers, Washington State winemakers, Seattle celebrity chefs and artisan cheese makers. Friday, April 1: The New Vintage Moving to the very center of it all in downtown’s distinctive Motif Seattle, The New Vintage is stylish, energized and undeniably fun. This upbeat event is complete with a backdrop of celebrity chef tasting stations, DJ Tina T and winemakers. This year’s event will feature a new rosé lounge, serving up a variety of Washington rosé wines and new chefs: Derek Ronspies, Le Petit Cochon; Steven Ariel, Trace; Jason Stratton, Mamnoon; Stuart Lane, Artusi; Shota Nakajim, Naka and Audrey Spence, Frolik Kitchen.

Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3: Seminars and Grand Tasting The weekend culminates with two days of educational seminars led by top wine writers and sommeliers at Four Seasons Hotel Seattle while the Grand Tasting will take place at CenturyLink Field Event Center. New chefs and new wineries will be featured throughout the weekend.

EVENT LINEUP

red & white party: Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. AQUA by El Gaucho. Tickets are $175.

Taste Washington on the Farm: Friday, April 1, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Various venues throughout Seattle and the region. Tickets are $85. Three unique experiences. The New Vintage: Friday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Motif Seattle. Tickets are $75. New chef lineup and more wineries than last year. Taste Washington Seminars: Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Four Seasons Hotel, Seattle. Tickets range from $48 - $89. Topics include:

• Washington vs. The World 2016 • King Cab! An exploration of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon • Tasting Washington: Exploring what Washington wine tastes like and why • Through the Grapevine: Lessons learned from a lifetime in Washington wine • Riesling on the Rise • A Sense of Place: The roles of vines and man in the vineyard

Taste Washington Grand Tasting: Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 CenturyLink Field Event Center, Seattle

Tasting Hours: • VIP Tasting: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. • General Admission: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Ticket Prices: • One-day ticket price: $90 General Admission; $160 VIP • Two-day ticket price: $140 General Admission; $205 VIP

Alaska Airlines Chef’s Stage at the Grand Tasting: Top local and national chefs cook live on-site during the Grand Tasting. Saturday, April 2 chef demonstrations 2:30 p.m. Ryan Burnett, Muckleshoot Casino 3:15 p.m. Jason Stratton, Mamnoon 4:00 p.m. Stella Artois session featuring Sarah Scott, El Gaucho Bellevue and Brad Robinson, Stella Artois

Sunday, April 3 chef demonstrations 2:30 p.m. Aarti Sequeira, Host of Food Network’s Aarti Party 3:15 p.m. Jenn Louis, Lincoln Restaurant + Sunshine Tavern 4:00 p.m. Stella Artois session (Chef is TBD)

FUN FACTS

Participating wineries: More than 230 Participating restaurants: More than 65 Participating hotel packages:14 Exhibitors: More than 50 Featured wines: More than 700 Total glasses used: More than 5,000 Total estimated number of wine pours: More than 200,000

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter - @TasteWashington #TasteWA Facebook - Taste Washington

HISTORY Now in its 19th year, Taste Washington started in 1998 with the vision of sharing Washington’s distinctive wine and culinary experience with the nation. From its humble beginnings, the event has quickly grown to become the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event. This annual wine and food event truly showcases the unique culinary offerings of Washington State. 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 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 19th annual event will be held on March 31- April 3 at various locations in Seattle. The 2016 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Airlines; the event feature is Stella Artois; the premier sponsors are Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card, Albert Lee Appliance, AQUA by El Gaucho, Muckleshoot Casino, Seattle Met and Total Wine & More; the magnum sponsor is Fonté Coffee Roaster; and the patron sponsors are Visit Walla Walla and Voya Financial Advisors. Taste Washington attracts almost 5,500 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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Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Facts

BenefittingUnicef,ClipperRoundtheWorldYachtRace(CRTW)istheworld’slongestoceanraceandisregardedasoneofthetoughestendurancechallenges.Comprisedofeightracelegs,the12teamsmanningidentical70’racingyachtswilltraversemorethan40,000nauticalmilesoverthecourseof11months,visiting15countriesonsixcontinentstocircumnavigatetheglobe.The700professionalandnon-professionalsailorsrepresentmorethan40nationalities.OnMarch20th,thetwelvecrewsdepartedQingdao,Chinaforthesixthlegoftherace,endinginSeattle’sBellHarborMarina.ThecrewsareexpectedtoarriveinSeattle,thefirstU.S.HostPortoftherace,mid-April.

• Arrivaltimefortheboatswillbestaggereddependingonracingtime,expectedonApril15th(+/-1-2days)

• Moreaccuratedateswillbeprovidedapproximately5daysbeforearrival,andagain24-28hoursbeforearrival.

• WhiletheyachtswillbemooredandopentothepublicinBellHarborMarina,theofficialracecheckpointisPortTownsend,WA.

• ThefirstvesselandtheVisitSeattlevesselareguaranteeddaytimearrivalintoSeattle’sBellHarborMarina,between7:00a.m.–6:00p.m.Allothervesselswillarrivestaggered,dependingonofficialracingtime.

• AllboatsareexpectedtoarrivetoBellHarborbyApril20th.

WhileinSeattle,themooredvesselswillbeopentothepublicforviewingandtoursatBellHarborMarina.

• ThevesselwillbeopentothepublicfortoursandviewingApril22nd–April26th.• Vesseltoursareopentothepublic,forfree.Therearenoticketsnecessary.• Groupsof20-30willbeledbycrewmembersformonitoredtoursofthevessels.• Toursofspecificvesselsisnotguaranteed.Touraccessibilityisdependentoncrewandvessel

availability.• Therewillbeadditionalopportunitiestoviewthevesselsinaction,throughoutElliottBayand

ShilshoeBay.• Eachboatwillhaveaprivatesailingdate,butcanbeseenonthewatersthroughouttheSeattle

area.

TheteamswillembarkontheirtenthracetoPanamaCity,PanamaonApril28.• Therewillbeacelebratorysend-offatBellHarborMarina,beginningat1:00p.m.• VesselswillleavetheirslipsatBellHarborMarinaat2:00p.m.,toprepareforembarkation.• AllboatswillparadetheSeattlewaterfrontat3:00p.m.,beforedepartingforPortTownsend,

theofficialracecheckpoint.