Tour Washington State Wineries on an All-Expense-Paid Washington Wine Country Trip

    SEATTLE, WA, October 28, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Online retailer MadWine.com, is eager to share the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with wine lovers everywhere. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just learning about the fruit of the vine, don't pass up this opportunity for a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip for two to Washington State's wine country.

Log on to www.madwine.com now and enter to win two tickets on Alaska Airlines to and from Seattle; accommodations at the beautiful Willows Lodge in Woodinville, only a walk away from some of the best wineries in the nation; six private tastings at Woodinville wineries, scheduled over a two-day period with transportation provided by Butler Transportation; and the chance to meet Washington State winemakers. (Blackout dates apply.)

Scheduled winery visits include:

Chateau Ste. Michelle: Beautifully situated on 105 acres of woods in Woodinville, Chateau Ste. Michelle makes its wine from some of the oldest and most acclaimed vineyards in the Columbia Valley. The winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation and is best known for its award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State's founding winery, dating back to the Repeal of Prohibition. You will love its charming, expansive layout and tasting rooms.

Betz Family Winery: After a 28-year career at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Bob Betz received his Master of Wine degree in 1998, becoming one of only 278 to hold the degree in the world. He and his wife Cathy built a state of the art winery in Woodinville in 2005, and two years later he was named Wine Maker of the Year by Sunset magazine.

"Our goal is to produce compelling wines with individual character and intensity, yet elegant." - Betz Family Winery

Delille Cellars: Set within the confines of a large and beautiful estate, Delille Cellars features Bordeaux-style wines, which have emerged from Washington State due in no small part to the winemaking techniques of owner Chris Upchurch. Striving for something well beyond chemistry, Upchurch believes in handcrafting wines where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." A self-confessed Francophile and a blender, Upchurch prefers not to dissect his wines with component descriptors. Instead he talks about his wines in terms of a "complete wine".

Mark Ryan Winery: Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery was named Seattle Magazine's 2011 Winemaker of the Year. This recently acclaimed 'cult' winery started with its first vintages of Long Haul and Dead Horse that were produced, crushed and pressed in the garages of friends and family, and barrel-aged in warehouses in the Seattle area. In 2003, the winery found its home in Woodinville.

The goal at Mark Ryan Winery is simple: make delicious wines that represent the vineyard from which they come, making every vintage better than the last.

Gorman Winery: Since 2002, the mission of Gorman Winery has been very clear: make delicious wines, choose the finest grapes in Washington State, use the finest coopers and suppliers, don't settle and don't screw up. Producing approximately 2,700 cases a year, this one man operation is open to the public only a couple of times a year, making these events a hot ticket item.

Januik Winery: Family-owned, specializing in artisan winemaking, Januik Winery produces acclaimed Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate declares, "Nobody in Washington State delivers more outstanding quality for the dollar than Januik Winery."

The winning tour will be scheduled to take place during 2012, based on coordination between the winner and the wineries. MadWine will work with the winner to facilitate the scheduling. Entries can be sent to Alaska Airlines & MadWine. Winners will be notified Jan. 20, 2012.

http://www.madwine.com/cf1/contest.html

MadWine was purchased by TMSA Holdings in early 2009. TMSA Holdings is the parent company of Esquin Wine Merchants in Seattle. We are the Northwest's oldest and largest wine merchant with over 40 years experience and over 5000 wines from all over the world on our sales floor. We are proud to be family owned and operated by Chuck LeFevre and two of his daughters. Alisha Gosline manages Esquin and Stephanie Burkhart oversees MadWine's operation. We have built our retail sales by providing the best combination of price, selection and service to our customers. We hope to earn your internet business by doing the same with MadWine.

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