Media Update: February 2007
Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.
FEBRUARY TOPICS
Wine – Boutique Wineries Shine at Portland Indie Wine Festival
More Wine – 17th Annual Memorial Day Weekend in Wine Country
Music – Discover. Portland. Music.
Boutique Wineries Shine at Portland Indie Wine Festival
Sniffing, swirling and sipping, an esteemed panel of judges is currently choosing the 40 lucky local wineries whose vintages will be featured at the 3rd Annual Portland Indie Wine Festival. The festival, which takes place May 5-6, 2007, showcases rising-star wineries whose production is less than 2,000 cases per year. Festival-goers have the opportunity to taste jury-selected wines and to meet the independent winemakers who created them. The weekend wine tasting event is modeled after a friendly, casual farmers’ market with each winemaker present to pour her/his wines. This year’s festival takes place at Urban Wineworks and the Chown Garage, both located near Northwest 16th Avenue and Flanders Street in Portland’s Pearl District. All wines will be for sale on-site and direct shipping (where legal) will be offered. To keep the event comfortable and to encourage maximum conversation and interaction, only a limited number of tickets are available.
Tickets (which can be purchased online at www.indiewinefestival.com) are $60 per day; $100 for the full weekend. Tickets entitle the holder to wines from 20 different wineries each day, a selection of small plates from Oregon’s top chefs, a commemorative tasting glass, and a printed passport in which to record notes on favorite wines. In addition to the festival, two special seminars are also planned. The seminars ($75 per person, limited seating) include a moderated discussion with experts, wine and small plates. Out-of-town visitors who book lodging reservations at a participating Indie Wine Festival hotel (The Governor Hotel, The Heathman Hotel or the Mark Spencer Hotel) can add festival tickets to their room reservations when booking online through the Portland Big Deal (www.portlandbigdeal.com). Like all Big Deal offers, the Indie Wine Festival hotel bookings include complimentary parking (an average savings of $20 per night) and complimentary continental breakfast for two each morning. For more information on this and other Portland hotel packages, click here. For more information on the Portland Indie Wine Festival, click here.
Media Contacts:
Lisa Donoughe, 503.827.6564, lisa@ladcommunications.com
Lota LaMontagne, 503.827.6564, lota@ladcommunications.com
17th Annual Memorial Day Weekend in Wine Country
Willamette Valley winemakers know how to throw a party. For more than 16 years, they’ve dusted off their bottles, uncorked new releases and invited the public to share the fruits of the vine over Memorial Day weekend. This year’s festivities take place May 26-28, 2007, with a majority of the participating wineries open daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sponsored by the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, the event draws wine lovers from around the country who are eager to explore the hamlets and towns of the Northwest’s premier Pinot noir region. In addition to visiting the larger wineries, Memorial Day Weekend in Wine Country offers a twice-a-year opportunity (the other being Thanksgiving weekend) to take a peek inside some smaller wineries not normally open to the public. Throughout the weekend, many wineries provide music, barrel tastings, gourmet food samples, new releases, and the sale of limited-quantity wines. To request a wine country tour map, visitors may contact the Willamette Valley Wineries Association at info@willamettewines.com or through www.willamettewines.com. For more information on Memorial Day Weekend in the Wine Country, click here.
Media Contact:
Lisa Hill, 503.327.8328, lisa@broussardhill.com
Discover. Portland. Music
The newly launched Discover. Portland. Music. blog takes an insider’s look at Portland’s thriving music scene. The blog (www.indiemusicportland.com) is written by musician Dave Allen, bass player for the band Gang Of Four and proud Portland transplant. On a weekly basis, Allen updates the website, which is designed to give potential visitors “insight into what makes this city hop at night, and, quite often, all weekend.” In addition to its emphasis on indie music, club shows and small recording labels, the site’s homepage features “genre links.” These links connect readers to the latest news regarding what’s happening locally within a particular musical style, be it alternative rock, blues or jazz. The homepage also highlights upcoming shows and concerts, making it easy for visitors to check out a new band – or a favorite artist – during their stays. The blog is a partner project between Pampelmoose.com, a local record label and online music company, and the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA). As such, the blog features a hotel booking option that connects potential visitors with POVA’s exclusive Big Deal hotel rates. For more information on traveling to Portland or the Big Deal, click here.
Media Contact:
Deborah Wakefield, 503.275.9795, deborah@travelportland.com
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