Alaska Airlines Invites Wine Enthusiasts to Sip and Savor at Annual 'Taste Washington'

SEATTLE, March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines, the official airline of Taste Washington, is inviting foodies to the Emerald City to experience Seattle's premier wine and food event March 29 and 30. The carrier launched an online sweepstakes today inviting wine enthusiasts to enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Seattle, including roundtrip airfare on Alaska Airlines, hotel accommodations and admission to Taste Washington.

The two-day event held at CenturyLink Field Event Center will showcase more than 200 Washington wineries and 70 Seattle-area restaurants. The contest ends March 20 and two winners will be selected at random and notified on March 21. To enter and review complete contest rules*, visit www.facebook.com/AlaskaAirlines.

"Great food is part of every adventure and there's no better place to experience Northwest wines and foods than by visiting Taste Washington," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing. "Alaska Airlines has a long tradition of supporting local businesses by serving a variety of high-quality Washington products like Beecher's cheese, La Panzanella Crackers and Tim's Cascade Chips onboard our flights."

People attending Taste Washington are encouraged to visit the Alaska Airlines booths. At the "Taste of Washington at 30,000 feet," visitors can experience Alaska's new main cabin premium wine made by Canoe Ridge and enjoy samples from the airline's signature fruit and cheese plate.

At the carrier's second lounge, Alaska Airlines Visa cardholders will receive exclusive access to enjoy reserve wines from some of the most prestigious labels in Washington, including DeLille Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Dusted Valley, Va Piano Vineyards and Sparkman Cellars. Guests will also enjoy hors d'oeuvres prepared by John Howie, the award-winning chef owner of Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar and John Howie Steak, and winner of Alaska Airlines' 2013 Copper Chef Cook-off.

New Northwest wine debuts in Alaska Airlines' main cabin
This month, Alaska Airlines is debuting Canoe Ridge's Exploration Merlot and Pinot Gris in its main cabin. The Walla Walla, Wash., winery custom blended the wines to be enjoyed at high altitudes, where travelers' sense of smell and taste bud sensitivity is known to change.

"Food tastes different in a pressurized cabin so we took a different approach in creating custom wine blends for Alaska," said Hal Landvoigt, director of winemaking for Precept Wine, the maker of Canoe Ridge Exploration. "By adjusting the oak profile of the Merlot and slightly increasing the sweetness of the Pinot Gris, we created a premium blend that closely mirrors what our customers enjoy at home."

Along with local wines and cheeses, travelers on Alaska Airlines flights can also enjoy gin, vodka and rum produced by Sun Liquor Distillery, a small business in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Bend Distillery, located in Bend, Ore., produces Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka. These are part of a growing list of locally produced products available to passengers on Alaska Airlines flights, including Tillamook and Beecher's cheese, Oberto beef jerky, Seattle Chocolates, Starbucks coffee and Alaskan Amber Ale.

Wine Flies Free
Alaska Airlines offers daily nonstop service to some of the West Coast's most respected wine regions, including Walla Walla, Pasco/Tri-Cities and Yakima, Wash.; Portland and the Willamette Valley, Ore.;  and San Francisco and Santa Rosa, Calif. The carrier allows customers to check one case of wine for free on flights departing from Pasco/Tri-Cities, Santa Rosa, Walla Walla and Yakima. Learn more about the Washington Taste and Tote program at www.tasteandtote.com/default.asp.

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves nearly 100 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. With more nonstop flights to Seattle than any other carrier, Alaska is widely regarded as the West Coast's major airline. Alaska Airlines has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study^SM for six consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About Precept Wine

Seattle-based Precept Wine is the largest privately held wine producer in the Pacific Northwest and a top 20 American wine producer. With deep roots representing 30 years of Northwest investments in the wine industry, it owns and operates more than 4,200 acres of vineyards across Washington, Idaho and Oregon; such leading wine brands as Waterbrook, Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Apex Cellars, Willow Crest, Ste. Chapelle, HOUSE Wine, Browne Family Vineyards, Pendulum, Primarius, Washington Hills, Shingleback, Red Knot and Chocolate Shop; and tasting rooms and hospitality throughout the Northwest. Founded in 2003 by Andrew Browne, the company's wineries have garnered more than 500 combined best buys and critical scores exceeding 90 points. Learn more at http://www.preceptwine.com.

* Sweepstake terms and conditions: Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on March 20 at www.facebook.com/AlaskaAirlines. Entries are limited to one per person, except for people who enter through Alaska Airlines' Facebook page, who will receive one additional entry for sharing the contest. Winners must be 21 years of age or older, a legal resident of the United States and reside within a 120-mile radius of an airport serviced by Alaska Airlines. Winners must be able to travel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on March 28 and depart Seattle on March 30. Any winner unable to travel at the specific times on the specific dates may be ruled ineligible to win. In such cases, the prize may be awarded to the next entrant. For complete contest rules, visit www.facebook.com/AlaskaAirlines.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines