Willows Lodge, a Northwest-style retreat in Woodinville Wine Country, and its restaurant Barking Frog announce the third annual Golden Grapes Awards Ceremony & Tasting on Sunday, March 3rd at 3 p.m. The event will celebrate the “best of the best” wines made in Woodinville Wine Country determined by the winemakers themselves.
The Golden Grapes Awards will be hosted by Barking Frog Wine Director Matt Davis, who invited more than 50 Woodinville wineries to compete this year. Private tastings/judging by participating winemakers are taking place over the course of February. All GGA entries are being reviewed in a side-by-side, blind tasting by category. The goal is to find the best wines made in Woodinville in the following seven categories:
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Bordeaux Style Blends
- Syrah
- Rhone Style Red Varieties
- Blends
On Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m. the general public is invited to join the Woodinville winemakers for a special awards presentation and wine tasting event in the Sammamish Ballroom at Willows Lodge. They will have the chance to taste many of the outstanding wines made in Woodinville Wine Country, as well as to meet and mingle with the winemakers themselves.
This is a 21+ event. Tickets to the Golden Grape Awards Ceremony & Tasting are $15 for 15 tastes, if purchased in advance, or $25 at the door. Tickets are available via EventBrite at: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5332658124#. PLEASE NOTE: Doors will open at 2 p.m. for members of the hospitality industry – valid proof of industry status required for entry.
About Willows Lodge
Willows Lodge, a Northwest style lodge located in Woodinville Wine Country just outside of Seattle, features 84 luxury guestrooms, a full-service spa and high-tech equipped meeting space. Executive Chef Bobby Moore’s American regional cuisine at Barking Frog reflects the seasonal and organic produce found in Puget Sound, and is artfully paired with an extensive list of Washington wines. Willows Lodge also boasts Fireside Cellars, offering a casual and sophisticated atmosphere tucked away in the lobby with an outdoor patio overlooking the expansive surrounding landscape. www.willowslodge.com.
About Benchmark Hospitality International
Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels. The independent company, launched in 1980, is a worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark’s international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston. Benchmark Hospitality is also a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers. The company’s eastern regional office is in New Jersey, western regional office is in Washington, with international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.
This will be the last media release I ever post for Willows Lodge – after supporting them and the Barking Frog for many, many years. (they have both been featured on this site and our other news sites, as well as in the former print editions of Bellevue Business Journal and Eastside Business several times).
Kirsten Andresen who originally sent me the release, would not even bother to acknowledge me or my work to help her and when called on it she sent me the following response: “Excuse me? First off, and not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been dealing with a bit of a PR crisis over here. Second, I tried to FB your “story” yesterday, which really was nothing more than a calendar listing, if that. I had to DELETE the post because the landing page of your site is half blank! I didn’t even see the listing until I scrolled all the way down. Where are your stories?? It was a joke. Third, I just checked and do NOT see a LinkedIn request from you anywhere. I would have accepted it out of courtesy, however you can be quite sure that won’t happen now.
I will GLADLY remove you from all future lists. The other times you’ve threatened to “support us” it’s been with the expectation of advertising. The one time you list something without paying, I get an email like this! Obviously, you have too much time on your hands. Please do NOT contact me or ANY of my hotels again. Copying the Director of Sales at Willows Janene Varden, so she can witness this madness first-hand.”
Don’t worry Kirsten – none of your clients will ever be mentioned here on BellevueBusinessJournal.com ever again. I’m done helping promote unappreciative (not to mention mean) people and their clients.