Tickets on Sale for 2011

Tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Seattle Food and Wine Experience. The 2011 event will take place on February 27, 2011 from 1pm - 5pm at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. As with the previous two years, the Experience will feature over a thousand wines to sample from around the globe, gourmet tastes prepared by top Northwest chefs, artisan breweries, coffee, live music and more. Ticket cost is $49 each which includes entry and all sampling. Tickets can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit The Giving Grapes Foundation, a 501c3 charity that provides financial aid to service industry professionals in times of crisis.

The Seattle Food and Wine Experience is still accepting vendors and sponsors. Current sponsors include Taste of Tulalip, Washington State Beef Commission, Chateau Ste. Michelle, QFC, Seattle Magazine and KWJZ. Visit the show website for more information. http://seattlefoodandwineexperience.com/

Explore New Zealand

New Zealand was the last landmass on earth to be discovered, making it the youngest country in the world at just over a thousand years old.

New Zealand cuisine draws inspiration from the traditional kitchens of France and Italy, as well as the exotic dishes of Asia and the Pacific Rim.

Travelers to New Zealand enjoy pristine natural surroundings, unique wildlife and adventure activities.

New Zealand is home to the kiwi, a flightless bird about the size of a large hen, which is also the nickname for a New Zealander.

Kiwis (the people not the birds) drink almost 3 gallons of wine per person per year, which makes them 28th in the world for wine consumption.

They rank 33rd in wine production.

New Zealand is known for their exotic, vibrant intensely flavored Sauvignon blanc.

Several Sauvignon blancs from New Zealand will be available for tasting at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.

Other popular varietals from New Zealand include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Wines, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The vineyards of New Zealand are the most southerly in the world.

For information about travel to New Zealand visit http://www.newzealand.com/travel/USA/

For more information about New Zealand wine visit http://www.nzwine.com/