DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Omni Hotels & Resorts’ popular culinary series, “Flavors of the World,” is back again this spring with a spotlight on the wines of Washington State. “Taste Washington” will feature many of Washington State’s best wines in Omni bars and restaurants across the U.S., and will be accompanied by a food pairing menu of Washington-inspired cuisine. The brand-wide program, running from March 1 through May 31, 2014, is in partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission, and serves as an extension of the state’s own Taste Washington, an annual month-long March event in celebration of the wines from the region.
Featured wines were selected in January, with a grand wine tasting at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. As part of the 2014 Omni Food & Beverage symposium, Washington state wineries shared a variety of wines that were sampled and then selected by Omni’s culinary team. Each participating hotel will offer ten unique Washington State wines, in both six and nine ounce pours.
“We are proud to partner with Washington,” said David Morgan, vice president of food & beverage for Omni Hotels & Resorts. “Our Flavors of the World program was designed to offer our guests a unique experience, and we hope, with this installment, to further familiarize them with this incredible region by featuring some of the best wines in the country.”
The food pairing menu will be offered across participating hotels. With dishes inspired by local flavors and the indigenous cuisine of Washington State, guests can enjoy: Handmade Washington Cheeses served with fig jam, honey and olives, Dungeness Crab Fritters, Dungeness Crab and Snap Pea Soup, Apple and Fennel Salad, Roasted Salmon served with Wild Mushrooms and Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream.
To better understand the terroir and meet with featured wine makers, Omni food and beverage professionals undertook an intensive February trip that covered more than 50,000 acres of Washington State vineyards to experience and sample the wines first-hand. The team visited some of the 20 participating wineries, including Chateau Ste. Michelle, Hogue Cellars and Charles Smith Wines, gaining a deeper appreciation for the beautiful vineyards and vintages that will be showcased throughout Omni’s Taste Washington program.
Washington State is the No. 2 premium wine grape grower in the U.S. The diverse topography allows for ideal grape growing conditions, making it one of the world’s great wine regions. In fact, over the past five years, nearly 50 percent of Washington State wines reviewed by wine lifestyle magazine, Wine Spectator, have received a score of 90 points or more, a higher average than regions such as California, Italy, France and Oregon. Washington State also offers the lowest price for its 90 point wines compared to those same wine regions, proving that Washington State wine is not only consistently high quality, but offers great value.
“We are so pleased to share Taste Washington with Omni Hotels and its guests,” said Rob Andersen, marketing director of the Washington State Wine Commission. “What makes Washington wines so unique is the fact that our fruit is amazing. After more than a year of planning and in-depth wine culture immersion, Omni truly understands why our wines are so special and they are an incredible brand partner to help extend our program nationwide.”
Taste Washington is the highly anticipated 2014 Omni Flavors of the World campaign and joins a list of past annual programs, including 2013’s acclaimed Simply Street Food, which spotlighted international street foods. In the past, Omni Flavors of the World programs featured the wines and foods of Italy, Argentina, Spain and France. Inherent to each program is extensive chef-training and a much-coveted, collegial trip where Omni chefs and food and beverage professionals learn and experience new cultures. In 2013, Omni was voted No. 1 by J.D. Power in Food & Beverage and continually strives to re-define excellence in this arena.
Omni’s accompanying “Taste Washington” package, available to guests from March 7, 2014 – May 31, 2014, includes an extra taste of the region with a Washington cheese plate, Washington bottle of wine and Washington apple delivered in-room upon check-in.
For more information about Taste Washington, please visit http://tastewashington.org.
For additional information, watch the Taste Washington video by clicking here. Guests may visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni. Travelers or media can also follow Omni Hotels & Resorts at www.Facebook.com/OmniHotels and Twitter.com/OmniHotels.
About Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences at nearly 60 distinct luxury hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. With over 20 world-class golf courses and award-winning spa retreats, to dynamic business settings, each Omni showcases the local flavor of the destination while featuring four-diamond services, signature restaurants, Wi-Fi connectivity and unique wellness options. Known for its distinguished, personalized service, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every customer interaction, with a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest loyalty program and the company’s “Power of One” associate empowerment program. The brand is frequently recognized by top consumer research organizations and travel publications. To get additional information or book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni.
About Washington State Wine
Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSW provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSW is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit www.washingtonwine.org.