Wine Weeked Getaway in Winston-Salem Online Now

Raleigh, N.C. (Apr. 4, 2008) Enjoy music and mouthwatering cuisine as you swirl, sip and savor wines from dozens of North Carolina’s finest wineries. The third annual Salute! The North Carolina Wine Celebration uncorks in the streets of downtown Winston-Salem on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

Visitors to VisitNC.com can register to receive The Official 2008 North Carolina Travel Guide (www.visitnc.com/sweeps/salute_08.asp) and automatically enter for the drawing for a chance to win a Wine Weekend Getaway. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 30, 2008.

The grand prize includes:
•    Two tickets to Salute! The North Carolina Wine Celebration on May 10, featuring tastings from more than 30 wineries; food vendors include restaurants such as Noble’s Grille, Sweet Potatoes - A Restaurant, Winston’s Eatery, 6th and Vine, Foothills Brewing and Ben & Jerry’s. Musical entertainment includes Doubletake, Carnavalito and Sleeping Booty Band
•    Two nights accommodations at the Marriott Hotel Winston-Salem.
•    Two tickets to “Salute! A Wine Workshop with Southern Living” with Scott Jones, Executive Foods Editor of Southern Living at the Shaffner House in Winston-Salem on Friday evening, May 9
•    Two Salute! t-shirts
•    Dinner for two at Hutch and Harris Restaurant & Pub

(For official rules, visit www.visitnc.com/sweeps/salute_08_regs.asp.)

All of these events are also open to the public. To purchase tickets, visit www.salutencwine.com.

Salute! is one of North Carolina's state wine festivals and was voted a "Top 20 Event in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society. Salute! highlights the fast-growing North Carolina wine industry in a fun and festive setting. Delicious food selections, musical entertainment and the new "North Carolina Wine University," an interactive educational area will be definite crowd-pleasers.

North Carolina’s Wine Tradition

North Carolina ranks 10th for wine and grape production in the United States and is home to more than 70 wineries; the number has tripled since 2001. In addition, a 2007 national survey sponsored by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) in partnership with Gourmet magazine and the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA), cited North Carolina as one of the top five state destinations for wine and culinary tourism activities in the United States.

For more information about North Carolina’s thriving wineries, events and activities, go to, www.VisitNCwine.com.

For Winston-Salem travel information, go to www.VisitWinstonSalem.com.

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