Virginia is for Lovers…of Seafood and Wine
Media Event on February 10th in NYC Showcases Virginia as a Food & Wine Destination

Contact:
Wendy Martin / CommuniQué Marketing / (804) 257-7256 / wendymartin@erols.com,
Michele Rhudy / (804) 320-2923 / michele@rhudy.biz,
Mary Davis-Barton, Virginia Wine Marketing Office / (804) 371-7685,
Shirley Estes, Virginia Marine Products Board (757) 874-3474 sestes@vaseafood.org

RICHMOND, Va. (February 1, 2004) – The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) hits the road this month to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan and unroll a new national campaign. First stop? New York City, where Virginia plans to wine and dine its long-time sweetheart state. (New York is the second-highest point-of-origin for visitors to Virginia, with only Washington, D. C., producing a larger percentage of Virginia travelers.) On February 10, Virginia invites New York’s local and national media to experience the best of Virginia’s wine and fresh, wild seafood.

“Our visitors have told us that ‘Whatever you love in a vacation you can find in Virginia,’” said Alisa L. Bailey, president and chief executive officer of the VTC. “For most people, vacation means eating well, and this is absolutely one of Virginia’s strengths. We’re the largest seafood producer on the East Coast and we now rank fifth in the nation for the total number of wineries. Virginia is a premiere destination for lovers of seafood and wine.”

The Event

Media invited to the Bryant Park Grill on February 10 at 8:30 a.m. will enjoy seafood quiche (made with fresh Virginia blue crab), wild smoked striped bass and plenty of Virginia oysters on the half-shell. Oysters are known as the food of lovers. Serving them so close to Valentine’s Day invites a high demand, but Virginia will be ready thanks to four-time international oyster-shucking champion and Virginian Deborah Pratt. (Pratt also will be willing to teach guests how to shuck oysters for their own, more private, Valentine’s Day celebrations.) Virginia’s finest and unique wines will be served.

Industry experts will explain the significance of Virginia’s tourism, wine and seafood industries, and media will have the opportunity to view the evolution of “Virginia is for Lovers” advertising across multiple iterations of the campaign.

Virginia Wine

In the last 10 years, the number of wineries in Virginia has doubled. The quality of Virginia winemaking has outpaced even that growth, with Virginia wines enjoying tremendous success and acceptance. Even Virginia Governor Mark Warner has a substantial vineyard. A recent feature in Wine Spectator magazine (Dec. 31, 2003 – Jan. 15, 2004 issue) described him as “the Virginia wine industry’s most prominent advocate since Thomas Jefferson.” The publication also recently awarded high marks to several Virginia wines (“very good” scores in the high 80s).

This fall, at the Atlanta International Wine Summit, “The Best East Coast Wine” was awarded to Rappahannock Cellars of Huntly, Va., for their Cabernet Franc 2001. At the same event, Virginia’s Keswick Vineyard's 2002 Estate Reserve Viognier was named the "Best White Wine in America."

One of the best ways to begin cultivating an appreciation for Virginia wines is to visit a winery. Approximately 300,000 out-of-state visitors visit Virginia’s 80 wineries each year. Many offer free wine tastings and guided tours, and several feature award-winning restaurants and inviting bed and breakfasts.

Those familiar with California wine country will find Virginia offers a much more intimate wine experience. Visitors enjoy the romance, architecture and ambience of area wineries with tree-lined drives, ivy-covered walls, rolling vineyard hills, mountain vistas and picnic areas.

For a complete listing of Virginia wine events, the public may visit www.virginiawines.org, or call the Virginia Wine Marketing Office at 1-800-828-4637 to receive a free copy of the Virginia Wineries Festival and Tour Guide. (Media are welcome to download a complete Virginia Wine Media Kit from the “News” section.)

Virginia Seafood

If Virginia’s wines are now solidly on the map, it’s safe to say that Virginia’s seafood has always been there. Almost 400 years ago, one of Virginia’s first “tourists,” Captain James Smith landed at Jamestown. In letters home he waxed poetic about the bounty of the region.

Today Virginia is the nation’s third-largest seafood producer (outpaced only by Alaska and Louisiana), and the largest on the East Coast. The waters of the Chesapeake Bay are the nation’s largest and most biologically diverse estuary.

The yield from the Bay, Virginia’s rivers, coastal and Atlantic waters produces enough seafood to prepare 123 million meals annually. Travelers to Virginia can be assured they’re getting the freshest catch, with 96 percent of the state’s seafood coming in on day boats (meaning it arrives at the dock on the day it was harvested, not days later). And Virginia’s wide variety of species means there’s always something fresh and available.

Those looking for a taste of Virginia in their home states will discover it’s easy to find. Within 12-24 hours of being harvested a fleet of refrigerated trucks and commercial airlines deliver Virginia’s seafood to a waiting world. It can be readily found at retailers, seafood shops and restaurants all over the United States. Even New York City’s Fulton Fish Market is a key distribution hub for Virginia seafood.

Virginia’s seafood exports totaled $20.5 million in 2001 to 71 countries, an increase of more than 325 percent from 1990. Top countries where Virginia seafood is exported are France, Canada, Hong Kong, Belgium and Japan.

For more information on Virginia seafood, including a listing of Virginia seafood festivals, the public may visit www.virginiaseafood.org, or call the Virginia Marine Products Board at (757) 874-3474. (Media are welcome to download recipes, fact sheets and releases from the “Press Office” section.)