Columbia Crest and Food Network Star Bobby Flay Offer Opportunity to Cook with the World-Renowned Chef

Expanded “Flayvors of Washington” Recipe Contest Announced; Judged on Their Video Submissions, Finalists Will Compete in "Face-Off" Challenge in New York

Columbia Crest Winery, in conjunction with Chef Bobby Flay, today announced the launch of the "Flayvors of Washington" video recipe contest. The winner will have the opportunity to cook one-on-one with Flay, as well as enjoy a prize package valued at more than $5,000. The contest is being hosted on Food Network’s Web site, FoodNetwork.com. The contest is part of the continuing partnership between the Washington-based winery and Flay, which highlights the unexpected rewards of dining with Columbia Crest Grand Estates wines.

In its second year, the "Flayvors of Washington" contest once again challenges food and wine lovers throughout the United States to create and submit an original recipe inspired by Columbia Crest wines and utilizing ingredients from Washington state; only this time, entries must also include a unique two-minute video showcasing the dish. The entries will be posted on FoodNetwork.com, where consumers will be able to view and rate the top-20 picks by the Food Network test kitchen from June 8, 2009 through July 2, 2009. Flay will review the top-10 consumer-rated entries and as many as five entries chosen by Columbia Crest, selecting his top-two favorites as finalists. The finalists will be flown to New York for a special "face-off" event where they will prepare and present their dishes, along with wine pairings, to a panel of judges that will include Flay and a Columbia Crest winemaker. The judges will score the dishes on a range of criteria to determine a winner.

"Given the success of last year’s contest, I am looking forward to seeing how creative people will be with not only their recipes and wine pairings, but with their video submissions, and how the finalists handle themselves in a head-to-head competition," said Flay.

"Washington state, just like Columbia Crest, offers a variety of delicious flavors that are sure to inspire anyone who is passionate about food and wine," said Miles Johnson, senior marketing manager for Columbia Crest. "We look forward to seeing what new and imaginative recipes Columbia Crest fans will come up with this year."

In 2007, Columbia Crest and Flay announced their partnership to demonstrate how simple it is to have a great food and wine experience, everyday. The following year, Columbia Crest and Flay launched the first "Flayvors of Washington" contest, which garnered nearly 700 entries. The winning dish was a Chicken Curry Burger with Crispy Prosciutto and Warm Apple Chutney recipe created by Teresa Ralston of New Albany, Ohio.

The contest begins today, April 13, 2009, and all entries must be submitted by June 8, 2009. To submit an entry or find out more about the "Flayvors of Washington" contest, please visit www.foodnetwork.com/columbiacrest.

About Columbia Crest
Founded in 1983, Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the United States and a major force behind Washington state’s emergence as a world-class wine region. More information about the winery can be found at www.columbia-crest.com.

About Bobby Flay
Chef Bobby Flay’s critically acclaimed restaurants include New York’s Bar Americain; Bobby Flay Steak in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City; three outposts of his famed Mesa Grill in New York, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and The Cove Atlantis in the Bahamas; and Bobby's Burger Palace in Smithtown, N.Y., and Monmouth, N.J. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Flay also shares his enthusiasm for food through his cookbooks; his latest, Burgers, Fries and Shakes, will be released in April 2009. He hosts a variety of national programs on the Food Network, including "Throwdown with Bobby Flay."  Flay regularly informs audiences about seasonal, fresh dishes and ingredients as a food correspondent for "The Early Show" on CBS.

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For further information:
Erin Shane
425-415-3696
erin.shane@smwe.com