PRNewswire
SALEM, Ore.

SALEM, Ore., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- A panel of judges this week selected seven winners in the Oregon Bounty "Cuisinternship" (pronounced: quiz-een-turn-ship) contest. Each winner will be treated to a weeklong trip to Oregon to shadow one of seven culinary artisans. More than 130 foodie dreamers from 28 states applied to win the contest by submitting a video and a 140-character "tweet-able essay" explaining why they wanted to win the "Cuisinternship" of their choice. The contest helped kick off Travel Oregon's largest statewide tourism promotion, Oregon Bounty, celebrating the state's culinary products and the artisans who make them.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071001/AQM187LOGO-b)

The winners in the Cuisinternship contest are:

• Artisan Food Producer: Lisa Graff from Brooklyn, N.Y. Graff will become a culinary artisan in Southern Oregon with chocolatier Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle Farms and cheese maker David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery.
• Brew Master: Kevin Kozlen from Bloomington, Ill. Kozlen will turn hops and grains into craft beer with brew master Jamie Emmerson of Hood River's Full Sail Brewery.
• Chef: Steve Loh from Los Angeles. Loh will be immersed in Portland's dynamic food scene working alongside chef Gabe Rucker--one of Portland's culinary provocateurs--learning how to turn out inventive, gourmet meals that delight diners at the award-winning Le Pigeon restaurant.
• Distiller: Kitty Gallisa from San Francisco. Gallisa can look forward to obtaining an advanced degree in mixology and learn about Oregon's booming craft spirits industry with distiller Jim Bendis of Central Oregon's Bendistillery.
• Rancher: Seth! Leary from Kirkland, Wash. Leary will saddle up and herd cattle while learning sustainable ranching on two of Eastern Oregon's Country Natural Beef ranches with the Pickard and Boyer families, who have been in the business for generations.
• Fisherman: Benjamin Pri-Tal from Portland, Ore. Pri-Tal will head out to sea with charter boat skipper Lars Robison of Dockside Charters and learn the fine art of catching the Oregon Coast's prized wild salmon and rockfish.
• Winemaker: David Katz from North Hollywood, Calif. Katz will walk the Willamette Valley vineyards of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars with renowned vintner Lynn Penner-Ash, learning the hands-on techniques involved in vineyard designate winemaking.
  

Aspiring culinary artisans and foodie travelers can plan their own getaways on Travel Oregon's new comprehensive culinary website: www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty. This planning tool provides an enticing portal into everything there is to taste, sip, see and do in Oregon--from wineries, distilleries and breweries to chefs, artisan producers, farmers markets and insider tips on where to taste the best local flavors--all in a searchable database. Visitors may also order a print travel guide through the site.

To view the winning Cuisinternship videos and essays along with all video submissions go to: www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty.

Find more information about the contest and mentors, Travel Oregon's new culinary website, and Oregon Bounty here: http://TravelOregon.Mediaroom.com.

The Oregon Bounty Cuisinternship contest is presented by Travel Oregon, Horizon Air and Best Western Hotels of Oregon.

About Oregon Bounty and Travel Oregon

The annual statewide Oregon Bounty promotion celebrates the state's culinary abundance during three months of unique travel experiences, fall harvest events and special overnight packages at historic inns and hotels--all designed to highlight Oregon's diverse and plentiful culinary landscape. Oregon Bounty is produced by the Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon--with support from Oregon's regional destination marketing organizations, Oregon Lodging Association, Oregon Restaurant Association, Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, and Brand Oregon, among others--with the goal of encouraging economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Oregon through a strengthened economic impact of tourism statewide. Travel Oregon collaborates extensively with local communities, industry associations, government agencies and private businesses, and is proud to grow the Oregon Bounty promotion as a key campaign in the state's $8.4 billion tourism industry, helping Oregon to be recognized as a not-to-be-missed culinary travel destination. Visit www.TravelOregon.com for more information.

SOURCE Travel Oregon; Oregon Bounty

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071001/AQM187LOGO-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: Travel Oregon; Oregon Bounty

Web site: http://www.traveloregon.com/