Ever dreamt of being a vintner, a chef, a chocolatier or other culinary genius? Travel Oregon is calling all food and drink enthusiasts to fulfill their dreams by applying for a cuisine internship, or "Cuisinternship" (pronounced: quiz-een-turn-ship).
Seven winners will be selected to win all-expenses paid trips (airfare, lodging and $1,000 meal stipend) to spend one week shadowing an Oregon expert in his or her field of culinary crafts. The contest opens today as part of Travel Oregon's largest statewide tourism promotion, Oregon Bounty, celebrating the state's culinary products and the artisans who make them.
Oregon Bounty Cuisinternships are offered in the following categories:
• Artisan Food Producer: 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: Turn hops and grains into craft beer with brew master Jamie Emmerson of Hood River's Full Sail Brewery
• Chef: Immerse yourself 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: Get an advanced degree in mixology and learn about Oregon's booming craft spirits industry with distiller Jim Bendis of Central Oregon's Bendistillery
• Rancher: 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: 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: 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
To enter the Oregon Bounty Cuisinternship Contest, applicants must submit a short video, along with a statement containing no more than 140 characters, describing why they are the best candidate at www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty.
Seven winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Oregon to shadow their mentor for one week. Entries must be submitted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 18. A panel of judges, including the Cuisinternship mentors, will select winners which will be announced beginning Sept. 28.
To give entrants an idea of what they can anticipate on their trip, Travel Oregon produced video vignettes of each culinary mentor and the experience their Cuisinternship offers. Click here to view the vignettes.
A longer video will also be available, which follows Chef Gabe Rucker as he visits the seven cuisine-related locations and mentors with the goal of making the perfect Oregon meal. The video culminates with all participants gathering together for an Oregon feast at Rucker's restaurant, Le Pigeon in Portland, where the culinary masters discuss why they consider Oregon to be the ultimate foodie destination.
Want to plan your own culinary getaway? Travel Oregon has launched a new comprehensive culinary website at www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty. This planning tool provides an enticing portal into everything there is to 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 flavorsall in a searchable database. Visitors may also order a print travel guide through the site.
Media can learn more about the Cuisinternship Contest and mentors, Travel Oregon's new culinary website, and Oregon Bounty by clicking here
Click here for a complete list of contest rules, and to enter
The Oregon Bounty Cuisinternship Contest is presented by Travel Oregon, Horizon Air and Best Western Hotels of Oregon.