Redbud Awards—

Yes, we are proud and brag, but we also want to thank 701Corp.com who took our ideas and the vision we had in our heads and made it work. To our families who had to live with us while we changed, corrected, read out loud, discussed and then changed it again. To the inventor of Post-It –Notes, yep, that is how we organized our content and buttons---everything we wanted we wrote on separate Post Its, then organized them into file folders representing the pull downs (buttons).

Our website is the hub or our social media, where we can refer customers to find everything about us and even where we can check on ourselves. We feel the way we set it up makes it easy to look around and explore from our Bistro menu, to wine terms. Please check it out for yourself at Summersidevineyards.com.

Helping to make tourism in Oklahoma better, and then to put it in a format to be judged can only help us to improve.

Watch out because  in 2013 we, at Summerside are planning a clean sweep of all Redbud Awards, oh yea, a clean sweep. OK, maybe we will not win them all but there are things we know we could be doing better---so, let the games for 2013 begin.

OKLAHOMA TOURISM & RECREATION DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

May 9, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sandy Pantlik

Phone: 405-230-8402 or 405-990-4054 (cell)

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

(Photos of Redbud award and merit winners are available upon request.)

2012 Redbud Awards Honor Oklahoma's Top Tourism Entities

(Oklahoma City, Okla.) – Oklahoma's top tourism attractions, events, programs and organizations were honored during the annual Redbud Awards held Tuesday, May 8 in Oklahoma City. The awards represent the highest honor given in the Oklahoma tourism industry.

Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb and Discover Oklahoma television show host Jenifer Reynolds presented awards to 32 winners during a special evening gala held at the Oklahoma History Center.

More than 100 Redbud entries in 16 categories were evaluated by a slate of out-of-state tourism industry and marketing professionals. Judging criteria covered customer service and experience, marketing effectiveness, media relations, variety of audiences reached, value, and overall creativity. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department partners with the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association to present the annual Redbud Awards.

The Redbud Awards were held during National Tourism Week (May 5 – 13) which recognizes the importance of tourism to the national and local economies. Direct travel expenditures in Oklahoma generate more than $6.2 billion for the state's economy annually and support jobs for 74,900 residents.

A full list of 2012 Redbud Award winners by category is included below.

2012 Redbud Award Winners

Outstanding Agritourism Attraction

Redbud: Country Cottage Primitives and Lavender Farm, Shawnee

Best Social media Campaign

Redbud (Tie): The American Banjo Museum

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

Best Brochure or Publication: Trifold or Single Sheet brochure:

Redbud: Ardmore Convention and Visitors Bureau

Best Brochure or Publication: 11 pages or more

Redbud: Frontier Country Marketing Association

Best Overall Marketing Campaign

Redbud: Muskogee Chamber of Commerce and Tourism

Best Website

Redbud: Summerside Vineyards, Winery & Meadery, Vinita

Outstanding Media Coverage: Broadcast

Redbud: Craig Day, KOTV News on 6

Outstanding Media Coverage: Print

Redbud: The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa

Best Partnerships

Redbud: Arbuckle Simpson Nature Festival, Tishomingo

Outstanding Attraction

Redbud: Oklahoma City Zoo

Outstanding New Attraction

Redbud (Tie): Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid

Chickasaw Nation, Chickasaw Cultural Center, Sulphur

Outstanding Lodging Property

Redbud: Pine Lodge Resort, Grand Lake

Outstanding Temporary Exhibit

Redbud: Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, Duncan

Outstanding Event

Redbud (Tie): Ponca City Herb Festival

Okie Noodling Tournament, Pauls Valley

Outstanding New Event

Destination Claremore, Claremore Convention & Visitors Bureau

Redbud: Legends Weekend, Stillwater Convention & Visitors Bureau, Stillwater

Tourism Organization of the Year

Redbud: Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau

It is finally almost here. We are excited launch our new lovely, smarter, sharper looking website. Several months and lots of hours have gone into this product. Not only is it easier to navigate but the pictures are amazing. Up to date information and things to help you learning more about wines and meads are all there. Some of the many things you will find may surprise you.

On the Home Page you will find news flashes of us and a picture of our award-winning sherry that you will want to show all you friends. Pictures of different happenings at the Bistro and Tasting Room, you may amazed that we have such a place as this place in Oklahoma.

One will not only find normal information like hours and directions and about Us but also wine terminology, how to become a Summerside Ambassador, and our history (how did we get to where we are today).

The Bistro now will have its own pull down, did you know that you can select off our menu, call in and we will have the order ready for picked up as you drive by, or that we can have items for your dinner party ready to go? Thinking about having a wedding shower in one of the dining rooms, all the information is there to get you started with your plans.

Shopping on-line with us could not be easier, custom labels, gift cards, gift shop items like those great wine bling tee shirts we wear are all located on the easy to use shopping pages. Where can one purchase Summerside Wines and Meads all are proudly listed on the Retail Store Page.

The wonderful Blackberry Wine Cake Recipe that was copied from one of our old eNewsletters that was put in a safe place but now….no fear, you can now get it on the eNewsletter Page where our past eNewsletters are archived. Be sure to sign up for our eNewsletter to come monthly to your email address so you will not miss a thing of what is happening around the vineyard.

What is there to do in NE Oklahoma, lots, and we will help you find and explore them on Things to Do. Need a place to stay, we have a couple of places in mind, for things to do after visiting our tasting room and having craft day or a private tour and tasting we will direct you to other wineries in our area.

We are a “Made In Oklahoma” company, on our tasting sheets it will tell you where our grapes, fruits and honey come to make our products. So feel free to print it off take, take it with you and show all your friends.

Have you ever gone to a website and could not find out how to contact them, I hate that. But, we have made it easy to contact use either by using Meet Our Family Page or on the Contact Us Page using our new text box feel free to ask questions, give thoughts and ideas. Maybe a product you think we should carry in our gift shop, or a festival for us to attend, tell us about it.

Donations? Really? Yes, fill out the online donation form, great for live and/or silent auction items.

We are excited about the new Summerside Website, watch Facebook for the launch date.