Marriott Hotels is offering an interesting Washington wine country weekend package at the Woodinville, WA Marriot. Woodinville is the birthplace of the Washington wine industry, and the headquarters of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia wineries, not to mention a host of others nearby. In addition to a special room rate, the package includes a welcome gift of your choice of local wines (either red or white), and a complimentary breakfast buffet for two. The special "deluxe" room rates range from $109 to $189 per night, and are good through October 21, 2009. You need to use the special promotional code ARN for the package rate. You can read more about it here.

Woodinville is packed with wineries (over 40 in Woodinville alone), and this is a neat way to pick a few to visit, do a tour, taste a little wine, and just have a relaxing break. You can use this printable map to help you plan your trip. I'm not sure whether I'd want to go now or later—it would be awfully tempting to go in September when you could see part of the harvest, and the weather is still gorgeous. But right now, summer fruits are all over, and you can stop at farm stands and pack picnics to enjoy as you sip wine.

On Wednesday, July 15, you could go to Woodinville's Wine Notes Wednesday; you buy a ticket and go to Columbia Winery to taste wine from over 20 wineries, accompanied by live music and hors d'oeuvres. You can buy tickets and read more here.