By DAILY PRESS STAFF
DOWNTOWN Santa Monica is in the running to be named America’s most sparkling city by [yellow tail] wines. Now it is up to online voters to determine the winner.
“The inaugural ‘Search for America’s Most Sparkling City’ is designed to uncover the most animated, brilliant, lively and vivacious city in the United States,” said Mark Lyle, vice president of marketing for [yellow tail] wines. “We thought honoring the cities across the United States that make Americans feel the most ‘switched on’ would be a fun way to remind them to ‘always sparkle.’”
The winner will be unveiled during an event in the winning city the week of July 4. The contest coincides with the launch of a new line of sparkling wines by [yellowtail].
The top 10 nominees were ranked by the highest percentage of respondents as being “sparkling” cities, according to a survey of 900 adults ages 21 and older conducted by Greenfield Online.
More than half of survey respondents said that what makes a city sparkle is “breathtaking scenery” (61 percent) and “great night life” (53 percent), as well as quality restaurants. Americans are encouraged to cast their votes until June 15 at www.yellowtailwineusa.com.
Las Vegas is in the lead, voters feeling that the “entertainment capital of the world” has 68 percent of the qualities that make a sparkling city. New York is in second with 64 percent. The Big Apple, also known as the “city that never sleeps,” is home to national treasures including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway, and Rockefeller Center. Orlando is close behind with 63 percent. San Francisco is in fourth place, followed by New Orleans, South Beach in Miami, San Diego, Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Martha’s Vineyard.
“Located along the sultry Pacific Ocean coastline and filled with glamorous urban walkways, gourmet cuisine, and upscale cou-ture fashion boutiques — what’s not to love?” one voter said of Santa Monica.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2008. Read the original PDF.