November 7—10 brings the 29th annual Seeing Red Wine Festival to Seaside, Florida—the thriving beachfront village familiar as the setting of The Truman Show. This year the emphasis is on a boutique-style festival planned to allow plenty of interaction between visitors and winemakers. Events Director Kevin Boyle says “we wanted to bring the focus back to wine and the guest experience.”
“Seeing Red” has been an iconic travel experience since its beginning. Wine Enthusiast Travel Editor Lauren Mowry recently named it “One of the Best Under-the-Radar Wine and Food Festivals.”
This year, the festivities kick off Thursday night with a Vintner’s Dinner at popular Seaside restaurant Bud and Alley’s. Friday sees an evening Al Fresco wine tasting in the atmospheric neighborhood of Ruskin Place. The event features a carefully-curated selection of reserve wines and hors d’oeuvres accompanied by live music.
On Saturday afternoon, the Grand Tasting in downtown Seaside offers more than 130 wines along with live music, food offerings by Seaside chefs and the opportunity to purchase wines. Sunday’s grand finale spotlights sparkling wines with the Celebration of Bubbles Brunch in Ruskin Place.
The festival is just one more reason to visit Seaside, which comprises 80 scenic acres on Highway 30A by the Gulf of Mexico. An iconic example of the New Urbanism, Seaside boasts a bustling town center with shopping and dining within a walkable distance to homes, offices and vacation cottages.
In addition to its star turn in The Truman Show, Seaside has made numerous television appearances, notably on the PBS program “10 Towns that Changed America.”
For more information on the Seeing Red Wine Festival, visit the website at www.seeingredwinefestival.com
For information on Seaside, visit the website at www.seasidefl.com.
photos by STM Photography and Jack Purser
