Reds, whites and rosés will be uncorked during Seeing Red Wine Festival, four days of wine and culinary events being held in Seaside, Florida, November 9-12. Now in its 27th year and recognized as one of the “Top 10 Can’t-Miss Fall Wine Festivals” by Fodor’s Travel, the festival draws attendees from around the world.

Seeing Red says it is shaking things up this year with new offerings, while maintaining the best of what festival attendees crave. Guests will enjoy sipping on delicious wines and tasting unique and delectable food pairings as the festival combines the best of General Admission and VIP tickets into one exclusive and unforgettable experience reminiscent of the festival’s earlier years.

Chef Ryan Smith of Atlanta’s Staplehouse Restaurant will be the guest chef for Friday evening’s Gulf-Coast-To-Table dinner under the stars. Smith will join award-winning Seaside restaurateur Chef Jim Shirley for this exciting, new-to-Seaside event.

Smith and Shirley will team up on November 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. to feature an elegant evening of locally sourced offerings, personally prepared and selected to complement highlighted wines for an exclusive experience.

Seeing Red Wine Festival is bringing a fresh take to its time honored festival tradition by offering this inaugural Friday evening experience. Wine aficionados and foodies will savor carefully selected Gulf-Coast-to-table dishes while sipping specially curated wines from Kokomo Winery and the SEASIDE Wine Project. The four-day wine and culinary event will continue to maintain the best of what attendees crave throughout the weekend.

Ryan Smith is Chef/Partner at the award-winning Staplehouse restaurant in Atlanta. Originally from State College, Pennsylvania, he has called Atlanta home for 15 years. Smith took an interest in cooking while he was in college, working in the kitchens at Penn State University. He went on to attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and received his degree in 2000. From there, Smith moved to Atlanta to explore the history and traditions of the Southeast and gain experience working for some of the city’s best chefs.

Chef Smith has worked in some of Atlanta’s most prominent restaurants including Bacchanalia, Canoe, Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch, and Empire State South. Since opening in September 2015, Staplehouse has been named a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant, Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in America, GQ’s Best New Restaurant, and Atlanta Magazine’s #1 Restaurant in Atlanta. Staplehouse is the for-profit subsidiary of The Giving Kitchen; a 501(c)3 that provides grant assistance to metro-Atlanta restaurant workers experiencing unanticipated hardship.

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