Bud & Alley’s 28th Annual Seeing Red Wine Dinner Nov 8

Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant on Scenic Highway 30A in Seaside ushers in fall with a festive kick off for the four-day, 28th annual Seeing Red Wine Festival by hosting the much-loved yearly Vintner Dinner.

This year’s Seeing Red Vintner dinner will be held throughout Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant on Thursday, Nov. 8. A reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and dinner follows at 7 p.m.

Executive Chef David Bishop, who marks 11 years at Bud & Alley’s this year, will create a special four-course sea and farm-to-table harvest dinner paired with wines selected by Steven Lohr, CEO of J. Lohr Wineries. He will be showcasing their higher end Signature Series line from the J. Lohr portfolio.

In 1972, at the age of 10, Steve helped his father, Jerry Lohr, plant their first vineyards in Greenfield, in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. From that point through high school, he often spent weekends working with his father in the vineyards and learning about winegrowing, which fostered his lifelong passion for viticulture.

After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in civil engineering and economics, Steve split his time between winegrowing, and designing and building high-end custom homes on the San Francisco Peninsula.

In 2003, he began to devote his full energy to J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines as the company’s Vice President of planning & development. In 2009, he was named Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for J. Lohr Vineyards, and for the next four years oversaw the management and development of J. Lohr’s vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey County and St. Helena.

Today, Steve continues to champion J. Lohr’s position as an industry leader. From the winery’s pioneering work in the area of viticultural research to its unveiling of the largest photovoltaic solar tracking array in the wine industry and its many industry and appellation-based policy initiatives, Steve works locally, nationally and internationally on behalf of his family’s winery and the broader wine industry.

Featured Lohr wines will include:
2016 Flume Crossing Sauvignon Blanc, Arroyo Seco, 2016 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, 2013 Highland’s Bench Pinot Nior, St. Lucia Highlands, 2014 Tower Road Petit Syrah, Paso Robles, 2014 J Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles.

“Hosting special dinners like this personifies our mission of celebrating good food, good people and good times,” said Bud & Alley’s founder/owner Dave Rauschkolb. “This annual event is particularly special to us, because it was one of those organic events that took hold and the wine festival grew from there. For all of us here at Bud & Alley’s it’s all about gathering together and eating wonderful food and drink with great family and friends.”

The winner dinner is $195 per person and includes tax, fees, gratuities. Space is limited and reservations are required. To reserve your place at the 2018 Seeing Red Vintner Dinner, call Bud & Alley’s Restaurant directly at (850) 231-5900.

After the Vintner dinner, the event continues through the weekend. The Al Fresco Reserve Tasting is on Friday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. on Seaside’s Lyceum Lawn. Saturday, Nov. 10 the Grand Tasting is from 1 to 4 p.m. throughout Central Square in Seaside. Sunday, Nov. 11 wraps up the weekend with a Celebration of Bubbles, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Ruskin Place. A portion of this year's proceeds will benefit the Seaside Neighborhood School and the Seaside Institute. Purchase tickets to each individual event online at seeingredwinefestival.com.

Founded in 1986 in Seaside, Florida, Bud & Alley's, owned and operated by local Dave Rauschkolb, operates with one simple mantra: Good Food. Good People. Good Times. A pioneer of the farm- and sea-to-table movement, Bud & Alley’s is known for serving award-winning menus with the freshest regional seafood and its daily sunset celebrations. Known for its quality food and exceptional service, Bud & Alley’s is a Top 20 Florida Restaurant and a Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Hall of Fame award winner. The Bud & Alley’s Restaurant Group includes Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant, The Taco Bar, The Pizza Bar and the Bud & Alley’s Catering Company.