Restaurant Review - Harvest of plenty

5 signs of good taste this fall

WINE SOUTH FESTIVAL (SEPT. 28-30)

The Georgia World Congress Center is home to the eighth annual Wine South Festival. This is a foodie event focused on wine, with more than 600 different types to sample. A reserve wine-sampling event with WXIA/Channel 11’s Wes Sarginson as emcee of the live auction will be held Sept. 28 at the Grand Hyatt. On the mornings of Sept. 29-30 before the festival, chef and author Maureen Petrosky headlines two limited-seating seminars: “Bubbly 101” and “Wines to Cool the Heat.”

$55-$225. Sept. 28., 7-10 p.m.; Sept. 29-30, 1-5 p.m. Reserve event at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead, 3300 Peachtree Road. 404-237-1234. Festival at the Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. 404-223-4000. winesouth.com.

HARVEST MIDTOWN (OCT. 6)

Harvest Midtown brings fashion-forward food lovers to Fifth Street. In conjunction with Audi and AT&T, Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar present the fourth annual day of food and wine tasting with live bebop jazz by headliner Joey Sommerville. Alongside chef demonstrations and tastings from the Globe, Park 75 and Element (among others), outdoor runways are set up for fashion shows presented by Thread House and Veruca. All proceeds from the event’s silent auction benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. $60-$100. 1-5 p.m. S. Fifth St., between Peachtree Street and W. Peachtree Street. 404-841 8335. www.harvestmidtown.com.

RISING STARS (OCT. 9-10)

The Georgia Aquarium transforms into a banquet hall honoring new chefs named rising stars by StarChefs.com, an online culinary-industry magazine. The festivities actually begin at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts with a panel of rising-star chefs discussing “How to Make It.” The next evening, the rising stars of Atlanta’s food industry are back in the city showcasing their talent with signature dishes from local restaurants paired with wines. VIP guests get into a pre-event reception with champagne and caviar. $95-$150. 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, 1927 Lakeside Parkway, Tucker. 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 10, Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker St. www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2007/atlanta/html/index.shtml.

TASTE OF ATLANTA (OCT. 13-14)

Taste of Atlanta brings more than 70 of the city’s restaurants and local and national celebrity chefs to the streets of Atlantic Station for a two-day outdoor tasting in mid-October. Cooking demonstrations by “Hell’s Kitchen’s” Julia Williams and others, and tastings from restaurants such as Dolce, Imperial Fez and City Grill are scheduled. For VIP ticket holders, the festival features the Wine Experience at Ten Pin Alley, Atlanta’s high-class bowling alley. New Orleans artist Frenchy adds an arty bonus to the weekend as he paints Taste of Atlanta as it unfolds in front of attendees, who may purchase a raffle ticket to win Frenchy’s piece at the end of the weekend. $25-$60. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Atlantic Station, 361 17th St. www.tasteofatlanta.net.

AFTERNOON IN THE COUNTRY (NOV. 4)

Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a worldwide society of women dedicated to the culinary profession, hosts a day in the country to sample the work of Atlanta chefs. The circus of chefs is held under the big-top tents in Serenbe near Palmetto, southwest of the Perimeter. The tasting also features live music, select retailers and a cake raffle supplied by local pastry chefs. No early-November outdoor event would be complete without the obligatory hayride. Between tastings, patrons can place a bid in the silent auction for items ranging from travel packages to collectable wines. Proceeds from pricey tickets benefit the LDEI Atlanta Chapter’s scholarship fund and local organic farming. Children under age 12 free; ages 12-20, $35; adults, $95. 1 p.m. www.lesdamesatlanta.org.