The toast of the town

They wander through the exhibits and booths  swirling, sniffing, sipping and spitting, comparing notes like Frasier and Niles Crane at a wine club tasting&

Niles: It was ripe, round and thoroughly seductive. I said Australian Shiraz.

Frasier: Well, contrary to my brother, I thought it was dark, dusky and supple, but I also said Australian Shiraz.

Like the Crane brothers, visitors to Gwinnetts annual wine festival enjoy sampling some of the countrys finest wines. A mecca for wine enthusiasts, the fifth-annual Wine South festival brings the intoxicating tastes of many wines and foods to Gwinnett. The two-day event, held on September 18 and 19 at the Gwinnett Center, features more than 600 different wines from some of the countrys most well-known vineyards and wineries.

Here, all things wine are welcome. Aficionados can taste, shop and browse to their hearts content.

Wine South was created to give consumers an all-day expo

to learn more about fine wines, gourmet food, view great wine-related artwork, enjoy music and other food and wine lifestyle pleasures. It is really an all-day

celebration of the American lifestyle in the South, said founder Dan Thompson.

A dozen countries bring out their finest wines for the event, including South America, Australia and New Zealand. California, Washington, and, of course, Georgia are just a few of the states represented. Local wineries include members of the Winegrowers Association of Georgia along with Ch