No meal is complete without the right drink - whether that's wine, beer or another lubricant. And this region is rich with classes and events including tastings, pairings and discussions with sommeliers and brewers.

Chef Ann-Michelle Albertson, who is traveling to Africa in January and plans a spring program on South African wines and foods, described this simple experiment she likes to use in the classroom or at home:

Select one bottle, open it, and pour four glasses, marking each glass with a number. Try Glass No. 1 immediately; the second about 30 minutes later; the next 45 minutes later; and the final glass an hour after pouring.

"And that's how you learn what happens to wine when it sits in the air," Albertson says. Beats a lecture any time.

Tria Fermentation School, 16th and Walnut Streets, has a stunning lineup of classes in October alone. It begins with Piedmont wines imported by Luca Mazzotti, the Italian-born founder of West Park Imports, and continues with tastings featuring winemaker Laely Heron (her six-grape Spanish blend, Sexto, is apparently a must-have). Sessions on wines from Argentina and Italy round out the mix, along with a cheese pairing.

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Wine, Beer Classes

These are just some of the fall wine and beer classes and tastings planned in the area. Please check with each organization's Web site for additional offerings.

Philadelphia

Bistro Romano, 120 Lombard St., 215-925-8880 (www.bistroromano.com). Annual Cellar Club wine tasting, featuring 10 wines from Italy and France, as well as wine experts to discuss the selections, Oct. 16, 7 p.m., $80; includes both a $20 gift certificate toward a bottle of wine and a complimentary bottle.

Home Sweet Homebrew, 2008 Sansom St., 215-569-9469 (www.homesweethomebrew.com). Beermaking demonstrations and tastings, Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m. Free. (HOPS club, Homebrewers of Philadelphia and Suburbs, meetings on third Wednesday of each month.)

Lacroix, 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, 215-790-2533 (www.lacroixrestaurant.com). Eric's Petits Vins tasting, Bordeaux from the Pauillac District, as well as hors d'oeuvres, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m., $30.

Morris Arboretum, 100 Northwestern Ave., 215-247-5777, Ext. 125  (www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum). Annual beer dinner, with a focus on Belgian beers and a menu of dishes made with beer, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., $72 nonmembers; $60 members.

Mount Airy Learning Tree, 6601 Greene St., 215-843-6333 (www.mtairylearningtree.org). At Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Dr.: Thanksgiving Red Wines, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., $24 (plus $15 material fee). At Tea Country, 6722 Old York Rd.: Introduction to tea, Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m., $15 (plus $5 material fee).

Phillywine.com, Box 1478, Havertown. 610-649-9936 (www.phillywine.com). Neal Ewing, director. Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma programs and exams. Courses at Temple (Ambler), Art Institute Culinary School, and the Wine Academy of the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. For more details, go online.

Temple University Center City, Institute of Continuing Studies, 1515 Market St., 215-204-6946 (www.temple.edu/tucc). Sommelier's Secrets of Wine and Food Pairing with wine expert Marnie Old, Oct. 10, 5:45 p.m., $49.

Tria Cafe, 18th and Sansom Sts. and 12th and Spruce Sts., 215-972-8742 (www.triacafe.com). Sunday School, featuring a not-so-common wine, beer and cheese at half off Tria's regular prices, along with an informational presentation on each item, every Sunday, all day long, at both Tria Cafe locations. For more information on classes at Tria's Fermentation School at 1601 Walnut St., Suite 620, go online.

The Wine Academy of the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, 4207 Walnut St., 215-222-4200, Ext. 3067. Certificate program. Catalog online.

The Wine School of Philadelphia, 2006 Fairmount Ave., 800-817-7351 (www.vinology.com). Wine 101: Introduction to Wine, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.; Nov. 29, 5 p.m. at Pinot Boutique, 227 Market St., $37.99. The Holiday Wine Buying Guide, Dec. 6, 6 p.m., $37.99.

Bucks County

Carlow Cookery, 432 Main St., Doylestown, 215-489-2677 (www.carlowcookery.com). Fine Wines of the World, featuring signature varietals from some of the world's best growing regions and a menu of food items from the same regions, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., $70.

Crossing Vineyards, 1853 Wrightstown Rd., Washington Crossing, 215-493-6500, Ext. 19, (www.crossingvineyards.com). Wine Tasting for Dummies, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 or Dec. 14, all at 2 p.m., $25. French Wine for Beginners: Burgundy, with French-born sommelier Eric Cavatore, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., $35.

Chester County

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, 1-800-390-4367 (bvwinetrail.com), includes seven Brandywine Valley wineries. Vintner's Dinner Celebration, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m.-midnight, Longwood Gardens, reception, dinner, dancing, $135, black tie optional. Reserve early. Go online for information on individual wineries.

Chaddsford Winery, 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221 (www.chaddsford.com). Reserve tastings every Saturday at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., $15. Holiday food and wine pairing with Marnie Old, Nov. 7, 7 p.m., $45.

Inn Keeper's Kitchen at Dilworthtown Inn, 1390 Old Wilmington Pike, West Chester, 610-399-1390 (www.dilworthtown.com). Wine Festival, Oct. 12, noon-4 p.m., $35 advance, $40 at the door.

Cosimo Restaurant and Wine Bar, 209 Lancaster Ave., Malvern, 610-647-1233 (www.cosimorestaurant.com). Wine-down Wednesdays, featuring eight wines (four reds and four whites) and hors d'oeuvres, as well as discussion with a sommelier; 6:30-8:30 p.m., $25.

Montgomery County

Albertson's Cooking School, Box 27, Wynnewood, 610-649-9290 (Albertsoncookingschool.com). Wine and cheese tasting with representatives from Moore Brothers Wine Co. and Di Bruno Bros., Oct. 19, 3 p.m. at Yangming, 1051 Conestoga Rd., Bryn Mawr, $55.

Main Line School Night, 260 Gulph Creek Rd., Radnor, 610-687-0460 (www.mainlineschoolnight.org). Advanced Wine Tasting, Nov. 5, 7:45 p.m., $54. at Beaumont Retirement Community, 601 N. Ithan Ave., Bryn Mawr.

Viking Cooking School, One Town Place, Suite 100, Bryn Mawr, 610-526-9020 (www.vikingcookingschool.com). The Big Reds, featuring merlots and cabernet sauvignons from around the world, Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m., $79. Great Beginnings and Sweet Endings: Sparkling Wines and Dessert Wines, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m., $79.

   - Barry Zukerman