Raise a glass to 8 food and drink events

As the number of wineries, distilleries and breweries in the state increases, so do the number of events at which you can swirl, swill or sample our state's libations.

And although fun is a major priority, it's not about tying one on.

Many of the events feature an educational component, too. So next time you mention a wine's tannins or the hoppiness of a beer, you'll have a better understanding of what that really means.

Here are eight events that we already have on our calendars.

Wine and Food Truck Competition

March 28-29

This is a first for Kent County. Not only does it have a new brewery, winery and distillery, all of which opened within the past six months, but it has a new event, too.

Harvest Ridge Winery's first Wine and Food Truck Competition will roll into Marydel on March 28 and 29.

Guests will pay as they go and eat their way around the eight or nine food trucks parked at the state's newest winery.

There will also be live music and a special delivery from the winery. Harvest Ridge is releasing its peach wine, locally sourced from Fifer Orchards in Wyoming, during the festival.

Sorry, there won't be any tours during the event because of the expected crowds.

Admission is free.

Guests can buy wine to take home and a commemorative glass, all proceeds from which will benefit Operation Whitetail. The Delaware-based nonprofit gives hunting opportunities to wounded soldiers.

Wine and Food Truck Competition: 5-8 p.m. March 28 and noon to 5 p.m. March 29 at Harvest Ridge Winery, 447 Westville Road, Marydel. (302) 343-9437, www.harvestridgewinery.com.

Wilmington Craft Beer Festival

April 13

Wait – there's a Wilmington Craft Beer Festival?

There is now.

Beer lovers' paradise Two Stones Pub and Santa Fe are co-hosting the inaugural festival on April 13.

About 40 breweries – along with bands U.Fo. and Fat Daddy Has Been – will keep the city well lubricated and entertained for the afternoon.

Participating breweries include Delaware-based craft brewers as well as Sly Fox, Ommegang, New Belgium, Victory, Harpoon, Allagash and others.

Tickets are $45 from 1-4 p.m., or $70 for an extra hour and lunch from noon-4 p.m.

Wilmington Craft Beer Festival: April 13 at 2006 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington; check Santa Fe and Two Stones Pub's Facebook pages for updates. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Meals from the Masters

April 25-27

If everything about Meals from the Masters sounds delicious, it's not just because you're hungry.

The annual fundraiser for Meals on Wheels Delaware features delicious events for both foodies and wine and beer lovers.

It starts with a smorgasbord of food and drinks at Evening with the Masters on April 25 in Wilmington.

Guests will nosh on tastings from about 50 local and regional chefs when they're not hanging out in the craft beer garden, curated by Two Stones Pub. More than 20 breweries will be participating, including favorites like Brewery Ommegang and Victory, as well as locals like 16 Mile and Dogfish Head.

Tickets are $75.

One of the big draws of the festival is the Cellar Masters' Wine Auction, which also takes place April 25.

Sip wines while watching the auction and tasting hors d'oeuvres by James Beard semifinalist Bryan Sikora of La Fia.

Tickets are $125.

The grand finale to the weekend is the Celebrity Chefs' Brunch on April 27, where locally adored chefs like Hari Cameron and Jay Caputo will be shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers from across the country and the globe.

Tickets are $175.

Meals from the Masters: April 25-27. Evening with the Masters and Cellar Masters' Wine Auction are at the DoubleTree Downtown, 700 N. King St., Wilmington. Celebrity Chefs' Brunch is held at Hercules Plaza, 1313 N. Market St., Wilmington. mealsonwheelsde.org.

MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival

May 14-18

Foodies will be in a frenzy in mid-May as chefs, mixologists, wine experts and other descend on the state for the MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival.

Although its title insinuates there's solely food and wine, that's limiting for a schedule that includes an Interactive Suchi + Sake Lunch, Bacon & Bourbon dinner, a Scotch + Cigars dinner and more than a few events that feature craft beer.

Some of the big-ticket events – including the $250 Champagne Dinner on May 15 and the $250 Duck Creek Spirits + Game Dinner on May 16 – are already sold out.

A lot of the festival events fall in the $55 category, and there are plenty of tickets left.

MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival: May 14-18 at venues across the state. www.mawff.org.

Analog-A-Go-Go

June 13-14

Beer and music have formed a beautiful pairing for centuries.

One of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's hippest annual events is its Analog-A-Go-Go, which heads to the Milton facility on June 13-14.

Details for this year are still being hammered out, but if it's anything like years past it will feature goodies from local record stores and collectors, live music and tasty, cask-conditioned beer. Mmmm.

The off-centered brewers have also introduced weekly Vintage & Vinyl happy hours on Thursdays at the Milton facility.

Vintage music and brews will be on tap for those who need a Dogfish fix pre-weekend.

Tickets for Analog-A-Go-Go go on sale May 1.

Analog-A-Go-Go: June 13-14 at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 6 Cannery Village Center, Milton. www.dogfish.com

Delaware Saengerbund Oktoberfest

Sept. 19-21

Come September, Newark is flooded with German wannabes (and the real things) in lederhosen and dirndls for the annual Delaware Saengerbund Oktoberfest.

The festival is a celebration of German culture, with bratwurst, potato salad and pretzels to spare. The opening parade is led by the Muenchner Kindl, a child dressed to embody the symbol of Munich. Then the Bavarian dance group and German band take over and the carnival rides and games come to life.

As do all the attendees who wait all year to don their festive headwear and raise a stein to this fall tradition.

Only 183 days left!

Oktoberfest: Sept. 19-21 at 49 Salem Church Road, Newark. $8. (302) 366-9454, www.delawaresaengerbund.org

Delaware Wine & Beer Festival

Oct. 11

The Delaware Wine & Beer Fest can't stop growing. Every year something new is added, from a craft vendor's area to a homebrewing contest.

This year it will no doubt be even larger, and on a Saturday, a first for the event.

It will be sandwiched between other local events, including a brunch on Oct. 12 at Harvest Ridge Winery in Marydel and the start of Kent County Restaurant Week, which also starts on Oct. 12.

The afternoon of samples, games, shopping and entertainment is heading into its fifth year.

Delaware Wine & Beer Festival: Noon-5 p.m. Oct. 11, Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village, 866 N. DuPont Highway, Dover. www.delawarewineandbeerfestival.com

Vendemmia da Vinci, A Wine & Food Celebration

Oct. 12

Italian food and wine. There might not be a tastier way to spend a fall afternoon or a spring evening.

The Societa da Vinci's spring event, the Primavera da Vinci, will keep things delicious on March 28 from 7-10 p.m. at the Hilton Wilmington/Christiana (100 Continental Drive, Newark).

The bigger of the group's two annual events, however, is the Vendemmia da Vinci, the fall celebration of food and wine at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park.

Italian wine will be flowing and the food will be dished out generously while judges are contemplating the best homemade wine and "gravy" (or sauce, for those who eat the red stuff from a jar).

Tickets are $50 in advance, or $60 at the gate.

Vendemmia da Vinci: 2-6 p.m. Oct. 12 at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, corner of Water and French streets, Wilmington. (302) 631-1542, www.societadavinci.com