The George W. Bush Presidential Library center is hosting an array of diverse educational events and programs beginning this fall.

* The Classic Film Series will present a free showing of Casablanca at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. Free popcorn and drinks are served before the movie. For more information, call Tracy at 979-691-4014.

* On Sept. 28, a much-anticipated exhibit will debut at the Bush Library and Museum. "The Culture of Wine" unravels the mystery, magic and making of wine.

From the moment visitors step into the exhibit's vineyard, they begin to learn about viticulture, including differences in soil types, vineyard management practices and harvest techniques. The exhibit's attention to detail and the realism achieved by blending vineyard and winery equipment with stunning photo murals set the exhibit apart and immerse each visitor in the wine-growing process.

Throughout the exhibit, every section is a learning experience emphasizing how a good winemaker combines techniques and processes he can control with what Mother Nature provides in a growing season to produce distinctive wines.

Visitors begin the tour with a historical overview of the importance and influence wine has held in western civilization. Any research into the early days of American winegrowing would not be complete without a look into the wine knowledge and passion of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Apart from his personal love of wine, Jefferson viewed it as an important cultural element in his young nation's success.

Visitors will enjoy artifacts, reproductions and historical documents that explore his role as the father of American wine. Jefferson's keen knowledge of European wines also made him the perfect personal wine adviser to Presidents Washington, Madison and Monroe.

Transitioning from 19th century Monticello to 20th century Napa Valley, visitors move into a typical small California winery setting during the period of the Paris Tasting of 1976.

At this historic event, a selection of California wines was judged in a blind tasting to be better than their French counterparts. This tasting catapulted American wines onto the world stage, strengthened the confidence of winemakers the world over, and caused the science of viticulture to flourish.

The exhibit runs through Aug. 22 in the Ansary Gallery of American History at the Bush Presidential Library and Museum. To learn more about the exhibit, visit www.thecultureofwine.com.

* On Oct. 2, Ichiro Fujisaki, the Japanese ambassador to the United States, will deliver the William and Dianne Moss-Scowcroft Lecture at the Scowcroft Institute.

The lecture will be held at 6 p.m. in the Bush Library's Orientation Theater.

"The U.S.-Japanese partnership has helped to fundamentally shape the latter part of the 20th century and especially the shape and nature of Asia and the Pacific Rim," according to professor Randy Kluver, the director of the Institute for Pacific Asia at Texas A&M University. "The partnership between these countries has helped to bring stability, peace, and prosperity to much of Asia, and remains a critically important partnership going forward."

Ambassador Fujisaki said it is "a great honor for me to have the opportunity to speak at your distinguished school that is dedicated to public service and educating students to become great public servants and leaders."

A limited number of free tickets will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. For ticket information, contact Griffin Rozell at 979-845-1540.

For more on upcoming events at the Bush Library and Museum, go online to http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu.

* Roman Popadiuk is executive director of the George Bush Library Foundation.