It’s 7 p.m. on Friday. In a crowded, noisy room, a couple of women check their makeup. A thirty-something fellow answers his cell phone, shouting above the din. A group of co-workers raise a toast to celebrate their colleague’s birthday.

And in one corner, a serious-looking party of four lift their glasses, sip small amounts of wine, and take notes.

This is not your typical happy hour. It’s Friday night at the Wine House, the Westside’s large discount retailer. Each Friday the store becomes part drinking establishment, part classroom, as patrons pay $15 to sample six to eight offerings from a particular winery, distributor, or region.

The Friday tastings are just part of an aggressive marketing strategy that includes wine and food classes and a monthly wine club. The store relies on a monthly, catalog-style newsletter, a robust Web site, and word of mouth from customers to promote its events.

Such an expansive approach is deemed necessary in L.A.’s highly competitive market. Unlike other states, California lets just about any retailer sell alcohol, so supermarket chains trying to attract upscale patrons can sell premium wines at low mark-ups. And they do.

But they’re not likely to go to the trouble (or assume the risk) of getting on-premises liquor licenses as the Wine House did when it opened 20 years ago, says J.B. Severin, Wine House general manager. An on-premises license is required if a store wants to open and pour wine.

Severin says the happy hour was started because, “We had a hard time getting people to come in Fridays for sit-down seminars. At the end of the week, people want more of a party atmosphere.”

The admission fee was initially $10 and went to $15 this year. Severin says they’re mulling another increase, to $20.

“Some folks screamed when we went to $15,” he says. “I said, ‘Just go to a bar and buy a couple of martinis and see how much they’d cost you.’ ”

The events attract an eclectic crowd, from twenty-something techies to sharp-dressed singles on the prowl to a few white-haired couples.

Steve Wallace, owner of Wally’s, another large Westside wine retailer, says the special tastings “are generally positive for wine education” and good for business in general.

Wally’s has acquired the building next door to its Westwood location so it can expand its display space and open a tasting room of its own. Wallace says the larger site will be open in about 18 months.