About Marianne Frantz

A Certified Wine Educator, Marianne holds a Diploma in Wine & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) of London, and has also earned the Advanced Sommelier qualification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. After successfully participating in an educational competition sponsored by the Wines of Australia in the spring of 2008, Marianne became an educational Ambassador for Wine Australia USA. She is also a Certified Spanish Wine Educator.

Perfect Pairings: Riesling & Holidays

When in doubt, open a good bottle of Mosel Riesling; Sage table-advice for pleasing a holiday crowd. The reasons are simple. No other white grape has Riesling's versatility, and no other region has the soil and climate to craft Riesling like the Mosel. While some folks may hear the word Riesling and think cheap & sweet (a reputation built by an influx of mediocre wines  in the '60s and '70s), not all Rieslings are sweet. Riesling can vary in sweetness [...]

By |2022-12-09T15:56:38-05:00December 9th, 2022|Uncategorized|

Spirited Gifts: Virtual Wine Classes & More

AWS Holiday Gift Guide Shopping and gifting look a little different this holiday season, but American Wine School has some great options for the wine lovers in your life – or for yourself, because wine not!  AWS Virtual Classes Virtual Classes include: Instructor-led lectures online via Zoom Course Materials Recorded lectures and videos   Wine 101 How to Taste Wine: Whether you know a little or a lot about wine, Wine 101 is a great way to start your formal [...]

By |2020-12-04T10:59:00-05:00December 4th, 2020|Uncategorized|

Valentine’s Day Gifts for the Wine Geek in Your Life

  Valentine’s Day is around the corner and if you’re looking for a gift for that favorite wino in your life, here are a few suggestions: WSET Levels I & II and Food & Wine Pairings Classes *Advanced classes also available. Chicago WSET® Level 1 Wine – Binny’s – March 16 & 18th, 2020 at 6pm. Exam on March 23, 2020 WSET® Level 2 Wine – Binny’s - Feb 11, 18, 25th & March 3, 10, 17, 24 at 6pm. [...]

By |2020-02-09T19:24:02-05:00February 9th, 2020|Wine Blog|

The Superiore Side of Prosecco

Let’s chat about Prosecco. Most of us are familiar with the popular Italian sparkling wine. Here in the States it’s synonymous with cocktail parties as an aperitif or as the fizz in those weekend brunch mimosas. However, there is a lot more to understanding the popular sparkler than one might think. From production method to classification, understanding the differences may just shed a new light on Prosecco – and may have you drinking it without the OJ and even with [...]

By |2019-12-13T13:53:14-05:00December 9th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Quick Facts: Languedoc-Roussillon

The Languedoc-Roussillon region is France’s largest wine producing region and vineyard area (300,000 ha), with roughly one-third of all French wines produced here, including 11% of the world’s rosé wine production. To get our arms around this vast region, let’s start by taking a brief look at just the Languedoc wine region. Who The Languedoc AOP is home to more than 2,000 wine producers, 80 co-ops and 450 private winemakers. Arguably, the most notable producer in the region, and the [...]

By |2019-12-03T13:43:11-05:00December 3rd, 2019|Wine Blog|

Alsace Rocks

by Kristy Wenz Several months ago, Wines of Alsace held their annual “Alsace Rocks” Grand Tasting in Chicago, and next month they’ll be returning for the Chicago Wine Fest. So, in preparation of the event, let’s do a quick review of this unique French wine region. Quick Facts: Alsace, France Who Wine making in Alsace spans centuries, with many wine-making families dating back 20 generations. Today, nearly 4,000 winegrowers can be found in Alsace with more than 38,000 acres of [...]

By |2019-11-14T17:28:59-05:00November 14th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Sommelier for Hire

We talk a lot about wine education here for obvious reasons, but there’s also wine for entertainment. Corporate wine dinners, pairing parties, birthday and holiday events, or even at-home dinner parties – each a great opportunity to share a variety of wines among friends and colleagues. But how do you pick the wines? You can do the research yourself, work with your caterer, or to kick it up a notch, and engage the services of a sommelier. Both sourcing and [...]

By |2019-11-08T15:35:53-05:00November 8th, 2019|Wine Blog|

A Cultural Journey with One of Italy’s Winemaking Families

Francesco Zonin of Zonin1821 Fine Wine & Spirits held a “Sommeliers’ Themed Lunch” in Chicago this month, but this was not an ordinary producer’s tasting. This was an experience. Francesco, a seventh generation Zonin, led a small number of industry professionals on a cultural journey of the senses through a blind tasting and multi-course lunch. “To understand the wine, you must understand the culture,” Zonin said. “Wine is an experience.” Having traveled through and spent extensive time in Italy, I [...]

By |2019-10-29T16:26:05-04:00October 29th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Bringing Out the Wine Expert in You

Kristy Wenz Last month at Bon Appetit’s Chicago Gourmet, the wine seminars hosted by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and the American Wine School featured several sessions on tasting and blind tasting. Wine is often perceived as intimidating, particularly when ordering wine from an extensive list in a restaurant, shopping at the local wine store, and especially when tasting with those viewed as more “in the know.” How many times has selecting a bottle of wine for a friend that [...]

By |2019-10-16T18:03:00-04:00October 16th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Chicago Gourmet Top 10 Takeaways

Top 10 Takeaways from the Wine Experts at Chicago Gourmet 2019 Kristy Wenz The interest in wine knowledge and wine education is on the rise. In fact, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), now in its 50th year, has seen year-over-year increases in candidates every academic school year in the past nine-year period, with a near 200% increase between 2010/2011 academic school year and the 2018/2019 academic school year. Here at the American Wine School, one of the oldest [...]

By |2019-10-09T16:18:12-04:00October 9th, 2019|Wine Blog|

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