Wine Blog – Page 3 – American Wine School

7 05, 2019

Spanish Springtime Sippers

Spanish Springtime Sippers

By Marianne Frantz|2019-06-18T13:34:47-04:00May 7th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Rias Biaxas Fillaboa Winery While Spain's sun-drenched reds have garnered international attention decades, the country's native whites are on the rise with plenty of varieties on retail shelves just in time for spring to summer sipping. Grown in the cooler "green region" of Rias Baixas, Albarino (a native grape variety) lays claim to some of the country's best whites. Cooler temperatures tempered by ocean breezes allow Albarino producers to make refreshing whites with aromatic peach, lemon, kiwi and floral notes [...]

27 02, 2019

For Sake’s Sake

For Sake’s Sake

By Marianne Frantz|2019-02-27T13:52:19-05:00February 27th, 2019|Wine Blog|

This week kicks off Sake Week in London: A fact I find very interesting - mainly because I adore introducing friends to Sake. This past New Year's Eve, my husband and I hosted a dinner for 8 of our friends. We dubbed the event "Dinner of the Decades" to welcome in the last year of the current decade. The evening began in the living room with fire-side appetizers made famous in the 1950's such as deviled eggs and a relish tray [...]

27 07, 2018

Pairing Buttery Chardonnay

By Marianne Frantz|2018-07-27T22:03:44-04:00July 27th, 2018|Uncategorized, Wine Blog|

We have all seen terms like buttery, creamy, smooth on the back label of our favorite Chardonnay, but what does that mean in terms of pairing? For me, corn on the cob, lobster, and crab legs come to mind. The buttery texture of some Chardonnays just naturally stand up to foods that we often serve with butter. You might wonder why some Chardonnays have this creamy, buttery texture and flavor and others do not. In a word, malolactic fermentation. Ok [...]

31 08, 2016

Wine Chemistry 101

Wine Chemistry 101

By Marianne Frantz|2016-08-31T18:55:35-04:00August 31st, 2016|Wine Blog|

Ever wondered where wine gets its aromas? While the science of wine is complicated, here's a snap shot answer: The grape: Each grape has a unique flavor profile or set of characteristics. Much like apples, no two varieties taste exactly the same. Think Granny Smith vs Honey Crip vs Red Delicious and you will get the picture. Fermentation: All wine grapes under go full or partial fermentation, which is the process of allowing yeast to convert the grape sugar into alcohol. Sometimes [...]

17 04, 2014

A Brutish Winter makes for a Bubbly Spring

A Brutish Winter makes for a Bubbly Spring

By Marianne Frantz|2014-04-18T15:54:04-04:00April 17th, 2014|Wine Blog|

One can only hope that the brut winter weather of 2014 is finally over, but dare we utter the word “spring?” Most of us have a fear of jinxing the mild weather when it arrives by declaring spring has sprung – especially if you live anywhere in the north to central eastern part of the country. Crazy weather patterns and polar vortex influences have wreaked havoc on our faith in predicting the forecast. That said, given the choice of glass [...]

25 01, 2012

Screwing Around with the Cork

Screwing Around with the Cork

By Marianne Frantz|2014-02-26T04:36:30-05:00January 25th, 2012|Wine Blog|

Most winelovers would like to say that they always open a bottle of wine using proper technique. That said, many times necessity (aka lack of an opener) overrides technique, and the vinous will takes over. Personally, I have been know to open a bottle of wine using a self-created method I call "pigeage-bouchon" or punching down the cork with a sturdy chopstick. It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done. Stuck without a corkscrew in a formal setting? No worries. I once [...]

17 08, 2011

Decanting Wine

By Marianne Frantz|2011-08-17T12:48:41-04:00August 17th, 2011|Wine Blog|

WHY WE DECANT WINE Reason #1 - Letting the wine breathe: If you like big reds, then you need a decanter. Here’s why: The aroma and complexity of full-bodied, red wine actually improves with aeration (the addition of oxygen). Simply removing the cork does not allow the wine to breathe. You need to get the wine out of the bottle, so oxygen can mix with the wine. Try this, pour yourself a glass of good, quality red wine, give it [...]

4 04, 2011

Video: Exploring Spanish Wines

By admin|2014-04-04T03:28:18-04:00April 4th, 2011|Media|

American Wine School founder and Advanced Sommelier Marianne Frantz talks about Spanish wines.

30 03, 2011

The "ah ha moment"

By Marianne Frantz|2016-03-29T11:46:11-04:00March 30th, 2011|Wine Blog|

Everyone has one. That singular point in time when you "got" wine for the very first time. It's your vinous "ah ha moment" and there isn't a sweeter sip to be had. Lots of people drink wine, but once you've experience your wine WOW you will never approach a glass in the same manner. You stop merely sipping wine and start savouring wine by taking in all that it has to offer including the wine's history, geography, sensibility, and winemaking tradition. My wine "ah ha [...]

8 11, 2010

Fireside Sippers

Fireside Sippers

By Marianne Frantz|2010-11-08T16:04:21-05:00November 8th, 2010|Wine Blog|

With lots of candy leftover from the Halloween season, I find myself temped to nibble a piece at the end of the day. Trouble is...I also find myself wanting a glass of vino. For me,there is no better time to uncork a simple ruby port than the start of the holiday season. From Nov 1st to Jan 1st, I find myself sipping fortifieds and nibbling on more sweets than anyother time of the year. Did I tell ya there is snow [...]