Showdown Series: Argentina versus Chile with Michael Franz – Online

2 hours, $105

Both Argentina and Chile have dramatically improved their export wines during recent years, with both accomplishing this in similar ways: Pushing into cooler growing regions, sharpening selection of the best grape varieties for particular microclimates, reducing crop yields to assure optimal flavor concentration, and investing in better winemaking equipment to challenge the world’s best wines.  However, interestingly, that’s where most of the similarity ends, even though most of the wines are grown within a 300-mile-wide band that straddles the Andes Mountains.  On the Chilean side, the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean moderate ripeness and enhance freshness, resulting in more European-style wines, whereas the “rain shadow” cast by the Andes keeps Argentine wines basking in intense sunlight, with cooling derived from altitude rather than marine influence.  This blind tasting will examine 12 wines split into 6 competitive face-offs, showing some of each nation’s most exemplary wines against the other country’s closest counterpart.  If you haven’t kept track of how good—and how different—these wines have become, this will prove to be a very revealing tasting.

Wine samples available for pickup by appointment on Friday, October 21 between 12pm – 5pm.

Additional Information

*If this event is sold out please email michael@franzwine.com to be added to the waitlist. Due to the popularity of Michael’s classes we will be unable to accept requests for cancellation/rescheduling within 5 days of the class date. Outside of the 5 day period, our normal cancellation/rescheduling policy applies.

*If you are registering for more than one person, please be sure to include the other participants’ email address(es) when registering if they will be viewing the class from a different location/device.

*Please make a note of the wine sample pickup date mentioned above, as it will not appear on your registration confirmation.

*We cannot accommodate requests for wine sample pickups in advance of the date/times mentioned above. 

Zoom invitations will be emailed the day of class.