On Saturday, Bethann from Cafe Europa is visiting and pouring all Argentine wine (is it Argentinian, or Argentine? We say Argentine!). When one hears ‘Argentina,’ the Tango, Che Guevara, and beef are probably what pops into your mind. This South American country also boosts a thriving wine industry: it currently ranks 5th in worldwide wine production! The Argentine wine industry started quite humbly back in the 1500’s when Franciscan monks traveled throughout Peru, Chile, and Argentina and planted grapes (like País and Criolla Grande) for religious purposes. These grapes didn’t exactly flourish in Argentina’s unique terroir – yields were quite low – it wasn’t until the late 1800’s when Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carménère ‘took root’ and Argentina really found its wine voice. Fast forward to the early 2000’s when Argentine wineries began investing in new winemaking technology with the goal of sitting atop the international wine market – and they have indeed propelled themselves to the top! Read more about Argentina and Saturday's line-up here!