Food & Occasion

What food pairs with sparkling wine from Argentina? Whatever comes to the table before the meat. A picada with cheese, olives and cured sausage, hot empanadas filled with beef, and a piece of grilled provoleta, a soft provolone that melts in the pan or on the grill: these are dishes that bring fat and salt, and that's exactly what acidity counters.

Choripán, the sausage sandwich, also pairs well with dry sparkling wine. The fat in the chorizo is cut through by the acidity, and the fine bubbles cleanse the palate. For something heartier, reach for the rosé version, which stands up better to spice and a touch of heat.

For asado itself, the big weekend meat grill, red wine is usually what's poured in Mendoza. A dry espumante often serves as the opening act there, while the coals are still building. Such a Sunday can last for hours, and sparkling wine belongs at the start.

There's no shortage of occasions. At Christmas and New Year's Eve, Argentines toast at midnight, and sparkling wine, alongside sidra and pan dulce, the sweet Christmas bread, is a fixture of the celebration. In March, Mendoza celebrates the Vendimia, the grape harvest festival, with parades and the crowning of a wine queen.

Moderation belongs at the celebration too: water alongside, small sips, and anyone driving sticks to water. Here, sparkling wine is a companion to the food, not an end in itself. That holds especially true for the rosé style and the dry levels, which leave plenty of room for salt and fat on the plate.