For an out of the ordinary winery lunch, Chandon can bring a bit of sparkle to your afternoons in Mendoza. With a tasting menu lunch all paired with their different sparkling wines, this is a unique experiece not only in Argentina, but globally too.
The large French-owned winery was the original foreign investor in Argentina, and is still at the helm of sparkling wine production here. But last year it turned its hand to an innovative pairing game – a six course tasting menu matched to exclusively sparkling wines. Everyone loves fizz with smoked salmon, but can you really sit a frothy glass of bubbles next to one of the famous hunks of Argentine beef? It turns out you can.
Being French owned, you might think the restaurant would go down the French cuisine route, but Head Chef Marcos Zabaleta says that you can't limit yourself when pairing with unusual wines – the cuisine has to come from the wine it is paired with. "I don't have a style of food, the style is born from the pairing," he says from their stylish Lujan restaurant. "The idea is to look for a partner to go with the wine."
And as you imagine with delicate fizzies, that can be quite a challenge. "Fats and creams are the enemy of sparkling wine," spills
Carlos, "and you have to be very careful with your acids and how you cook things. But actually people are always surprised that there is so much that can go with sparkling wine." Like most people that come for lunch or dinner at the winery, I was surprised that there were so many different things on the menu – I could quite easily see why light seafood dishes figured on the menu, but empanadasand steak? Really?
Yes. Marcos divulges his top bubbly pairing trump – the more structured Baron B Pinot Noir with asados or meaty empanadas! The stronger structure of the pinot gives you a meatier pairing and means you can sit them quite happily together. He also adds mushrooms, basil and a chorizo cream to the steak to pair with the Pinot.
It's not just flavours that should be considered, but textures are of prime importance. The starter of king prawns on truffle infused polenta was an outstanding combination: the grainy texture of the polenta with rich and deep truffle oil, sweet and sour onion marmalade, and a small handful of succulent prawns was washed down well with a buttery and well-structured Baron B Extra Brut which cleaned the palate but left a lingering harmony with the truffle flavours.
Dessert, which most people assume is the obvious pairing, is not always as simple as it seems. With the Chandon Rose Extra Brut the strawberries and red fruits in the nose would prompt amateurs to try and pair it with a red fruit dessert perhaps, but Marcos says this is a mistake and you have to be careful pairing with acids. And the proof is certainly in the pudding: the menu chooses to contrast the fruity wine with a cool, creamy Dulce de Leche parfait and bitter, caramelised almonds – a clever play on flavours and textures in the mouth.
This unique pairing menu is making quite a few converts here in Mendoza and is certainly a very innovative and interesting wine experience. I look forward to the day we see sparkling wine by the side of everyone's asado!
By Amanda Barnes
Chandon is in Agrelo, Lujan: RP 15, Km 29. (261) 490 9968 www.bodegaschandon.com.ar
The restaurant is open from 12.30 to 3.30 Mon – Fri and requires a pre-reservation, it is also open in evening with further notice.
