If you are planning to reach a loved one through the stomach this Valentine’s Day there are some foods that simply have to be on the menu.

Chocolate Lava cake

Making a warm, gooey chocolate pudding is essential to every romantic dinner. And if you have a sweet tooth the only way to pair a sweet, rich, dark chocolate dessert is by taking the wine sweeter. Try Caelum’s passito Malbec made from dried Malbec grapes to give a sweet and fruity dessert wine which you want to serve room temperature. If you want a cooler sweet splash, try Las Perdices Malbec Ice Wine made from frozen Malbec grapes which separates the water in the grapes as ice and only uses the sweet sugar liquid for this cherry coloured dessert wine. Serve this one cold to play with the warm melted chocolate in your mouth.

Oysters

The classic aphrodisiac food for a romantic night, you might struggle to find them in Mendoza but if you are celebrating Valentine’s anywhere with oysters you can still enjoy their salty, sexy freshness with a good Argentine wine. The best accompaniment is something crisp, fresh and bone dry. Try Gimenez Riili’s new Brut Nature bubbly for a good match, or Cruzat’s Brut Nature for another irresistible sparkling wine and oyster combo that is sure to get anyone starry eyed.

Cheese

Maybe it’s a personal thing, but for me the sexiest snack is a splodge of cheese spread on a chunk of bread. Indulgent, rich and so very rugged, you can’t fail to score points with good cheese. One of the nicest cheeses to come out of Argentina (sadly there aren’t an abundance of good cheeses here!) is the goat’s cheese. Creamy, slightly picante and with a zesty finish it is best spread on a brown loaf of honey bread with walnuts and raisens. Try it with El Enemigo Chardonnay: a buttery oak matured Chard with fruit notes and a lovely body perfect for accompanying indulgent cheese spreading moments.

Amanda Barnes is a British journalist living in Mendoza, and all she requires for a good date is a decent bottle and a smear of camembert.