Is mixing wine with Sprite sacrilegious?
"I like wine, but sometimes I reach for my go-to: wine mixed with Sprite. It kicks in faster, haha." Lionel Messi, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, ignited debates with this candid admission. In a TV interview with Luzu TV, the Argentine icon revealed he's a wine enthusiast who also enjoys blending red wine with this lemony soda. Messi admitted, with refreshing candor, that he values "the quick effect" of the mix. In his native Argentina, this combo even earns the nickname "Córdoba Champagne."
For purists, it's an outrage. Wine, a cultural treasure, should never be diluted with soda. Some fans and critics see it teetering on sacrilege. Yet the uproar feels overblown.
Historically, mixing wine is no scandal. In ancient Greece and Rome, straight wine was deemed too potent—diluted with water to temper the alcohol and suit daily drinking. Balance trumped excess; fellowship outranked perfection.
Italy has been boasting wine mixes for a long time too. In Abruzzo, Champagnino endures as a generational staple: humble Trebbiano white wine fizzed with soda water. The name winks at champagne—a fieldhand's refreshment, light and communal, not elite.
Spain offers parallels: Tinto de Verano—red wine, soda water, ice, and lemon—delights tourists as sangria's easy summer rival. Calimocho pushes bolder: red wine spiked with cola, a youthful experiment turned cult favorite for laid-back gatherings.
Messi's red wine and Sprite mix fits a worldwide lineage of lighter wine drinks. Scandal to some, honest simplicity to others—it's ultimately a question of taste.
