CLEAN MONDAY 2026. THE 6+1 WINES YOU SHOULD CHOOSE!
Let’s get straight to the point. Clean Monday is the day you’re supposed to dive mercilessly into that glorious table full of classic Lenten dishes. And yet, instead of doing exactly that, you’re busy trying to remember which wine pairs with taramas, which goes with octopus, and which can survive a plate of pickles… until you realize you already have a headache before even pouring the first glass. Since there’s absolutely no reason to perform military‑grade wine‑pairing drills, we found 6+1 all‑purpose wines that will keep your mind at ease. Fresh, clean, bright, beautifully balanced these are the most flexible bottles you can place on the table knowing they’ll pair with everything.
Clean Monday is meant for eating, drinking, and enjoying yourself not for overthinking tasting notes like you’re defending a thesis. So take a look below at the wines that simply work with every flavor on the Lenten table. Pop a bottle, fly a kite, and enjoy the festivities!
1. Amuse White 2024 – Muses Estate
Whatever anyone tells you, a Lenten table should ALWAYS include a Malagousia. But not just any Malagousia with floral aromas and a ‘quiet’ personality. You need one that’s a bit sharper with intensity, freshness, crisp acidity, and aromatic complexity. The altitude, rivers, and climate of the Valley of the Muses favor exactly this profile, and beyond the aromas of peach, bergamot, and white flowers, it also gains exotic notes of pineapple, hints of green pepper, and white pepper. The great advantage of Amuse from Muses Estate, however, is its intensity and refreshing acidity, while the freshness on the finish makes it a master at creating a sense of purity in the mouth.
So it pairs equally harmoniously with salads highlighting the freshness of the vegetables and cutting through the richness of the dressing with pickled dishes, balancing their acidity with a rounder sensation on the palate, and it’s ideal with fava, as it cleanses the palate from the dish’s velvety texture and adds the liveliness that’s missing. Also excellent with marinated dishes, where the wine’s freshness amplifies the aromas and flavors of the herbs. Naturally, next to shrimp and octopus, it cuts through the sweetness of the shrimp, while its peppery profile balances the salinity of the octopus. A wine for everything.
2. Pouilly‑Fumé 2022 – Jean‑Max Roger
An alternative with even more pedigree is the Cuvée Les Alouettes Pouilly-Fumé 2022 from Domaine Jean-Max Roger. A benchmark Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, with even more pronounced minerality and a subtly smoky character. That smokiness is owed entirely to the unique combination of soils (limestone, flint, and marine fossils) in the Bué area. The Roger family, of course, adds its own touch, and the wine emerges with refreshing acidity, smoky nuances, and an elegant, disciplined profile.
This minerality should not go to waste, so octopus, calamari, fava with caramelized onions, lemon-based dishes, pickles, olives, mussel pilaf all bow to its presence. Aromatically it is restrained, so it doesn’t clash with herbs; it has no sweetness to confuse salty dishes, and thus it stands tall, poised, and full of finesse. Bravo indeed.
3. Chablis 2022 – Domaine Billaud‑Simon
We’re still in the realm of stainless‑steel‑fermented wines, but now we’re moving to something fuller and more distinctive. Chablis 2022 from Domaine Billaud‑Simon otherwise known as the Swiss Army knife of the table. Its secret lies in the terroir. The Kimmeridgian soils of Chablis, packed with fossilized marine organisms, give Chardonnay a uniquely pronounced minerality and salinity, as if it were born to accompany mussels, clams, taramasalata, lagana, salads, vegetable dishes, and pickles.
Its acidity is razor‑sharp, and it has exactly the lemony character needed to act as a cleansing pause between all the different flavors. It has no creaminess, no oak, but it does have that aristocratic personality which, next to a piece of calamari diving into tarama, delivers the touch of nobility that is clearly missing. Don’t lose heart we continue…
4. Santorini 34 2023 – Artemis Karamolegos
Do we really need to justify this one too? We’ve said it a million times. Moving on!
Fine, just a few words. There isn’t a dish that can challenge it. Assyrtiko has the purity and structure to stand anywhere on the table, without overpowering Lenten flavors but also without losing its own character. It has the strength to support everything, yet the elegance not to dominate. Thirty‑four centuries of viticulture, century‑old vines over 120 years old, and the most authentic expression of volcanic terroir. Depth and a sense of clarity that make every food taste different.
In short, Santorini 34 2023 is perhaps the most complete choice for a table full of contrasts. Don’t waste time wondering whether you should start with the taramasalata or the shrimp, or whether to throw in a lemony dolmadaki. Build one bold bite with everything and see what happens when you follow it with a sip of Santorini 34. (mic drop)
5. Whispering Angel 2024 – Château d’Esclans
Whispering Angel didn’t become Provence’s most famous rosé by accident. Its aromas recall strawberry, cherry, red fruits, and white flowers not loud, not aggressive, but elegant and understated. Its acidity is crisp, and its finish long and clean. This makes it incredibly versatile at the table, and many consider it the best rosé wine in the world.
It has remarkable balance and finesse; in short, it neither overshadows nor gets overshadowed by anything on a Lenten table. Is there truly a single person who has tried it and disagrees? It pairs with absolutely everything, but the combination with charcoal‑grilled shrimp is simply irresistible.
6. Vigne Sauvage Rosé Pet Nat 2024 – Pierre & Antonin
Speaking of the rosé revolution, we can’t not mention Vigne Sauvage Rosé Pet Nat. There’s no way it could be missing from our list. Put some meze in front of it and let it show you what it can do!
Born in Languedoc, from organic vineyards and with completely natural winemaking, this Pet Nat made from Grenache Rouge has all the vibrancy and energy a Lenten table needs. Its fine bubbles, aromas of wildflowers, red fruits, and citrus, and its slight cloudiness from the lees give it a sense of raw authenticity that pairs beautifully with taramasalata, raw seafood, shellfish, fried dishes, and even halva.
Its bubbles cleanse the palate, making flavors more playful and that’s exactly why it’s ideal next to anything on the Clean Monday table. Pet Nats, after all, aren’t meant to follow rules by nature. So we simply enjoy it with everything!
+1. F Retsina One Off – Foivos Papastratis
Retsina is the alpha and omega of the folkloric Clean Monday table. It’s the +1 on our list, placed last only because we know you’re a true connoisseur there’s no way you’re closing the Triodion without a retsina. But of course, we’re talking about the premium, modern, clean, and incredibly aromatic version, made from Assyrtiko. A combination that’s provocative on its own.
Aromas of lemon, grapefruit, pine, mastiha, rosemary, and jasmine in their most refined and fresh expression. On the palate, the crisp acidity, resinous notes, full body, and purity of flavor in One Off by Foivos Papastratis make it unbelievably versatile next to dolmadakia, fried dishes, crab salad, taramasalata, shellfish, seafood, marinated plates, salty bites verything!
Christina Tsogka
Wine Specialist
