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 must ALWAYS include a Malagousia. But not just any Malagousia with floral aromas and a “quiet” personality. You need one that’s sharper, fresher, with crisp acidity and aromatic complexity. The altitude, rivers, and climate of the Valley of the Muses make that possible, giving it aromas of peach, bergamot, and white flowers, along with exotic pineapple notes, hints of green pepper, and white pepper. Its biggest strength is its intensity and refreshing acidity, while the fresh finish creates a sense of purity in the mouth.
So it pairs harmoniously with salads—highlighting the freshness of the vegetables and cutting through the richness of the dressing—with pickles, balancing their acidity with a rounder mouthfeel, and it’s ideal with fava, cleansing the palate from the dish’s velvety texture and adding the liveliness it needs. It also works beautifully with marinated dishes, where the wine’s freshness amplifies the herbs’ aromas and flavors. Naturally, next to shrimp and octopus, it cuts through the sweetness of the shrimp, while its peppery profile balances the saltiness of the octopus. A wine for everything.
2. Pouilly‑Fumé 2022 – Jean‑Max Roger
An alternative with even more credentials is the Cuvee Les Alouettes Pouilly‑Fumé 2022 from Domaine Jean‑Max Roger. A textbook Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, with even more pronounced minerality and a subtle smoky character. The latter comes exclusively from the combination of soils (limestone, flint, and marine fossils) in the Bué area. The Roger family works its magic, and the wine ends up with cool acidity, smoky hints, and an elegant, strict profile. This minerality should not go to waste—octopus, calamari, fava with caramelized onions, lemony dishes, pickles, olives, mussel pilaf all bow to its presence. Aromatically restrained, it doesn’t clash with herbs, and with no sweetness to confuse salty dishes, it stands tall with finesse.
3. Chablis 2022 – Domaine Billaud‑Simon
We stay with stainless‑steel wines, but move to something fuller and more distinctive. The Chablis 2022 from Domaine Billaud‑Simon is the Swiss army knife of the table. Its secret lies in the terroir. The Kimmeridgian soils of Chablis are full of marine fossils, giving the wine a very characteristic minerality and salinity—as if it were born to accompany mussels, clams, taramasalata, lagana, salads, vegetable dishes, and pickles. Its acidity is razor‑sharp, with the lemony character needed to act as a palate cleanser between all the different flavors. No creaminess, no oak—just that aristocratic character that, next to a piece of calamari dipped in taramas, gives the elegance that is clearly missing. Don’t worry, we continue…
4. Santorini 34 2023 – Artemis Karamolegos
Do we really need to justify this one? We’ve said it a million times. Moving on!
Just a few words: there is no dish that challenges it. It has purity and structure that stand everywhere, without covering flavors but without losing its own character. It has the power to support everything and the elegance not to dominate. Thirty‑four centuries of viticulture, 120‑year‑old vines, and the most authentic expression of volcanic terroir. Depth and 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 bother thinking whether you’ll eat the taramas first or the shrimp or the lemony dolma. Make one generous bite with everything and see what happens when you take 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 intense, not aggressive, but elegant and discreet. 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 in the world. It has tremendous balance and finesse, and simply doesn’t overshadow—or get overshadowed by—anything on a Lenten table. Is there even one person who has tried it and disagrees? It pairs with everything, but with grilled shrimp it’s irresistible.
6. Vigne Sauvage Rosé Pet Nat 2024 – Pierre & Antonin
Speaking of rosé revolutions, we can’t skip Vigne Sauvage Rosé Pet Nat. It had to be on 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 completely natural winemaking, this Pet Nat has all the liveliness and energy a Clean Monday table needs. Its fine bubbles, aromas of wildflowers, red fruits, and citrus, and its slight cloudiness from the lees give it a natural feel that pairs with taramas, raw seafood, shellfish, fried dishes—even halva.
The bubbles cleanse the palate, making flavors more playful, which is exactly why it’s ideal next to everything on a Clean Monday table. Pet Nats don’t like rules by nature—so we 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 because we know you’re a true enthusiast and won’t end the festivities without retsina. But of course we’re talking about the premium, modern, clean, incredibly aromatic version made from Assyrtiko. A provocative combination on its own. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit, pine, mastic, rosemary, and jasmine in their most refined and fresh expression. Its crisp acidity, resinous notes, full body, and purity make it incredibly versatile next to dolmadakia, fried dishes, crab salad, taramasalata, shellfish, seafood, marinated dishes, salty bites—everything. Let’s call it, for the day’s sake, “the Greek Champagne of Clean Monday.”
Christina Tsogka
Wine Specialist
