Grilled octopus

Octopus tenderised by long simmering or freezing, then finished hard over charcoal until the tentacles char at the edges, dressed with olive oil, lemon, oregano, and red wine vinegar. Trimethylamine rules out oak absolutely.

Pairs Perfectly

Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece. Volcanic mineral salinity meets the briny seafood depth, the bone-dry electric acid handles lemon and oregano cleanly, and the unoaked profile keeps the trimethylamine reaction clean.

Pairs Well

Albariño from Rías Baixas, Spain. Atlantic salinity meets the seafood, saline-stone-fruit-and-acid spine cuts the char and the dressing.

Vinho Verde from Monção e Melgaço, Portugal. Alvarinho-led Vinho Verde brings sharper saline-citric character, and the slight petillance lifts the char from the palate.

Worth Seeking Out

Manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. Flor-aged sherry brings bone-dry briny salinity and savoury yeast depth that meets char-grilled octopus with rare analytical precision.

Avoid

Any oaked wine — reacts with seafood; tannic reds — clash; sweet wines — wrong against savoury char; aromatic whites with rose or lychee — fight oregano.

Failing That

A Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc.

If All Else Fails

Verdejo, Rueda.

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