Saganaki

A slab of firm Greek cheese (kefalotyri, kefalograviera, or graviera) dredged in flour and pan-fried until deep gold and molten inside, served with lemon and oregano.

Pairs Perfectly

Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece. Volcanic mineral salinity meets the salty fried cheese ingredient by ingredient, the bone-dry electric acid handles lemon and frying fat together, and the unoaked profile sits cleanly against the dish.

Pairs Well

Crémant d'Alsace from a serious producer, France. Carbonation lifts the frying fat from the palate between bites, and the lees autolytic complexity meets the molten cheese beautifully.

Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, Touraine, France. Grassy-herbal aromatics meet oregano and lemon, and the cutting acid handles the frying fat cleanly.

Worth Seeking Out

Manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. Flor-aged sherry brings bone-dry briny salinity and savoury yeast depth that meets the salty fried cheese with unusual analytical precision.

Avoid

Oaked whites — vanilla fights the molten cheese; tannic reds — clash; sweet wines — wrong against savoury salt; aromatic whites with rose or lychee — fight oregano.

Failing That

A Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc.

If All Else Fails

Pinot Grigio, northern Italy.

Want to be able to craft answers like this? The Vinealto Wine Coach takes you from the basics to advanced.