Souvlaki

Chunks of marinated meat — usually pork, sometimes lamb or chicken — threaded onto skewers and grilled hard over charcoal until the edges char and the interior stays juicy, served with pita, tzatziki, tomato, onion, and parsley. The signature is the charcoal char layered with the marinade — typically olive oil, lemon, oregano, garlic, and sometimes red wine — with tzatziki as textural counterpoint.

Pairs Perfectly

Agiorgitiko from Nemea, Greece. The southern Greek red with red-cherry lift, supple tannin, and savoury Mediterranean character meets char-grilled pork and lemon-oregano marinade in a single sweep, the moderate body handles the substantial dish, and the regional logic is unbeatable. A Xinomavro from Naoussa offers a more structured answer for lamb souvlaki.

Pairs Well

Saint-Joseph, northern Rhone Syrah, France. Peppery, smoky, savoury Syrah meets char and the herbal marinade in a single sweep, and the moderate tannin handles grilled meat without competing with the cool tzatziki.

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Italy. The vivid full-bodied Montepulciano rosato handles char and the substantial meat, the red-fruit weight sits alongside lemon and oregano, and a chilled glass works with the skewer-and-pita format beautifully.

Worth Seeking Out

Lebanese red blend from the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. Cabernet, Cinsault, Carignan, and Syrah blends with warm-spice depth that mirrors the marinade with regional fidelity.

Avoid

High-tannin reds at full extract — clash with tzatziki and dry the meat; oaked whites — wrong against char and herbs; light delicate reds — overwhelmed by the depth; reds above 14% alcohol — dominate.

Failing That

An entry-level Crozes-Hermitage.

If All Else Fails

Côtes du Rhône.

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