Pairing Off: Holding out for a gyro.

Say it was in the realm of possibility that Greek history played out in Texas rather than the Hellespont.

For starters, Aeschylus would have the Furies singing with a distinct twang. “Swift of foot to avenge are we, y’all.” Marathons would not be run, but traversed in a pickup truck. And food? Well, the gyro would be stuffed beyond measure, like a super burrito.

A bit random? Not after ordering Dametra Fresh Mediterranean’s interpretation of the classic Greek wrap. There’s meat shaved from a vertical spit, tzatziki and other gyro-related ingredients, all barely contained by a tortilla.

It’s a meat heavy bomb—not a complaint, mind you. It just forces you, one, to ponder the medium between knowledge and ignorance. You see a burrito, so what is a gyro? More importantly, is there a wine to tame five pounds of confusion?

“It could be fun,” says Ashlee Jansen, manager at Carmel Valley’s The Wine House, considering the pairing.

She begins ticking off possibilities—floral reds like Gamay, lighter varietals such as Sangiovese. “Gyros have such an interesting spice,” Jansen observes. “You wouldn’t want to drown that.”

Greece produces a number of distinct varietals. So it’s no surprise that the flavors packed into a gyro—husky, tangy, raspy, rich—are wine friendly in combination. What Jansen finally suggests, however, is somewhat unexpected.

The 2021 Carbonic Red from Joyce’s Rocas Del Rio label is a Grenache-heavy blend with Syrah and a splash of Gamay given the Beaujolais treatment. It’s a breezy red, charming and bright.

Bouquet is an appropriate word here, as floral aromas drift over a patch of velvety red berries. On the palate the wine is equally fruity and sylvan, showering you with petals of hibiscus and violet that fall among ripe strawberries, freshly picked and leafy.

It’s the result of a process that might be preferred by Stephen King, had he dabbled in winemaking. Carbonic maceration cages grapes into a sealed container, depriving them of oxygen. With nothing to feed on but gas, the grapes essentially ferment from the inside out.

Gruesome? Carbonic maceration calms the tannins of a red wine, allowing impressions of fruit to burst free. And because the Rocas Del Rio Carbonic Red is so light, it responds well to being chilled.

The wine also works nicely with a gyro, even one masquerading as a burrito. The rollicking fruit presents a welcome contrast to the lumbering savor of lamb and beef. Yet it is friendly with tzatziki and positively effusive when encountering pops of cucumber.

It remains juicy and cool, even set against a daunting meal. As they say, everything’s bigger in the Peloponnese.