The Home Cook's Guide to Wine Pairing

The traditional rule of red with meat and white with fish is a starting point, not a rulebook. What actually matters in pairing is the relationship between the weight and acidity of the wine and the richness and acidity of the food. A full-bodied, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon overwhelms a delicate Dover sole, but a light, bright Pinot Noir with good acidity can work beautifully. The fish test is really a question of weight and fat -- a fatty salmon fillet can handle a red wine with moderate tannins and some fruit.

Acidity is your best friend at the table. High-acid wines -- Riesling, Grignolino, Chablis, Champagne -- cut through richness and refresh the palate. This is why Champagne pairs so beautifully with fried food, why Chablis and oysters are a classic combination, and why a sharp Sauvignon Blanc makes a dressed crab taste twice as good. When a dish has high acid (think tomato-based pasta, ceviche, a lemon-dressed salad), match it with a wine that has at least equal acidity or the wine will taste flat and dull.

The local wine rule is an easy shortcut to reliable pairings: if the wine and the dish grew up together in the same region, they almost always work. Burgundy Pinot Noir with coq au vin. Piedmont Barolo with truffle pasta. Alsatian Riesling with choucroute garnie. Rioja Tempranillo with roasted lamb. These combinations evolved over centuries in kitchens where the same bottle sat on the table as what was in the pot. When in doubt, look to the regional wine of wherever the recipe comes from.