by DB Kooper

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: February 03, 2009

To the home cooking enthusiast putting together a dynamic and delicious meal can be a rewarding challenge.Your dinner guests will be dazzled and amazed at your culinary talents as they experience the smells and flavors of your unique dishes. But wine is not your forte and you only know that white wine goes with fish and red with beef. It's a little more complicated than that, but relax because here are some basics to guide you through the selection process. Below is a general guideline, and the quality of the brands you purchase is equally important to the outcome of the meal as a whole. You hopefully would not serve your guests a $5 gallon of Walmart brand "Walton Blanc" with a prime rib. If that is your wine of choice, just throw a cheeseburger at them and save a few bucks all the way around... Wine should be an integral part of the dining experience, balancing the flavor of the food and cleansing the palate. A wine of poor quality on the table can detract from the complex flavors of a well prepared dish. This is not to suggest that you must go for the most expensive wines on the shelf at every occasion, but by all means don't be too cheap at those special get togethers, either. That said, lets take a look at the basics for choosing the appropriate wine for the type of food being served.

First off,what we are striving for here is balance.

Seafood- Fish needs a medium bodied white wine such as a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc. If you are serving Salmon, you can go with a lighter red wine such as a Merlot or Pinot Noir. Shrimp, Scallops and Lobster would also pair well with a Chardonnay.

Poultry- Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or a Riesling (all white) are good companions for Chicken. If Duck is being served a red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir or even a Merlot is fine. Remember that the richer the food or sauce is, the heavier and more robust bodied the wine should be.

Beef- Richer, full bodied red wines should be served with Lamb and beef. Cabernet Sauvignon is the best choice for both of these. A Zinfandel is also good with Lamb, Meatloaf, Gourmet Pizzas, Sausages, Mexican, and BBQ. Most spicier Beef dishes also go well with Zinfandel.

Pork- If it is a ham you are serving and it has a sweet glaze, a Beaujolais (which has a fruityness to it) would be a good choice. For pork chops, a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel will compliment each other well. Both will go fine with the rich flavors of a Pork Roast as well.

Desserts- For tart pies, such as keylime or any citrus dessert try a Muscat. For Chocolate, go with Port, Sherry or Zinfandel. If it's Custards or Flan, then California Sparkling Wine or a decent Champagne will be perfect.

These are some basic ideas to help you marry the best flavors of your food and wine together. Bon Appetit!

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