by Ted Onulak

Created on: June 02, 2009

Ultimately, the choice of what wine to accompany your meal is a matter of personal preference. The age-old maxim of red wine for red meat and white wine for white may hold some validity, but a robust white Burgundy may do just as fine with a Steak Tartar as a full-bodied Bordeaux.

This is because the preparation and flavor profile of the dish plays a more important role in what makes a good food/wine pairing.

The ideal is to compliment the dish in terms of its crisp acidity or fatty richness. When eating a delicate flavored dish, it is counterproductive to have a robust wine, whether it's red or white, or have the powerful flavors of spice; creaminess or herbal flavors overwhelm your wine.

It is useful to make the distinction between New World and Old World wines. The Old World wines are bound by centuries of winemaking tradition and culinary practices. They have been tailor-made to match their local cuisines. The wines are rounder, less alcoholic and subtler to go with complex dishes with slow-cooked or reduced sauces.

New World wines tend to be brighter, more acidic and more fruit forward. They work well with hot, peppery food and fruit glazes. Many chefs who advocate fusion cuisines are firmly in the New World wine camp. Not by such a coincidence, fusion cuisine has its greatest champions in the United States where New World wines are preferred.

Though the Old and New World grow many of the same grape varieties, the longer growing season in places like California, Australia and Chile produce a riper sweeter fruit, which in turn may yield a higher alcohol content, as it is the sugar that turns into alcohol. Wine can only reach a level of 16% level of alcohol, before the yeasts, which produce it die off after achieving this level. . A higher alcohol content is generally regarded as a fuller bodied wine.

With this in mind, pair New World wines, either red or white, with dishes like fajita, teriyaki or pepper crusted meats. Rich stews, braised meats or slow-cooked tomato sauce based dishes will benefit from an Old World wine like Bordeaux, Barolo or Brunello.

Steak, hot off the grill, does great with any robust red wine. But sweet or spicy marinades may work against the rounder Old World wines. The smokiness of grilled meats work particularly well with a South African Pinotage, A peppery Shiraz or a granach-based wine from Southern France or Spain.

Veal and pork are generally more delicate meats, so

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