The principle reason for including a comprehensive 'What Goes with What?' guide in this website on the pairing of food and wine is to help you enhance the overall experience of a meal by accompanying it with a wine which will complement it. The fact that I've spent a large part of my life compiling this guide only goes to show that some of us are slightly more obsessive about it - although I prefer to think of it as passionate! I do appreciate however, that some of you simply want to entertain your dinner guests without making any howlers - and therefore the Quick Rules of Thumb section below maybe all you need.

If you're having a dinner party where you want to serve a different wine with each course, then it's highly likely that the 'What Goes With What' Guide may be just the thing for you!

However, there are some general golden rules to bear in mind when preparing for a dinner party which is why I've also included a section of hints and tips inventively entitled...

Alternatively, you could just throw caution to the winds, be brave and experiment. Whichever route you decide to take - enjoy and have fun. Bon Appetite!

Food and Wine Pairing - Quick Rules of Thumb

1. Sweet Wine with Sweet Food
2. Acidic Wine with Acidic or Salty Food
3. Aromatic or Spicy Wine with Spicy Food
4. Red Wine with Red Meat
5. White Wine with White Meat or Fish Plus, if possible...
6. Wine from the same country as the food.