Depending on the food you’re serving, you may find one wine suits better than another. Pairing foods with wines the right way can make a meal wonderful or a waste.
Here are a few ideas about which wines complement particular foods:
Easy-to-drink, lighter red wines
Go well with meat, poultry, and oily fish like salmon. Examples include Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah (called Shiraz in Australia), Beaujolais, and those small-winery offerings labeled simply “red table wine.”
Richer, more fully-flavored red wine
Can accompany rich meats and sauces, heavy casseroles, and other strongly-flavored foods. Swirl and sip some Cabernet Sauvignon, red Zinfandel, and red Bordeaux.
Easy-to-drink, light white wines
Match light dishes, such as delicate fish, salads, and broth-based soups that aren’t too highly spiced. Try dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, and Pinot Grigio.
Rich, oaky, buttery California Chardonnay
Pairs with more strongly flavored fish, poultry, salads, and soups. A gutsy Chardonnay can also taste good with the leaner cuts of pork and beef.
Sweet wines
Suitable for serving with dessert (or as dessert). Try Riesling, Gewürztraminer, White Zinfandel, Vouvray, and fortified dessert wines such as sherry and Port.
Champagne or other sparkling wines
Good to keep on hand because you never know when you might have cause for celebration! Champagne goes with just about any food.
**Grabbed from: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/pairing-foods-with-wines.html
