Food & Wine Pairings
A Quick Reference

Fish
Grilled or baked white fish - white Burgundy or other fine Chardonnay, Viognier, Australian or New Zealand Riesling

Grilled or baked oily or meaty fish - (e.g. salmon, trout, tuna, swordfish) Alsace Riesling, fruity Chardonnay, or domestic Pinot Noir
Fried/battered fish - simple, fresh whites like Soave, Macon-Villages, Pinot Gris or white Bordeaux
Shellfish - unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc;
                 clams and oysters - Vinho Verde, Seyval Blanc; crab – Viognier;
                 lobster, scallops - white Burgundy or other fine Chardonnay, Champagne, Viognier;
                mussels - Muscadet, Italian Pinot Grigio
Smoked fish - ice cold sparkling, Fino Sherry, Alsace Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris, lightly oaked Chardonnay, Riesling

Meat
Beef/steak - (plain roasted or grilled) tannic reds, top Bordeaux, U.S. or Australian Cabernet Sauvignon,  
                   Super-Tuscans, South African Pinotage
Lamb - (plain roasted or grilled)  red Burgundy, top red Bordeaux, especially Pauillac or St.-Estephe, Rioja Reserva, fine Australian or U.S. Pinot Noir or Merlot
Pork - (plain roasted or grilled) full, spicy dry whites like Alsace Pinot Gris, lightly oaked Chardonnay; smooth reds like Rioja; ham and bacon - young, fruity reds like Beaujolais, Lambrusco, unoaked Tempranillo; sausages, salami, pate - rustic/young reds from Beaujolais, Provence, Puglia, and wines made from Merlot, Zinfandel, and Pinotage grapes
Veal - (plain roasted or grilled) full-bodied whites, e.g. Alsace Pinot Gris, Vouvray; soft reds like Dolcetto, mature Rioja, Burgundy or Margaux;
with cream based sauce - full, ripe whites like Alsace Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris, Vouvray, oaked Chardonnay;
with rich red wine sauce (e.g. osso buco)  - young Italian reds, Zinfandel
Venison - (plain roasted or grilled) Barolo, St.-Estephe, Pomerol, Hermitage, big Zinfandel, Alsace Pinot Gris;
            with red wine sauce Piedmont and Portugese reds, Pomerol, St.-Emilion, Shiraz/Syrah, or Pinotage

Poultry
Chicken and turkey - (plain roasted or grilled) fine red or white Burgundy, red Rioja Reserva, or Chardonnay
Duck - (plain roasted) Pomerol, St.-Emilion, Rhone reds, Shiraz/Syrah or Merlot; also full, soft whites such as Riesling; with orange  - German Riesling Auslese
Game birds - (plain roasted or grilled) top reds from Burgundy, Rhone, Tuscany, Piedmont, Australian or U.S.  
                      Cabernet Sauvignon; also full bodied whites
    
Casseroles and stews - Match the dominant ingredient. The weight of the wine should match the richness of the sauce. e.g. red wine for beef burgundy or coq au vin; dry whites for a fricassee.

Ethnic Cuisines
Chinese - Riesling or Gewurztraminer, unoaked Chardonnay
Indian/Tex-Mex - Spicy whites, e.g. Gewurztraminer, Mosel Kabinett or Spatlese, New Zealand or U.S. Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier; non-tannic reds such as Valpolicella, Merlot, Grenache, Shiraz/Syrah
South-East Asian - Alsace Pinot Gris, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, California Zinfandel
Thai - Riesling, Gewurztraminer, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, oaky Australian or California Chardonnay can cope with coconut.

Eggs
Champagne and traditional method bubbly; light, fresh reds such as Beaujolais; full, dry unoaked whites; New World rose

Pasta
With tomato sauce Barbera, Soave, Verdicchio, New Zealand or U.S. Sauvignon Blanc
With meat based sauce northern Italian reds, French, Australian or U.S. Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel
With cream- or cheese-based sauce - soft, full, dry unoaked whites from northern Italy
With seafood/fish sauce - dry, tangy whites like Verdicchio and Muscadet
With pesto - Dolcetto, Minervois, New Zealand or U.S. Sauvignon Blanc

Salads
            Sharp-edged whites like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, California Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, dry Riesling, Vinho Verde

Cheeses
(please see "Wine & Cheese Pairing" page)

Desserts
Chocolate - Australian liqueur Muscat, Asti Spumante
Fruit-based - Sauternes, Eiswein or Late Harvest Riesling

Note: There are some things that simply don't go well with wine: artichokes, asparagus, spinach, kippers and mackerel. They flatten the flavors of wines. The general rule here is to avoid tannic red wines and go for juicy young reds, or whites with plenty of fruit and fresh acidity.