How to Pair Wine and Food

Traditionally, you serve red wine with red meat and white wine with chicken and fish. But that's not a written rule. You may break it, bend it or throw it right out! Here are a few tips on matching food and wine.Just like you plan a meal that starts with light food and graduate to heavier foodstuffs, similarly, with wine, you move from light to dark. Which means serve white wine with appetizers and salads and red wine with heavier foods.Let's take a look at a basic element in both food and wine - it's called "weight," or body.To get a good match, the wine should have roughly the same weight as the food, although it's acceptable if the wine is a little heavier. Delicate foods taste best with lighter wines and heartier ones need heavier wines.Ever thought of wine with vegetarian food?Heavier dishes like beans and enchiladas pair up better with your red wines, while you can save the lighter whites with dishes based on green vegetables.Did you know that cheese is one snack that brings out the taste in wine? Normally, red wine goes well with hard cheese and white wine with softer variety of cheese.One final word - if you want to have light wine with cheese pizzas, go ahead. Trash all the rules and drink what you like!