It happened again a few weeks ago: I was exploring the wine section at a new local supermarket where I was taking notes on unfamiliar wines and comparing prices. You know, just minding my own business when another shopper came up to me looking quite desperate, and started asking me questions about wine. Now, I was dressed in my summer khakis, white linen shirt and sandals, definitely not the store uniform, but that made no difference to him. “What’s a white wine?” he asked me. Several replies came to mind, so I took a moment to study him.

He was dressed in a casual, air-conditioned manner – his black tennis shoes had holes, his jeans were torn, and his, thin grey t-shirt had writing rendered indecipherable by innumerable washings. He looked around a bit wildly, picking bottles up at random. Since we were standing in the Chardonnay aisle, I took a chance that he really meant what he asked. “Well, white wines are made from green grapes, not red, including Chardonnay (I pointed to the sign above his head), Sauvignon Blanc (pointing to the next aisle with its sign), and a bunch of others (Yep, the sign said “Other Whites”). “Oh” he said a glimmer of light in his eyes “My girlfriend wants white wine”. I asked if she had a preference and he said No, but they’re going to stop by KFC for dinner in a few minutes. “Ah”, I said knowingly, “let’s step over to the refrigerated section”. We discussed price points and I pointed out a few bottles that would suit his purpose. Working in his budget, we found a bottle of Pinot Gris that would make his girlfriend happy. With the girlfriend’s beverage needs satisfied, he whistled as he headed to the beer section to make his own selection.

I’m often asked questions in supermarkets and wine stores – both on food and wine. I’m not sure why, I look perfectly normal. Perhaps it’s because my brow doesn’t furrow when I look at the bottles. Maybe it’s the way I inspect the back and front labels (I love back labels – it’s really interesting to see if the winery marketing team thinks that straightforward information, romantic gobblygook, or incomprehensible avant garde poetry will best sell their wine. The one I hate the most is the avant garde poetry with no mention of the varietal or blend.)

All I can say is that I’ve helped people with questions on wine and food and wine matches in stores both big and small but I’m not asked as much when the store has a decent wine marketing department or Steward who makes good use of descriptive signage. It’s funny, I’ve had conversations with many distributors who insist that customers don’t think about food and wine pairing, and they just buy what they want and eat what they want with no thought to whether or not they go together. I have to laugh at these statements, as they obviously don’t spend time in the retail sector, where real people roam around, dinner plans in their head, ingredients in the basket, trying to find the wine to match. The store can make this easy with good signage, or difficult by lack of information.

Food and wine pairing can be as simple or complicated as you make it – which is why it’s so intimidating. There can be so many things to consider: the weight of the food and wine (mouthfeel), the components of wine (acidity, tannins, flavors – fruit, mineral, oak- residual sugar, alcohol content), the food itself and how it’s prepared- roasted, braised, poached, or fried. Is there a sauce? If so, the sauce can sway the wine selection more than the meat. What are the “bridge ingredients” – those flavorsome components that can sway a dish to a particular wine? Then of course, there are the tricks that chefs employ to make the food more wine friendly – a little less salt if the wine is tannic, a spritz of lemon to “lift” a heavier dish to make it more compatible for a particular wine. Of course, this is too much information for the person who is desperate enough to ask another customer for wine ideas! So in the spirit of keeping it simple, here’s what I tell them:

First, start with the classic adage: “If it grows together, it goes together” – just look for the wine made in the region of the dish you’re making.

Match the weight of the dish to the wine. It’s pretty simple – a rich, flavorful grilled steak could overwhelm most Pinot Noirs, so go with heavier bodied red wine. Zinfandel, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon are all good matches. Conversely, if it’s a light dish like grilled fish, you need a light wine –if it’s salmon here’s where a New World Pinot Noir would shine, as would a Pinot Gris or Chardonnay. If the food is rich, choose a rich wine. If the food is light, choose a lighter wine.

Usually, we look at what’s in their basket, and after asking a few questions to gauge their sense of oenological adventure, I can give these general recommendations:

Chardonnay: chicken, veal, turkey, ham, fish, cream sauces, medium textured cheeses (Gouda, Monterey Jack, Camembert), egg dishes, lobster, halibut.

Riesling: Mildly spicy foods including Asian and Indian, mollusks, lobster, pork, ham, mild cheeses (triple crème cheeses or mild Bleus)

Sauvignon Blanc: Pungent cheeses including goat cheese, oysters, most herbs, garlic (including pesto), Mexican food, richer seafood including shrimp, salmon and mixed seafood salads, vegetables, risotto,

Gewurztraminer: Spicy food such as Thai, Chinese, Indian food, sausages, strong cheeses (Muenster, Roquefort), roasted chicken and pork, grilled vegetables.

Pinot Grigio: white fishes, seafood, fruits including fruit salsa, lemon sauce, mild cheeses including Ricotta, Fontina and lighter goats milk varieties, chicken, pork, nuts (especially roasted), seafood pasta, Pâté, Prosciutto, mildly spicy foods, salads, vegetables including tomatoes.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Beef (grilled steaks, hamburgers, braises, stews, pot roast, short ribs), stinky cheeses including Bleus, Parmesan, aged Gouda, Cheddar, game birds, dishes including mustard, mushrooms and rosemary.

Pinot Noir: roasted game birds, mushrooms, braised chicken, pasta, pork, grilled, salmon, sausages, ham, lamb, a variety of cheeses including milder Feta, Gruyere, Brie, smoked meats, grilled tuna, roast turkey.

Merlot: Lamb, grilled beef, pasta with meat and tomato sauce, Pizza, full flavored cheeses (Cheddar, Dry Jack, Jarlsberg, Gorgonzola), dishes with caramelized onions, risotto with mushrooms, Duck, Liver.

Syrah/Shiraz: braised chicken, Chili, goose, beef stew, peppercorn steak, barbequed meat, spicy meats, and dishes using garlic, hearty casseroles, and Ratatouille.

Zinfandel: Barbequed chicken and pork, braised dishes, strong cheeses (Bleus, Feta), Hamburgers, Lamb, Mexican food (especially spicy beef dishes), Lasagna, Pizza, smoked meats and cheeses.