We’ve all been told that a good wine can enhance the flavour of a meal, yet a lot of us don’t know which type of wine goes well with which meal. Your local wine merchant can help you select different wines for different meals, but for now this is a quick and easy guide that lets you distinguish between when you need a white Chardonnay and when a red Merlot is required.

Different types of wine will have different levels of tannins; this is a compound that, in wine, usually comes from the skin or the seed of the grapes. It’s particularly potent in red wines as the skins and seeds are soaked and sometimes fermented along with the flesh of the grape in order to give the wine its colour. These tannins play a part in deciding which wines go best with which food as they can clash with other flavours in the meal.

If you remember nothing else in this article, remember this; the general rule of thumb is that white wine goes with white meats and red wines go best with red meats. Although, certain ways that food is prepared can alter the wine you should have. If you’re eating Chinese food, a slightly sweet or off-dry pink wine, but you should remember to not overdo the plum and hoi sin sauces as too much of these can kill the flavour of the wine and make it tasteless.

In the summer time, it seems that it’s almost law for everybody to have at least one barbeque; whether you just stick with the traditional burgers and sausages or go a bit more extravagant with grilled king prawns, it’s recommended that you have wines that are fruity and rich, so something like a white Zinfandel would work well, or possibly a Sauvignon Blanc if you’ll be having seafood.

Indian foods and curries require wines with more body to really allow you to pick up on all the different spices and flavours; a red Merlot will work particularly well here. Other Middle Eastern dishes such as Vietnamese should be eaten with very cold and fruity pink wines such as Gewurtztraminer. Although, the suitable wine may alter depending on how spicy your meal is.

South western food, such as Mexican dishes, should typically be eaten with a fruity wine like a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc or possibly a slightly spicy Zinfandel. If it’s south western sea food then sparkling wines work well. Bear in mind though that eating a lot of chillies will clash with a high tannin wine so you should avoid Merlots and Cabernets.

This is not a definitive list of the type of wine you should drink with your meals, and your local wine merchant will be able to let you try the wines to see which one you would prefer to go with your meal. Remember, that while wine is a pleasant drink to have with a meal, it is also alcoholic and you should always drink responsibly.

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