There are no rules when it comes to food and wine matching. Great food and wine combinations come from finding similarities and contrasts of flavor, body (texture), intensity, and basic taste.

As a guide, match the strength or body of the wine with the intensity of the food. Light and delicate foods will lose their individual flavor if paired with a very intense or strong flavored wine.

Barbecue
Fruity and rich, Zinfandel or Rosés make good choices. Try Sauvignon Blancs with seafood.

Chinese
Slightly sweet or off-dry wines. Rosés and Gewurztraminers are the best, followed by Rieslings and Chenin Blancs. With tea or Peking duck, try Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.

Desserts
For chocolate based desserts, choose Tawny or Ruby Port, Moscato or Amarone. Fruit desserts pair well with Moscato, Sauterne, ice wine, white port or sherry. Cakes, tarts and creme desserts go great with Sauternes, Vin Santo, Late Harvest Gewurztraminer or Muscat.

French
Pinot Gris is well suited for hot vegetables served with sauces. For cold vegetables, try Pinot Blanc. Choose a Bordeaux for meats such as chateaubriand and leg of lamb. For hearty stews, Burgundy is a good choice. Escargots, mussels and other shellfish go nicely with Chablis. Fish dishes such as trout are well paired with Pinot Gris.

Fried Foods
Sparkling wines are terrific. Any crisp, dry, fruity wine, white or red, works well too.

Indian
Full-bodied sparkling wines and reds such as Merlots and Zinfandels. Drier, full-bodied Rosés work well also.

Italian
Sharp cheeses, hearty meat roasts or game go well with Chianti, Chianti Classico and Reserve, Amarones and Brunellos. Seafood, pasta in light sauces and mild cheeses go great with a Pinot Grigio, Orvietto, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Japanese
Very cold, off-dry, fruity white wines or any sparkling wine.

Mexican
Very cold, fruity, full-bodied Sauvignon Blancs and Rosés work well. Chili heat will drown Rieslings and Gewurztraminers. Gamays and Pinot Noirs perform well, too. Cabernet and Merlots are not a good choice because of the tannin.

Middle Eastern
Fruity wines, both red and white, work well. Choose the drier Rosés and Rieslings.

Southwestern
Fruity wines such as Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs, reds such as Gamays, and light spicy wines such as Zinfandels. Try sparkling wines too, especially with seafoods. Pinot Noir blends well. Avoid Merlots and Cabernets.

Thai
Rosé is the best choice but Rieslings can be a good bet. Gewurztraminer is a risky choice, can be good or bad. Avoid dry whites and reds.