For thousands of years, people have had wine with their dinner. Of course, back then there wasn’t the selection we have now. You just went out into your back yard or down to the local marketplace and got whatever wine was available. Now, however, there are umpteen varieties of wine to choose from, whether you’re looking for a light and delicate white wine or a fuller, more robust red wine. What’s the easiest way to decide on a wine for the evening? Figure out which wine will best compliment your dinner, of course! While every person has their own unique palette, there are a few rules to live by when it comes to pairing food with wine. Here are a few of the most important rules to keep in mind. Go light to dark When you are planning a meal with several different courses, the dishes are most often arranged so that the lighter, more muted flavors are experienced first with each course transitioning into heavier flavors. The same should be done with wine. While champagnes and white wines go well with lighter dishes like salads, red wines are perfect for a heavier entree – especially if meat is featured – and ports are best served with desserts.Country of OriginThink about the style of food you’re serving. Often, dishes from a specific country can all be served with the same kind of wine. For instance, just about any kind of Mexican food goes well with a White Zinfandel. Chinese food tends to have strong flavors, so avoid acetic wines and go with a Merlot or a Cabernet. Because of the extreme spice present in Indian food, settle on a nice Syrah or Zinfandel avoiding wines with an oak flavor. Know Your Meats We all know the old adage “White wine with fish; red wine with meat.” The thinking behind this phrase is that lighter bodied wines should go with lighter food. Since most white wines are lighter than most reds, just as fish is lighter than other meat, white wine and fish together seems like a given. However, with the introduction of heavier bodied white wines such as New World Chardonnay and lighter red wines like Pinot Noir, this phrase has become a bit outdated. The basic rule to keep in mind here is light wine with light food, rich wine with rich food. A lot can be said for proper food pairings, but remember, it’s what you like best that matters. Explore trying different wines with different flavors of food and figure out what works best for your palette. Eating and drinking should be fun, so find out what you like, then eat, drink and be merry!