The rules for wine pairing have relaxed a bit, but the fact remains that certain flavors of food and wine mix better together than others.

While it isn't unheard of to have a white wine with meat or a red wine with fish or seafood, you don't want to serve a very strong tasting wine with a delicate entree, or the other way around.

The wine and the food should complement each other, not battle against each other. One way to decide is to remember what some experts recommend, "Simple wines with complex foods...complex wines with simple foods."

These sites will help explain what foods go with which wines and why, with reviews of some combinations for you to use as a basis for your own selections and menu planning.

Also check out related feature stories, below, with great ideas on matching wines for turkey, lamb, and even barbecue...


Fiona Beckett on Food & Wine Matching - This is a whole site dedicated to matchmaking...reaching that perfect combination of tastes that brings a smile to the faces of your family and your guests. Fiona writes on food and wine for Decanter Magazine. Her love of the subject and her experience with it shines through all of the articles and information she offers.

Robin Garr's Wine Lover's Page - Food and Wine Matching Engine - Another really useful site... Pick the food from an A-Z list, click...and you'll be taken to a page where you can get wine suggestions to match ...

Wine & Food Pairing Guide from WineAnswers.com - You can pick a food category to find a selection of wines that are complementary or go to the sauces and pick a wine to match that flavor. Wine Express gives suggestions for frozen entrees (you may know them as TV dinners), burgers and snacks. There are plenty of other resouces here...

Winestate Magazine Food & Wine - It's no surprise that this magazine's site has a great section on Australian recipes with wine suggestions for each meal, but the 16 vegetarian dishes, 3 Thai recipes and selections from other cuisines...and sorting the categories by country as well as major ingredients and style - may leave you very pleasantly surprised.

Chef John Ash Food & Wine - John Ash belongs to the demystifying wine set. His healthy recipes and healthier attitude towards wines and foods season the site. His articles, recipes and advice may not come in a spinning interactive package, but they will improve your enjoyment of both food and wine.

Food and Wine Pairing - Ten easy to follow tips to choose the right wine to go with your meal and a bit of explanation about the flavors of wine to help you understand why. Links to other articles are provided.

The secrets of matching Indian food with wine - Are you serving Indian food and just about given up on finding wines to match? You're in good company with the tasters in this article, but they do find several solutions that will cool your curry without ruining your meal. Also check out several recipes for Indian favorites.

Dunne on wine: Wine, food pairing still an elusive art - Mike Dunne is the food editor of the Scaramento Bee, a California newspaper. His wine reviews are down to earth and easy to follow. Here he brings his talent - and palate - to 19th annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival at Squaw Valley and shares the insights and the winning combinations with you.