A huge number of people in the UK and internationally enjoy a bottle of wine with food or when on a night out with friends, but a lot of those people don’t know how to effectively match wine with food so that they compliment each other. Although there are no absolute right or wrong answers, there are some general guidelines when it comes to putting wine and food together.

So with that in mind, here’s a quick guide to matching wine with food. Starting with red wine, here’s the most popular red grapes and the foods they match well with:

Barbera
This is a popular Italian wine that fits wonderfully with lasagne, spag bol or anything with a tomato base.

Cab. Sauvignon
These wines tend to be medium to full bodied and go extremely well with roast lamb and roast beef.

Merlot
Merlots go beautifully with roast chicken and will also work with duck or turkey, making them perfect for those Sunday roasts.

Pinot Noir
Another one that’s perfect for Sunday dinners or for Christmas, a pinot noir will beautifully complement a roast turkey or roast lamb.

Syrah
These wines are full bodies and go wonderfully with winter foods. Goes particularly well with steak and roasted vegetables.

So that gives you an idea of the kinds of foods you’ll want to match with your red wine collection. If you prefer white wines to red, then here’s a little guide to the different grape varieties to help you pick when you’re aiming to buy wine online or in the local shop to impress your next dinner guests:

Chardonnay
Chardonnays go very well with roasted meats such as turkey or chicken, and can also go extremely well with fish.

Sauvignon Blanc
One of the great French wines that goes extremely well with a variety of different cheeses including blue cheese and goat’s cheese.

Reisling
Reislings from Germany go beautifully with Thai green curries and will also work very nicely with a chicken korma.

Tags: Food, Food And Drink, meals, wine