Matchmaking: Tips on choosing the right wine for your next good meal

One of my early culinary memories is watching a cooking show and seeing a chef, whose identity I've now relinquished, sip from a glass of ruby red wine after forking a mouthful of catfish.

"I know," he said, "red wine and fish. Well, don't worry, the catfish doesn't know."

Even as a pre-teen the flippancy rattled me. After all, it was simple kitchen mathematics: The color of the wine equals the tone of the flesh, therefore catfish = white.

Turns out we don't live in such a red and white world.

"You drink what you like, just as you eat what you like," declared Vanessa Varriale-Oien, owner of the Vintner's Cellar Winery in Libertyville, where customers make custom wines they'll cherish. "I'm not a huge fan of whites. So, when I eat salmon I go with a Pinot Noir, which has a lighter body than, say, a Cabernet, so it goes with the fish. But if a person doesn't like reds, how could you tell them to drink a Cabernet with steak?"

Body language
The real key, Varriale-Oien explained, is body. The body of the wine should match the body of the food. In her salmon example, the lightness and acidity of the Pinot Noir pair with the fattiness of salmon.

It's this same acidity that traditionally would have led salmon eaters to the acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc or a Sancerre, said Albert Cirillo, director at The Stained Glass Wine Bar Bistro in Evanston.

"You want the wine to complement the food, not overwhelm the food, and vice versa," Cirillo said, and so, it is important to know that the character of the wine has more to do with the character of the wine than just color.

"There are some big, full-bodied white wines, for example the white burgundies, the Grand Crus, which unfortunately most of us can not afford, are almost like red wines and you could certainly have one with a steak," he said.

In addition to wines with acids to match fats, or body to match body, Cirillo said there are some wines with a character that just works with certain foods. For example, he raves about the companionship between dry Rieslings and Indian food.

Meanwhile, Varriale-Oien, who'll you remember is not a fan of whites, raves about spicy Mexican food and Zinfandels.

Chris Speir, Chris Speir, Wine Manager at Binny's Beverage Depot in Willowbrook, said many people have a natural preference for red or white wine, and quickly added, "If you are a fan of red or you are a fan of white, you can find something that will do quite well."

Please yourself
So, in a world of wines as varied as our palates, how is a diner to know what to go with?

"Ask questions," said Speir. "If you are in a restaurant with a sommelier or a wine expert, probe them. That is what they are there for. On the retail side, you can come in and ask as many questions as you want."

It's also important to trust yourself, Speir added. "You don't need to be an expert to determine what is good to you. Even an untrained palate seeks out what it likes."

Varriale-Oien echoed this sentiment. "Wine is a social beverage. It's usually enjoyed with friends over dinner, or not, and it's to be enjoyed. So, if you drink it, drink something you enjoy," said.