If we had to guess what we get asked most often, it would be questions about pairing wine and food.  Can red wine go with fish and white wine with meat?  What about chicken?  What does that pink stuff go with (by "pink stuff" we mean rosé of course.  Just because you attended college in the 80's doesn't mean you should actually *drink* white zinfandel anymore)!   

Anyway - All good and reasonable questions.  We at first vine never tire of thinking about wine.  Or about food.  Or about pairing the two.  Or more about wine.  Mmmmmmm.  What were we saying?  Oh yes!  We're here to help ;-)
 
There are two different big ideas about pairing wine with food.  The first is that you don't want them to clash - that is, the wine shouldn't make the food taste bad, and vice-versa.  The wine also shouldn't completely obscure the taste of the food, nor should the food hide the taste of the wine.  This is really a question of avoiding pitfalls: matching the intensity of the food with the strength or body of the wine, deciding if you need some tannins in the wine to carry it through the flavor of the food, and avoiding big contrasts in acidity, sweetness, or bitterness.  Within those parameters, there are a lot of wines that could make a perfectly good match with nearly any meal, and everyone would be happy.
 
The second is that properly paired food and wine can generate a combination that exceeds what either could do alone.  Sadly, this doesn't happen nearly as often as it should.  But when it does, you definitely know it - it's practically an out-of-body experience.  (And we all need more of those).   In that case, not only have you avoided the pitfalls, you've found something that causes the food and the wine to work together.  It's possible they had similar flavors that just combined perfectly, or perhaps each supplied something that the other was missing, even if each one seemed perfect on its own. 
 
Here are a few pairing hints to consider, whether you're trying to reach nirvana or simply avoid making your guests spit and curse:

• It might seem too obvious, but if the taste of a wine reminds you of something, try it with that food.  For example, if a white wine has a sort of apple flavor, try it with a salad of apple and walnuts.  (You could even try it with apple pie, if the wine isn't absolutely bone dry).  Try a red wine with hints of fig with - what else - roasted figs stuffed with Gorgonzola.  Or a leathery, tobacco-y red with seared and roasted beef tenderloin, since the crust will have some of those flavors in it (you could also try the wine while eating leather and tobacco, but perhaps not when other people are around...)

• A heavy meal (in terms of density, prominence of sauce, or boldness of flavor) needs a wine with more body or heft, and probably one with more flavor, too.  Likewise, try a lighter-bodied wine with lighter food, and each will seem even lighter.

• Dairy products (cream and/or cheese) tend to take the edge off the flavor of red wines by binding to the tannins, and blunt the acidity of white wines.   So they can serve as a bridge between foods and wines you might not have thought of together, providing that neither overpowers the other.  By subduing the tannins and acidity, other hidden flavors in wines can often come through, making for some stunningly good pairings.  An example of this is our Camembert Doughnuts recipe paired with our Domaine de Montvac Gigondas 2005 - sublime!  The earthiness of the cheese and the wine together are indescribable.

• Light-bodied, earthy red wines go with a range of foods you might not have considered, such as roasted chicken, grilled salmon (or other strong, fatty fish), or roasted pork.  Likewise, full-bodied white wines can go with some mildly-flavored meat dishes as well.

• Acidity in a meal (like citrus or salad dressings) can make a slightly more acidic wine taste a bit sweeter, and add a new dimension to the meal.  Similarly, properly prepared shellfish has a mild sweetness to it, and a wine without too much acidity will taste sweeter when served with them.  This is why shellfish and French rosés are a good match - neither one tastes sweet alone, but they're beautifully and mildly sweet together. Rosés also go wonderfully well with Thanksgiving food - they have enough body and tannin to stand up to the heavier, savory dishes and at the same time that hint of fruitiness complements all the classic sweet Thanksgiving flavors (sweet potato, dried fruits, pecans, etc).

  Whatever you choose, have fun.  It shouldn't be an ordeal to pick a wine, and you'll have plenty of other things to worry about - like getting your guests to leave after you've treated them so well! (Our preferred method includes the use of a fire extinguisher, but we're sure you'll find your own.)