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True or False: White wine is to be drunk with white meats and fish, red wine goes with beef, and sweet wines go with desserts, period, and to do it any other way is courting a visit from the Wine Police.

The answer is False, but the truth is that until a couple decades ago this is how people decided what to drink with dinner. Thankfully, our minds have broadened. The current thinking is that since food can be every bit as complex as wine, the options for creating rich pairings are staggering. And it cannot be stressed enough: a successful pairing is one that you find pleasing -- maybe nobody else on the planet likes Champagne with liverwurst, but you happen to find the combination absolutely transporting.

If there is a rule of thumb it would be either to go for complementary flavors or flavors that contrast. For example, a dish with citrus would be complemented by a fruity wine; a hearty stew would go well with a full-bodied wine; and a delicately flavored dish, such as poached sole, would be in good company with a dry, crisp wine. Whereas a rich cream sauce would contrast nicely with a highly acidic dry wine; and a simple snack of bread and cheese would turn positively ambrosial when paired with a complex full-bodied red. The best advice of all is to experiment, open-mindedly, and frequently.