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Wine and food pairing is not an exact science. It’s more of an art. A lot of so called wine experts will tell you that your meal will be ruined if a wrong wine choice is made, but they are not the ones eating at your table. My philosophy is that a meal can never be ruined if you are drinking the wine and eating the foods that you enjoy.

When it comes to pairing wine with food, you should throw out the old rule - red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. These rules were meant when we did not have all the intricate flavors in our cuisine. With the influx of global flavors and experimentation by innovative chefs, the rules have changed. As an example, at the recent Wine, Beer and Food Festival at DeVos Place, we paired a Pinot Noir with Rainbow Trout. This raised a lot of eyebrows, but the dish with Michigan cherries and brown butter sauce complemented the cherries and red fruits of this subtle Pinot Noir. We certainly changed a lot of opinions after that dinner.

Having said this, there are a few guidelines that can elevate the enjoyment of a meal by creating harmony between the wine and food. It all starts with the basic goal of obtaining balance with the food and wine. The wine shouldn't overpower the food, nor should the food overpower the wine.

So without much further ado, here are a few basic rules of thumb for food and wine pairing. None of these rules stand on their own, but when combined, they should make for a memorable meal.

Weight and Texture: This is the most basic rule. Every wine and food pairing should start with this. The weight and texture are sensation that you get on your palate. For example, a Pinot Noir would feel lighter, while a Cabernet Sauvignon would feel heavier on the palate. You would want to pair light bodied wines with lighter food and full bodied wines with heartier and richer dishes. A dish of a Dover sole would be paired with a lighter wine to match the delicateness of the dish. A heartier beef stew may be paired with a bigger, bolder wine to match with the red meat and the richness of the stew.

Flavors: Once you have matched the weight and texture, the next step would be the flavors. When looking at flavors, one component should not overpower the other. The flavors of the food and wine can either complement or contrast each other.

When complementing the flavors, consider how the food is prepared. Delicately flavored foods pair best with delicate wines and vice versa. Look for the dominant flavor, such as the sauce, seasoning or simply the flavor of the meat or vegetable. The flavor of duck or the earthiness of a mushroom dish would pair with an earthy Pinot Noir rather than citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, while shrimp ceviche will pair better with same citrusy Sauvignon Blanc as opposed to the earthy Pinot Noir.

Contrast of flavors can also work wonders but you have to be more careful. A hot and spicy curry dish will pair great with off-dry white wines, such as Gewurztraminers or German Rieslings. A dessert wine such as Port, with strong tannins and sweetness is wonderful with a creamy and salty blue cheese such as Stilton or Gorgonzola.

Tannins and Acid:These two components are very important in a wine and have to match the food. A tomato-based pasta sauce, which has high acidity, would require a wine that can stand up to it (for example, a Sangiovese based wine like Chianti). If there is no balance between the acidity of the dish and the wine, the component with lower acidity tastes flabby and dull, while the other may taste too tart. High amounts of acidity in food, when paired with a wine that also has high acidity, will mellow the wine and make it taste richer. Similarly a wine high in tannins (for example, a Cabernet Sauvignon) when paired with a food high in tannins (for example pecans or walnuts) will make the wine extremely dry and astringent and almost undrinkable.  On the other hand, the protein in meats or cream sauces tends to soften up the tannins. So the same Cabernet Sauvignon will be incredible when enjoyed with beef with a cream sauce or cheeses.

The following are a few general pairing suggestions. This is not meant to encompass everything. I have left out sparkling wines because I think they are wonderful with everything.

General Pairing Suggestions

Thanksgiving is stressful as it is – the family, the food, the cleaning. The last thing you want to be is stressed out about the wines to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner. The simple truth is that there is not a meal all year round where it will be this easy to pick a wine, but at the same time, there is not a meal that is more difficult to match with a perfect wine.

The biggest hurdle to picking wines for the dinner is not the turkey, but all the accompaniments with turkey during the dinner. In fact, turkey can be one of the most versatile of meats when it comes to wine. You can match not only white wines, but lighter more delicate reds, with the flavorful white meat. At the same time, the dark meat can stand up to bold reds. With the accompaniments, there are all sorts of difficult to impossible flavors to match with wines on the table.

Take the dressing for instance, maybe savory with sausage and sage, or slightly sweet with cornbread, or even salty with the flavor of oysters. That in itself can be a big issue. Then there is cranberry. With its acidity and sweetness, it almost impossible to pair a wine with it. Sweet potato pie with marshmallows, candied yams, the gelatin salads, whether vegetable or fruit, the different type of gravies, all of these offer a lot of challenging flavors.

But worry not. There is one solution. Why settle for one wine, when more is better. Get some additional stemware for each guest and place at least three different wines on the table, preferably all different in style and color, and let your guests try the different wines with different foods and flavors.

The more people at your table, the larger variety of wines you might make available. In reality, it does not cost more to you, because total consumption will be no greater of several wines than if you were serving only one.

Now that we know that we are going to have various styles of wine on the table, but which ones? The following wines are good general match:

Whites: This could be a Chardonnay, Riesling, off-dry Gewurztraminer, Vouvray and Pinot Gris. These wines will work with the white meat turkey and lots of other flavors as well.

If you are using a Chardonnay, look for something that has no oak or just a light touch of oak. You do not want oak to dominate the palate. An off-dry Gewürztraminer or Riesling is a great starter wine as well as with dessert. Off dry Vouvray with their nice acidity can certainly keep the palate fresh, especially with so many flavors.

Soft Reds: First choice is probably a Pinot Noir, but also many Merlots, Cotes du Rhônes and the Beaujolais Nouveau which are released in mid-November each year. These wines will work with any part of the bird. Not only will these wines go wonderfully with the dinner, but it will also appease those hardcore red wine drinkers in your group.

A lighter, more elegant example of Pinot Noir might get lost in the myriad of flavors that is the typical Thanksgiving meal. So looking for a wine that is all about sweet fruit can be a great option. Look for a California Pinot Noir from the Central Coast. A softer California Merlot is also a good choice.

Personally, I love a Cotes du Rhône with my turkey. The combination of dark and white meat with sage stuffing is perfect for the subtle fruitiness and earthiness of Cotes du Rhone.

Beaujolais Nouveau can be a fun wine; low in tannins, easy to drink and a crowd pleaser. If you are looking for an upgrade, choose a Cru Beaujolais from one of the villages, especially from the spectacular 2009 or 2010 vintage.

Full Bodied Reds: These are for the real hardcore drinker and could include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah or Zinfandel. These wines will not only work well with cheeses and chocolates at the end of the dinner, but also with the dark meat and sausage stuffing.

Thanksgiving being a uniquely American holiday, it is not complete without a Zinfandel on the table. A lighter-styled Zinfandel that combines some of the freshness and elegance of Beaujolais with the overt fruitiness of California Pinot Noir may be more of fit than darker jammier Zinfandels. Zinfandel's fruity character also lends an impression of sweetness, which helps to knit together with the food the Thanksgiving table.

If you are looking for Cabernet, choose some lighter Cabernets from Sonoma or even Argentina. And talking of Argentina, a fruity Malbec is akin to Zinfandel. Do not hesitate to put one on the table. If you are looking into Syrah/Shiraz from Australia, choose one from Western Australia which is a bit lighter in weight than the big jammy wines from Barossa Valley in South Australia

Rosés & Sparkling Wines: There are many people who feel that sparkling wines can complement any meal and I am one of them. A well balanced sparkling can do wonders for the Thanksgiving dinner, working all the way from aperitif through dinner with white meat and to dessert.

Prosecco from Italy and sparklers labeled extra dry or demi-sec generally are softer-styled sparklers with just enough fruitiness to work with your Thanksgiving dinner.

And let's not forget rosé. Technically, a rosé is an unfinished red wine. Rosé is made by leaving the skin in contact with the fermenting juice for a much shorter time. It has all the refreshing qualities of a white wine mixed with some characteristics of a red. Some people think that this is the best wine for Thanksgiving dinner. If you are only serving one wine, then definitely go with the rosé. If not, you should still have a rosé on the table. For dryer styles of rosé to go with the dinner, try those from Southern France and Spain. If you really want a White Zinfandel, leave it for dessert or as an aperitif.