Although there are exceptions to the rules due to personal preferences or differences in taste, for the most part you want to remember to serve red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. If you are serving beef, steak and lamb, you should choose a dry red wine or a burgundy wine. Another possibility that goes very well with red meat is one of the Italian red wines. Of course, you do not have to serve red wines with red meats but failing to do so can make a difference in the way your meal tastes.

When you are eating or serving fish you want to say with a dry, crisp white wine. The actual vintage may differ based upon the fish you are serving though for a change of taste you may also choose a fruity red wine that has no tannins. It is essential to be very careful when you serve red wine with fish, especially that of the white delicate variety because any wine that contains tannins may leave a metallic taste in your mouth when they combine with fish.

Although poultry, pork and veal follow the rule of white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, turkey is a little different because it has such a large variety of both white and dark meat. With turkey you may want to choose a wine that is fruity and tart in either a white or red variety. On the other hand if you want to serve red wine with chicken choose a fruity variety. Sparkling wines without tannins in the fruity variety are best with spicy foods. You also want to serve wine cold when you serve spicy foods.

When it’s time for dessert, you want to serve a dessert wine which is a sweeter wine and usually served in smaller bottles than ordinary wine. If your party guests are all of drinking age you may choose to eliminate the dessert and serve only the dessert wine. Of course, this is also assuming all of yours guests drink wine or want dessert wine instead of dessert. These are things you will need to find out before you plan your party so that you will know how to plan. Even those who drink wine may not want dessert wine instead of dessert and would prefer wine only with the main course.