Pairing wine with food you actually cook

Most pairing guides are written for banquets. Here is the version for a Tuesday.

Tomato pasta. Tomatoes are acidic, so the wine must be too or it will taste flabby. Sangiovese, Barbera, and simple Cotes du Rhone all work. Skip the big oaky reds.

Roast chicken. The most flexible dish in the kitchen. Chardonnay with some texture is the classic answer, but a light Pinot Noir or a chilled Beaujolais is just as happy, especially if the skin is well browned.

Pizza and burgers. Look for juicy fruit and moderate tannin. Zinfandel, Montepulciano, and Garnacha all do the job for very little money.

Thai and Indian takeout. Heat and spice call for lower alcohol and a touch of sweetness. Off dry Riesling is the standard, and a dry rose with good fruit is a fine second choice. Avoid heavy oak and high tannin.

Salmon and other oily fish. Rose, Pinot Noir, or a textured white like Chenin Blanc. The fat in the fish handles a bit more wine than white fish can.

Salads and goat cheese. Sauvignon Blanc exists for this. The herbal edge in the wine meets the greens and the acidity handles the dressing.

Dark chocolate. Genuinely difficult. A fortified wine such as Port or Banyuls is the safe route, because it brings sweetness the chocolate cannot overwhelm.

The pattern behind all of it is the same one from the rules piece: match weight, lean on acidity, and keep the wine at least as sweet as the plate. Once you have logged a few of your own successes, your notes become a better pairing guide than any list, because they are built from the food you really eat.