Most wine experts' advice on wine and food pairings consists of rigid rules that apply largely to haute cuisine and luxury wines. But in her trademark accessible style, Andrea Immer now takes the mystery out of choosing wine for food--and vice versa. This book unlocks the secrets of basic food tastes--sweet, earthy, savory, buttery, tart, and spicy--and their particular wine affinities.

Given even ordinary meals extraordinary flavor, Immer shows readers how to bring the flavor alchemy of wine to everyday fare from burger (with Zindfandel) to macaroni and cheese (with Rioja Crianza). She calls Pinot Grigio her tuna helper. There's also plenty of more sophisticated eating, including smoke salmon and Riesling; asparagus hollandaise and champagne; wild mushroom risotto and California Pinot Noir, to name a few upscale matches. In fact, there isn't a food or category of food--including a panoply of cheese, ethnic foods, and desserts--for which Immer doesn't provide a match and the reasons they work so well. Mouthwatering pairing charts and an easy-to-use index make finding wine and food combinations a snap.