The essentials include fairly simple guidelines. Acidic foods such as tomato-based sauces require acidic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc for whites and Barbera or Pinot Noir for reds. Rich or fatty foods such as butter sauces (hollandaise) need wines with acidity such as Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon to cut through them so that their flavors can still be easily discerned. Fats also bind to tannins, thereby limiting their astringent feel. Salty and smoked foods need acidic or off-dry to sweet wines such as Riesling or Chenin Blanc to balance them.

Sweet foods including chutneys that accompany savory entrées need wines that are just as sweet, or the wine’s flavors disappear. Sweet desserts need wines that are sweeter than they are, but the best wines also have high acidity and thus further bring out the dessert’s flavors.

Bitter foods, especially greens that are high in chlorophyll, can present challenges if the wines have been oak treated or have tannins or any bitterness, and are best accompanied by acidic wines that are either dry or off-dry. Moderately spicy foods are best paired with light, off-dry white or fruity reds. Spice will bring out the tannins in wines, so oaky Chardonnays or full-bodied reds should be avoided.

Using these few principles and learning the characteristics of wine varietals and appellations will enable the server to make good pairing suggestions.

Edward Korry is an associate professor and chair of the Beverage & Dining Service Department in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.