Pairing food with wine is something we do often at the Carlton.  We have many amazing wineries and vineyards come in for our Wine Dinners and it’s always important to match their exquisite wine with the right cuisine.  There are a few guidelines that will help you pair a wine with the appropriate meal.  

One guideline to live by in pairing food and wine: Light foods go with light wines. Heavy foods go with heavy wines. Delicate meals need a light wine. Heavier meals need a bigger wine.

• Example: Filet of Sole goes nicely with a Sauvignon Blanc, not a Zinfandel. The Zin in most cases would overpower the fish.
• Example: A pesto pizza with prosciutto and cheese goes nicely with a Zinfandel, not a Sauvignon Blanc. The pizza would overpower the Sauvignon Blanc.
• Sauvignon Blanc – white or light fish, mild cheese, fruit
• Chardonnay – grilled chicken, salmon, shellfish, and grilled fish, anything with a cream sauce.
• Pinot Noir – light meats, chicken, grilled anything, salmon.
• Merlot – pasta, red meat, duck, smoked or grilled foods
• Zinfandel – tomato pasta dishes, pizza, pesto, red meats, chicken with heavy sauces
• Cabernet Sauvignon – red meats, especially a juicy barbequed steak, grilled and smoked foods.
• Syrah – red meats, spicy pizzas, herbed sauces on red meat, turkey
• Dry Rosé – salads, pasta salads, bbq chicken or fish, light spicy foods

Source:  http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/pairing.html