For your information some basic traditional rules are set below that may be followed when advising your customers. It must be stressed here and now that you, the customer, should be given freedom in your selection of wines. What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander!

• Aperitifs should be dry tasting and based on 'grape' or wine based rather than 'grain' or spirit as the latter would easily spoil customer palate and looses a lot of the wine quality and complexity during meals.
• Starter or first course dishes are ideally accompanied by dry white or rose' wines.
• National dishes coupled with national wines of the particular country.
• Fish and shellfish dishes are well suited with well-chilled dry white wines.
• Red meat dishes such as beef and lamb harmonise well with red wines.
• White meats such as veal and pork, also chicken or turkey are acceptable with medium bodied white or light bodied red wines.
• Game dishes require heavier and more full-bodied dry red wines to compliment the full flavour of these dishes.
• Sweets and desserts served at the end of a meal usually go down well with well-chilled sweet white wines.
• The majority of cheeses blend well with ports or full-bodied dry reds.
• Brandies and liqueurs all harmonise well with coffee.

A few general rules to ensure better wine appreciation of wine characteristics when accompanying a meal:

• Champagne and dry sparkling wines compliment most foods.
• Drink red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat.
• For unsure clients rose' will usually suffice.
• Drink white wines before red.
• Drink dry before sweet wines.
• Drink a 'good' wine before a 'great' wine.
• Commence with a grape 'aperitif rather than a 'grain' aperitif prior to a meal.
• emperature wines correctly otherwise the taste and characteristics may be affected. Ideally 8-10C sparkling, 10-12C whites and 18-21C reds.