How to choose the right tipple to go with what’s on your plate.

Knowing your burgundy from your barolo is a status symbol for some, but too much talk of tannins and terroir can quickly turn other would-be wine drinkers off. With winemaking a millennia-old tradition spanning thousands of grape varieties, it’s easy to find yourself tongue-tied at the sight of a wine list or supermarket shelf. But according to Mr Tom Beattie, the general manager of east London wine bar and restaurant P. Franco, wine – and wine snobbery – is nothing to fear. “Everyone’s experience and interaction with wine is different,” he says. “Preference is subjective because people have different tastes. I’m a big believer in drinking what you want.”

Not ascribing to hard and fast pairing rules, Mr Beattie claims that our tastes are evolving in line with our diet. “Food has changed quite a bit since people started matching food and wine in the 1980s,” he says. “The food was a lot richer then – now it’s being made in a different way with more of a focus on quality ingredients that don’t need as much sauce or seasoning – meaning we can go for lighter styles of wine.” To suit our changing palates, Mr Beattie has volunteered a few easy wine-pairing wins to bring the best out of what’s on your plate – whether you’re cooking at home or eating out.

“Traditionally you might match the wine to the protein – whether fish or white or red meat – but a lot of it comes down to the sauce, too. The more delicate the dish, the more delicate the wine should be. I find wines from Styria in southeastern Austria beautiful with sashimi and lighter fish dishes. There are no restrictions to what they can do in the region so you get exciting blends of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and local varietals. Richer dishes, such as monkfish in a buttery sauce or sole with capers, suit a richer, more unctuous white wine, such as a white burgundy, for which I’d recommend a Julien Guillot macon cruzille. Otherwise, Sicilian native white varietals are cheap and tasty.”

“The classic pairing with oysters is a muscadet from the Loire Valley in France – it has a fresh taste with high acidity to complement the oysters. But you shouldn’t be forced to abide by that and sometimes you might not feel like a muscadet. Alternatively, you could do a chardonnay from Chablis that preferably doesn’t have too much oak influence, a chenin blanc from the Loire or even a chilled gamay from the Beaujolais [a red wine]. As long as it is not too tannic and strong, a light red can be great with oysters, especially if you are garnishing them with vinegar.”

“I tend to lean towards the Italian section with meat – the Italians make wine to go with food, so you can normally be assured it will be good. At this time of year, we eat a lot of stews and braised meats and a fitting red would be a nebbiolo from Piedmont. Don’t let its light colour fool you, it is a big wine but it’s super enjoyable. Another option is a syrah from Saint-Joseph in northern Rhône – it’s a fantastic wine area with some exciting producers making super special wines. Syrah from here is made to go with hearty, richer foods – the tannin can be fierce and the flavour full of fruit.”

“I find a chilled red wine to be a really versatile option, even in winter. In the past 20 years, our tastes have changed and the reds we like now are slightly less extracted and a little livelier, such as Domaine Bobinet’s super-floral Hanami cabernet franc, which I’d keep it in the fridge right until the food is on the table. I also like a chilled gamay or a pinot noir from the Auvergne or a gamay from the Loire – not too tannic, they’re lively and fresh and work well if you’ve ordered a few dishes and you don’t know what order they’re going to be served.”

“You’ve got two options in this situation. The first would be choosing something with a certain element of sweetness that will be complementary to the spice. If your mouth is watering then perhaps a spätlese or auslese riesling from Germany’s Mosel Valley can work well. But – and some might disagree – if you’re spending a bit of money on wine, I don’t see the point of having it with a really spicy dish as you won’t taste it that much, so I’d recommend going for a beer instead.”

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