Food and wine pairings: a sommelier’s dos and don’ts, and why ‘less is more’ should be your rule of thumb

Pairing food and wine is a conundrum similar to the age-old chicken-and-egg question. Some oeno­philes, let’s call them the “chicken” side of the equation, fear that the food will overwhelm the wine. On the “egg” side, however, are the food lovers for whom wine is just a lubricant to help make room in the stomach for the next dish. But with a well-executed pairing, the chicken and the egg really can both come first. A sommelier – and any experienced food...