The goal of a good food and wine pairing is that both taste better together than alone. While a combination that simply works is acceptable, a sum that is greater than its parts is the ideal pairing. The same principles that apply to cooking a great dish or making a great wine apply. That means balance and complexity without muddling flavours. To achieve that there are a few simple guidelines:
1. Show restraint. This applies both to the cooking and the wine. Often the most important ingredient is the one you decide to leave out of a dish. Don't pair monster, over-the-top wines with food- leave them for dick swinging competitions.

2. Use bridges. Adjust a dish to account for a specific flavor in a wine. For example, you can change the flavors you use in a sauce for duck depending on whether you are serving Pinot Noir (cherries) or Nebbiolo (orange).

3. Practice. A lot.

The sample menu below is from a dinner I cooked recently that went over very well. Although the menu was an extravagant 5 courses, plus an amuse, each dish was made without butter, cream and is basically low-fat. This style of cooking clean, healthy gourmet food is what we do at Inevitable Table too. Have a food and wine pairing tip? Please share it with a comment below.

sunchoke soup with chanterelle, brioche and truffle
Martin Arndorfer ChNb 2005

roasted pumpkin salad with radicchio, pomegranate, and aged sherry
Marc Tempe Rodelsberg 2004

pappardelle with braised rabbit ragout, tomato, chili and pecorino
Domaine de Courbissac Pandora 2004

pan-roasted sable with beet roesti, arugula and tarragon
Agricola Marrone Langhe Rosso Sancarlo 2001

honeyed panna cotta with pistachio, orange and fennel
Renato Fenocchio Moscato Passito Ito’pass 2006