Pairing wine and food is the focus of this part of our wine 101 guide… The taste of a wine can improve or worsen depending on the food that you drink it with. Although there are only afew combinations which really don’t work, learning the basics about pairing them will bring out the best in both. There are two basic and simple approaches involved; one is contrast, where the wine is different in character to the food, yet still complimentary, and the other is complimentary, where the wine and food work together through a similar trait (such as sweetness or acidic).