Now you've tried a few of these, turn your attention to what you are going to eat.

Chinese: Riesling.
Thai: Crisp dry white such as Sauvignon Blanc or Gewurztraminer.
Steak: Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.
Cheese (especially creamy): Sauvignon Blanc.
Shellfish: Semillon or Sauvignon Blanc.
Plain Meat: Cabernet Sauvignon.
Turkey: Shiraz.
Salmon: Pinot Noir.
Garlic: Gamay.
Curry: Reisling or Sauvignon Blanc. The best is an ice-cold beer.

Wine should match and balance the meal. A hefty steak needs an equally hefty red. A sharp, tart cheese needs a sharp, acidic white. A general rule but often broken, is that the more acidic whites come from cooler climates such as France, Germany and New Zealand while the richer reds come from the hotter climates like South Africa, Chile and Australia.

If you are choosing a sweet wine it should ideally be as sweet as the food. Good choices include Semillon based Sauternes or German Eiswein. German sweet wines are often the lightest, while Australian varieties tend to be fuller bodied.

If you are in a restaurant you don't have much control over how cold or warm your wine is served but at home you can have more of a hand in temperature. Some say that it is better to err on the side of over cooling when it comes to chilling your white wine. If you want it to warm up a little merely clamp you hands over the glass. Wines don't need to be opened to air since the surface area affected is minuscule anyway and some lighter reds can even be very slightly chilled.