Over the winter holiday break, I had a few chances to go for some nice dinners in fancy settings. It bothered me that I had really no idea how to pick out wines so I decided to do some research and create this entry. All I knew at that time was that generally speaking white wines pair with lighter foods and red wines with red meats? Not untrue, but here is a bit more information on how the main varieties of wines match different situations.

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White Wines

Grape Variety Group	Notes	Pair with
Pinot gris / Pino grigio	Grigio = Italian style, Gris = French style. French is more full taste. Italian style is more lighter and dry.	Versatile, drier wines can pair with spicy chinese or thai foods.
Chardonnay	Full body (strong wine taste) most popular veriety in the world. Aged in barrels = deeper wine taste. Somewhat buttery taste.	Fish (even a heavy as salmon), and chicken. Richer than other white wines.
Sauvignon blanc	Medium body, dry style not much sweetness. Bright taste, appetising.	Seafood, poultry, and salads.
Riesling / Gewürztraminer / Moscato	These are generally the sweeter wines, light and refreshing. Lower alcohol (<13%) = more dryness.	Sweeter varieties pair with dessert or on its own. Drier wines will match with asian foods, pork ,and chicken.

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Red Wines

Grape Variety Group	Notes	Pair with
Pinot noir	Lightest of red variety, more translucent due to thinner skin grapes. Lighter brighter can work with foods that you usually pair with white wines. Earthy.	Grilled fish (Salmon), chicken, asian dishes.
Merlot	Herbal, medium body wine flavor, softer than cabernet sauvignon wines. Smoother.	Versatile.
Cabernet sauvignon	Smaller grape than merlot, darker heavy wine taste. Longer term aging potential. Less bite when aged.	Red meats, fattier dishes.
Shiraz / Syrah	Similar to cabernet sauvignon. Hearty & spicy taste.	Dark meats, spicy meaty dishes
Zinfandel / Primitivo	Versatile grape, can be made white or dark red.	Red sauce pasta, grilled meats, Italian food.

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To sum up a few things:

I personally like lighter sweeter wines, but this doesn't always match the food. By doing a bit of research it's nice to know which red wine would be lighter and sweeter and subtle difference between the white wines. Even the more darker full body tasting wines have their place (was amazing with French food, so buttery) and shouldn't be avoided. The process to pick out wines is still a very personal choice, and it'll take time and effort to find what suits your preferences. Cheers!

Type of wine	Eric's updated pick
White wines	Riesling - crisp and fresh, often sweet this is what I like. Updated Not as big a fan of overly sweet wines nowadays. You can get drier (read: less sweet) Reisling and Gewürztraminer which still have that strong floral aroma but less sweet/sticky aftertaste.
Red wines	Cabernet sauvignon - Good old 'Cab-Sauv' the full red wine taste. Gotta have the right food to match though recommend with red meats but not starchy or lightly flavored meals.