You've picked the perfect salmon dish for dinner, and now it's time to choose the perfect wine. While common convention may have you turning to the whites, the truth is reds and roses may work just as well, if not better! Matching food to wine is something of an art; however, even a novice can follow a few guidelines that will definitely improve their ability to appropriately pair a wine with a meal. The common rule is to use a milder white with a delicate or mildly flavored meat like fish, while reds will take over that kind of meal and are better with stronger dishes because they can easily stand up to bolder flavors. However, salmon falls out of the typical "white fish" category and therefore can be paired with a wide range of wines.

Salmon is an extremely versatile fish, which makes it an exceptionally accommodating wine companion. Depending on its preparation, salmon can be paired with a variety of wines, including champagne, chardonnay, and pinot noir. Unlike most foods, salmon can be matched to wine by texture as well as by its saucing. For instance, butter-based sauces are natural fits for big California Chardonnays or white Burgundy from Puligny and Meursault. A heavier acidic sauce such as those with a tomato base will lend itself well to a lighter red such as a Pinot Noir, Grenache, or Sangiovese. Or a sweeter sauce such as teriyaki or a fruit glaze could be paired with an off-dry white.

Salmon is a fatty fish with buttery and succulent flesh. As such many would argue that a lean, crisp sparkling wine will cleanse the fat from the palate; however, a rich yeasty and mature Champagne marries with salmon just as well. Because salmon can't easily be overwhelmed, feel free to choose a rose, blanc de blancs or vintage brut. This is especially true with raw salmon, as in Japanese-style sashimi. If the fish is poached, choose an unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay, such as Chablis. For grilled, pan-seared, or oven roasted salmon, it's a toss-up between chardonnay and pinot noir.

While salmon will naturally work well with many wines, beware of exceedingly heavy reds as the large amount of tannis may react badly with the oils in the fish. Also avoid combining reds with spicy sauces as it may lead to a nasty metallic taste.

One basic guideline to live by in pairing food and wine: light foods go with light wines and heavy foods go with heavy wines. Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein compared food and wine pairing to two people having a conversation: "One must listen while the other speaks or the result is a muddle". This means either the food or the wine will be the dominant focus of the pairing, with the other serving as a complement to enhance the enjoyment of the first. Ultimately the key to a successful food and wine pairing is experimentation, so if you're still unsure about which wines sound best, pop open a bottle and get tasting. The most important rule of wine pairing: don't worry too much about all the rules; just pour a glass of your favorite wine, and enjoy!