• Foods to pair with Chardonnay: grilled cheese sandwiches, vegetable lasagna, steamed lobster or crab, chicken tamales
  • Names to try: Louis Latour (France), Ruffino Libalo (Italy), J Lohr (USA), Kim Crawford (New Zealand)

Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir grapes produce elegant, food-friendly red wines. The most famous region for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, but Pinots are also produced in abundance throughout the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

  • Foods to pair with Pinot Noir: anything in mushroom sauce, grilled salmon or tuna, pumpkin soup
  • Names to try: Dehlinger (USA), Mount Riley (New Zealand), Drouhin (France), Byron (USA)

Gamay: Learn this name, for it represents some of the best bargains in the red wine world. This fruity red is most famously the grape used in France’s Beaujolais wines, but Gamay is also becoming better known in California and Canada.

  • Foods to pair with Gamay: potato dishes, spicy sausage, roast chicken, pizza
  • Names to try: Jadot (France), Preston (USA), Mommessin (France)

Cabernet Sauvignon: The most popular red wine grape in the Unites States, Cabernet is the one you’ll need to know to impress the average man. Most California cult wines are made from Cabernet or are Cab blends.

  • Foods to pair with Cabernet Sauvignon: pot roast, wild game, chicken and mashed potatoes, hamburgers and fries
  • Names to try: Joseph Phelps (USA), Penfolds (Australia), Clos du Val (USA), Montes Alpha (Chile)

Sparkling Wine: Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all bubbly is Champagne. Confused? In order to be called Champagne, a wine must come from the Champagne region of France. But that doesn’t mean that other bubbles are inferior. Great sparkling wines come from Spain, Italy, Australia and the United States.