Everyone knows the basic rule of pairing a wine with your food: white with fish, red with meat.

However with increasingly sophisticated and exotic foods becoming commonplace, that rule starts to look a little bit old-fashioned.

While the basic guideline works well as a framework, try to consider the flavours and textures of the meal.

Look at the sauces in addition to the meat or other major ingredient and try to imagine how particular wines would complement the dish.

Here are some wine and food pairing suggestions:

Chicken   the versatile Chardonnay always works well with chicken or, if the dish includes a creamy sauce, try a Beaujolais villages or a southern French Merlot.

Pork   go for a woody, exotic and modern Australian Chardonnay or a traditional, clean Chablis.

Beef   this still goes well with a flavoursome, classic Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lamb   somewhat lighter than beef, look for a vanilla-tinted Rioja or a simple Cotes du Rhone.

Fish   seafood begs for the freshness of a white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, while fleshier fish such as salmon or tuna can take something more substantial, so try a gentle Rioja or red Burgundy.

Mild curry   you need a fresh flavour here, so find a young Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.

Hot curry   a crisp South African Chenin Blanc or a fruity Californian rose would work well here.

Italian   the classic Italian foods (pizza or bolognese) cry out for classic Italian reds, so stick to a good, old-fashioned Chianti or a Valpolicella.