The wine list can be said to be a sort of menu where wines are grouped into those of a similar type to help the diner choose. On most wine lists it is usual to see the white wines separated from the red, with a third section available for after dinner or aperitifs such as sparkling wines, and fortified wines such as sherry, liqueurs and port. There may also be a section for imported vs Australian wines.

To be able to select the correct wine, it is important to know the character of each wine and to understand which wines will go well with the various dishes with which they are to be drunk. Generally, the selection of a good wine comes from experience as there are no hard and fast rules on what wine goes with what food. However, there are some rules of thumb that can apply in general to wine selection.

The most well known of these is that one generally drinks a white wine with fish and white meats and red wine with red meat. It is also usual to drink a dry wine before a sweet wine, light wines before the full and stronger tasting, and young wines before old wines.

Common sense also dictates that light and delicate tastes should be complemented by a light and delicate wine. Stronger tastes, such as roasts or heavily seasoned dishes would suit a more full bodied wine. Wines should complement the food they accompany, and the wines chosen should change as the character of the meal changes from course to course.

A typical selection of wines for a full dinner party could be:

Pre-dinner	Dry sparkling wine such as champagne A mixer such as Campari & soda Dry cocktail
Entree	Reisling (light white wine) Sherry (with soup) Pinot Noir (light red wine)
Main Course	Chardonnay (mature white wine) Shiraz (Mature red wine)
Desserts	Sweet white wine such as a spatlese or sauterne
After dinner	Port (tawny or vintage) Muscat or Tokay Brandy or Liqueurs.

A basic reference to the conventions outlined above will help ensure that your next dinner party will flow with a selection of great and appropriate wines.