When in doubt, consult the pros they say. And there are undoubtedly few more experienced in the realm of wine than sommelier Chiara Danieli. The wine master began her career at 20 for Da Vittorio Relais & Chateau and has worked in a number of Michelin-star restaurants around the world before settling most recently at Matteo Downtown with chef Orazio D’Elia, manning a list of 300 wines.

“I met Orazio D’Elia and Cristiano (Venue Manager at Matteo and Matteo Downtown) at Icebergs a couple of years ago,” Danieli says. “When the time came for Matteo Downtown to open they asked me to come and work with them. Cristiano is old school without been stiff and does a service that makes me nostalgic of home, he has a lot of charisma and I knew I could learn a lot from him. Orazio’s food is authentic and super tasty, perfect for pairing wines with.”

But wine matching can be learned by anyone says Danieli. Her top 5 suggestions include the following:

1. Body matters.
   Light foods are the best paired with more delicate wines, while heavier foods call for fuller wines. Body, colour, and alcohol are all correlated.

2. Don’t worry about colour.
   The white with fish and red with meat rules are dead. A bold Chardonnay can make a duck dish, and a Pinot is perfect for salmon. Focus on flavour and weight.

3. Match textures.
   Think about the texture of a wine and dish when planning a pairing. Tannins work with textured foods, while smooth and silky go hand in hand.

4. Don’t forget about sparkling.
   When you’re eating foods with bold flavours, a sparkling wine will have just the right amount of sweetness to refresh your palate. One of our favourite pairings are Champagne with French fries.

5. Sauces, sauces, sauces…
   When you’re approaching pairing, think about the sauce. Is it spicy, sweet, or acidic? The natural flavour of the food isn’t relevant, if there is a lot of sauce involved.