Ah, the moment many people dread. Whether it's taking an important client out, choosing wine for your team, or even just selecting a bottle for your Bon Viveur father in law, the wine list in a restaurant can give even seasoned wine drinkers the heebie-jeebies.

Petrified about pronunciation? Perplexed about pricing? Perturbed at the possibility of pontificating Sommeliers? Here are a few tips to help you through the minefield.

Swot up in advance (if there's time)

Yes, you're busy, we know this. This is only for the anoraky amongst you, but it can pay off. Many restaurants and hotels post their wine lists on their websites. This gives you ample opportunity to research the wines, consider which dishes they may work with, and budget for your meal. It also gives you bluffing rights at the meal, something that may be terribly important to you.

When you're there, don't hurry

Wine lists can be pretty extensive, so take your time. Ask people about their general preferences (if they have specific likes, dislikes etc). Also find out what people want to order.

Remember if your group is opting for a set menu (everyone having the same dishes for each course), this is considerably easier to match wines to than a la carte.

If there is a Sommelier, take advantage

Some restaurants have a wine waiter on hand to advise on the wines. Don't hesitate to ask them for suggestions. Wine is a hulking behemoth of a subject, with no single person personally familiar with all the grape varieties, winemaking styles and producers commercially available today. In a number of cases the Sommelier will have put the wine list together themselves, or at the very least tasted the majority of wines available on the list (apart perhaps from the Chateau Margaux 1982), so they can be good to talk to. 

Remember Sommeliers are there to choose wine to:

• Fit your budget
• Suit your taste
• Partner your food

Staying both in budget and pronunciation (when someone's hovering)

A good way of subtly indicating your budget when a Sommelier or waiter is at your shoulder is simply by pointing at a wine price on the list, and saying "something like this" (let him know your menu choices first).

If this sounds a bit rudimentary, bear in mind that it's a lot easier than saying:

1. "I'll have the Puligny Montrachet, Les Pucelles from Leflaive please."

or

2. "I'm not spending more than £20 per bottle on this lot." 

If there isn't a Sommelier, below are some very simple food and wine matching tips. 

Food and Wine Matching

Matching the weight

Try to match the weight of your food with the weight of the wine. A heavy wine will be too much for light food and heavy foods will be overbearing for a light wine. Heavy foods like steak and meat casseroles match nicely to full bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The lightest, most delicate wines go well with light fish dishes (we find English wines work particularly well here).

Matching the dominant flavours

Think about the dominant flavour in the food and try to match it with wine of a similar flavour and, importantly, intensity of flavour. Simple, delicately flavoured foods (ie certain shellfish dishes) work well with fairly neutral wines such as Muscadet. In a nutshell, don't mask the flavours in the wine or the food.

Matching acidity with acidity

Match foods containing lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes and the like with wines with crisp acidity (Sauvignon Blanc, Bourgogne Aligote, Champagne, Northern Italian whites). Note that crisp acidity in wine also cuts through fat. The natural oiliness of smoked salmon (and its saltiness) partners extremely well with Non Vintage Champagne.

Salt and sweetness

Salty foods contrast nicely with sweet wines (there is no such thing as a salty wine of course!). For example France's Roquefort works beautifully with the sweet wines of Sauternes or Barsac.

Don't forget tannins

Tannins are what give you that drying feeling in your mouth. This sensation is most obvious with reds, but you (occasionally) get the same feeling when drinking heavily oaked whites (as tannin is also contained in wood). Wines high in tannin (Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon etc) go well with meats with good fatty proteins (beef steak or lamb). The tannins cleanse the mouth of fatty proteins that would otherwise coat the inside of your mouth. However, stick to low tannin reds such as Pinot Noir and Beaujolais when eating oily fish. Tannins react adversely to oil, giving an unpleasant metallic taste.

For pudding

Pair sweet wines with sweet foods, generally aiming for the wine to be sweeter than the food. Creme Brulee works well with Sauternes, and Fig Pudding (and the like) works well with a fine Rutherglen Muscat. Even if you don't like sweet wine, you'll find a dry wine's acidity will be emphasised by the sweetness of a dessert, and the two will not generally make a good match.

Well there it is, the minefield successfully negotiated. Bon Apetit one and all, and, of course, Bonne Chance.