Beverage Balance

I must add my two cents to the views presented in “Balancing Act: Matching Food With Wine” (March 31).

I find a good rule of thumb is that the nobler the basic product, the simpler its preparation, and the more complex the accompanying wine should be. There are few table experiences more sublime than a simple roast pheasant or partridge with a good red Burgundy from the northern Cote d’Nuits, for example. I think that Claret or older California Cabernet are the finest possible companions to roast prime rib. On the other hand, the more complex a dish is, the simpler the wine should be. Beef Burgundy will be best served with a young, fresh Beaujolais. Pasta with heavily spiced sauce also requires a simple and inexpensive wine such as Chianti or Cotes de Rhone, or a California Zinfandel.

The latest “eclectic” cuisines pose difficult choices for wine aficionados; currently fashionable ingredients such as cilantro and chilies are absolute wine-killers, as are strong cheeses. What can one serve with “a blue corn tortilla stuffed with rare grilled ahi tuna, cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms, topped with papaya and chipotle chutney, and feta cheese”? No wine of any delicacy or complexity need apply; it will be overwhelmed by the competing flavors. Beer is probably a much better choice, but if you must drink wine with these kinds of food, I recommend California Mountain Red.

--RICHARD MORGAN

Marina del Rey