For many of us as we start to enjoy wine it is natural progression to begin experimenting with cooking, while for others the pleasure we derive from preparing great meals evolves into an interest in wine. In either case the focus is on the wine and food enhancing each other. The challenge though is how to get started.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember like so many things with wine is it is a very personal decision. Try some simple experiments of pairing different wines with some of your favorite home prepared meals. Be adventurous, and don't be limited by the tired old axiom of white wine with fish and red wine with meat. Some of our favorite pairings have been ones that simply tossed out such stringent guidelines.

A good cook book that also talks about wine pairings is a great starting point. Many of the cook books written by Jacques Pepin, David Lobel, and Mario Batali make specific recommendations of what wine to have with their meals and are available here at the dinner party and other local shops. Once you find a pairing you like in a book it becomes easy to extrapolate pairings to similar dishes and similar wines.

Also don't forget the option of approaching it from the wine perspective. Join a wine club where recipe ideas are provided with the wine club selections. Many wine professionals are also "foodies" so they are able to help point you in the right direction from their knowledge of your likes and dislikes in wine as you start to experiment on your own. Here at the dinner party we frequently get requests from our regular customers asking I am making "this" for dinner what wine would you suggest to serve with it, or we have been invited for dinner and our host is preparing this, what do you suggest?

Your favorite local restaurants and chefs are also a great resource. Many restaurants anticipate the questions so include on their menu a suggested wine pairing with each dish. Also watch for winemaker and winery sponsored dinners at local restaurants, some of the best are ones that use the team approach of having a chef, winemaker and wine professional involved to design the menu and pairings. There are frequent events here in North Idaho, like the upcoming one at Scratch with Balletto Vineyards on Jan. 21.

Now for a couple of common things to avoid in your food preparation and a couple of myths to not be intimidated by as you begin your trial and error. Lemon and Garlic are two of the most common "wine killers." Both when over used completely strip the fruit from the wine and leave you tasting nothing but alcohol. The key with both is moderation and when possible cooking them before adding them to your food. In the case of lemons or any citrus try using smaller varieties of the fruit like Meyer lemons. In the alternative cut your lemons in half and cut off the pointy ends, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper and broil them until browned. This broiled approach on citrus of all kinds cuts down on the "wine killing" acid. Likewise with garlic or onion cook it slightly but not to the point it is caramelized as these brown flavors can be as damaging to the fruit on the wine. A final suggestion with these spicy roots is to braise them in liquid like broth or wine - this results in more mellow flavors.

There remain a number of myths about specific foods and wine pairing potential that we would like to dispel. Asparagus and artichokes are two of the foods that are constantly listed as not to be paired with wines. The truth though, you cannot travel to wine country in the spring and not find every great chef coming up with creative dishes with both vegetables that pair fabulously with wine. So try pairing either with Chenin Blanc or Vouvray which is how Chenin Blanc is titled in France, or any of the great Pinot Blancs from California and Oregon. Another is the aforementioned raw onions; here varietal selection like cippolini or red and moderation are important. Focus on those with lower acids and remember that a little goes a long way. And finally bell peppers and tomatoes are frequently panned for dishes to be served with wine. Cooking of both of these staples though reduces the acid and increases their wine friendliness.

The most important advice is to start experimenting and have some fun with it; not all of your first attempts will result in award winning combinations but the idea is to enjoy the attempt and expand your appreciation of food and wine.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can e-mail George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo. www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.