Camille Duret on Pairing Wine With a Tuesday

What's wrong with how most people think about wine pairing?

They think it needs to be exact, like a formula. Most pairings just need to not fight each other — the wine shouldn't be so big it flattens the food, and the food shouldn't be so intense it makes the wine taste like nothing.

Is there a rule you'd actually keep?

Match the weight, not the color. A rich white can sit next to red meat just as well as a light red can. People get too hung up on the color rule and it limits some genuinely good pairings.

What should someone buy if they only keep one bottle around?

A dry, unoaked white. It goes with more weeknight dinners than people expect, and it doesn't demand much from the food to work.

Any advice for someone intimidated by wine lists?

Ask the person pouring what they'd drink themselves tonight. It's a better question than asking for a recommendation, because it usually gets you an honest answer instead of a sales pitch.