In restaurants, sommeliers, servers and bartenders can take the guesswork out of food and wine pairings. In a wine shop, a salesperson can always help point you in the right direction. But what about when you’re cooking at home? How do you decide on which wine to pair with your home-cooked dish, or which to pop open when it’s a takeout kind of night?
From apples and cranberries to carrots, celery, scallops and sardines, and—yes—four cuts of steak, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to match wine with pretty much anything. Let’s get pairing.