Great food, fine wine; pair well

Goat cheese or gorgonzola with your Sauvignon Blanc? And what about champagne? "Understand your drink first to bring out the best culinary flavours," instructs Cecilia Oldne, sommelier and head, International Business, Sula Vineyards. "The wine and food should complement and not battle against each other, so choose mild dishes with mild wines and opt for spicy, flavourful dishes for rich wines."

Sparkling wines and champagne awaken your tastebuds and are known to make you hungry, so Oldne suggests using them to accompany appetisers and starters. There's no leaving out cheese and chocolates when it comes to wine, so Oldne suggests blue or gorgonzola cheese for a sweet dessert wine and goat cheese for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. "A perfect marriage would be the one between our dessert wine Sula Late Harvest Chenin and some piping hot Gulab Jamuns," she says. Now, that's indeed food for thought.