Let me cut to the chase right from the beginning. Cook some food, buy some wine, eat the food, drink the wine, and let your mouth be your guide. That's basically it. I'm trying to tell you how to pair food and wine. Your wine merchant or your "helpful friend" is going to try to tell you how to do it, or the liquor store owner is going to try to tell you how to do this. It is up to your own personal taste. There really is no other way around it.