Contemporary wine experts say that in questions of pairing food and wine, it’s important to trust your instincts. The same experts also say that there are a few tips you should follow.

One tip, from Sid Goldstein, Fetzer Vineyards’ wine expert and the author of “The Wine Lover’s Cookbook – Great Recipes for the Perfect Glass of Wine,” is that there is nothing inherently wrong with the age-old adage “red wine should be served with meat and white wine with seafood and poultry.”

And it’s true

You will not be chastised by your guests, rebuked by professional acquaintances, snubbed by your beloved or listed on the FBI’s 10 Most Dangerous for serving roasted leg of lamb with a zinfandel or poached halibut with a Chardonnay. This is the food and wine lover’s most basic truth –pairing by color.

But the old wine rules simply weren’t created with today’s diverse, cross-cultural palette in mind. The changes in our culinary repertoire have forced us to broaden the way we look at pairing food and wine. We’ve had to cast aside any steadfast notions of what is correct and what is not. Some of the old rules remain true as directional guidelines, but the expanding culinary global mixing pot has dramatically changed their usefulness.

Ultimately, it is not arcane rules but personal taste and a variety of other social and environmental elements that lead to successful food and wine pairing. Here are some new guidelines, suggested by Goldstein:

1. Spicy, salty, smoked and more highly seasoned dishes are best paired with fruity wines, such as a Gewurztraminer or a Johannisberg Riesling. In reds, try Pinot Noir as it has less bitter tannin and oak than many reds.
2. Full-bodied dishes, such as stews, braised meats and poultry, and dishes with some cream, pair very well with richer wines, such as Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, since their texture and body are similar.
3. Higher-acid foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits marry well with wines that have good acidity, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.
4. When pairing sweeter foods with wine, try to make the dish less sweet than the wine. Correct the dish with a touch of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar if it’s not.