Pairing a fine Bordeaux or Burgundy with food is less a science and more of an art, an expert suggests.

Writing in the Edmonton Journal, wine critic Nick Lees, says the old dogma of combining reds with red meats and whites with white meats has long been discredited.

Good Pinot Noir can go excellently with fish, he suggests, with salmon a particular beneficiary of its flavours.

The key to the art is understanding the balance between the body of a wine and the weight of a dish, the critic notes. In doing so, the sauce used in the dish is often the more important consideration than the type of meat it contains.

Mr Lees recommends pairing a Cabernet Sauvignon with steaks and sausages, while lamb and poultry is usually better with a Merlot.

Yet for wine enthusiasts looking for the ultimate pairing bottle, Barolo may be the wine to choose.

Wine Spectator editor-at-large Harvey Steiman believes that good Barolo is versatile enough to pair with any dish.