Red Wine Food Pairing

I must start out by stating the following topic is highly subjective one.  Nonetheless it is important for the red wine drinker to be informed about these popular approaches to pairing wines with food. 

It should be pointed out that wine consumed by itself tastes very different from wine that is paired with food.  The reason for this is because wine compliments foods in the same way spices or condiments do.  Wine can bring out the nuances of food.  This is because wine contains tannins, acids, and sugars which interact with the food and produce different taste sensations.

A good match is found when you either find a food and wine with similar tastes or your find a food and wine with very different tastes and have a contrast.

Here are some general tips:

Red wines that are high in alcohol such as Barol, Barbaresco, Porto and Sherry can go well with slightly sweet foods

Try pairing opposites.  That is, try pairing a hot or spicy food with a sweet wine.

Try matching by geographical origin.  In many cases food and wine from the same region have an go well with each other.

Try matching light bodied wines with light bodied food and heavier bodied wines with heavier and more hearty dishes.

Match flavours.  For example, a Pinot Noir goes well with mushroom soup. 
Here are some more guidelines:

Bitter flavoured food increase the perception of bitter, tannic elements in wine. Sour and salty foods suppress the bitter taste in wine. Salt in food can mellow the bitterness and astringency of wine and may make sweet wines taste sweeter.

Here are some specific examples of wine and food pairings:

Port with walnuts and Stilton cheese
Dry amontillado Sherry with soup
Toasted olives or green olives with fino or manaanilla Sherry
Lamb and red Bordeaux or Chianti
Also lamb, venison, simple cuts of meat, and hard cheeses, i.e. cheddar go well with Bordeaux
Barbera goes well with pasta or pizza
Salmon and Pinot Noir
Braised beef with Barolo
Grilled chicken with Beaujolais
Beef bourguignonne with red Burgundy
Dark chocolate with Cabernet Savignon