Wine and food: Simplicity for success

In days gone by, pubs were all about beer - soaked up with a bag of crisps or Scampi Fries. Now, in many pubs, the beer pumps share bar space with ice buckets filled with wine bottles and a blackboard showing the chef's daily specials.

And where wine and food come together, people will start to worry about the vexed question of matching them. Since pubs are still places where we want people to come and relax and have a good time, it's up to pubs to take the stress out of wine and food.

The first thing is not to over-complicate things. Bar and waiting staff should have some useful basic knowledge, but pubs aren't the place for sommeliers - and pub customers don't usually order different wines to match each course exactly. If your team knows the list well and has had the chance to try the wines, they will be in a much better position to suggest good matches when they're asked.

You can help them immensely by making sure you have some great multi-purpose wines on your list, preferably by the glass. To cover the bases, not just for diners but for those who want a quaffable glass at the bar, a busy pub needs at least three whites, three reds and a rosé available by the glass. These all-important wines will form the "engine room" of any pub's sales and should be chosen with care.

Sauvignon blanc is probably first on the team sheet, not only because it is hugely popular in its own right but because it goes so well with so many foods, including many pub favourites. Fish & chips, fishcakes, prawn cocktail, goat's cheese or Caesar salad all marry well with it.

Next comes a medium weight chardonnay, which goes well with roast chicken or chicken and ham pie, as well as perennial favourites, mushrooms with a creamy sauce on toast and mushroom risotto. White burgundy is also a hit with roast pork, especially when there's apple sauce involved.

Among the reds, a hearty spicy blend - either cabernet sauvignon/shiraz or a southern rhone blend of grenache/syrah/mourvèdre - will go brilliantly with sausage and mash, casseroles and steak and kidney pie.

A classier name like bordeaux (or one of the New World cabernets from Chile, California or Margaret River) is a fine partner for a decent steak. Argentinian malbec is the latest heavyweight contender for the perfect steak/wine match and there are some great examples available.

Cabernet Sauvignon also goes well with the Sunday roast beef. As does a decent bottle of rioja.

Moving on to puds, the nation's favourites remain fruit crumble and sticky toffee pudding, cheesecake and ice cream. Peach pubs have an affordable but lovely monbazillac available by the glass and this copes with crumble, cheesecake and crème brûlée - our best-seller. Sticky toffee loves a glass of madeira, which echoes the toasty caramel flavour and, if you have it, nothing beats pouring a glass of crazy sweet dessert wine Pedro Ximenez over your ice cream.

Making sure that a good selection of the major wines are among your "by the glass" selection will mean that a table of guests choosing very different dishes can still pair them with wines that enhance the food. Concise notes on the wine list, if space allows, can also steer people in the direction of good matches for certain dishes without having to ask for assistance.

My job, in choosing and presenting the wines for our pubs, is to make it as easy as possible for people to make a great choice whether they've dropped in for a drink, a snack or a feast.

• Jo Eames is co-owner of Peach Pub Company, and selects wines for its 11sites. The company was named Multiple Operator of the Year (2-19 Outlets) at The Publican Awards 2009​.