Dornenburg and Page carry on with the rather unique cookbook concept that they developed in Culinary Artistry, and expand on further in The Flavor Bible.

Their books aren't for the cook that wants a step-by-step guide. Instead, they are for the intermediate, or advanced, or just adventurous cook that is ready to take at least a few steps on their own.

In What to Drink... they spend a little time informing about their philosophy, how to use the book, and some broad rules about flavor pairing (after all, that is pretty much what food-wine pairing is about, right?). Then they get in to the meat of it. Hundreds of pages of information about flavor pairings, arranged first by food types and ingredients, then by wines. All of that gleaned from their own experiences and interviews with expert sommeliers.

If you are ready to take a step beyond "white with white meat, red with red meat" but don't quite trust your own experience and memory to make the right choice, this is an excellent book of advice. Got a fantastic wine that you want to pick a meal for? Got a new recipe that you want to find a good wine for? This is your book. And they don't confine themselves just to wine. Beer, tea, and water all receive mention when appropriate.

Probably the best thing I learned from this book? If you have spicy food the last thing you want is a wine with low sugar and high alcohol - it just intensifies the heat. ( )

The best food-and-drink pairing book yet. Very straightforward and helpful.