Once upon a time, everybody drank wine by the rules. Red wine went with meat, white wine paired with fish. Everybody lived by the rules if they wanted to be a member of polite society.

In the 1963 James Bond movie “From Russia with Love,” Bond is traveling on the Orient Express train and meets another spy who orders the red wine Chianti with sole, a delicate white fish. Ever stylish, Bond orders Taittinger champagne with his dinner. Later, when 007 finds out the other spy is a bad actor, Bond says “Red wine with fish. That should have told me something.”

The rules of most everything have been done away with and people are free to drink whatever wine they like when they like. But of course, it is not that easy. These days, people who teach others about wine talk about guidelines for food and wine pairing instead of rules.

Think about some of the combinations of food and wine you’ve had that were just delicious: delicate champagne and cracked crab, soft, buttery chardonnay with buttery roasted chicken, or a peppery grilled steak with a bold merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Those pairings taste so good because the flavors and personality of the wine matches the flavor and personality of the food. It’s all a matter of balancing the sweetness, acidity and body of the food and the wine. You’ll know you’ve found a magical combination when the wine makes the food taste better and vice versa.

When it comes to seafood, you’ll be happy as a clam if you try to match the character of the fish to that of the wine. So a bold meaty fish like salmon or grilled mahi mahi is delicious with an elegant red wine like pinot noir, a buttery piece of black cod works well with a slightly buttery chardonnay, while a delicate fish like sole in a butter sauce will be delicious with a sparkling wine and shellfish like scallops, shrimp and mussels sing with crisp, citrusy sauvignon blanc.

The sauce can also decide what kind of wine to drink with your fish, says Michael Sanchez, wine buyer for Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion restaurants. If you’re eating macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi in a sweeter sauce then choose a wine like sauvignon blanc, sparkling wine or a dry rosé to balance the sweetness. But if you’re eating a spicy dish like a blackened tuna in a soy mustard sauce, a sweeter wine like riesling from Germany, Vouvray or pinot blanc will help cool your mouth. With spicy foods, try to avoid high alcohol wines like California chardonnay; the alcohol will make the food seem even spicier.

“Riesling is overall the best match,” says Sanchez. “Rieslings are very floral and they have great acid and great fruit flavors."

Of course, another fun way to discover great wine and seafood pairings is to travel to the part of the world that the wine comes from and see what the locals drink with it. But if you don’t have the opportunity for that, check out this pairing chart to create the ultimate pairing and culinary experience.

If you’re eating .... Ahi tuna .... try still or sparkling rosé

If you’re eating .....Halibut .... try unoaked chardonnay or sauvignon blanc

If you’re eating......Oysters .... try champagne or chardonnay from Chablis (cha-blee)

If you’re eating .... Salmon .....try pinot noir

If you’re eating .....Shrimp ..... try sauvignon blanc or sherry

If you’re eating ....Sushi ...... try brut or rosé sparkling wine

If you’re eating ....fish in a spicy or sweet sauce... try riesling, Vouvray or pinot blanc