What white wine goes with asparagus?

Matching wine with any food is a matter of individual taste; there are no real rules and only the conoisseurs can seriously tell when the match isn't right. When you consider television chefs who go on about such esoterica as the right salt from the right place, consider this: have you ever attended a meal where a diner has spluttered over the food and complained an inferior brand of salt has been used? Of course not; let's not be silly. The food and wine market is enormous, and people with a high profile in the area are paid very well to convince us that this wine, this brand of salt, this beer, this cut of meat and this barbecue to cook it on are what those in the know use. In reality, in their own kitchens, they use the cheapest brands, because nobody can tell the difference and they've a profit margin to maintain. The cooking method used to produce your chicken for the table could be a plain roast, or could be simmered in a highly-flavoured sauce; the cooking style determines accompanying foods and wine, so you wouldn't, for instance, accompany a delicate, creamy sauce with a big, full-bodied red. Save that for after the meal, and serve chardonnay (or whatever middle-of-the-road white is currently trendy) with the food, or opt for a merlot or grenache. Always go for a dry wine for any main meal, and ask the staff in your local store for their opinion; they usually know their business, but be aware all opinions on wine matching are intensely personal and might not suit you. With plain-cooked chicken a softish wine such as a merlot or merlot blend would be a good option; with strongly-flavoured sauce a Shiraz or shiraz blend should go well. Rose goes with most foods, from seafood to red meat, as do dry to semi-dry whites such as chardonnay. When completely at sea on the question of matching food and wine, serve champagne or another sparkling wine, which goes with everything from hors d'oevres through dessert and on to the cheese and fruit platter, and gives you the opportunity to bring out your most exquisite champagne flutes. Everyone will feel very festive, which can't possibly be a bad thing. Only the most dedicated of champagne drinkers will know whether you paid $20 or $100 for the bubbles, but here's a tip for when a bargain bottle falls short in the flavour department: put a sugar cube in the bottom of each Flute and let fall upon it a few drops of Angostura bitters. Count to five and fill the glasses with your fizzy wine. This really works. Tell your guests it's a champagne cocktail.