Here are a few baseline conditions to keep in mind when matching or recommending what wine or type of wine to have with food.
It is easier to pair food and wine that are themselves in balance.
Flavor balancing in food means that the components of savory (umami), acidity, sweetness, saltiness, hotness (spicy), and bitterness are themselves in balance and no one of those components predominates.
Wine’s flavor components are acid, residual sugar, tannins, and alcohol. When they are in balance, that wine can be paired successfully with almost any balanced food. If food is even slightly out of balance, you should be more careful with the wines you choose to pair with the food; that is where wine and food pairing guidelines come in.