As in previous years, 2008 has been full of delicious food and drink pairings - some classic, some delightfully unexpected. Here are 12 that really stood out for me, enhancing both the food and the wine.

Duck confit and Madiran
A perfect terroir-based match from the south-west of France which we enjoyed on our trip to the region last January.

Fritto misto and vino bianco
Sometimes the simple things are the best as we discovered when we went to Venice in April where it was hard to beat the combination of the simple local Veneto whites with a freshly caught fritto misto.

Tiramisu and Rappu
A rare ‘rancio’ wine from Domaine Gentile in Corsica proved a fascinating match for this popular Italian dessert at the innovative Paris restaurant Il Vino d’Enrico Bernardo where the food is paired with the wines.

Lapin au Vin with Au Bon Cimat Pinot Noir
A French bistro classic given a contemporary Californian twist at one of my favourite London restaurants, Ransome’s Dock. Better than many burgundies would have been

Goats’ cheese and mature Alsace riesling
The most striking match in a stellar tasting with top French affineur Bernard Antony that proved that Sauvignon Blanc is not the only match for goats’ cheese. The cheese was a Valençay, the riesling a 20 year old Zind Humbrecht Riesling, Clos St Urbain Rangen de Thann 1988

Smoked trout and artichoke linguine with dry riesling
A great suggestion from former sommelier Matt Wilkin whose new west London gastropub, the Princess Victoria, was one of the best London openings of 2008. The riesling was a 2007 Bassermann-Jordan from the Pfalz which picked up perfectly on the smoky fish flavours.

Ballycotton lobster and premier cru Chablis
A classic pairing but none the worse for it marked my birthday in Ireland this summer. The Chablis was a Daniel Defaix Côte de Lechet 2000, still fabulously fresh.

Tarte au citron with beereanauslese Chardonnay
With its combination of intense acidity and sweetness tarte au citron is always a difficult dessert to match and I wouldn’t have expected Chardonnay to come to the rescue. But this luscious late harvest Austrian chardonnay from Helmut Lang proved a perfect partner

Macaroni cheese and Montagne-Saint-Emilion
Macaroni cheese isn’t the first dish you’d think of when looking for a pairing for a decent claret but this soft Merlot-dominated red was a terrific match, proving that cooked cheese is easier to pair with red wine than its uncooked counterpart

Roast suckling pig and Bairrada
Pairings of food and wine from the same region often work as demonstrated by this combination of sweet suckling pig and fresh, fruity red Bairrada which I enjoyed at a Portuguese wine dinner laid on by a local Bristol wine merchant, Corks of Cotham.

Moqueca and Caiprinha
OK, this isn't a wine pairing but this Brazilian evening at our local tapas bar in Bristol reminded me what a great partner cocktails can for food, particularly a zesty, limey Caiprinha with Moqueca, the famous Brazilian seafood stew.

Spiced chicken with peanut sauce and Faugères rosé
A great dish I had at a restaurant called Larcen in Agde in the south of France. The chicken had been cooked in a crushed peanut and coconut sauce and was flavoured with ras-el-hanout.. An unlikely pairing for a Faugères rosé you might think but it was absolutely spot on.