Confession: I know next to nothing about wine, beyond the fact that I like it. A lot. All Sideways snobbery aside, I swoon at a lovely pinot grigio or a deep Merlot. I love chef- and sommelier-crafted wine flights paired with my meal, like the exquisite selections of Greens, San Francisco’s landmark gourmet vegetarian restaurant. Their wines complement the prix fixe’s four stellar plates, bringing out the sharpness of a cheese, or softening the spiciness of a roasted pepper. Unfortunately, I can’t bring a sommelier home along with my doggie bag of leftovers, so I’m left to figure out things on my own. Which brings me back to the aforementioned admission. The usual wine rules of thumb -- red for beef, white for fish -- fail in my mostly meatless kitchen.

My forays into the wine aisle more often than not lead to buyer’s (or sipper’s) remorse, and the frugal foodie in me cringes at the thought of blowing $10 or $20 on a disappointing bottle. So I called up Bruce Riezenman, executive chef of the Sonoma County-based catering company Park Avenue Catering and creator of the iPhone app PairIt!, for his best veggie-friendly wine guidance. Among his recommendations:

● A merlot will stand up to the strong flavors of tomato, so uncork one with a marinara sauce or caprese salad. If you want something more surprising with your heirlooms, go for a refreshing yet substantial lambrusco, a red sparkling wine from Italy.

● When cooking mushroom dishes, such as mushroom ravioli or tarts, opt for a pinot noir or chardonnay. Their earthy flavors match the fungus’s from-the-ground origins.

● A sauvignon blanc’s crisp and slightly sweet taste mellows the spiciness of chilies and complements the acidity of lemongrass, so it’s ideal to sip with Thai fare.

● Because a syrah complements the sharp flavors of bell pepper and cumin common in Mediterranean dishes, pour it alongside meals with a vegetable couscous.

● When all else fails, have a bottle of pinot noir and sauvignon blanc on hand, Riezenman suggests. Those two varietals are the most versatile and can be matched with nearly any meal, and they’re easy to find at a wine or grocery store. Most importantly, pick wines you like, because no matter what an expert recommends, your taste buds have the final say.

As for my own taste buds, they’re eagerly awaiting the Netflix arrival of Bottle Shock, the film based on California wine’s coming of age in the 1970s. The indie flick will surely whet my appetite for the region’s signature cabernet sauvignons. Until then, I’ll be experimenting with food-wine combos to my heart’s -- and mouth’s -- content.

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