In the movie From Russia with Love, James Bond and a man posing as a secret agent both order grilled sole while dining together. Bond orders a blanc de blancs champagne, the impostor asks for a Chianti—the "red kind." After the meal, the bad guy knocks 007 unconscious, and later, when Bond recovers he observes bitterly, "Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something." The villain responds, "You may know the right wines, but you're the one on your knees." 

The same can be said about matching wine with all types of seafood: the rules help, but they should never replace your intuition—or get in the way of pleasure. Wine is full of traditions: the right serving temperatures, decanting methods, stemware selection, tasting procedures and food matches. Many of these rules are based on common sense, but some have become dated with changes in the way we think about and prepare food.

Just ten years ago, drinking red wine with fish was as taboo as putting salt on your food in a five-star restaurant. The prescribed wine was white and French. But today, fine dining is less formal, more focused simply on a great taste experience. Home cooking has become more experimental, with new flavour combinations, influenced by our sampling of other cultures' cuisines when we travel.

Wine, too, has changed, with new winemaking methods, grapes and blends. "Flying winemakers" who oversee vineyards around the world have helped to cross-pollinate these changes. The result is that many white wines are no longer the ideal pairing because they're so hefty in their alcohol and flavour that they overpower many seafood dishes. But what we've lost in tradition, we've made up for in novelty and diversity. With this in mind, here are some tips on matching wine and seafood today: 

Light white wine goes swimmingly with delicate flaky whitefish such as cod, grouper, or Sole. Loire Valley muscadets and Mosel and Alsace Rieslings offer a touch of sweetness and crisp acidity that will complement, but not overwhelm, the subtle taste of these fish. Acidity in wine acts much like the acidity in a lemon you might squeeze on a fish dish-it enhances the flavours and cleanses the palate of any oiliness, preparing you to appreciate the next bite all the more. For this reason, these wines are also ideal for fish prepared in cream sauces. 

Often, wine choices aren't based so much on the particular fish as the sauce that accompanies it. In fact, most cultures drink red wine with fish because of the preparation. For example, grilled halibut with a fruit salsa that's both sweet and peppery will make an acidic wine taste too tart. But a white wine with a little sweetness will pair nicely. Blackened, grilled and seared fish need red wine, especially when they are prepared using spicy and strong seasonings from the Mediterranean and Asia. A spicy zinfandel goes exceptionally well with these strong flavours. Wine is also often an ingredient in fish dishes—and traditionally the same table wine is served as the wine that was used to prepare the dish-like with like. 

Salmon used to be poached in a white-wine boullion and served with a dill cream sauce. But today it's more often mesquite-grilled or prepared with teriyaki flavoring. Salmon is already a strongly-flavored fish and when you prepare it with additional bold flavors, the dish demands red wine. Red wine high in tannin is often a poor match because when it interacts with the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, the wine tastes metallic. 

Therefore, red wines with just a touch of tannin (the same compound in tea that makes your mouth feel furry) are excellent choices. Pinot noir is often the most popular among these wines. But not all pinot noirs are the same—those from the hot New World wine regions can be as full-bodied as cabernets. I prefer pinots from the Burgundy or cool climates such as New Zealand, the Sonoma Coast region in California. These wines are more refined, balanced and suit fish well. Chilling these reds will help.

The classic match for oysters is a crisp unoaked Chablis, a minerally, acidic chardonnay from northern Burgundy, or champagne, which offers palate-cleansing acidity and effervescence. But don't stop there—oysters also pair well with Loire Valley Muscadet, Portuguese vinho verde and cool-climate New World sauvignon Blancs such as those from New Zealand. 

These wines are often called "green" because of their tartness—both from high acidity and from the herbal flavors and aromas. Yet they're low in alcohol, so they match the seafood's light texture. This is why many white wines from hot regions in the New World, such as California, Australia and Chile, are too heavy for seafood. Their high alcohol also accentuates the seafood's saltiness. Look for whites that are less than 12% in alcohol by volume. 

Other shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, clams and mussels also go well with wines that complement oysters. Also try Sancerre, dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, pinot Gris from New Zealand, pinot grigio from Italy or pinot blanc from Alsace.

James Bond would have a tough time today ferreting out the bad guys based on an unusual wine and fish match. But he would be reassured that some things don't change: the best match for herring is still vodka, not shaken or stirred.