In the Dec 2006 issue of Eating Well there was a recipe for Turkey Mushroom Loaves, which i decided to pair with the also included Red and White Salad (apple, endive, fennel, radicchio...) with dried fruit compote topped with sweetened sour cream for dessert. I have no idea what wine to choose, and I'm not even sure if it should be red or white! Any one have suggestions?

There is no hard or fast rule now when matching the red and white with certain meals. Some reds are great with chicken, or turkey, or even fish. The same with the whites. They can be paired with some lamb dishes, or pork. One thing that you need to remember is to read what is written on the labels. The wine should never overpower the meal. It should compliment it. Most wines nowadays have information written on the back labels as to the nose, the flavours, best served with... If they don't, there are websites out there that can help you.
Sometimes it's best to try different wines yourself and write down what they taste like to you, like if the wine has a smokey flavour or citrus or berry or even oaky.
Another thing to remember is that wines will always taste different with each food. If you buy a reisling, for example, and you want to serve it with a chicken dish, take a taste of the wine first. It should have distinct flavours. Then eat a bit of the meal and then another sip of the wine. The taste will be different. The flavours are still there, but some of the notes will be more pronounced. Try the same wine with the dessert and the flavour of the wines will be different again!
This can be done with any wine. If you love a particular wine, serve it! Keep a list of your favourite wines on the fridge. List the ones that you don't like as well so that you don't buy it by accident later!
I hope you're not confused now. But wait till you start reading all that is out there on wines. Just take it a step at a time. Good luck!

I'm adding here to coincide with my previous post. I just had lunch...homemade sweet potato gnocchi and cole slaw. I also had a 2 oz glass of red wine...a merlot. On the back of the bottle, it says that the wine is dry, medium bodied, notes of black berry and black current and oak, and a smooth finish. It suggests that this particular wine should be eaten with beef, lamb,grilled salmon, roast turkey, pizza and dark chocolate. The spices that best compliment this wine are thyme, rosemary and oregano and the best sauces and marinades are soy, red wine, tomato and black peppercorn.
When I inhaled the aroma of this wine, I could smell the berries first and a bit of the oak next. When I tasted this wine on its own, I tasted the oak first, then the berries! The I tried it with the coleslaw. The only thing that came through was the oak, and very little of it. The coleslaw was too overpowering for the wine. The wine flavours were lost.
I then tried it with the gnocchi with butter. Here the flavours of the berries came through very well, and the oak was there but only a hint. Then I added the cheese to the gnocchi and the oak was a bit more pronounced but it was a really good combination of the berries with the oak. A really nice flavouring.
I don't have chocolate at the moment, but it will be different with that as well.
I hope this helps you.