What makes a good wine recommendation in a Restaurant?

The old rule is Poultry, Fish/seafood and Pork use a white wine; beef, lamb, ... any red meat use red wine.

Some like their wines semi sweet or fruity; some like it very sweet (ice wine) and some like it on the dry side/Brut .... I personally prefer a Kerner or Bacchus grape, Lambrusco with my Pasta; Burgundy, Beaujolais with my beef/red meat ... a California Asti Spumante is not to sweet and better in price than the Italian one ....