The 2004 Provenance Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded an impressive 91 points by a leading wine magazine. We'd rate the 2005 vintage an 8. That is, an 8 on the enneagram, a personality typing system used by organizations as varied as the FBI, the Jesuits and Stanford Business School.

Thinking of wines as having personalities can help you make better pairings with food. We brainstormed with Michael J. Gelb, author of the bestselling How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci and a wine collector himself, and came up with these picks:

9. The Peacemaker: The heart of a 9 is its agreeable nature, which can mediate any situation. Rosé is the ultimate 9: Its dominant characteristics morph seamlessly from those of a white to a red as need be. Keep an eye out for the newly released and exceptionally food-friendly 2007 Tapena Rosé ($10) from Spain and the 2007 Kim Crawford Gisborne Rosé ($13) from New Zealand.

8. The Challenger: The powerhouse 2005 Provenance Vineyards Rutherford cab ($40) surely qualifies as one that must have its own way. It's a full-bodied and intensely flavored red that could obliterate light dishes. 'Barolo, `the king of wines,' is an 8,'' Gelb says. We also think of malbec, tannat and petite sirah including one of the best we tasted this year, the 2004 Neal Family Napa Valley Petite Syrah ($40).

7. The Enthusiast: The ultimate epicure, this type celebrates joie de vivre. When it comes to wine, champagne, with its lively bubbles, is the quintessential example. With its creamy lemon curd flavors, whisper of sweetness and streams of exuberant bubbles, the NV J Cuvee 20 Russian River Valley Brut ($32), will lift the flavors of virtually any hors d'oeuvre.

6. The Loyalist: Always there and always reliable, it's your house wine. Gelb's is the 2004 Muga Reserva Unfiltered Rioja ($26), which he characterizes as ''a phenomenal value'' for its ''remarkable elegance, complexity and depth.'' With red-sauced pasta or roast pork, we'd choose something like the light- to medium-bodied 2006 Tortoise Creek Central Coast Merlot ($12).

5. The Investigator: These are ''meditation'' wines that you can sit in a corner with and examine -- an old Bordeaux or an unusual varietal such as the 2007 Clayhouse Central Coast Adobe White ($15), a chenin blanc-dominant blend.

4. The Individualist: Pinot noir is a 4, says Gelb: ''elusive, artistic, romantic and difficult to understand.'' The 2005 Faiveley Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet Mercurey ($23) delivers impressive value while pairing beautifully with mushroom, salmon, tuna and lamb dishes.

3. The Achiever: Lots of actors are Type 3s, in that they can perform any role. ''High-powered California chardonnay is a 3 that will do anything to entertain and hold your attention,'' Gelb says. The nicely balanced 2006 Matanzas Creek Sonoma Valley Chardonnay ($30) can star with chicken or pork in a creamy mustard sauce.

2. The Helper: ''Australian shiraz gives everything and just wants to overwhelm you with love,'' Gelb says. That's certainly the case with the 2005 Omrah Shiraz ($18), whose bright berry and pepper notes cozy up to lamb.

1. The Perfectionist: Sauternes is the ultimate 1 wine. ''It transforms (noble) rot into perfection,'' Gelb says. Match it with Roquefort cheese and you have a holy grail pairing.

Fred Tasker is on vacation. His wine column will resume when he returns.

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