The classic "rules" for matching wine and foods are based on wester European (mainly French) traditions. No wonder they are lacking when you wish to apply them to Asian or South American cuisine.
The traditional solution would actually be to match the drink to the food and drink indigenous beverages (alcoholic or non alcoholic) with indigenous foods. The obvious example would be to go for a Corona or Tequila with your Mexican lunch, sake with your sushi snack, and maybe a Mango Lassie with your Indian dinner (Buddhists and Hindus are not that big on Alcohol…).
If you insist on wine to accompany you meal, you really do not have to adhere to any "rules". However, a classic matching rule-of-thumb that always helps me in picking a good bottle of wine is to match like-with-like. Asian and Oriental food tends to be very spicy, so good spicy wines work well – like aged merlots. lighter reds like pinot noir and pinot grigio go well with Euro-Asian cuisines (Tai, Vietnamese and fusion). Like-with-like also works for the country of origin, such as washing down your Chili with Chilean wine (wink wink).
South American foods tend to adhere better to the classic matching rules, however if you go for hot foods or Mexican dishes that combine several types of chilies, try whites. I particularly like chardonnay and gewürztraminer with my tortillas. Something about the silkiness that goes well with a burning tongue. Whites also compliment other South American foods like corn, avocado, ceviche and even chocolate (mole style).
Bottom line is – try and see what works for YOU, because some combinations sound odd but taste wonderful. Chuck the guidebook, and let you nose and palate be your guides.