Q: We are having an anniversary party and serving catered wood-oven pizza and salads. We would like to provide wine for the event, a red and a white. Would you have any recommendations for something interesting yet very drinkable that is not too expensive? We will have about 60 adults.

I don't really like cabs or lots of tannin, and merlots are not too exciting. I do like Bogel's old-vine zinfandel but was hoping for some other ideas as well. As for whites, we could always buy chardonnay, but I want something different and don't really see chardonnay with pizza. Would a Prosecco be appropriate?

A: With a group this size, my first recommendation is to buy a wide variety of wines, rather than a case of red and a case of white, all the same. For one thing, it's more fun; for another, it means that you will almost certainly have something to please everyone's taste.

I recently helped out a good friend with a similar request — a post-wedding party, about 60 guests, grilled food: What to pour? We spent about an hour in a local wine shop and found literally dozens of great options, all in his budget.

For pizza, you will do well with less-expensive, blended reds from Washington and California, such as the Bogel you mention. Try some inexpensive Cotes du Rhônes, Italian Chiantis, Spanish wines from the Jumilla region and Argentine malbecs.

Your white wines should be fresh and not too oaky; for chardonnay, look for wines that are unoaked, unwooded, or "naked." If you feel adventurous, try a Rhone-style blend with viognier and roussanne. A few bottles of dry riesling would also be fun to explore.

You really can't go too far wrong with pizza. For 60 guests, I'd buy three cases, with four different wines in each, for a total of a dozen different wines. If you want sparkling, I'd go with a Spanish cava or something very dry, like a sparkling wine from the Loire, rather than Prosecco.

Paul Gregutt answers questions weekly in the Wine section.

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