For a red, I'd suggest Castillo Perelada -- Tinto Crianza, 2001 (50% Tempranillo 50% Garnacha grapes). About $13 -- very, very good, from Spain. For a white, the Cortenova, Verona -- Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio 2003 is quite good for about $12. It may be tough to find exactly the recommendations so I second Dmcewan's suggestion of finding a wine store with folks who really know their stuff. For example, there are a number of very nice and inexpensive whites from Italy or California -- Pinot Grigios or Semillons. The 2001 Rieslings from Germany are among the best ever so those would also be a find. Enjoy!
Inexpensive wine pairings?
I am throwing a housewarming party for 20 around mid January. I am planning to have multiple pasta dishes like Lasagne and Alfredos and was wondering if anyone could suggest the best wines to try and pair up that have good flavor but are also reasonably priced. It seems that everyone wants to contribute a bottle but I would like to keep it to a single red and single white so that we aren't all switching. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks