Schramsberg is a good choice & value for bubbles. We have the Mirabelle pretty regularly and always enjoy it.
For chards, I think that the QPR of the 08 Beringer Private Reserve can’t be beat.
For reds, I agree with some of the opinions above, if the guest of honor wants Cab, give him Cab. I’ve also seen plenty of function with fairly knowledgeable wine folks who, after the token glass of white/bubbles would move on to Cali Cab almost regardless of the food, and be thoroughly happy with their choice. It seems that with the quality of the 07 Napa Cabs, there should be plenty of choices, and you might think about actually having 2 Cabs to foster a comparative discussion.
My 0.02 Euros
Bruce,
I like the idea of serving a Cabernet… Franc, that is, from Chinon. Just tell people it is French cabernet and be a little coy. They’ll like it.
A NV Brut is also a great idea.
For domestic, I’d serve up a good and popular pinot noir - maybe A Loring, which will go over well.
I’d also pour a domestic chardonnay, for those people who like the sound of the grape’s name. Try a Mt Eden or ABC.
So I went with my friend to the wine store on Friday, and party was last night. Overall, I think the varied wines worked very well:
–NV Schramsberg Blanc de Noir. We bought more of this than anything else, and of course it was enjoyed throughout the evening, including with desserts. It turned out the bartender knows and loves this one, so it got poured a lot. While this may not be a “great” Champagne/sparkling wine, it’s really very good, balanced, and consistent from bottle to bottle and release to release.
–2009 H. Reverdy Sancerre. I suggested to my friend that we should go with a more interesting, food-friendly wine than your typical young, oaky Chard., and he agreed to give this a try. Unbeknownst to me, the fellow who hosted the party at his house also knows and loves this wine, so lots of people got to try it.
–2009 Vissoux Fleurie Poncie. I knew this would be a hit with people who wanted a red wine but not a BIG red wine; it’s very slurpable and worked well with food. Another big hit.
–2008 El Nido Clio. We tried a Pinot Noir and this at the store, and my friend really want to serve it at the party. It’s a very big, young, somewhat oaky, and alcoholic (15.5% IIRC) wine. While it didn’t really “play nice” with the food, many people just drank it (and enjoyed it) on its own. Since the bar was in a separate area from the food, people would eat some food and then come over to the bar and just hang out, chat, and drink. In that context, it was successful.
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions,
Bruce