wine selection for a wedding

[Mrs.Lucas]

I have been asked to select a red and white wine for a wedding. The budget is 9 canadian dollars or under for a bottle. (that translates to about 6 to 7 USD). The menu is two types of pasta one with a cream sauce and one with a tomato sauce. A chicken dish in a cream sauce, steak in a peppercorn sauce, roasted potatoes and jullianed vegetables. There is chocolate cake for dessert.
Now I know what I like but I do not know what a commen group woutl enjoy. Also, this is not a discerning crowd, therefore a drier or more oakey wine may not be enjoyed. The wedding is in two weeks and therefore is a summer wedding.
Does anyone have some suggestions?
Thank-you

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board. There are many possibilities, but have no idea what you might be able to find in your market area. A couple of candidates might be:
- 2001 Vino de Eyzaguire Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, $11.49 per bundled pair at Sam's Wholesale Club. Look for burlap-wrapped bottles in a 2-bottle cellophane package.
- Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet, a nicely crisp white wine from the Languedoc region of France, should be somewhere between $7-$9. The last I bought was the '01, but the '02 should be available.

As a default white wine, look for the Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc; should be around $8-$9.

[Innkeeper]

Hotwine's suggestions are fine. There has been extensive research done on appropriate wines for large gatherings. The results are that the best choices are a Chardonnay for a white, and Shiraz from the red. Recommend Cave de Lugny, Macon Lugny, Chardonnay, "Les Charmes", at your price point; and Wyndham Estate, Shiraz, Bin 555, also at your price point. Both of these are widely available, and there should be more savings by the case.

[newsguy]

i agree with all of the above, and offer two widely available wines that are in your price range (both typically are $5.99-6.99 per bottle, and you should be able to get case discounts):

red: Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz

white: Jacob's Creek Chardonnay

for my palate, these are the best available shiraz and chardonnay at that price, and both are excellent food wines.

good luck with the wedding!