Well, I live in the California wine country so we have easy access to good wine in all price ranges. I know that buying wine in other states can be more expensive. I would suggest looking at Costco if you have one in your area. Our Costco always has a good selection of wine. I don't know what your friends tastes are, but Chardonnay is always a good white choice and Zinfandel or Sirah for red. These will make most people happy unless you have guests that prefer sweeter wines. I'm not sure what specific labels to recommend because I don't know what would be available in your area and how things would be priced.