When choosing wine for a dinner or buffet such as the one Jay Griffith hosted, a good rule of thumb is to plan on one bottle of wine per person. If you want to experiment a bit, serve three different wines, each of which will complement all the food—possibly a red, a white and a rosé. Set out open bottles of all three, and let guests pour for themselves, choosing what they want to drink and when. Consider these Mediterranean wines, for instance, with the Mediterranean-inspired dishes here.
Whites
Look to the south of France with the honeysuckle-scented 2002 Jean-Luc Colombo Les Pins Couchés Blanc from the tiny Côte Bleue region near Marseilles, or the peachy 2003 Domaine Miquel Viognier, from the Languedoc.
Rosés
Provence is known for dry rosés, and Domaines Ott is one of the most famous producers; its 2003 Les Domaniers Rosé is delicate and summery. From the nearby Côtes de Ventoux, the fresh 2004 Château Pesquié Les Terrasses Rosé is floral and creamy.
Reds
The islands off Italy's southern tip produce terrific wines, full of ripe fruit and soft tannins. The dark, potent 2002 Santadi Rocca Rubia is made from Carignano grown on Sardinia's windswept southern coast and aged a little in oak. From Sicily, the refined 2002 Cos Cerasuolo Vittoria Classico, a blend of native varieties Frappato di Vittoria and Nero d'Avola, is full of dried-cherry flavors.
—Ray Isle
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