Got a date saturday night, we're going to make pizza from scratch and probably a berry crostada for dessert. HEB recommended these two wines for both the pizza and dessert. What's a good year and brand for these? Or would you suggest a different type of wine?

Italian wines are made for pizza... after all pizza came from Italy. However, our pizzas are very different than pizzas in Italy, so the most widely available wine (Chianti) is often too acidic to match your traditional American tomato sauce.

The key is to find a good wine that can cut through the grease of the pizza by having a bit of acidity, but still have enough fruit and spice left over to give your mouth something interesting and to go with the richness of the tomato sauce.

Zinfandel is good, but some fruitier light Italian wines (Southern or other Sangiovese besides Chianti) are a better idea to me and might do well with your berry crostada.

Dancing Bull Zinfandel is widely available. I've dranken too much in my lifetime of that wine so I can't do it any more, but it is very pleasant and a good pizza wine.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one I can usually find at Sam's Club, so maybe it is available at HEB. This is one tasty Italian wine, and is going to be a little more satisfying and elegant thank Dancing Bull.

Others I like:
A Mano Primitivo Puglia (Primitivo is the Italian Zinfandel)
Yalumba Shiraz
Fat Croc Shiraz
Blackstone Zinfandel
Any Aglianico if you can find it

Good luck!

Yellowtail Shiraz is to die for!

I have no idea what HEB is but try a Dancing Bull or Ravenswood zin. Skip the shiraz with the pizza.