Wine can be so personal, based on taste.
For a long time, I always brought a very nice bottle of Bordeaux. Most would like that.
Then it was Merlot. For a long time Merlot was preferred.
Now I'm finding more and more enjoying Pinot Noir (Burgundy).
Last visit, I brought a bottle of Marlot/Cab varietal, and a bottle of Pinot. The Pinot was opened first and enjoyed.

You are always pretty safe with a merlot or a merlot/cab varietal mix. There are many fine vintners that make a reasonable bottle for under $20. Some have already been mentioned. Robert Mondavi, Turning leaf (think this may be a Gallo Upscale brand), and many many others too long to list.

I usually do not bring bubbly. Although I agree that as Americans, we tend to look at sparkling wine as purely celebratory, I've not always received warm thanks for delivering a bottle of bubbly. It happens to be my favorite, and I am more "French-Minded" than American having lived there for a while. I see sparkling wine as an everyday drink rather then celebratory. Many of my dinner hosts did not.