School is back in full swing, work is heating up and the weather is cooling down. There are some evenings when trying to navigate through rush hour traffic to make it home in time to prepare a home-cooked meal just isn’t in the cards. That’s when we run up the white flag and surrender to the siren call of carryout pizza and a good bottle of wine.

Each year, we look back on some of the wines that we have enjoyed over a slice or two of pepperoni, white pizza or various other combinations of toppings and take notes on our favorites — wines that is. And while we do not always agree on the type of wine we like to kick back and relax with, we do agree on two simple rules for “pizza wines.” The wine should be versatile — able to mix and mingle with a variety of toppings — and it has to cost less than $20. So, in an attempt to help reduce the stress of having to make one more decision at the end of a busy day, we offer our annual picks for the perfect wine to go with pizza. Retail prices are approximate.