January is always Zinfandel month in these parts. For the past couple of decades, ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, www.zinfandel.org) has run the single largest and most widely attended public tasting in the San Francisco area. Spread over a period of three days, this year’s celebration of Zinfandel begins with Thursday night’s Good Eats and Zinfandel extravaganza, continues on Friday with a sit-down dinner at which Zinfanatics get to rub elbows with the winemakers and winery owners and concludes on Saturday with a tasting of new Zins from some 300 wineries.

Zinfandel has become a bit lighter in style in the recent vintages, and that has led to an increasing number of focused, balanced wines from coastal vineyards. Demand for these wines is likely to increase along with the entire market, but coastal plantings are not increasing. Prices for leading Zins could soon start rising so there is no time like the present to stock up.

Regardless of your preference in Chardonnay, there is a seemingly a wine for everyone—or should we say almost everyone—because good Chardonnay may be many things, but it is not a light, clean and simple quaff. Its popularity derives from its depth and richness, and even those versions that shy away from the bold, ripe end of the spectrum, succeed only when they have character.

It’s winter, and that is when red wine is at its most desirable as an accompaniment to the sundry soul-warming foods of the season. In this version of Best Buys, we deliver the value-laden choices in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah including a Baker’s Dozen priced at $20 and less.