Everyday: Inexpensive wines from Chile can be an uneven lot, but killer bargains can be found among the whites. The 2015 Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Sauvignon Blanc ($9) is just such a wine, punching way above its weight class with juicy, tasty fruit and a zingy finish. The nose hints at New Zealand, but the flavors lean more toward the Americas, ripe and bold and sassy. The acidity races in just in time, and the mouthfeel is kinda sorta sexy. Shellfish, either intact or chopped into a ceviche, is a swell pairing, but there’s enough oomph here for most chicken dishes. And a lady recently in the headlines for philanthropic work in the wake of Smoky Mountain wildfires, Miss Dolly Parton, provides swell accompaniment for this crystal-clear wine.

Occasion: For this of us who love big ol’ tannins, sagrantino is a stone-cold delight. And now, far from its Umbria nexus, comes a sublime Cal-Ital rendition, the 2012 Mosby Santa Barbara County Sagrantino ($38). This hearty-as-hell red starts soft and then goes dark, as in dark red fruit and fabulous late grip. (The tannins actually are relatively tame compared to most renditions from Montefalco.) It’s the ideal winter wine, made for stews, braises, robust soups and the like. The seriously sturdy “surf guitar” tunes of Dick Dale are made for this wine, both because of their tone but also the wine’s origins near America’s best beaches.

Everyday: Looking for a white for all seasons at a reasonable price? The 2014 Maculan Pino & Toi Veneto Bianco ($12) is all that and more, a righteous bargain packed with flavor. The name actually refers to the grapes: 25 percent pinot bianco, 15 percent pinot grigio, and 60 percent tocai friulano. The green-fruit notes sail across the palate thanks to uncommon crispness, with a great jolt of soft acidity on the midpalate and a clean, lean finish. Oh, I almost forgot the gorgeous floral and fruit aromas. This is a swell brunch wine, playing beautifully with eggs Benedict and omelettes, and a great match for pasta with seafood. The pristine vocals of Mike Scott and the Waterboys provide a perfect soundtrack

Occasion: The winery is beloved for its super-swell zinfandels, but every friggin’ vintage of the A. Rafanelli Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($68, less if you get on the mailing list) I have ever tasted has been sublime. Maybe because it’s the kind of offering that reminds me of why I fell in love with wine in the first place; regardless, the perfect fruit/dried-herb/tannin amalgam is always present. Plus plenty of stuffing and focus and structure. There’s usually some black pepper, a bit o’ earth, more red than dark fruit, and a rustic, robust mouthfeel and finish. Autumnal stews and soups or rosemary-laden lamb chops are ideal accompaniments, along with the welcoming down-home genius of Mr. Willie Nelson.