Let me consult "Andrea Immer's 2004 Wine Buying Book for Everyone" - my wine bible!
Ok, Zinf, zinf.... she says value zinfandels are great for drinking, which is a nice bonus. Trust me, I've had really nasty red wines. Note that none of these say anything about alcohol content and I'm clueless there, you'll have to check it out at the wine store.
"Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal" is supposedly cheap-ish and lasts well. You'll want the Coastal, not the Napa Valley, bottle.
"Cline", cheap and keeps well.
"Fetzer Valley Oaks", "Sutter Home", and "Woodbridge". I don't drink zinfandel much, so you're on your own as to how they taste and such.
I don't care what it tastes like at all...I'm thinking of dosing myself with it. According to the research, the zins with the 16% have the most of what's good for you. I plan on taking it right before bed, downing it like Nyquil.
And of course, if I could get one cheap, that'd be good.
I recognize Sutter Home...
You just reminded me I had a bottle of BV Pinot Noir in the fridge. I'm on a search for a good Pinot, and that's one of the better ones I've had. Some are just NASTY! I don't care for something too sweet, but I don't want anything too dry either. It's tough finding a nice red wine that meets those requirements as a nice sipping wine rather than something with meals.