The August 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine has a sidebar "Best Wines for Grilling." Don't get me wrong I enjoy that magazine. I leaf through it every month. I'm an amateur foodie and I love new ideas. That said, when the cheapest recommended selection on a rack of pinots to accompany your freshly flame-caressed pork chop is close to $30, something's amiss.

I love good wine. And I'm willing to splurge from time to time but my basement doesn't look like the wine cellar at a five-star restaurant. I generally want something I can enjoy but also actually afford on an average salary. Truth be told, that's not difficult but guidance helps. A friend of mine whom I'll shamelessly plagiarize, once said, "The trick isn't finding a good $50 bottle. The trick is finding a good $10 bottle."

I agree wholeheartedly. Thus, The Naked Vine is born.

If you're someone who doesn't want to worry about "notes of cigar box and elderberry" when it's 90 degrees and you're trying to keep your grilled corn from burning, or if you aren't in search of a wine with the complexity of a Martin Scorsese film as you're kicking back at the end of another crushing day at the office, my hope is that you'll find something useful here.

According to the California-based Wine Institute, of the 165.1 million cases of wine sold in the United States in 2005, only 11.5% of that total was in what was considered the "ultra premium" category - upwards of $14 a bottle. However, those wines dominate most of the wine reviews you'll read. Perusing the major epicurean magazines (Gourmet, Food &Wine, Wine Spectator, etc.) a reader is hard pressed to find more than two or three bottles discussed under that price.

My goal is to offer you a couple of suggestions for everyday consumption each week or so. Everything I select for us will be under $15. I'll be looking for wines that are easy to drink, easy to get to know, and generally easy to find. I won't be writing exhaustive tasting notes. My aim isn't to pick up Paul Giamatti's now-legendary "flutter of edam cheese." I just want to give you a broad idea of what to expect so take my analysis with a grain of salt (or a cracker).

This, logically, brings us back around to those first paragraph chops. To start, here are a few pretty flexible wines that hold their own with just about anything you want to put on the grill. Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are the most common varietals to drink with grilled meats. (note: "varietal" is WineSpeak for

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