Poll:Will fear of recession change how you buy wine?

Not to sound like a marketing student, or to make judgments on the actual state of the American economy, but I'm curious about how all of us will handle our disposable income this year in regards to wine.

I don't have enough disposable income to do other than what I already do now: seek out inexpensive, good-QPR wines.

I asked a wine rep what happens to the industry if the economy goes south. His mostly understood but slightly surprising answer was: wine sales down, beer sales up, hard liquor sales up. I understand the first two, but the third surprised me.

I don't think "fear" of recession will be as important as my actual job prospects.

And, as someone preparing to receive his Ph.D. and become gainfully employed, there is every reason to believe my purchasing should increase.

Unfortunately I didn't time it as well as some of you who are now getting out when the prices are high.

Oh well..

In my case as a retired person, there are four factors already reducing my purchasing power and wine budget with possibly more to come.

- decline in the stock market compressing my savings
- the beginnings of a decline in house prices affecting my "feel-good" factor
- decline in £ sterling affecting part of my pension
- the upsurge in inflation.

[David M. Bueker]

The economy will have a negligible effect on my purchasing. The lack of space in the cellar is the driving concern.

- decline in £ sterling...

I haven't seen that?

[David M. Bueker]

- decline in £ sterling...

I haven't seen that?

The Euro is kicking everyone's butt.

- decline in £ sterling...

I haven't seen that?

The Euro is kicking everyone's butt.

One Euro = GBP 0.69 a few months ago, now worse than 0.76.

Don't blame the Euro or Trichet. Blame New York and London financiers who believed in fairy tales.

Over-spending and the accompanying overextension
-and the strong probability I will need to replace theCV-joint on my car ($1,000) mean my wine purchases need to be scaled back.

Actually I am both buying less and buying less expensive and it is due to economic uncertainty. A few of the potential scenarios of how this could play out, one may call alarmist but after having looked at how the current US situation resembles some other historical economic situations, I am choosing to build a cash reserve instead of my wine cellar.

A recession has no effect on my cash flow. As far as my wine buying, my cellar is pretty full for near, intermediate and long term drinking. So I am cutting back on purchases because I have adequately stocked my cellar.

My emphasis on new purchases now will be Italian table wines for immediate consumption - whites and Chiantis.

Over population chasing wines from finite regions and the crashing dollar due to war funding have crippled my Bordeaux hobby. I now mostly buy cheap Cru Bourgeois with a sprinkle of classed growths from years other than 2005. A worldwide recession would be great if it slowed some of the demand. But it wouldn't. Too many billionaires and multimillionaires. Hana Montana is buying futures.

It isn't fear of recession that is changing my buying habits, it's the high price of wine.