How do you PAY for your wine? ... What's your trade?

WINE TALK
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In my previous life, I was D.B. Cooper.

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the 1% of the 1% then… :wink:

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I rely upon the kindness of strangers.

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I live in a van. Down by the river.

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Interesting that everyone is so reluctant to just come out and say it and is replying humorously (which are downright hilarious, BTW), I wonder if perhaps there may be some puritanical guilt and/or modesty about having done so well for ourselves going on here, which feeds into something I posted on the “excessibe balla” thread.

I’m okay with giving a straight answer. I am currently a business analyst for a real estate insurance company in downtown TO. Having started work in 1995 at $35K a year on my first job, after 20 years of trying I finally broke past the halfway mark into the high 2 figure gross last year during my 5th year with my current company. It was during my employment with my current company that I finally took the plunge and became a wine drinker after a lifetime of abstinence.

I have no significant other or children, so am a SINK (single income, no kids). Because of this, despite having only started drinking wine on a regular basis 4 years ago when I first joined this board, I was able to put together a decent collection of about 400 or so sweet wines and spirits which I consider modest in comparison to that of some posters here.

The wine budget would be higher but for the fact that I take a ton of martial arts and am paying off debt. If I didn’t do so many martial arts (4 different ones) and lessened more of my debt, I would easily be able to spend double what I currently do on wine or more and increase the money limit per bottle I am willing to spend.

Currently, that upper limit is $100 per bottle of wine max (and it has to be special for me to even consider that) and an even $150 per spirit max (which again must be special for me to even consider going that high). Very few bottles in my collection have actually reached those limits and the ones that have truly are special. ex. 20 year old Greek Vinsanto, 21 year old Scotch whisky, etc. (Interestingly enough, my precious BTAC George T. Stagg and Eagle Rare 17 were well below my limits at $99 CDN dollars each when they were acquired. Respect to Buffalo Trace for keeping them affordable despite their ever-increasing rarity.) Realistically, though, I spend on average $30 per wine and less than $100 per spirit.

By no means do I consider myself an excessibe balla, but I do believe I have developed very good taste in wine in a very short time and more importantly I buy selectively and well for my current economic status. For every $100 bottle of Port from the 80s or 30 year old Sherry in my collection, there’s a sub $15 CDN fruit wine or Spatlese in there as well.

I am very disciplined and will not break my own self-imposed spending limits until I surpass the next salary level I desire. So no Chateau d’Yquem halfsies or 25 year old whiskies for me. Fortunately, I have followed board member Mike Grammer’s advice well and cultivated friends who actually can afford these. [cheers.gif]

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Dental Floss Tycoon. champagne.gif

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I’m a Walmart greeter.

But, to pay for wine I aimlessly roam the pothole ridden streets of Tacoma in search of hubcaps to fund my wine hoarding habit.

48

Raccoon groomer.

49

Do you get hazard pay? That’s extra money pays the bills I’m sure.

50

I write novels.

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Dairy cow udder hair remover

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Yes, and I get three weeks of paid rabies leave.

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I like the way this thread is waxing.

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You must be moving to Montana soon :slight_smile:

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That’s HOT!

Pictures? [wow.gif]

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I have not figured it out myself.

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And he has long curly blonde hair.

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I milk cows blush

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Freelance Bio-Exorcist ghost. I attended Juilliard… I’m a graduate of the Harvard business school. I travel quite extensively. I lived through the Black Plague and had a pretty good time during that. I’ve seen the EXORCIST ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT… NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU’RE TALKING TO A DEAD GUY… NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK? You think I’m qualified?

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I sold my soul to Satan. He made me a Wall Street lawyer. Worked for Goldman Sachs. Got paid in hos, coke and really expensive wine. Kept the wine, pimped the hos and dealt the coke, and bought even more expensive wine…