Or restaurants.
Dining costs and/or build out costs? Dining surcharges, hotel rooms, flights?
All of the above. Airfares this fall are shocking. Hotels, too.
If this conversation didn’t bring @Nathan_Smyth to the board, I would just have to assume he had passed away. Glad you’re okay Nathan!
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Note - I am not a boomer.
Well, that’s one thing we’re not responsible for
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I can find a way to blame you. 
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Is there a term for the phenomenon that if we examine 2 workers, one who makes 30k per year and the other 500k. They both get 10% raises this year, so one has an extra 3k per year to spend and the other 50k.
That’s the wealth gap some have mentioned but when the 30k worker needs a new roof their raise isn’t going to cover the inflation we have seen on basically one expense. It could be anything similar that is sinking this segment of the population. There is a lot of room between but I think luxury items are hurting because the true middle class (not the 30k example) which used to splurge on these items may be holding back to brace for the huge price increases on more essential looming expenditures.
I’ve been saving (from “luxury” ie wine expenditures) to build a river retaining wall of some sort, let me tell you prices aren’t up merely anywhere near quoted inflation rates in a couple years. More like 40%. I should have taken out a cheap loan and did it a few years ago for certain.
Besides Berserker day I think I’ve bought 6 bottles of wine this year.
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Hmm. Maybe because the official inflation numbers don’t tell the whole story?
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Workers that make $15 an hour own houses?
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I think that’s evident. We have a bunch of smart people here whi can’t agree on anything lol
I did say there is a lot of in between, but yes I know and work with some. It called flyover country.
Edit to say, spouses may have worked part time as well. That said perfectly nice salt box houses behind my old place of employment a few years ago were about 75k.
Well, the 500K worker likely has an accountant, so actually does make 50K more. The 30K worker likely pays taxes, so that raise is more like 2 grand.
I’ve seen it on TV: the 500K and up smart people can evade taxes, re-deduct the same deductions, push through loses from year to year when regular people can’t…we regard that as ‘smart.’ It’s these people’s jobs to pop and pour down on the rest and it’s their burden to save the fine wine industry.
The trickle in trickle down is just not trickling down wine, I guess.
As of February 2024, there are almost 24.5 million millionaires in the United States, which is 9% of the country’s population. We just need to get those people to drink their fair share.
According to Terrain Ag, wine sales across the price spectrum in the US are declining, with the upper end ($30+) contracting the fastest. The middle tier is holding up better than the low end, but both red and white varietals are declining. White wines, led by Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, are outperforming across all price segments. High-end sparkling wine sales have softened, and rosé sales continue to plummet appropriately.
Rich buyers should bear the brunt of the blame for falling sales of expensive wines.
Vast sarcasm, some cynicism. Mostly goofing off.
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Thanks.
That put a smile on my face.
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How many U.S. wineries were there 30 years ago compared to now?
Are there too many?
I know that’s a very uncomfortable question, but if people are not buying wine then…
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Agree but that’s a different (and even broader) discussion!
Here’s my question: When are we gonna get swallowable Chardonnay [Chablis, Corton, Puligny, Meursault, Chassagne] for less than about $250?
Every single email flyer I get these days has crap like Coche Dury Aligote at $1500 per 750ml.
I simply cannot fathom the kinds of prices they’re charging now for the good stuff.
Last year, I did see some Louis Michel Vaudesir, for $75, but I haven’t seen anything like that this year.
Our entire economy is like a very bad nightmare from which you can’t awake yourself.
[FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT. In particular, I am not thinking about Joe Biden nor am I thinking about Donald Trump as I type this. At this point, Biden & Trump are effectively Abbott & Costello, vis-a-vis who the hell ever it is that actually controls the economy].
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So it begins, so it ends.
Blame it on that damn @ button.
“Here’s my question: When are we gonna get swallowable Chardonnay [Chablis, Corton, Puligny, Meursault, Chassagne] for less than about $250?”
Well, never.
Wealth is expanding away from normal people faster than the speed of economic growth.
Look up that guy in the F Scott Fitzgerald book and make friends if you wanna drink upper swallowable chardonnay.
It’s wrong that you were even allowed to experience it in the first place. 
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