Hewing my purchases to conform to a budget

My wife tallied up our 2010 expenses broken down meticulously as usual. And my wine expenditure was simply excessive. In that I spent more than we would consume in a year times the average price per bottle I expect (about $14).

So I've put myself on a wine budget of roughly $2500. Our cellar is too big, so we should drink into it. We are already members of 3 wineries which is roughly $800 annually, so that's roughly $1700 a year. Or $140 a month. For someone who buys a case somewhat freely that's a brutal level.

But it is working.

I was at the (very) local BevMo today and they have another of their 5 cent sales (the second bottle of select wines is $0.05, after they mark up the first bottle). I manage to escape with just 1 pair, the Bertrand 2007 Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel Grand Terroir (WS 91) at $20.

It turns out I've spend more than my Jan allotment, which was before I instituted the budget, on the following

• Schild 2007 Shiraz Barossa (WS 92, $15.50 CC)
• Schild 2008 Shiraz Barossa (WS 94, $20 ArtisanWineDepot)
• Montes 2008 Shiraz Alpha (WS 90, $16)

What I want to buy (and just did at 6+ bottles) is the Ch de Macard 2009 Bordeaux Superior (WS 90, $11 WC). This is ready to drink now, and will make a lovely gift wine.

But the bottom line is I'm having to think about every bottle I purchase. Which is a really good thing.