Winemaker ties price to stock market

SAN FRANCISCO — Bailout 2007 is a wine that's fermenting in oak barrels at Crushpad, a custom winemaking operation in San Francisco. But you can pre-order the Bailout 2007 now and receive a stimulus check of sorts if the stock market sours.

Here's how the buying plan works: You pay $39 per bottle of Bailout 2007, and the closing value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average is pegged on that day of purchase. When the wine is bottled on Aug. 14, 2009, the Dow's closing value will be noted.

The difference between the Dow from the date of purchase to bottling will be tallied, and customers will receive $2 for every 100-point drop in the Dow.

Think of it this way: If the Dow was at 8,800 on the day you bought Bailout 2007, but dropped to 7,300 by the end of Aug. 14, Crushpad will cut you a "stimulus check" for $30.

If the Dow increases during this time, customers won't be charged more than $39 per bottle.