As the financial crisis worsens, I have to say I’m glad I’m a wine drinker. Regardless of how painful the downward stabs of the Dow charts feel, I can always get pleasure from a glass of wine. And no matter how complicated the subprime meltdown may seem, the job of sharing a bottle of bubbly with friends is so simple.

Plus, when it comes to my (modest) wine collection, I literally have no liquidity issues. It’s true, actually. I’ve been watching the real-time, price-at-auction value of my collection, and although I’ve been drinking good wine and not necessarily replacing it at the same rate, over the past two weeks I actually made money in my cellar.

See, wine really is recession-proof. To test the dictum, I treated myself the other day on a nice red wine from Napa at a restaurant. I needed a little fuel injection, but I didn’t want to spend fast and furious, so I went for a producer that’s become a repeat favorite – and who also happens to be a former race car driver. Click here for my recommendation on today’s best splurge wine to order during a recession:

It was an “Alec’s Blend” 2005 from Lewis Cellars, as in Randy Lewis, the Formula Three and Indy 500 competitor. Mr. Lewis retired from racing cars, bought a winery in Napa, and is turning out some high-octane — and irresistibly delicious — wines at prices that are admittedly high, but not at the G-force levels they could be.

We spent $100 for two hours hedonistic enjoyment out of this syrah-cabernet blend (the 2005 Alec’s Blend was released at $60 retail). It’s a big wine, with lots of new oak treatment and fruity bells and whistles. But we glad to sit back and be taken for a ride — well, more like a cruise, especially in comparison to the rocketing of the Dow.