While no one would tolerate consuming alcohol and driving motor vehicles, we are at least metaphorically being driven to drink by all this inflation talk (Get ready to whine over cost of wine, 7/7). Having only just finished setting up the backyard cabbage patch, it seems we must now master our own alcohol fermenters to inflation-proof our basic survival. With a few hours on YouTube, many of us should get our minds around carboys, demijohns, sterilisation, fermentation and the realisation that wine can come from any fruit and a bottle can cost $2 when homemade. The promises of many You Tubers might be all talk, but focusing on new hobbies might be a good distraction for those bogged down by our common challenges. Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 8July2022