Sunday, November 21, 2010

Only for America

We were lucky enough to score a free sample bottle of wine recently. But it had a secret. I noticed the harrasing, dictatorial note at the bottom of this wine label, thus realising it could only have been intended for the US market, even before I also noticed the 'Surgeon General' (someone we don't have here) and spelling which proved it.


Informed choice? Or simplistic haranguing? It's easy to get into a pointless argument over such absolutist statements. Let's just hope the Surgeon General doesn't discover the human body produces an amount of its own alcohol* and that 'moderation' isn't a difficult concept.

It was very nice wine, by the way, and being adults able to use our judgement, it was a pleasure without anyone being harmed. Amazing. That's why the importer's name's been obscured.

James

*See an interesting article here on The Straight Dope discussing it and another asinine 'advice' poster.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every bottle of alcohol has that warning label on it over here. In our state places that serve alcohol even go so far as to post the warning signs in the ladies washroom too... because you couldn't possibly be in charge of your own body without help from the state.
http://liq.wa.gov/education/education_signage.aspx

Taccola said...

Thanks for that scary link, Sahlah! Personally I don't mind advice from the state (or society - it's part of the social contract, after all) but when it's manifestly partial...