Recent government decisions in France severely restricting wine advertising and wine writing are being met, quite understandably, with protests from the French wine industry and French wine aficionados:
* A French court ruled that newspaper and magazine articles on wine must contain health warnings, in much the same way the United States requires tobacco advertising to include warnings. But remember we’re not talking about advertising, but journalism.
* That same court ruled that wine and beer cannot be advertised on the Internet.
* Proposed new laws will put wine on the same level as pornography by limiting access to wine- and alcohol-related sites only to certain hours, with the rationale of protecting minors.
This isn't a big deal. I mean, it's not like wine is a central part of the French cultural identity or a source of national pride going back centuries or anything. (Also, not.)
I guess it's worth noting that the United States does not have a monopoly on self-defeating puritanism. But we here at Cocktailians do not wish to run afoul of any laws (unless doing so is really, really convenient), so in the interests of full compliance, the following paragraph is inserted for anyone who may be reading this entry while within the French borders:
Note: Consumption of red wine is not recommended for anyone interested in the following side effects: decreased chance of heart disease, kidney stones, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, many cancers (including lung cancer and leukemia) or hypertension, an increased possibility of successfully being able to quit smoking, a better sleep cycle, and a longer, more robust, more classy life.
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