French Sour on Wine Warnings

France's new wine label warning pregnant women of alcohol's dangers has vintners coming uncorked, the Washington Post reports. The spreading European penchant for aggressive advisories has led to pictorial warnings that are seen as sacrilege from Champagne to Burgundy. Part of the problem is that, until recently, French doctors didn’t advise against the occasional glass.

France's expanding national waistline has propelled the country onto the government health warning bandwagon; junk food labels now warn consumers to eat better and exercise. But one wine merchant wasn’t buying the argument that the label is a deterrent: “If you want to drink anyway, this picture is not going to stop you,” she said. (More wine stories.)