Maine madness

Maine, the state in which ex-president/ex-drinker George W Bush's family has a summer home, has a new embarrassment – a law that goes into effect this Saturday prohibiting wine shops and grocery stores from serving tastes of wine if children can view the proceedings.

To shield kids from observations that could – horrors! – lead them to alcoholism, Maine has told wine merchants they cannot pour samples for customers, nor themselves, if there is any way a minor could see the tasting. The law says, 'Taste-testing activities must be conducted in a manner that precludes the possibility of observation by...