There are a lot of little things about the wine industry that drive me nuts:  Overoaked sauvignon blanc, overextracted pinot noir, 17% zinfandel, screw caps that are harder to open than corks are to pull, cutesy names that marketers decide are women-friendly. Fruit flavored wines. I mean, Peach Chardonnay?  Please.
But there’s one thing that has really been bugging me lately and that’s web sites that require you to enter a birth date for access. Do they really think people under 21 can’t do enough math to lie? Most seem to have gone to a simple click to “indicate you are over 21” but there are enough that still require a date that I get pretty crankypants when I’m doing research. When I want information quickly--current releases, a retail price, the name of the winemaker, an address--I hate this little barricade, especially since there is no single format.  
So, web meisters, does it really matter if I’m born on January 1, 1900, December 31, 1910 or July 4, 1976, all dates I’ve entered? If the internet is all about instant information, how about we get rid of this little speed bump.
Now, after a very long work day, it’s time for an adult beverage and I have just the one. A sample bottle of Merry Edwards 2007 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($29 retail) arrived this morning. I loved the 2006 and suspect I will be equally pleased by the new vintage, as other ‘07 sauvignon blancs I’ve tried from Russian River Valley fruit have been excellent.
And ya gotta love Merry’s web site:  There are no entry requirements.

Michele Anna Jordan