It appears that your paper contained a typographical error in your Jan. 4 issue. The column "Wine" by John McDonald should have been spelled "Whine."

It seems that Mr. McDonald has not gotten over the fact that President Obama was elected by a wide margin because the majority of Americans support him. It was recently reported that the GOP-lead House of Representatives is less popular than root canals. Regardless, what do Mr. McDonald's political views have to do with wine?

For years I have enjoyed the Austrian varietal Gruener Veltliner, and was expecting to see mention of this wine from the most planted grape in Austria. One might expect this in a column titled "Explore Austrian wines at Maryland tasting event Jan 20." But no. "Gru-Vee" is not an expensive wine - I have never seen a bottle priced over $15. Most wines mentioned in this particular column were priced around $50. Really?

Back to politics, I daresay that most regular people were not dining out on a "lovely roast leg of lamb" along with a $50 bottle of wine as a solution to tax hikes and the effects of the "fiscal cliff," as Mr. McDonald suggested. Or perhaps I am not watching the same media as he is "...the mainstream media has failed to inform us appropriately." Really now.

I wonder what crackpot stations or print media he could recommend to replace NBC, CBS, ABC, WBOC, this paper, and many more, all apparently in conspiracy to heap blame on the Republican Party-controlled House of Representatives. Oh never mind, let's just crack open another $50 bottle of wine! This column was supposed to be about wine, right?

The worst was saved for last in this Whine column. I cannot think of the words to describe the kind of person who would allude to the New Town murders and the discussions concerning assault weapons by ending their column "I heard there was a move afoot to ban lighters and matches. Who needs a 20-match book or box? Let's disarm those demented arsonists. Write your congressmen and senators today about this issue, before they fall off that cliff." Really?

This, in the very same issue with the article "Newtown hits home for Angola grandmother" about innocent shooting victim Josephine Grace Gay, age 7 and her family. Not funny, Mr. McDonald, not even a little. Go to the Rehoboth Boardwalk, stand before the memorials, say those words from your column outloud, and see who laughs with you. You and the editorial board who permitted this insensitive drivel to be printed should be ashamed.

Marion Gentul
Rehoboth Beach