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Corrections
to Federal Wine Labeling Regulations
By
Jennifer Berry (716)434-8039
On
October 3, 2002, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) published a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice No. 953) in the Federal Register. ATF proposed
to correct several errors in the wine labeling regulations. The
most significant correction concerns when a fruit and agricultural wine may be
treated with sugar and water without ATF considering such treatment an alteration
of the wine's class and type. Currently, 27 CFR § 4.22(b)(5) limits such
amelioration to wines that have a natural acid content of at least 7.5 parts per
thousand. This figure is incorrect. The correct minimum acid level should be 7.69
grams per liter or parts per thousand. ATF propose to amend the regulations to
reflect the correct acid level. ATF
also proposes to correct typographical errors and to remove three obsolete sections
from Part 4, Labeling and Advertising of Wine. Newer sections have superseded
§§ 4.25, 4.35, and 4.72. ATF
requests comments on Notice No. 953. The comment period ends December 2, 2002.
See http://www.atf.gov/alcohol/rules/
notice_953.pdf
for the full text of this proposal and instructions on how to comment.
The
Spirit of Mount Vernon
By
Dan Hiland (202)927-8176 Recently,
George Washington's home place at Mount Vernon was the site for a celebration
of Washington as one of our country's early, successful whiskey makers. The event
called "The Spirit of Mount Vernon" and held on October 8, 2002, featured
onsite bottling of whiskeys that have been aged at Mount Vernon, lectures by a
historian and an archeologist, and tours of the archeological site of Washington's
distillery. Later in the evening, a well- |
attended dinner was
held, along with a charity auction of the whiskey bottled at Mt. Vernon. The
event was sponsored by the Historic Mount Vernon, the Distilled Spirits Council,
the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, and the Congressional Host Committee.
For the past few months, representatives from the Regulations Division, National
Revenue Center, and Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division worked with the
sponsors of the event to iron out technical details related to the bottling and
auctioning of spirits. ATF
was pleased to see that the event turned out to be a complete success for the
sponsors.
The
Geographic Significance of Viticultural Area Names
By
Nancy Sutton (415)271-1254 and Marjorie Ruhf (202)453-2265 ATF
reminds wine industry members that viticultural area names are geographically
significant because they are appellations of origin. When we propose a new viticultural
area, wine producers and bottlers who use similar brand names should consider
the impact on their products. Labeling
regulations at 27 CFR 4.39(i) prohibit the use of a geographically or viticulturally
significant brand name on a wine unless the wine meets the appellation of origin
requirements for the named geographic area. In the case of a viticultural area,
85 percent of the grapes used in the wine must have been grown in the named area.
For
example, if you own a winery that uses the Grape Valley Winery brand name and
ATF establishes a Grape Valley viticultural area, you must review your approved
labels for appellation of origin eligibility. You may continue to use the Grape
Valley Winery brand name if at least 85 percent of the grapes used to make the
wine come from the Grape Valley viticultural area and the wine is fully finished
in the State where Grape Valley is located. If a wine is not eligible for the
Grape Valley appellation, you must not use the Grape Valley Winery brand name.
You must apply for a new certificate of label approval |
