Results of FY 2010 Alcohol Beverage Sampling and Advertising Programs

Label Compliance

• We estimate that 96 percent (±3 percent) of all wine labels in the marketplace are in compliance with Federal alcohol beverage laws and regulations.

Findings:

• Reasons for non-compliance in our sample included:

• • No approved COLA.
  • Additional labels appeared on the container (other than those included on the approved COLA).
  • Additional information appeared on the bottle or cap that did not appear on the approved COLA.

Content Compliance

• We estimate that 96 percent (±3 percent) of wine products in the marketplace are in compliance with Federal alcohol beverage laws and regulations for wine.

Findings:

• Reasons for non-compliance in our sample included:

• • Containers were over-filled.
  • Actual alcohol content was less than that stated on the label.
  • Actual alcohol content was more than that stated on the label.
  • Acid content in the wine exceeded allowable limits.
  • Solids content in the wine exceeded allowable limits.

Overall Findings:

• We found no significant difference in labeling and content compliance rates for domestic and imported products.

• The overall marketplace compliance rate for wine labels together with the compliance rate for content is 94 percent ± 3 percent.  

Results of the FY 2010 Alcohol Beverage Advertising Program for Wine

• We estimate the compliance rate for all wine advertisements with Federal alcohol beverage advertising laws and regulations is 81 percent ± 4 percent.

Findings:

• Advertising on the radio and in print appears to have the most compliance issues while TV and Internet advertising appear to be the most compliant.  Because of a limited sample size, we could not make a statistically based conclusion for Outdoor advertising compliance.

• The top four reasons for non-compliance in our wine advertising sample were:

• • Mandatory information related to the responsible advertiser was missing (85 percent of all non-compliant ads).

• • Misleading health-related statements (7 percent of all non-compliant ads).

• • Misleading information or statements (4 percent of all non-compliant ads).

• • A label depicted in the advertisement was not consistent with the approved label (4 percent of all non-compliant ads).

• Of all the non-compliant ads 4 percent were non-compliant for more than one reason.

• The most common reasons for non-compliance by media type:

This analysis did not verify the vintage date, late harvest, ice wine, varietal, appellation of origin, or estate bottled, or vineyard claims.

Learn more about TTB’s Alcohol Beverage Sampling and Advertising Program.