Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Treasury decision expands by approximately 20,000 acres the San Francisco Bay viticultural area and the Central Coast viticultural area in California to conform to the expanded boundary of the Livermore Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we invite comments on the proposed or continuing information collections listed below in this notice.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we invite comments on the proposed or continuing information collections listed below in this notice.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is adopting as a final rule, with some changes, a proposed amendment to the regulations pertaining to wine vintage date labeling.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 divided the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Department of the Treasury, into two separate agencies, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the Department of Justice, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in the Department of the Treasury. This final rule amends the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations to reflect the Bureau's new name and organizational structure.

This Treasury decision establishes the Rattlesnake Hills viticultural area in Yakima County in south-central Washington State. The 68,500-acre area is entirely within the established Yakima Valley and Columbia Valley viticultural areas. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is issuing a temporary rule implementing the quarterly excise tax payment procedure contained in section 5061 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended by section 11127 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, we are soliciting comments from all interested parties on the regulatory amendments to implement this new payment period. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the ``Saddle Rock-Malibu'' viticultural area in Los Angeles County, California. The proposed area consists of approximately 2,090 acres, approximately 5 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and 32 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the Texoma viticultural area in north-central Texas, in Montague, Cooke, Grayson, and Fannin Counties. The proposed area covers approximately 3,650 square miles on the south side of Lake Texoma and the Red River, along the Texas- Oklahoma Stateline. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the 39,200-acre Tracy Hills viticultural area in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, California, approximately 55 miles east- southeast of San Francisco. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the Wahluke Slope viticultural area in Grant County, Washington. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is issuing a temporary rule amending the TTB regulations relating to special (occupational) tax, to reflect a 3-year tax suspension effected by section 246 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Section 246 amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that, during the period from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2008, the rate of special (occupational) tax on certain occupations will be zero. The occupations affected by the 3-year tax suspension are: Manufacturers of nonbeverage products who claim tax drawback; proprietors of distilled spirits plants, alcohol fuel plants, bonded and taxpaid wine premises, and breweries; and wholesale and retail dealers in distilled spirits, wine, and beer. The requirements to register annually and keep prescribed records remain in effect. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, we are soliciting comments from all interested parties on these regulatory amendments. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the Dos Rios viticultural area in Mendocino County, California. The proposed 15,500-acre viticultural area is 150 miles north of San Francisco, California. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

This Treasury decision establishes the Niagara Escarpment viticultural area in Niagara County, New York. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we invite comments on the proposed or continuing information collections listed below in this notice.

This temporary rule implements the new certification requirements regarding production practices and procedures for imported natural wine contained in section 2002 of the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004, which amended section 5382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. We are amending the wine regulations to incorporate these changes. We also are soliciting comments from all interested parties on the implementation of these new requirements through a notice of proposed rulemaking published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish seven new viticultural areas within the boundary of the existing Lodi viticultural area, which lies within southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Counties in California. The seven proposed areas are Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Sloughhouse. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. We invite comments on these proposed additions to our regulations.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we invite comments on the proposed or continuing information collections listed below in this notice.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to change the minimum content requirement for vintage date statements on some wine labels. We take this action in response to a petition from a trade association representing California wineries. We invite comments on this proposed amendment to our regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the 570,000-acre Horse Heaven Hills viticultural area in south-central Washington State. Located along the Columbia River in portions of Klickitat, Yakima, and Benton counties, the Horse Heaven Hills area is about 115 miles east of Vancouver, Washington, and lies entirely within the established Columbia Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

On May 19, 2005, TTB published a notice in the Federal Register inviting comments on an information collection related to marks on wine containers. In that notice, we inadvertently included a second information collection related to the certification of proper cellar treatment for imported natural wine. This document corrects that error.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the Rattlesnake Hills viticultural area in Yakima County in south central Washington State. The proposed 68,500-acre area is totally within the established Columbia Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the ``San Antonio Valley'' viticultural area in southwest Monterey County, California, within the existing Central Coast viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its regulations to expand the existing 96,000-acre Livermore Valley viticultural area in Alameda County, California. The proposed expansion would add 163,000 acres to the Livermore Valley viticultural area in northern Alameda and southern Contra Costa Counties. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify the wines they may purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.