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

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 4,800-square mile ``Indiana Uplands'' viticultural area in south-central Indiana and proposes to modify the boundary of the established Ohio River Valley viticultural area, which would result in the elimination of a potential overlap with the proposed Indiana Uplands viticultural area. These proposals would result in an approximately 1,530 square mile region no longer being part of the Ohio River Valley viticultural area as the affected region would be included in the new Indiana Uplands viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on these proposals.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to amend the regulations setting forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include ``Cacha[ccedil]a'' as a type of rum and as a distinctive product of Brazil. This proposal follows requests received from the Government of Brazil and subsequent discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative. TTB invites comments on this proposed amendment to the TTB regulations.

In this document, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its regulations setting forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include Pisco as a type of brandy that must be manufactured in accordance with the laws and regulations of either Peru or Chile, as appropriate, governing the manufacture of those products. This change will remove ``Pisco brandy'' from the list of examples of geographical designations in the distilled spirits standards of identity. This document also includes a technical correction to remove ``Cognac'' from the same list of examples. These changes will provide greater clarity in distilled spirits labeling.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 123, Proposed Establishment of the Middleburg Virginia Viticultural Area, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on November 8, 2011. TTB is taking this action in response to a request from a local wine industry organization.

This final rule establishes the 11,075-acre ``Coombsville'' viticultural area in Napa County, California. The viticultural area lies within the Napa Valley viticultural area and the multicounty North Coast viticultural area. TTB designates 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 27,500-acre ``Fort Ross-Seaview'' viticultural area in the western part of Sonoma County, California. TTB designates 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 (TTB) proposes to establish the 28,298-acre ``Inwood Valley'' viticultural area in Shasta County, California. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to its regulations.

This Treasury decision expands the Russian River Valley viticultural area in Sonoma County, California, by 14,044 acres, and the Northern Sonoma viticultural area in Sonoma County, California, by 44,244 acres. TTB designates 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 amend its wine labeling regulations to allow a vintage date to appear on a wine that is labeled with a country as an appellation of origin. The proposal would provide greater grape sourcing and wine labeling flexibility to winemakers, both domestic and foreign, while still ensuring that consumers are provided with adequate information as to the identity and quality of the wines they purchase.

This document adopts, as a final rule, a proposal to amend the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations by adding a number of new names to the list of grape variety names approved for use in designating American wines, and to include in the list several separate entries for synonyms of existing entries so that readers can more readily find them. These amendments will allow bottlers of wine to use more grape variety names on wine labels and in wine advertisements.

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 (TTB) is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 106, which requested public comments on standards to distinguish between pipe tobacco and roll- your-own tobacco for Federal excise tax purposes based on certain physical characteristics of the two products. This reopening of the comment period solicits comments from the public on certain issues that were raised in public comments received in response to Notice No. 106. This notice also sets forth for possible public comment the results of preliminary laboratory analyses conducted by TTB.

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 establish the 11,075-acre ``Coombsville'' viticultural area in Napa County, California. The proposed viticultural area lies within the Napa Valley viticultural area and the multicounty North Coast viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed addition to the TTB regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reopening the comment period for Notice No. 34, which concerned the proposed establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area in western Sonoma County, California. Through this notice, TTB is soliciting comments on the establishment of the Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area as proposed in Notice No. 34 and the issues raised in the public comments received in response to that notice, including a request to expand the proposed viticultural area. Given the conflicting evidence provided by the petitioner and by some commenters with respect to the distinguishing features and boundary of the proposed viticultural area, and the length of time that has passed since Notice No. 34 was published in 2005, TTB believes that the rulemaking record regarding the proposed Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area should be reopened for public comment to ensure full public participation prior to any final regulatory action.

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.

In this final rule, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau makes technical corrections to its regulations. These amendments correct grammatical, spelling and typographical errors, update cross- references, update references to the Bureau's administrative practices and organizational structure, and make other non-substantive corrections and clarifications. These amendments do not change the Bureau's interpretation of any regulation or the requirements of any recordkeeping provision.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is issuing a temporary rule to implement certain changes made to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by the Uruguay Round Agreement Act of 1994 and by the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. The temporary rule updates and reissues regulations pertaining to the semimonthly payments of excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes, and also reissues temporary regulations regarding quarterly payment of excise tax for small alcohol excise taxpayers. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

In this Treasury decision, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau amends the regulations concerning the establishment of American viticultural areas (AVAs). The changes provide clearer regulatory standards for the establishment of AVAs and clarify the rules for preparing, submitting, and processing viticultural area petitions.

In response to a request from a national trade association, TTB is extending for an additional 60 days the comment period prescribed in Notice No. 111, Disclosure of Cochineal Extract and Carmine in the Labeling of Wines, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on November 3, 2010.

This Treasury decision expands the Santa Maria Valley viticultural area in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, California, by 18,790 acres. 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.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is considering amending the regulations concerning various winemaking terms commonly used on labels and in advertisements to provide consumers with information about the growing or bottling conditions of wine. We invite comments from industry members, consumers, and other interested parties as to whether and to what extent we should propose specific regulatory amendments for further public comment.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is proposing to revise its regulations to require the disclosure of the presence of cochineal extract and carmine on the labels of any alcohol beverage product containing one or both of these color additives. This proposed rule responds to a recent final rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration as well as reports of severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, to cochineal extract and carmine-containing foods. This proposal would allow consumers who are allergic to cochineal extract or carmine to identify and thus avoid alcohol beverage products that contain these color additives.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the 665-square mile ``Antelope Valley of the California High Desert'' viticultural area in Los Angeles and Kern Counties, 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. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.