Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau November 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.