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

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.

In response to an industry member request, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau extends the comment period for Notice No. 34, Proposed Fort Ross-Seaview Viticultural Area, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on March 8, 2005, for an additional 30 days.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) requests public comment on possible changes to the labeling and advertising requirements of alcohol beverage products regulated by TTB. The agency has long required certain labeling, such as brand name, class and type, alcohol content (in the case of wines containing more than 14 percent alcohol by volume and distilled spirits), net contents, and in recent years has published updated standards for the use of carbohydrate and calorie claims. Because of petitions to mandate additional information, including ingredient, allergen, alcohol, calorie, and carbohydrate content and requests by some to use labels with at least some of that additional information on a voluntary basis under existing rules, TTB believes it is now appropriate to consider revising the alcohol beverage labeling and advertising regulations, and seeks public comment on several issues to assist the agency in formulating specific regulatory proposals.

The Department of the Treasury and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau adopt a temporary amendment to the regulations relating to the removal of tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes, without payment of tax, for use of the United States. This amendment allows manufacturers of tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes to remove these articles without payment of tax for use by Federal agencies in their law enforcement activities, and to exempt packages of those removed products from the tax-exempt labeling requirement. We take this action to timely meet the needs of Federal agency law enforcement operations, particularly investigations involving tobacco product diversion and smuggling.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the Shawnee Hills viticultural area in southern Illinois. This proposed 1,268,960-acre viticultural area is approximately 80 miles long east to west and approximately 20 miles wide from north to south. 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 ``Dos Rios'' viticultural area in Mendocino County, California. This proposed 15,500-acre viticultural area is about 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. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

The Department of the Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Currently, we are seeking comments on the TTB Questionnaire titled ``Methanol Levels & Good Manufacturing Practices for Fruit Brandies.''

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the 27,500-acre Fort Ross-Seaview viticultural area in western Sonoma County, 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.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, 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 38,000-acre ``Covelo'' viticultural area in Mendocino County, California, about 150 miles north 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.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has received a petition proposing the expansion of the existing Russian River Valley viticultural area in Sonoma County, California. The proposed 30,200- acre expansion would increase the size of this viticultural area to 126,200 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. We invite comments on this proposed amendment to our regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to establish the ``High Valley'' viticultural area in Lake County, California. Located above the eastern shore of Clear Lake near the town of Clearlake Oaks, the proposed 14,000-acre area is about 85 miles north of San Francisco, and is largely within the established Clear Lake and North Coast 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. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the McMinnville viticultural area in Yamhill County, Oregon. The new McMinnville viticultural area is entirely within the existing Willamette 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.