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

This final rule amends the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 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 final rule also removes ``Pisco brandy'' from the list of examples of geographical designations in the distilled spirits standards of identity, and it includes a technical correction to remove ``Cognac'' from the same list of examples. These changes provide greater clarity in distilled spirits labeling.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 17,663-acre ``Moon Mountain District Sonoma County'' viticultural area in Sonoma County, California. The proposed viticultural area lies completely within the established Sonoma Valley viticultural area which, in turn, is within the multi-county 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 its regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the approximately 74,900-acre ``Elkton Oregon'' viticultural area in Douglas County, Oregon. The viticultural area lies totally within the Umpqua Valley viticultural area and the multi-county Southern Oregon 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.

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.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is publishing a temporary rule that for a period of three years modifies the penal sum for a brewer's bond where the excise tax liability of the brewer is reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in the current calendar year and the brewer was liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. Under the temporary rule, for the next three years, the penal sum of the required bond is $1,000 for such brewers who file excise tax returns and remit taxes quarterly. In this document, TTB proposes to adopt the $1,000 penal sum amount for the brewer's bond for such brewers as a permanent regulatory change. This document also proposes amendments to the regulatory text to require that such brewers file Federal excise tax returns and payments quarterly, as well as submit reports of operations quarterly. Finally, TTB is soliciting comments on how the TTB regulations governing brewers' operations might be modified to reduce the burden on brewers and, at the same time, meet all statutory requirements and protect the revenue.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the 162,762-acre ``Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley'' viticultural area in Douglas, Grant, and Kittitas Counties in central Washington. The viticultural area lies entirely within the larger Columbia Valley 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.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the approximately 198-square mile ``Middleburg Virginia'' viticultural area in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties in northern Virginia. 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) is extending the comment period for Notice No. 127, Proposed Amendment to the Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, for an additional 10 days. In Notice No. 127, a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2012, TTB proposes to amend the standards of identity regulations for distilled spirits to include ``Cacha[ccedil]a'' as a type of rum distinctive to Brazil.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 74,900-acre ``Elkton Oregon'' viticultural area in Douglas County, Oregon. The proposed viticultural area lies totally within the Umpqua Valley viticultural area and the multi-county Southern Oregon 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 its regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the 162,762-acre ``Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley'' viticultural area in Douglas, Grant, and Kittitas Counties in central Washington. The proposed viticultural area lies within the larger Columbia Valley 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 its regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is revising 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 rule responds to a final rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration. Consumers who are allergic to cochineal extract or carmine will now be able to identify and thus avoid alcohol beverage products that contain these color additives.

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 final rule establishes the 13,254-acre ``Naches Heights'' viticultural area in Yakima County, Washington. 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 replace the current four report forms used by distilled spirits plants to report their operations with two new report forms that would be submitted on a monthly or quarterly basis. This proposal would streamline the reporting process and would result in savings for the industry and for TTB by significantly reducing the number of reports that must be completed and filed by industry members and processed by TTB.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Department of the Treasury, is publishing its inventory of Privacy Act systems of records.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the approximately 198-square mile ``Middleburg Virginia'' viticultural area in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties in northern Virginia. 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 document establishes the 4,570-acre ``Pine Mountain- Cloverdale Peak'' viticultural area in portions of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, California. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 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 establish the approximately 3,800 square-mile ``Wisconsin Ledge'' viticultural area in northeast Wisconsin. 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.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is adopting, as a final rule, regulations contained in a temporary rule pertaining to the semimonthly payments of excise tax on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and cigarette papers and tubes, and pertaining to the quarterly payment of alcohol excise tax by small taxpayers. This final rule action does not include those regulations contained in the temporary rule pertaining to part 19 of the TTB regulations, which were adopted as a final rule in a separate regulatory initiative.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is correcting the proposed information collection notice it published in the Federal Register on June 9, 2011 at 76 FR 33811. Specifically, we are correcting the information in that notice regarding OMB No. 1513-0103. Presently, the information collection approved under OMB No. 1513-0103 covers two tobacco bond forms, which we are consolidating into a single form.

This Treasury decision establishes the 665-square mile ``Antelope Valley of the California High Desert'' American viticultural area in Los Angeles and Kern Counties, California. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 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 establish the 13,254-acre ``Naches Heights'' American viticultural area in Yakima County, Washington. 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 Bureau's regulations.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau published a final rule revising its distilled spirits plant regulations in the Federal Register of February 16, 2011 (76 FR 9080). That final rule contained several typographical and textual errors. This document corrects those errors.