The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued a notice yesterday stating that it will consider waiving – on a case-by-case basis – late filing, payment or deposit penalties for taxpayers unable to file payment of Federal excise taxes due to the August 24, 2014, Northern California earthquake. Text of the statement follows below.Continue Reading TTB Will Consider Penalty Waivers for Late Payment of Excise Taxes By Businesses Impacted by Northern California Earthquake
New Willow Creek Idaho Viticultural Area Under Review by TTB
By Stephanie Meier on
Posted in Idaho Wine Issues, Wine Law
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) has accepted for formal review a petition to create another American Viticultural Area in Idaho. The proposed new Willow Creek Idaho AVA would be subdivided from Idaho’s existing Snake River Valley AVA. The petition was prepared by Martha Cunningham of 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards.
Federal Officials Mull Changes to Alcohol Label Approval Process
By Bernie Kipp on
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) official Susan Evans, the Executive Liaison for State and Industry Matters, talked about ways to streamline the federal label approval process at the June 2013 National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) that I attended in Honolulu. Speaking on a panel, she said that the TTB has experienced reduced staffing and declining budgets, which have slowed down two of its major functions: permitting and approving labels.
According to Ms. Evans, nearly 25,000 permittees submit certificate of label approvals (COLAs) to TTB . Last year TTB received over 145,000 COLA applications. In the last two years, TTB has imposed fewer restrictions and qualifications, updated the COLA form to allow changes that may be made to labels without TTB approval, and established a virtual file room for processing paper applications electronically.
In addition, TTB recently reviewed the label approval program and concluded the following:Continue Reading Federal Officials Mull Changes to Alcohol Label Approval Process
New Elkton Oregon Viticultural Area Established by TTB
By Chris Hermann on
Posted in Wine Law
On February 5, 2013, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) published a final rule establishing the 74,900-acre "Elkton Oregon" American viticultural area in Douglas County, Oregon. TTB issued this regulation in response to a petition filed by local vintners and grape growers and will allow the use of the name "Elkton, OR"…
TTB Addresses Label Approval Issues
By Bernie Kipp on
Posted in Licenses & Permits, Wine Law
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has experienced some difficult times in the last several years due to reduced staffing and declining budgets. These factors have made it difficult for the agency to accomplish two of its major functions; Permitting and Approving Labels.
TTB has attempted to address the Label Approval issue by instituting two recent changes. First in April 2011, the agency announced that would discontinue evaluating labels for purposes of ensuring that the labels conform to all applicable legibility and type size requirements (including characters per inch and contrasting background). As always, the responsible industry member is obligated to ensure proper labeling for their products and this new procedure ensures new label approvals will contain a statement to that effect.
Then on July 5, 2012, TTB published a revised version of TTB Form 5100.31, Application for and Certification/Exemption of Label/Bottle Approval, also known as a certificate of label approval or COLA. The most significant change made was to expand the list of items that may be changed on an alcohol beverage label without TTB approval. Highlights of the new revisions include the following. Holders of approved labels may:Continue Reading TTB Addresses Label Approval Issues
TTB Publishes Notice of Rulemaking for Inwood Valley AVA
By Jake W. Storms on
On December 5, 2011, the TTB published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice No. 125) regarding the establishment of the Inwood Valley Viticultural Area in Shasta, California. If established, the new AVA would consist of a 28,000 acre area, the vast majority of which is currently not dedicated to, or known for, vineyards. The TTB…
TTB Rules to Expand Sonoma AVAs
By Jake W. Storms on
On Wednesday November 16, the TTB published a ruling (T.D. TTB-97, available here) amending the federal definition of the Russian River Valley viticultural area and the Northern Sonoma viticultural area, by expanding each. The action first began in August of 2008 when Gallo Family Vineyards submitted a petition for the amendment. After receiving numerous comments …
TTB Adopts New, Softer Rules for AVAs
By Jake W. Storms on
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has, in a final rule/treasury decision (available here), issued new and revised regulations with respect to three formerly confusing areas pertaining to American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): brand names that conflict with AVA designations, the AVA application process, and the existence of smaller AVAs inside currently…
Conjunctive Labeling Comes to Sonoma County
By Jake W. Storms on
With the turn of the calendar and after nearly a year of political wrangling, conjunctive labeling will be the norm for Sonoma County wineries beginning in 2014. Passed by unanimous vote in both the state assembly and senate in August and signed by Governor Schwartzenegger at the end of September, AB 1798 will require…