On January 10, 2025, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) issued a final rule introducing new standards of fill for wine and distilled spirits containers. These amendments not only expand the allowable container sizes but also provide increased flexibility for industry members while offering consumers greater purchasing options. Key…
Category: TTB Proposals/Notice and Comment
TTB Establishes New Standard of Identity American Single Malt Whiskey
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) issued a final rule, effective January 19, 2025, establishing “American single malt whisky” as an official type of whiskey produced in the United States. This decision follows petitions and comments from distillers and the American Single Malt Whisky Commission, aiming to…
TTB Reopens Notice and Comment Period for Standards of Fill for Wines and Spirits
TTB recently published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (Notice No. 210A) in the Federal Register to reopen the comment period for standards of fill for wine and spirits. As many may remember, TTB published a notice of proposed rulemaking (Notice 210) in 2022 requesting comments about changing the standards…
TTB to Hold Listening Sessions for Alcohol Nutritional Information, Allergens, and Ingredients
Earlier this week, TTB announced its intention to hold two virtual listening sessions this month to hear industry concerns regarding alcohol nutritional information, allergens, and ingredients. Nutritional information, allergen, and ingredients statements are generally not required on alcohol beverages falling within TTB’s labeling jurisdiction. For products that make certain types…
TTB Opens Comment Period for Three Proposed Wine Rules
On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, TTB announced that it would reopen comment period for three relevant proposed rules for the wine industry. The proposed rules were originally published in the Federal Register in 2016. The following rules have their comment periods reopened: Notice No. 160, Proposed Revisions to Wine Labeling and…
Contemporary Wine Law Issues
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TTB Issues Temporary Rule Modifying Federal Regulations for Hard Cider
On January 23, 2017, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued a temporary rule (T.D. TTB–147) in the Federal Register that amends the federal regulations for hard cider. The temporary rule amends TTB regulations to implement changes made to the federal definition of “hard cider” in the Internal…
TTB Proposes Revisions to Wine Label Regulations and Recordkeeping
On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, TTB published a notice in the Federal Register proposing important changes to wine labeling regulations and recordkeeping requirements. Comments to the proposed changes will be accepted through August 22, 2016 and can be submitted through the Federal Register website). The notice proposes to amend TTB’s labeling and…
TTB Publishes Two AVA Final Rules: Willamette Valley and Loess Hills District
On March 3rd, TTB published two final rules in the Federal Register the first which modified portions of currently established AVAs and the second which establishes a new AVA. The first rule alters an existing viticultural area in Oregon and the second alters an forms a viticultural area in sections of…
TTB Establishes New AVA Lamorinda Viticultural Area
On Wednesday, February 24th, TTB issued a final rule in the Federal Register establishing a new American Viticultural Area (AVA) called Lamorinda Viticultural Area. The new AVA contains 29,369 acres in Contra Costa County, California and is entirely within the established (and larger) San Francisco Bay and Central Coast AVAs. The original petition was submitted…
Proposed Willcox Viticultural Area and Establishment of The Los Olivos District Viticultural Area
On January 21, 2016, TTB published a notice in the Federal Register proposing the establishment of the Willcox Viticultural Area, which is located in portions of Graham and Cochise Counties in Arizona (but is not currently located within, nor does it contain, any other established American Viticultural Area). The proposed Viticultural Area…