TTB will now allow wines labeled with a country appellation of origin, including American appellation wines, to disclose their vintage. Until the announcement of this new rule, TTB had long prohibited wines with a country appellation of origin from including a vintage date. In its Final Rule, TTB states:
This amendment will 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.
WineAmerica was instrumental in the adoption of this new standard. The publication of the Final Rule follows numerous meetings over the past few years to determine TTB’s openness to a regulatory change, and WineAmerica comments in favor of a European Commission petition submitted late last year. In the adoption of its Final Rule, TTB quoted extensively from our comments.
The Final Rule will go into effect on November 13. WineAmerica will work with our members and TTB to ensure a smooth transition.
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