USA General Laws

Question 1

What is required to put “Estate-Bottled” on a label?

Answer 1

A winery has the right to use the term “estate bottled” when the following conditions are satisfied: the wine is labeled with an AVA; the winery is located in that same AVA; the winery owns or “controls” the vineyard; and the crushed, fermented, finished, and bottled the wine on the same property. By “control,” the winery must have total viticultural control under a leasing agreement or similar arrangement for at least three years’ duration.

Question 2

What must be on a label of wine in the USA?

Answer 2

the class or type of wine

brand name

bottler’s name and address

alcohol content by volume

the net contents of the container

the Surgeon General’s health warning

declaration that it contains sulfites (for wines containing more than 10 ppm).

Question 3

Instead of actual ABV, what may a wine list on the label?

Answer 3

Table Wine / Light Wine designates a wine of 7-14% alcohol by volume

Question 4

What are the Control States in the Rockies and Western US? (5)

Answer 4

Oregon
Idaho
Montana
Wyoming
Utah

Question 5

Who controls alcohol sales in CA? NY?

Answer 5

CA - Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“ABC”)

NY - State Liquor Authority (“SLA”)

Question 6

What is a “Tied-House”?

Answer 6

A producer of alcohol offers a retailer (on- or off-premises) of alcohol some inducement to sell his or her product.

State tied-house laws also govern the interactions of suppliers and retailers, and they generally prohibit suppliers from providing anything of value to retailers for free.

Question 7

What are the Control States in the Midwest? (3)

Answer 7

Iowa
Michigan
Ohio

Question 8

What are the Control States in New England? (4)

Answer 8

Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Vermont
Maine

Question 9

What are the Control States in the South? (5)

Answer 9

Mississippi
Alabama
North Carolina
West Virginia
Virginia

Question 10

What is the TTB’s min % on labelling for State? County? AVA? Vineyard? Variety? Vintage?

Answer 10

State:  75%
County:  75%
AVA:  85%
Vineyard:  95%
Variety:  75%*
Vintage:  85% / 95%**

• V. labrusca only requires 51%
• *95% if labelled with an AVA

Question 11

What is the California’s min % on labelling for State? County? AVA? Vineyard? Variety? Vintage?

Answer 11

State:  100%
County:  75%
AVA:  85%
Vineyard:  95%
Variety:  75%
Vintage:  85% / 95%**

**95% if labelled with an AVA

Question 12

What is the Washington’s min % on labelling for State? County? AVA? Vineyard? Variety? Vintage?

Answer 12

State:  95%
County:  75%
AVA:  85 / 95%***
Vineyard:  95%
Variety:  75%
Vintage:  85% / 95%**

• *95% if labelled with an AVA
• **As of 2010, if a wine is labeled by both an AVA and “Washington,” but it is produced in an AVA that exists in both WA and another state, then 95% of the grapes must either be grown in WA or in the stated AVA.

Question 13

What is the Oregon’s min % on labelling for State? County? AVA? Vineyard? Variety? Vintage?

Answer 13

State:  100%
County:  75%
AVA:  85%
Vineyard:  95%
Variety:  90%****
Vintage:  85% / 95%**

• *95% if labelled with an AVA
• ***Bordeaux, Rhône, Temp, Zin, Tannat and Sangi are only held to TTB’s 75%