From the category archives:

Wine, Beer & Distilled Spirits

Federal Legibility Requirements for Labeling Wine

July 8, 2009
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Wine labels—which must be pre-approved by TTB—are an important source of information for consumers. This post is the first of what will be a series intended to explain federal wine labeling regulations and procedures. Below is a summary of the federal legibility requirements for labeling of wine, as provided by 27 CFR 4.38.

Brand Name -
Type Size: At least 2 mm on containers larger than 187 ml, 1 mm on containers 187 ml or less*
Location: Front/brand label [...]

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New Organic Wine Labeling Policy

June 25, 2009

Federal labeling policies for wines that are made with organic grapes are changing to provide clearer disclosure to the consumer. Wine Industry Insight reports that a Memorandum of Understanding has been drawn up between the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) [...]

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Washington-Origin Labeling Law Explained

May 26, 2009

Governor Gregoire signed into law Substitute House Bill 1812 on May 7, 2009, which imposes new restrictions on labeling and packaging for wines claimed or implied to originate in “Washington.” The law generally impacts wine producers located wholly in Washington State and wine producers located in American Viticultural Areas (“AVAs”) located within both Washington and an adjoining state. This law applies to wine made from grapes harvested after December 31, 2009 [...]

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Tied-House Laws & Pricing Restrictions: HB 2040

May 7, 2009

In coming days, Gov. Gregoire is expected to sign HB 2040. The Bill, which is in part an artifact of the 9th Circuit’s 2008 Costco v. Hoen decision, will effectively end Washington’s tied house laws and instill new pricing restrictions on beer and wine. Undoubtedly, the law will have a profound effect on how beer and wine manufacturers (and retailers) structure their businesses.

The first part of this post contains a comparison [...]

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