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What can & can’t be done right now while the TTB is shut down.
The TTB is shutdown. Those were the words those of us in the compliance world of wine woke up to this morning. It always sounds so surreal to me. So what exactly does it mean for US wineries & wine cellars? Here’s a brief summation of what “can” and what “can’t” currently be done right […]
New year – new changes to make to your TTB compliance
As of January 1, 2018 the changes put into place by the tax bill passed in December by congress are in effect according to the TTB’s website. So far the TTB has put together some initial information on what the changes will mean for US wineries specific to their record keeping and TTB reporting. (5120.17 […]
Big changes coming for TTB winery compliance in 2018
The major headlines about the monster tax bill that just cleared congress don’t sound like good news for many US residents. US wineries on the other hand do stand to have a happy 2018 as a result of it.The TTB just posted a brief statement related to it in their latest email newsletter, essentially stating […]
Video: The value of reporting “produced by fermentation” for US wineries
Here we are staring at the end of the year once again. For US wineries that means a specific stage in their new wines “lives”. For all sites that fermented grapes or juice from the 2017 harvest the end of each year is often the time that they will “declare” their new wines “produced”. But […]
Things To Be Thankful For In Winemaking Compliance
Yes I know, “thankful” and “compliance” don’t usually show up in the same sentence together. But if you’re someone who has spent the past 17 plus years interacting with the TTB from a recordkeeping and reporting standpoint you can appreciate any improvements that come along to simplify the process. Plus I’m a person who believes […]
Video: Good news for pre 2011 US wineries – TTB Permits Online now available to you!
As a winery compliance consultant my work can have regular challenges and frustrating experiences. So when some good news shows up unexpectedly I appreciate it thoroughly! The good news that showed up today came through the weekly email I receive from the TTB. (their weekly email newsletter- you can sign up at the TTB’s website) […]
Video: California wineries-time to determine your ABC license renewal fee
All California wineries have an annual filing due TODAY to the CA ABC (California Alcoholic Beverage Control) which is the Winegrower/Wineblender report. This annual report is sent to you & returned to the CA ABC headquarters office in Sacramento via regular mail. (sorry no online filing available) As the holder of either a type 02 […]
Video: How to report wine gallons dumped due to smoke taint
The skies have cleared and we no longer are bombarded with the sight and smell of smoke here in Napa Valley. Now all the massive amounts of cleanup begin for home and business owners. For wineries here in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties part of what that may mean is deciding how they will […]
Video: Reporting your wine loss numbers from wildfire damage to the TTB
The catastrophic wildfires here in Napa and Sonoma county are now at close to full containment. For winery staff this means they are getting back to finishing up with the grape harvest and monitoring their existing fermentation already underway when the fires started almost two weeks ago. There were several wineries that suffered damage from […]
Video: Demo of how to fill out TTB claim form to report wine loss due to wildfire damage
This has been a heartbreaking and surreal week here in Napa & Sonoma counties. And we’re still far from out of the woods. The wildfires which started 5 days ago are still burning and threatening structures, lives and livelihoods. For winery owners and staff the remainder of harvest of 2017 will be a challenge in many […]
Video: US wineries do you know what “produced by fermentation” means on your reports and labels?
As harvest of 2017 continues on across the US many wineries have already “produced” new wines from this year’s grape crop. That term, “produced” has a very specific definition to the federal regulating agency, the TTB. And at the source of that definition is the very activity taking place at countless winery sites around the […]
Video: 6 additional common issues on weighmaster certificates
My office is in regular contact with a range of federal, state and local agencies that regulate wineries. Easily 95% of that time involves feeding them applications and any information and items that they request to finalize the approval of said applications. (anything to keep them happy!) Every now and then though I reach out […]
Video: Connecting your grape weigh tags to your wine labels
There is a lot of what I call “connecting the dots” when it comes to winery records compliance. Two examples of those “compliance dots” are the grape weigh tags being created at wineries right now and the labels on the wines they will eventually become. Though one of these winery compliance items occurs at the beginning […]
Video: Common tare info for wineries using macro bins for their grape loads
The macro bin. These heavyweight plastic bins that have become the go-to container for transporting grapes at harvest time. (and for many winery sites using them as fementation vessels too!) Here in California from a weighing standpoint they are in the group of vessels referred to as a common tare type. This means that any […]
Video: Good news update on FDA food facility registration exemptions
The topic of winery compliance, when mentioned is one that more often than not will cause people to make a face. Understandably then when good news updates come along in the winery compliance world I like to get them out there quickly.Many US winery owners and staff have been reading or hearing about or experiencing […]
