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What does wine production really mean?
I’ve recently read some articles about random audits here in Napa county conducted by the planning office. These random audits occur annually on 5% of Napa’s wineries which hold use permits with the county planning office. One of the key items they are looking at during these audits is a winery’s production gallons. The term production gets […]
Harvest (training) on Sale!
Yep- it is game on for harvest 2013 from the sights and stories around here in Napa County. Mostly the “early” varietals so far, your lower alcohol wines. I’ve been hearing from several folks with random crush related questions around their compliance. Nothing like waiting til the last minute! If you haven’t seen it already- […]
Harvest 2013 is Here! Is Your Compliance Ready?
Another annual cycle is once again upon us in the wine business: harvest. AKA “crush”. The predictions that have been floating around out in web postings for the past month state that this will be an early and big year for grapes here in Northern California. Early and big. Two words that when used in combination […]
Guess what Alternating Proprietors? You CAN take your COLAs with you!
Today’s blog post is for anyone who either is an Alternating Proprietor (AP) or is a site that hosts them & offers TTB label approval submission assistance. I just learned this newest TTB update twist last week that can save you some time when planning for your bottlings- by eliminating the need for the label […]
TTB Label Approvals……Make Sure to Plan Ahead!
Wineries beware! TTB label approval times are now back up to over 30 days! Here is my post from 2 years ago w/info on how you can plan ahead for this necessary step in the process: All wines that are bottled by wineries to be sold for consumption are required to have a federal label […]
5 Gallon Kegs, Label Approvals and You.
5 gallon kegs have become a popular way for wineries to get their product out into the marketplace, specifically the by-the-glass marketplace. I had a client contact me recently for assistance with a new label approval (COLA) for his upcoming bottling. I’ve filed these for him in the past but this year was the first time […]
2012 Winery Compliance Wrap Up…….& What To Watch For in 2013.
Here we are at years end. A time often focused on assessing the years events & developments, ups and downs. For the winemaking world 2012 has already been marked as an incredible one in relation specifically to the grape harvest. (At least here in California) But what about in relation to compliance? What were the stories there? […]
Wineries, Who Is In Your Compliance Corner?
Quick question my winemaking compliance friends, When you researched for the answer to a compliance question were you ever frustrated with the first answer you were given? And by frustrated I mean the answer you were given either was not very clear or just didn’t sound like the right one you were after? My simple solution when this happens […]
Congratulations, You’re A Winery! Now What??
There are currently over 7,000 wineries in the US. I continually am in contact with folks at the beginning stage of starting a wine business, and many of those are as a “bonded winery”. Basically what that expression means is they are licensed as a winery, so a business that makes wine, grape to bottle. […]
Wineries – Are You Out of Bounds on Your Bond?
I recently wrote a post about one of the potential compliance side effects related to this years high yield harvest. Afterwards, while I was talking to a client I was reminded of another potential compliance issue. He asked about the topic of bond coverage and what happens if wineries go outside their limits. First, let me put all of that into […]
My Top Time & Money Saving Winery Compliance Tips!
Winemakers, do you cringe at the thought of having to deal with your compliance? If you said yes (And you know all of you did) then I’ve got some good news for you. There are some simple ways to make keeping up with your compliance an easier task. Really, there are. I’ve conveniently summarized a list […]
Winemakers – It’s 3 am, Do You Know Where Your Grapes Are?
Harvest of 2012 has definitely shaped up to be a very welcome banner year for wineries here in California. I’ve been reading story after story about the high tonnage amounts, and picture perfect looking fruit that has been arriving at wineries over the past two months. But what happens when too much of a good […]
The Top 10 Useful Items From The TTB’s Website
There’s no shortage of questions around the topic of winery compliance. I hear them all the time from folks across the spectrum of the business, from those just getting started to well seasoned veterans who have worked years at many wineries. One of the most standard resources I point them towards for the answers to […]
Winemakers – Compliance Got You Down?
Compliance not popular? No way! Well actually yes, that is the way compliance is for many folks who deal with it. It is an undesirable, unsatisfying chore that they dread and put off til the last minute. I know this from interacting with a lot of winery colleagues over the years and hearing their sad […]
Planning For A Wine Business: CC Client VS. Alternating Proprietor
I talk to a lot of people who are just getting started with a wine business. Many of them are either starting as a custom crush client (wholesaler) or as an alternating proprietor. (See my two previous posts) No matter which of these types of licensing they are getting I always start out our […]
