Blog
Demo of how to file the Winegrower tax report Online
I'm glad to share a good news update with all California wineries. Your Winegrower Tax reports can now be filed online. This is the report that all CA wineries (which means all businesses that hold a CA ABC type 02-Winegrower license) are required to file on either a...
The results of testing out the TTB conditionally approved label approval experience
The results are in! My experimental label approval submission submitted on July 5th in which I intentionally filled in 4 fields incorrectly on the application came back over the weekend marked status "conditionally approved". I shared in my previous blog post and...
Testing out the TTB label approval conditionally approved experience
TTB label approval. Such a love/hate relationship wineries have with it. You love them when they get approved and you hate them when they get rejected or take too long to be approved and mess up your label printing schedule. Well the TTB continues to be drowned in...
Compliance webinar: Napa County winery use permit reporting
This post is for all Napa County wineries that hold a use permit issued by the Napa County Planning Office. Required annual reporting is now in effect and your first annual report is due by July 1st 2019. My office is hosting a three part webinar training designed to walk you through understanding each step […]
Winery compliance workshop – Saturday December 8th – Sonoma State University
I will be one of three instructors in this all day wine business compliance workshop being offered on Saturday, December 8th through the Wine Business program at Sonoma State University. Sign up here Topics covered will include: I will cover: […]
Compliance how to’s for listing an out of state AVA on your wine label
My last post and video were on the Elouan Oregon Pinot Noir label and specifically whether its use of three Oregon AVAs would be be kosher with TTB regulations. After sharing that post and reading others that followed also on the Elouan label I took another look at the TTB wine label regulation on Appellations […]
Are the AVAs on the Elouan back label OK? (from a TTB viewpoint)
I get Lew Perdue’s daily Wine News fetch email which helps keep me in the loop on the stories in the wine business world and often inspire my blogs/videos. A story in one of those headlines caught my eye this week- since it covered a topic I am waist deep in on a steady basis. […]
TTB compliance code-breaker for US wineries
There’s a ridiculous amount of terminology thrown at unsuspecting wineries related to their TTB compliance. They are required to be able to decipher what all this terminology means to them from a day to day perspective in order to keep in the good graces of the TTB. Speaking first hand for myself it took me […]
Helpful TTB manual & book for wine label requirements
A wine label. The cover on the finished book of a wine’s life. That’s how I’ve often referred to them. In my world they are also the easiest way to explain to someone what it is that I do. Believe it or not most people’s faces gloss over when you tell them “I’m a winery […]
Harvest 2018 is on! Here are nine harvest compliance refresher videos.
The beginning of another wine life cycle has begun. Harvest of 2018 is officially underway. The harvest period in the winemaking cycle is a unique area of winery compliance with many ins and outs for winery staff to be aware of in successfully managing their required compliance. (on top of keeping up with the sea […]
Filing requirements for the TTB 5120.17 report for all US wineries
Running a winery is a a lot of work. Growing, making, storing, bottling and last but by no means least selling the product. It’s no wonder that keeping up with their TTB compliance is often little understood. US wineries are required to file certain reports to the TTB, and one of those reports, the 5120.17 […]
Pre 2011 wineries- here’s how to access your TTB permit file online
Was your winery established before 2011? That will then mean that your application for your TTB permit was filed the “old school” route, which meant on paper, in duplicate and via snail mail to the TTB offices in Cincinnati. Good news for all of you today! One of the new features on their just released […]
The downs and ups of TTB Permits Online
The TTB’s platform, Permits Online is about to come out with an updated version. This platform was first launched in 2011 and is used (in the wine world) by any business that is filing an application to start a new wine business or to file amendments beyond that. My office uses it on a close […]
When bulk wine hurts or helps your winery’s TTB excise taxes
Here we are already half way through 2018- which I recently described as a very unique year for TTB compliance. The other terms I’d considered before settling on unique were confusing and frustrating. This confusion, frustration and overall uniqueness are all as a result of the tax laws which went into effect on January 1st […]
TTB alternate procedure- Extended through Dec 2019- good news (sort of)
Nothing makes me happier in the work that I do than being able to share good news with US wineries. The TTB released an updated version of one of their industry circulars yesterday which will mean good news, of sorts for US wineries. This good news is specific to an unintended bad news result that […]
