Wine Labeling Issues

Wine Labeling Issues. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Last week we began a conversation with Vicky Scharlau from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers about a new labeling issue for winemakers here in the state. The issue is what is in the bottle and where it comes from and understanding the regulations.

SCHARLAU: Part of the challenge is when you start looking at a bottle of wine from the consumers perspective, they don’t understand the rules and regulations not only of the Washington State Liquor Control Board but certainly not of TTB which is the Tax & Trade Bureau which is part of the U.S. Treasury.

Scharlau says they are really looking to clarify what is in the bottle of wine.

SCHARLAU: There’s just so much confusion over the kind of labeling required for alcohol. Everyone knows on your orange juice that if it’s not U.S. orange juice, there is a section on the label that says where the orange juice is from, we ask for no less at both the state and the federal level. And we’ve also petitioned the TTB to do the very same thing for wine.

And Scharlau talks about why this is so important.

SCHARLAU: One of our key points in terms of our long term strategy for success in the industry is all about sustainability. Sustainability the grower, sustainability the winery and it has to be the integrity of the grape in the state so to us this is absolutely key to who we are and who we want to become.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.