Wine laws USA

Question 1

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling by Country in the USA

Answer 1

75%

Question 2

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling by State in the USA

Answer 2

75%

Question 3

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling by AVA in the USA?

Answer 3

85%

Question 4

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling with a single vineyard in the USA

Answer 4

95%

Question 5

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling by variety in the USA

Answer 5

75% (If labeled with an AVA, at least 75% of the variety stated on the label must have been grown in the listed AVA.
If the variety is a V. labrusca grape, only a minimum 51% is required)

Question 6

Percentage of Grapes Required for Labeling vintage in the USA

Answer 6

85% for wines labeled by State or County, 95% for wines labeled with an AVA.
Vintage labeling not permitted for wines labeled only USA.

Question 7

The governing body that regulates The US AVA system. When was is established

Answer 7

TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau). Established in 2002 with the creation of the Homeland Security Act

Question 8

Labeling laws more stringent in California than TTB

Answer 8

Wines labeled California must 100% come from that state as opposed to the 75% min for fed law

Question 9

Labeling laws more stringent in Oregon than TTB

Answer 9

State, AVA, and varietal laws are more stringent: Wines labeled Oregon must be 100% grown there (TTB requires 75%); AVA wines require min 95% (TTB requires 85%); Varietal wines require min 90%, exception for 18 traditional blending grapes including red and white bordeaux and rhone varietals, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Tannat, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel (TTB requires 75%)

Question 10

Labeling laws more stringent in Washington State than TTB?

Answer 10

Wines labeled Washington require min 95% (TTB requires 75%). As of 2010, if a wine is labeled by both an AVA and “Washington,” but it is produced in an AVA that exists in both WA and another state, then 95% of the grapes must either be grown in WA or in the stated AVA (TTB requires 85%)

Question 11

Largest AVA in the US

Answer 11

Upper Mississippi River Valley at almost 30,000 square miles across four states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota

Question 12

1st and second AVAs in the US

Answer 12

Augusta, in Missouri—in late 1980, and Napa Valley gained AVA status in 1981

Question 13

How many AVA’s in California?

Answer 13

Currently 140

Question 14

If an AVA is stated, what percentage of grapes must come from that AVA?

Answer 14

85% - most AVAs
AVAs in Washington State - 95%
AVAs in California and Oregon - 100%

Question 15

If a wine is simply labelled with a county, state or country (ie. USA), what percentage of grapes must come from that AVA?

Answer 15

75%

Question 16

If a wine from the United States is labelled as a single vineyard, what percentage of grapes must come from that vineyard?

Answer 16

95%

Question 17

If a wine uses the term ‘estate bottled’, what are the legal requirements?

Answer 17

100% of the grapes come from land owned or controlled by that estate.
The estate must be located inside an AVA
All of the vineyards and the winery must be located in the same AVA

Question 18

What alcohol percentage is required to label a wine ‘Light Wine’ or ‘Table Wine’ in the United States?

Answer 18

7-14%abv

Question 19

Wine labelled with a vitis vinifera grape variety must contain what percentage of that grape variety?

Answer 19

75%

Question 20

Wines labelled with a vitis labrusca grape variety (ie. Concord) must contain what percentage of that grape variety?

Answer 20

51%

Question 21

What is USA and the world’s largest demarcated wine region?

Answer 21

Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (2009)

77 700 square km.