Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 59993 

§ 71.1 [Amended] 

■ 2. The incorporation by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1 of the FAA Order 7400.9N, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated September 1, 2005, and 

effective September 15, 2005, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6009(c)—Amber Federal Airways. 

* * * * * 

A–5 [New] 

From Ambler, AK, NDB to Evansville, AK, 

NDB. 

* * * * * 

Paragraph 6009(d)—Blue Federal Airways. 

* * * * * 

B–1 [New] 

From Woody Island, AK, NDB to Iliamna, 

AK, NDB. 

* * * * * 

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 6, 

2005. 

Edith V. Parish, 

Acting Manager, Airspace and Rules. 

[FR Doc. 05–20630 Filed 10–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 

Bureau 

27 CFR Part 9 

[T.D. TTB–34; Re: Notice No. 37] 

RIN 1513–AA95 

Establishment of the Dos Rios 

Viticultural Area (2004R–0173P) 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. 

SUMMARY: This Treasury decision 

establishes the Dos Rios viticultural area 

in Mendocino County, California. The 

proposed 15,500-acre viticultural area is 

150 miles north of San Francisco, 

California. We designate viticultural 

areas to allow vintners to better describe 

the origin of their wines and to allow 

consumers to better identify wines they 

may purchase. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 14, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nancy Sutton, Regulations and Rulings 

Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 925 Lakeville St., No. 

158, Petaluma, California 94952; 

telephone (415) 271–1254. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on Viticultural Areas 

TTB Authority 

Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol 

Administration Act (the FAA Act, 27 

U.S.C. 201 et seq.) requires that alcohol 

beverage labels provide the consumer 

with adequate information regarding a 

product’s identity and prohibits the use 

of misleading information on such 

labels. The FAA Act also authorizes the 

Secretary of the Treasury to issue 

regulations to carry out its provisions. 

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau (TTB) administers these 

regulations. 

Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 

part 4) allows the establishment of 

definitive viticultural areas and the use 

of their names as appellations of origin 

on wine labels and in wine 

advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR part 9) contains the 

list of approved viticultural areas. 

Definition 

Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) defines 

a viticultural area for American wine as 

a delimited grape-growing region 

distinguishable by geographical 

features, the boundaries of which have 

been recognized and defined in part 9 

of the regulations. These designations 

allow vintners and consumers to 

attribute a given quality, reputation, or 

other characteristic of a wine made from 

grapes grown in an area to its 

geographic origin. The establishment of 

viticultural areas allows vintners to 

describe more accurately the origin of 

their wines to consumers and helps 

consumers to identify wines they may 

purchase. Establishment of a viticultural 

area is neither an approval nor an 

endorsement by TTB of the wine 

produced in that area. 

Requirements 

Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB 

regulations outlines the procedure for 

proposing an American viticultural area 

and provides that any interested party 

may petition TTB to establish a grapegrowing region as a viticultural area. 

Section 9.3(b) of the TTB regulations 

requires the petition to include—

• Evidence that the proposed 

viticultural area is locally and/or 

nationally known by the name specified 

in the petition; 

• Historical or current evidence that 

supports setting the boundary of the 

proposed viticultural area as the 

petition specifies; 

• Evidence relating to the 

geographical features, such as climate, 

soils, elevation, and physical features, 

that distinguish the proposed 

viticultural area from surrounding areas; 

• A description of the specific 

boundary of the proposed viticultural 

area, based on features found on United 

States Geological Survey (USGS) maps; 

and 

• A copy of the appropriate USGS 

map(s) with the proposed viticultural 

area’s boundary prominently marked. 

Dos Rios Petition and Rulemaking 

General Background 

TTB received a petition from Ralph 

Jens Carter of Sonoma, California, 

proposing the establishment of a new 

viticultural area to be called ‘‘Dos Rios’’

in northern Mendocino County, 

California. Located at the confluence of 

the Eel River and the Middle Fork of the 

Eel River, the proposed 15,500-acre Dos 

Rios viticultural area is approximately 

40 miles north of Ukiah, 25 miles east 

of the Pacific Ocean, and 5 miles north 

of the northern boundary of the 

established North Coast viticultural area 

(27 CFR 9.30). The proposed Dos Rios 

viticultural area encompasses portions 

of the canyons containing the two 

rivers. Currently, six acres of 

commercial vineyards are planted 

within the proposed area, with the 

potential for additional plantings. 

Below, we summarize the evidence 

presented in the Dos Rios viticultural 

area petition. 

Name Evidence 

‘‘Dos Rios’’ is Spanish for ‘‘two 

rivers,’’ according to the Harper Collins 

Spanish College Dictionary, Fourth 

Edition, published in 2002. The USGS 

Dos Rios Quadrangle map shows the 

small village of Dos Rios at the 

confluence of the Middle Fork of the Eel 

River and the main channel of the Eel 

River. The November 2002 California 

State Automobile Association map and 

the 2003 California Compass Map show 

Dos Rios village along State Highway 

162 east of Laytonville, California. 

The local GTE telephone directory 

lists Dos Rios and includes its 95429 zip 

code. The local Vin DeTevis winery 

letterhead indicates its location on 

Covelo Road in Dos Rios. A 1982 

photograph from the book entitled ‘‘The 

Northwestern Pacific Railroad and Its 

Successors,’’ by Wesley Fox (Fox 

Publications, Arvada, Colorado), shows, 

according to its caption, a southbound 

freight train ‘‘rolling along the rocky 

edges of the Eel River, south of Dos 

Rios.’’

Boundary Evidence 

The proposed Dos Rios viticultural 

area encompasses the confluence of the 

59994 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

Eel and the Middle Fork of the Eel 

Rivers, portions of the Eel River canyon 

to the north and south of the 

confluence, and a portion of the Middle 

Fork canyon east of the confluence. The 

proposed area also includes portions of 

the side canyons of several seasonal 

tributaries. The proposed viticultural 

area covers about 15,500 acres, and it is 

approximately 12 miles long east to 

west and 4 miles wide north to south. 

The 2,000-foot contour line defines 

the outer limits of the proposed Dos 

Rios viticultural area. Section lines 

shown on the USGS maps of the 

proposed area connect the 2,000 foot 

contour lines across the two rivers as 

the contour lines pass out of the Dos 

Rios area. The 2,000-foot contour line 

marks the upper limit of the 

microclimate created by the proposed 

area’s canyon geography. Above the 

2,000-foot contour line, the climate 

becomes colder and less conducive to 

viticulture. 

The northern boundary of the 

proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

coincides with the Round Valley Indian 

Reservation southern boundary where it 

crosses the Eel River north of the village 

of Dos Rios. According to the 1971 

Hubbard Scientific 3-dimensional map 

of the Ukiah, California, region, this 

portion of the proposed area includes 

more gentle, less eroded slopes. 

The eastern region of the proposed 

viticultural area includes mildly steep 

slopes close to the Middle Fork of the 

Eel River. This portion of the proposed 

area has warmer temperatures due to 

sunlight reflected from the Middle Fork 

of the Eel River onto the surrounding 

slopes and canyon walls. Beyond the 

eastern boundary the higher, colder 

elevations of the Mendocino National 

Forest dominate the landscape. 

The southern boundary line of the 

proposed area is approximately 3 miles 

south of the village of Dos Rios. This 

portion of the proposed area has 

significant winds and light reflection 

from the rivers, which moderate its 

climate. 

The western boundary of the 

proposed Dos Rios viticultural area is 

approximately one mile west of the 

village of Dos Rios and coincides with 

the steep ‘‘Windy Point’’ geographical 

feature shown on the USGS Laytonville 

map. Mountain terrain less influenced 

by the canyon geography of the 

proposed area lies beyond its western 

boundary. 

Distinguishing Features 

Geography 

Significant physical features of the 

proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

include the Eel River and the Middle 

Fork of the Eel River and their 

surrounding canyons, which join within 

the proposed area. The canyon 

surrounding the confluence of the two 

rivers is a ‘‘land trough,’’ approximately 

one-half mile deep and 3 miles wide. 

This land trough is shown on the 

relevant USGS maps and in multiple 

dimensions on the Hubbard Scientific 

Ukiah region topographic map. As a 

land trough, the Eel and Middle Fork 

river canyons are the only major gaps in 

the Coast Range in this region of 

Mendocino County. These gaps allow 

the Pacific Ocean marine air to blow 

inland, or east, through the canyons and 

into the proposed Dos Rios viticultural 

area. 

The names of several prominent 

geographic features within the proposed 

Dos Rios viticultural area reflect the 

strength of the wind blowing through 

the canyons. The USGS maps covering 

the proposed area show two different 

geographic features named ‘‘Windy 

Point’’ within the proposed area and 

another named ‘‘Windy Ridge’’ near the 

proposed area’s eastern boundary. On 

the USGS Laytonville map, one Windy 

Point is near the 1,800-foot elevation in 

the southwest corner of section 36, 

T22N, R14W. On the USGS Dos Rios 

map, a second Windy Point is near the 

1,400-foot elevation line between State 

Highway 162 and the Middle Fork of the 

Eel River, T21N, R13W. ‘‘Windy Ridge,’’

with elevations between 2,600 feet and 

3,200 feet, is immediately outside the 

proposed area’s eastern boundary on the 

USGS Covelo West map, section 18, 

T22N, R13W. 

The canyon walls and hillsides 

surrounding the Eel River and the 

Middle Fork of the Eel River incline 

from 30 to 75 percent. In addition to the 

climate-moderating marine winds, 

sunlight reflecting off the two rivers 

onto the steep sides of the canyons 

warms the terrain of the canyons below 

the 2,000-foot contour line. 

Climate 

The marine winds blowing through 

the canyons within the proposed Dos 

Rios viticultural area, the direct and 

reflected solar radiation, and the 

temperature are the factors that 

distinguish the proposed area from the 

surrounding regions of Mendocino 

County. The ‘‘Sunset Western Garden 

Book,’’ 7th edition, 2001, (Sunset book) 

which divides much of the western 

United States into growing zones, 

includes the region encompassing the 

proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

within California’s Zone 14, Northern 

California’s Inland Areas with Some 

Ocean Influence, a transitional climate 

area. The Sunset book depicts this zone 

as a narrow geographic region 

surrounded by three cooler zones. The 

close proximity of four climate zones to 

the proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

also helps create a unique transitional 

microclimate within the proposed area. 

Wind: As noted above, the presence of 

strong winds in the proposed Dos Rios 

viticultural area is reflected in the 

‘‘windy’’ names given to several 

geographic features within or near its 

boundary. The Eel River and Middle 

Fork of the Eel River canyons create 

gaps in the Coast Range, which lies 

between the moderating Pacific Ocean 

climate to the west and the more 

continental climate found at the higher 

elevations and in the interior valleys to 

the east. These canyons bring climatemoderating Pacific marine air further 

inland than would be expected without 

these low-elevation gaps and allow the 

moderating ocean air into the Dos Rios 

region, affecting the climate of the 

proposed viticultural area. 

Geographic slopes also affect airflow, 

according to the Sunset book 

description of how the local terrain can 

affect wind flow and solar heat. Warm 

air rises and cold air sinks, creating 

vertical wind movements on the 800- 

foot to 2,000-foot sloping elevations 

found within the proposed viticultural 

area. 

During the spring and summer 

months, the proposed viticultural area 

has brisk afternoon breezes that 

intensify at sunset and subside after 

dark, allowing temperatures to cool. The 

winds help disperse the morning coastal 

fog that reaches over the surrounding 

mountain ranges, giving the Dos Rios 

region sunny mornings that contrast 

with the foggier mornings found in the 

surrounding Covelo and Willits regions. 

During the winter the winds create a 

downdraft from the hilltops to the 

canyon floor that lessens the effects of 

freezing temperatures and frost in the 

vineyards. 

Solar Radiation: Reflective sunlight 

off the water of the two rivers provides 

additional warming to the hillside 

vineyards within the proposed Dos Rios 

viticultural area. The intensity of the 

reflected sunlight dissipates above 2,000 

feet in elevation, which coincides with 

the proposed area’s boundary line. 

Temperature: Temperatures within 

the proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

annually average 52 to 58 degrees, with 

warm, dry summers and cool, wet 

winters. The marine breezes blowing 

through the canyons of the proposed 

viticultural area moderate temperatures, 

making the Dos Rios region cooler in the 

summer and warmer in the winter than 

regions to the east that have a more 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 59995 

continental climate. The frost-free 

growing season varies from 125 days to 

250 days annually. 

According to the Sunset book, three 

cooler Sunset climate zones surround 

the proposed Dos Rios viticultural area 

and its transitional Zone 14 climate. 

These three climates include Zone 1, 

Coldest Winters in the West, Zone 2, 

Second Coldest Western Climate, and 

Zone 7, California’s Digger Pine Belt. 

Zones 1 and 2 are the snowiest and 

coldest parts of the United States West 

Coast, excluding Alaska. Zone 7, found 

at lower mountain elevations, has hot 

summers and mild, but pronounced, 

winters. The Sunset book climate zone 

map shows the Dos Rios area as having 

a generally colder climate and a shorter 

growing season than the lower 

Mendocino County elevations. 

Rainfall and Snow: The proposed Dos 

Rios viticultural area averages 30 to 60 

inches of rainfall each year with most 

rainfall occurring between October and 

April. The proposed area also receives 

occasional light snow, while the 

surrounding higher elevations receive 

more snow. 

Soils 

Soils of the proposed Dos Rios 

viticultural area are well-drained to 

excessively well-drained loams, sandy 

loams, and gravelly loams that are deep 

to very deep. These soils are categorized 

as poor, with coarse texture and limited 

water retention. They are weathered 

from sandstone, siltstone, schist, and 

greywacke, which are rich in mineral 

nutrients. The soils within the proposed 

Dos Rios viticultural area differ from 

other nearby grape-growing regions such 

as the Potter Valley viticultural area (27 

CFR 9.82), which have Cole series soils 

that are poorly drained, nearly level clay 

loams. 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and 

Comments Received 

On March 31, 2005, TTB published a 

notice of proposed rulemaking regarding 

the establishment of the Dos Rios 

viticultural area in the Federal Register 

as Notice No. 37 (70 FR 16455). In that 

notice, TTB requested comments by 

May 31, 2005, from all interested 

persons. TTB received 14 comments in 

response, all supporting establishment 

of the proposed Dos Rios viticultural 

area. 

TTB Finding 

After careful review of the petition 

and the comments received, TTB finds 

that the evidence submitted supports 

the establishment of the proposed 

viticultural area. Therefore, under the 

authority of the Federal Alcohol 

Administration Act and part 4 of our 

regulations, we establish the ‘‘Dos Rios’’

viticultural area in Mendocino County, 

California, effective 30-days from the 

publication date of this document. 

Boundary Description 

See the narrative boundary 

description of the viticultural area in the 

regulatory text published at the end of 

this notice. 

Maps 

The petitioner provided the required 

maps, and we list them below in the 

regulatory text. 

Impact on Current Wine Labels 

Part 4 of the TTB regulations prohibits 

any label reference on a wine that 

indicates or implies an origin other than 

the wine’s true place of origin. With the 

establishment of this viticultural area 

and its inclusion in part 9 of the TTB 

regulations, its name, ‘‘Dos Rios,’’ is 

recognized as a name of viticultural 

significance. Consequently, wine 

bottlers using ‘‘Dos Rios’’ in a brand 

name, including a trademark, or in 

another label reference as to the origin 

of the wine, will have to ensure that the 

product is eligible to use the viticultural 

area’s name as an appellation of origin. 

For a wine to be eligible to use as an 

appellation of origin the name of a 

viticultural area specified in part 9 of 

the TTB regulations, at least 85 percent 

of the grapes used to make the wine 

must have been grown within the area 

represented by that name, and the wine 

must meet the other conditions listed in 

27 CFR 4.25(e)(3). If the wine is not 

eligible to use the viticultural area name 

as an appellation of origin and that 

name appears in the brand name, then 

the label is not in compliance and the 

bottler must change the brand name and 

obtain approval of a new label. 

Similarly, if the viticultural area name 

appears in another reference on the 

label in a misleading manner, the bottler 

would have to obtain approval of a new 

label. 

Different rules apply if a wine has a 

brand name containing a viticultural 

area name that was used as a brand 

name on a label approved before July 7, 

1986. See 27 CFR 4.39(i)(2) for details. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

We certify that this regulation will not 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities. 

This regulation imposes no new 

reporting, recordkeeping, or other 

administrative requirement. Any benefit 

derived from the use of a viticultural 

area name is the result of a proprietor’s 

efforts and consumer acceptance of 

wines from that area. Therefore, no 

regulatory flexibility analysis is 

required. 

Executive Order 12866 

This rule is not a significant 

regulatory action as defined by 

Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735). 

Therefore, it requires no regulatory 

assessment. 

Drafting Information 

Nancy Sutton of the Regulations and 

Rulings Division drafted this document. 

List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9 

Wine. 

The Regulatory Amendment 

■ For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, we amend 27 CFR, chapter 1, 

part 9, as follows: 

PART 9—AMERICAN VITICULTURAL 

AREAS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 9 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205. 

Subpart C—Approved American 

Viticultural Areas 

■ 2. Amend subpart C by adding § 9.175 

to read as follows: 

§ 9.175 Dos Rios. 

(a) Name. The name of the viticultural 

area described in this section is ‘‘Dos 

Rios’’. For purposes of part 4 of this 

chapter, ‘‘Dos Rios’’ is a term of 

viticultural significance. 

(b) Approved Maps. The appropriate 

maps for determining the boundaries of 

the Dos Rios viticultural area are four 

United States Geological Survey 

1:24,000 scale topographic maps. They 

are titled: 

(1) Dos Rios, California—Mendocino 

County, 1967 edition, revised 1994; 

(2) Laytonville, California—

Mendocino County, 1967 edition, 

revised 1994; 

(3) Iron Peak, California—Mendocino 

County, 1967 edition, revised 1994; and 

(4) Covelo West, California—

Mendocino County, 1967 edition, 

photoinspected 1973. 

(c) Boundary. The Dos Rios 

viticultural area is located in northern 

Mendocino County, California, at the 

confluence of the Eel River and the 

Middle Fork of the Eel River. The area’s 

boundaries are defined as follows—

(1) Beginning in the northwestern 

quarter of the Dos Rios map in section 

32, T22N, R13W, at the intersection of 

the 2,000-foot contour line and 

Poonkinny Road, proceed southerly and 

then easterly along the meandering 

59996 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 198 / Friday, October 14, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

2,000-foot contour line to its 

intersection with the eastern boundary 

of section 2, T21N, R13W, immediately 

south of State Route 162 (Dos Rios 

Quadrangle); then 

(2) Proceed straight south along the 

section line, crossing the Middle Fork of 

the Eel River, to the southeast corner of 

section 11, T21N, R13W (Dos Rios 

Quadrangle); then 

(3) Proceed 0.9 mile straight west 

along the southern boundary of section 

11 to its intersection with the 2,000-foot 

elevation line, T21N, R13W (Dos Rios 

Quadrangle); then 

(4) Proceed northerly then westerly 

along the meandering 2,000-foot contour 

line, crossing Big Water Canyon, 

Doghouse Creek, and Eastman Creek, to 

the contour line’s intersection with the 

southern boundary of section 17, T21N, 

R13W (Dos Rios Quadrangle); then 

(5) Proceed 2.1 miles straight west 

along the section line, crossing the Eel 

River, to the section line’s intersection 

with the 2,000-foot contour line along 

the southern boundary of section 18, 

T21N, R13W (Dos Rios Quadrangle); 

then 

(6) Proceed northerly along the 

meandering 2,000-foot contour line, 

crossing between the Dos Rios and 

Laytonville maps (passing around the 

Sims 2208 benchmark near the 

southeast corner of section 36, T22N, 

R14W), and, returning to the Laytonville 

map, continue westerly to the contour 

line’s intersection with the southwest 

corner of section 36, T22N, R14W, at 

Windy Point (Laytonville Quadrangle); 

then 

(7) Proceed 1.2 miles straight north 

along the section line to its intersection 

with the 2,000-foot elevation line, 

section 25, T22N, R14W (Laytonville 

Quadrangle); then 

(8) Proceed northerly along the 

meandering 2,000-foot elevation, 

crossing between the Laytonville and 

Iron Peak maps, and, returning to the 

Iron Peak map, continue along the 

contour line to its intersection with the 

western boundary of section 14 

immediately south of an unnamed 

unimproved road, T22N, R14W (Iron 

Peak Quadrangle); then 

(9) Proceed straight north along the 

section line to the southeast corner of 

section 3, T22N, R14W (Iron Peak 

Quadrangle); then 

(10) Proceed straight west along the 

section line to the southwest corner of 

section 3, T22N, R14W (Iron Peak 

Quadrangle); then 

(11) Proceed straight north along the 

section line to the northwest corner of 

section 3, T22N, R14W (Iron Peak 

Quadrangle); then 

(12) Proceed straight east along the 

section line, crossing the Eel River, to 

the northeast corner of section 2, which 

coincides with the Round Valley Indian 

Reservation’s southern boundary, T22N, 

R14W (Iron Peak Quadrangle); then 

(13) Proceed straight south along the 

section line to the southeast corner of 

section 2, T22N, R14W (Iron Peak 

Quadrangle); then 

(14) Proceed 0.3 mile straight east to 

the section line’s intersection with the 

2,000-foot elevation line along the 

northern boundary of section 12, T22N, 

R14W, west of Eberle Ridge, (Iron Peak 

Quadrangle); and 

(15) Proceed generally southeast along 

the meandering 2,000-foot elevation, 

crossing onto the Covelo West map and 

continuing southerly along the 2,000- 

foot contour line from Stoner Creek in 

section 18, T22N, R13W, and, returning 

to the Dos Rios map, continue 

southeasterly along the 2,000-foot 

contour line (crossing Goforth and 

Poonkinny Creeks), to the beginning 

point at the contour line’s intersection 

with Poonkinny Road. 

Signed: August 15, 2005. 

Vicky I. McDowell, 

Acting Administrator. 

Approved: September 2, 2005. 

Timothy E. Skud, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary (Tax, Trade, and 

Tariff Policy). 

[FR Doc. 05–20546 Filed 10–13–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–31–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 

Bureau 

27 CFR Part 9 

[T.D. TTB–35; Re: ATF Notices Nos. 960 

and 966; TTB Notice Nos. 6 and 31] 

RIN 1513–AA39 

Establishment of the Red Hill Douglas 

County, OR Viticultural Area (2001R–

88P) 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. 

SUMMARY: This Treasury decision 

establishes the 5,500-acre Red Hill 

Douglas County, Oregon viticultural 

area. It is totally within the Umpqua 

Valley viticultural area in Douglas 

County, Oregon. We designate 

viticultural areas to allow vintners to 

better describe the origin of their wines 

and to allow consumers to better 

identify wines they may purchase. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 14, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N.A. 

Sutton, Regulations and Rulings 

Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 925 Lakeville St., No. 

158, Petaluma, California 94952; 

telephone (415) 271–1254. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on Viticultural Areas 

TTB Authority 

Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol 

Administration Act (the FAA Act, 27 

U.S.C. 201 et seq.) requires that alcohol 

beverage labels provide the consumer 

with adequate information regarding a 

product’s identity and prohibits the use 

of misleading information on such 

labels. The FAA Act also authorizes the 

Secretary of the Treasury to issue 

regulations to carry out its provisions. 

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau (TTB) administers these 

regulations. 

Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 

part 4) allows the establishment of 

definitive viticultural areas and the use 

of their names as appellations of origin 

on wine labels and in wine 

advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR part 9) contains the 

list of approved viticultural areas. 

Definition 

Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB 

regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) defines 

a viticultural area for American wine as 

a delimited grape-growing region 

distinguishable by geographical 

features, the boundaries of which have 

been recognized and defined in part 9 

of the regulations. These designations 

allow vintners and consumers to 

attribute a given quality, reputation, or 

other characteristic of a wine made from 

grapes grown in an area to its 

geographical origin. The establishment 

of viticultural areas allows vintners to 

describe more accurately the origin of 

their wines to consumers and helps 

consumers to identify wines they may 

purchase. Establishment of a viticultural 

area is neither an approval nor an 

endorsement by TTB of the wine 

produced in that area. 

Requirements 

Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB 

regulations outlines the procedure for 

proposing an American viticultural area 

and provides that any interested party 

may petition TTB to establish a grapegrowing region as a viticultural area. 

Section 9.3(b) of the TTB regulations 

requires the petition to include—

• Evidence that the proposed 

viticultural area is locally and/or 

nationally known by the name specified 

in the petition;