Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 72707 

FDC date State City Airport FDC No. Subject 

11/03/05 .... SC Myrtle Beach .................................. Myrtle Beach Intl ............................ 5/0235 ILS OR LOC RWY 18, AMDT 1F. 

11/03/05 .... SC Myrtle Beach .................................. Myrtle Beach Intl ............................ 5/0236 RNAV (GPS) RWY 18, AMDT 1C. 

11/09/05 .... TN Chattanooga .................................. Lovell Field .................................... 5/0497 ILS OR LOC RWY 2, AMDT 7A. 

11/15/05 .... OR Eugene .......................................... Mahlon Sweet Field ....................... 5/0407 LOC/DME RWY 16L, ORIG-A. 

11/15/05 .... OR Eugene .......................................... Mahlon Sweet Field ....................... 5/0409 RNAV (GPS) RWY 16L, ORIG-A. 

11/15/05 .... WA Pasco ............................................. Tri-Cities ........................................ 5/0394 VOR/DME RWY 30, AMDT 2A. 

11/15/05 .... WA Pasco ............................................. Tri-Cities ........................................ 5/0395 ILS RWY 21R,.AMDT 10D. 

11/15/05 .... WA Pasco ............................................. Tri-Cities ........................................ 5/0396 RNAV (GPS) RWY 30, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... IL Jacksonville ................................... Jacksonville Muni .......................... 5/0388 RNAV (GPS) RWY 31, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... IL Jacksonville ................................... Jacksonville Muni .......................... 5/0389 RNAV (GPS) RWY 4, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... IL Jacksonville ................................... Jacksonville Muni .......................... 5/0390 RNAV (GPS) RWY 22, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... SD Brookings ....................................... Brookings Muni .............................. 5/0401 ILS OR LOC RWY 30, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... ND Dickinson ....................................... Dickinson-Theodore Roosevelt Regional.5/0402 ILS OR LOC RWY 32, AMDT 1A. 

11/08/05 .... OH Port Clinton .................................... Carl R Keller Field ......................... 5/0422 NDB RWY 27, AMDT 12A. 

11/08/05 .... MN Minneapolis .................................... Flying Cloud ................................... 5/0441 ILS OR LOC RWY 10R, AMDT 

2B. 

11/09/05 .... MN Minneapolis .................................... Flying Cloud ................................... 5/0442 COPTER OR ILS RWY 10R, 

ORIG-C. 

11/09/05 .... IL Champaign/Urbana ........................ University of Illinois-Willard ........... 5/0485 GPS RWY 36, ORIG-B. 

11/09/05 .... IL Champaign/Urbana ........................ University of Illinois-Willard ........... 5/0487 VOR RWY 18, ORIG-A. 

11/09/05 .... IL Champaign/Urbana ........................ University of Illinois-Willard ........... 5/0488 ILS OR LOC RWY 32R, AMDT

11C. 

11/09/05 .... IL Champaign/Urbana ........................ University of Illinois-Willard ........... 5/0489 GPS RWY 18, ORIG-B. 

11/09/05 .... IL Jacksonville ................................... Jacksonville Muni .......................... 5/0490 RNAV (GPS) RWY 13, ORIG-A. 

11/15/05 .... IL Springfield ...................................... Abraham Lincoln Capital ............... 5/0636 ILS OR LOC RWY 31, AMDT 2A. 

11/15/05 .... IL Springfield ...................................... Abraham Lincoln Capital ............... 5/0637 ILS OR LOC RWY 22, AMDT 8A. 

11/15/05 .... IL Springfield ...................................... Abraham Lincoln Capital ............... 5/0638 ILS OR LOC RWY 4, AMDT 25A. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0412 ILS RWY 34, AMDT 10B. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0413 RNAV (GPS) RWY 5, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0414 RNAV (GPS) RWY 16, ORIG-A. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0415 RNAV (GPS) RWY 23, ORIG-B. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0416 RNAV (GPS) RWY 34, ORIG-B. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0417 VOR/DME RWY 16, AMDT 4C.

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0418 VOR/DME RWY 23, AMDT 6F.

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0419 VOR/DME RWY 34, AMDT 5D.

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0420 VOR RWY 5, AMDT 13E. 

11/08/05 .... RI Providence ..................................... Theodore Francis Green State ...... 5/0421 VOR RWY 34, AMDT 4D. 

11/17/05 .... NM Farmington ..................................... Four Corners Regional .................. 5/0438 ILS OR LOC ILS RWY 25, AMDT 

7A. 

11/17/05 .... NM Roswell .......................................... Roswell International Air Center .... 5/0464 LOC BC RWY 3, AMDT 9A. 

11/17/05 .... NM Santa Fe ........................................ Santa Fe Muni ............................... 5/0504 VOR/DME-A, AMDT 1B. 

11/17/05 .... NM Santa Fe ........................................ Santa Fe Muni ............................... 5/0506 VOR RWY 33, AMDT 9B. 

[FR Doc. 05–23646 Filed 12–6–05; 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–40; Re: Notice No. 46] 

RIN 1513–AB01 

Establishment of the Wahluke Slope 

Viticultural Area (2005R–026P) 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. 

SUMMARY: This Treasury decision 

establishes the Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area in Grant County, 

Washington. 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: January 6, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N. 

A. Sutton, Regulations and Rulings 

Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, 925 Lakeville St., No. 

158, Petaluma, CA 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 consumers with 

adequate information regarding product 

identity and prohibits the use of 

misleading information on those 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 

72708 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

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; 

• 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. 

Wahluke Slope Petition and 

Rulemaking 

General Background 

The Wahluke Slope Wine Grape 

Growers Association, represented by 

Alan J. Busacca, Ph.D., proposed the 

establishment of the 81,000-acre 

Wahluke Slope viticultural area. 

Located in southern Grant County in 

eastern Washington State, the Wahluke 

Slope area is approximately 145 miles 

southeast of Seattle and immediately 

north of the Hanford Reservation of the 

United States Department of Energy 

(USDOE). The proposed Wahluke Slope 

area is also entirely within the existing 

Columbia Valley viticultural area (27 

CFR 9.74). 

The major distinguishing features of 

the proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area include its single 

landform and geographic isolation, 

distinctive soil patterns, and unique 

climatic characteristics. We summarize 

below the evidence submitted in 

support of the petition. 

Name Evidence 

The eight USGS quadrangle maps 

used to describe the boundary of the 

proposed viticultural area label the 

region within the proposed area and the 

nearby Hanford Reservation as 

‘‘Wahluke Slope.’’ Several commercial 

maps also label this region of southern 

Grant County as Wahluke Slope. 

The 2002 Washington Wine Grape 

Acreage Survey, compiled by the 

Washington Agricultural Statistics 

Service, identifies the Wahluke Slope 

area within the larger Columbia Valley 

viticultural area. Also, the April 19, 

1999, edition of the ‘‘Hanford Reach,’’ a 

USDOE publication, states that the 

Secretary of Energy proposed to 

preserve a portion of the Wahluke Slope 

area along the Columbia River. A Grant 

County tourism press release dated 

March 24, 2004, describes the scenery 

and recreational opportunities in the 

Wahluke Slope area. 

Boundary Evidence 

The Wahluke Slope sits on a mega 

alluvial plain, also known as an alluvial 

fan. The proposed boundary line 

encompasses the entire portion of the 

mega fan potentially available for 

vineyard development, including all 

land held in private ownership and 

small amounts of government-owned 

land. Also, the Wahluke Slope area is an 

isolated island of wine grape 

production, with no known vineyards 

within five miles, in any direction, 

beyond the proposed boundary line. 

Generally, lands to the east, south, 

and west of the proposed Wahluke 

Slope area’s boundary line are Federalowned or State-owned property, as 

noted on USGS maps of the area. To the 

north, the Saddle Mountains flank the 

proposed area’s 1,480-foot boundary 

line. 

To the southeast of the proposed 

Wahluke Slope viticultural area, the 

land has a high water table, cold air 

pockets, and frost, which create an 

environment unsuitable for vineyard 

production. To the south of the 

proposed boundary is the Hanford 

Reservation. The classified activities 

and history of this USDOE reservation 

make it unsuitable for agricultural 

development. To the west of the 

Wahluke Slope area, and across the 

Columbia River, are steeply sloping, 

rugged canyons. The soils there are 

shallow, stony, and unsuitable for any 

crop. Also, to the north, beyond the 

proposed area’s 1,480-foot boundary 

line, the Saddle Mountains have high 

elevation bedrock slopes, no irrigation 

access, and non-agricultural soils. 

The combination of terrain with 

unsuitable growing conditions and 

government-owned lands surrounding 

the proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area, in conjunction with 

the distinguishing viticultural features 

of the area, makes the proposed 

boundary line the most appropriate for 

the proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area. 

Distinguishing Features 

The Wahluke Slope region is situated 

on the Columbia Plateau in eastern 

Washington, which is bordered by the 

Rocky Mountains on the north and east, 

the Blue Mountains to the south, and 

the Cascade Mountains to the west. The 

proposed Wahluke Slope viticultural 

area sits on the south-facing alluvial 

benchlands of the Saddle Mountains. 

Topography 

The proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area’s elevation varies from 

425 feet along the Columbia River to 

1,480 feet on the south slope of the 

Saddle Mountains. Most of the proposed 

area’s vineyards are between 425 feet 

and 1,000 feet in elevation. 

The proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area is geographically 

isolated from other wine production 

areas in the State of Washington. 

Wahluke Slope is bounded by the 

bedrock ridge of the Saddle Mountains, 

the Columbia River, and governmentowned lands, providing isolation and a 

separate viticultural identity. 

The proposed Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area sits on a mega alluvial 

fan, a single landform geographical area, 

extending 15 miles in length. Other 

viticultural areas in Washington State 

have more diverse and complex 

landforms, with the possible exception 

of the much smaller Red Mountain 

viticultural area (27 CFR 9.167). 

The south-facing Wahluke Slope 

landform has relatively flat agricultural 

sites that allow for viticultural 

uniformity in plant vigor and ripening. 

The mega fan eventually drops away 

several hundred feet on three sides, 

providing good air drainage that 

minimizes spring and fall freezes in the 

area. 

Soils 

Ice-age events played an important 

role in the formation of soils in the 

proposed viticultural area. When the 

Lake Missoula glacial ice dam 

repeatedly failed, large water floods 

flowed across eastern Washington 

depositing gravel bars and fine-grained 

sandy and silty sediments. Winds 

reworked the glacial sediments to form 

dunes of sand and loess (the silty 

sediment accumulated from the fallout 

of dust). These sediments range in 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 72709 

thickness from a few inches to many 

feet deep. Soils of the proposed 

Wahluke Slope viticultural area have 

formed predominantly from deep windblown sand, averaging greater than 60 

inches in depth. To a lesser extent, some 

soils have formed from the wind-blown 

sand or silty loess sediments of the giant 

glacial floods. 

Wahluke Slope soils are distinctive by 

their uniformity over large areas. The 

Quincy-Burbank-Hezel soil series, 

which covers more than half the 

proposed viticultural area, encompasses 

a contiguous area of several square 

miles as documented in the Soil Survey 

of Grant County, Washington, (Gentry, 

1984) on map sheets 163, 164, and 169. 

This uniformity contrasts with the soil 

variability of some nearby regions, 

including the Red Mountain viticultural 

area and the Canoe Ridge area of the 

Horse Heaven Hills region. Other soils 

series within the proposed boundaries 

documented in the Soil Survey of Grant 

County include the SagemoorKennewick-Warden, the TauntonTimmerman-Quincy, and the ScoonTaunton-Finley series, as well as several 

others with small acreages. 

Wahluke Slope soils are unique with 

their smooth landform shape, shallow 

slope angle that averages less than 8 

percent, and predominant south-facing 

orientation at the top of the mega 

alluvial fan. This smooth landform 

results in consistent climate variability 

across the proposed viticultural area. 

Climate 

The State of Washington’s Public 

Agricultural Weather System (PAWS) 

Web site provides the statistics used in 

the Wahluke Slope viticultural area 

petition. Climatic information for the 

petition generally spans 10 years—1994 

through 2003—as available. 

Precipitation in the proposed 

Wahluke Slope viticultural area 

averages 5.9 inches annually, making it 

the driest area in that region of eastern 

Washington, according to PAWS. Also, 

the proposed area has the lowest harvest 

rainfall average for the weather stations 

compared. The viticultural advantages 

include irrigation control during the 

growing season and low potential for 

harmful rainfall at harvest. 

Pan evapotranspiration (Etp) in the 

Wahluke Slope area ranks first among 

the nine PAWS stations cited. 

Photosynthesis and transpiration, which 

are key factors in grape production, are 

the highest in the Wahluke Slope area 

as compared to other selected stations in 

Washington. 

Wahluke Slope averages 3,013 degreedays of heat accumulation annually. 

Each degree that a day’s mean 

temperature is above 50 degrees 

Fahrenheit, which is the minimum 

temperature required for grapevine 

growth, is counted as one degree-day 

(see ‘‘General Viticulture,’’ Albert J. 

Winkler, University of California Press, 

1975). In addition, the Wahluke Slope 

region ranks third highest in mean 

maximum temperature, mean annual 

temperature, and solar radiation, 

according to PAWS data. These 

temperatures confirm Wahluke Slope as 

a grape-growing hot spot within 

Washington State. 

Finally, Wahluke Slope is the third 

windiest site evaluated, which affects 

grape plant growth, causing shorter 

shoot length, smaller leaf size, and 

fewer and smaller grape clusters. 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and 

Comments Received 

On May 19, 2005, TTB published a 

notice of proposed rulemaking regarding 

the establishment of the Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area in the Federal Register 

(70 FR 28861) as Notice No. 46. In that 

notice, TTB requested comments by July 

18, 2005, from all interested persons. 

TTB received one comment in response. 

This comment strongly supports the 

establishment of the Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area. 

TTB Finding 

After review of the petition and the 

comment 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 ‘‘Wahluke 

Slope’’ viticultural area in Grant 

County, Washington, effective 30-days 

from this document’s publication date. 

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, ‘‘Wahluke Slope,’’

is recognized as a name of viticultural 

significance. In addition, with the 

establishment of the Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area, the name ‘‘Wahluke’’

standing alone will be considered a term 

of viticultural significance because 

consumers and vintners could 

reasonably attribute the quality, 

reputation, or other characteristic of 

wine made from grapes grown in the 

Wahluke Slope viticultural area to the 

name Wahluke itself. Consequently, 

wine bottlers using ‘‘Wahluke Slope’’ or 

‘‘Wahluke’’ in a brand name, including 

a trademark, or in another label 

reference as to the origin of the wine, 

must 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, a viticultural area 

name or other term specified as being 

viticulturally significant 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 or other term, 

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 or other 

viticulturally significant term as an 

appellation of origin and that name or 

other term 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 

or other viticulturally significant term 

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. 

72710 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

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 § 9.192 

to read as follows: 

§ 9.192 Wahluke Slope. 

(a) Name. The name of the viticultural 

area described in this section is 

‘‘Wahluke Slope’’. For purposes of part 

4 of this chapter, ‘‘Wahluke Slope’’ and 

‘‘Wahluke’’ are terms of viticultural 

significance. 

(b) Approved Maps. The appropriate 

maps for determining the boundary of 

the Wahluke Slope viticultural area are 

eight United States Geological Survey 

1:24,000 scale topographic maps. They 

are titled: 

(1) Beverly Quadrangle, Washington, 

1965; 

(2) Beverly SE Quadrangle, 

Washington—Grant Co., 1965; 

(3) Smyrna Quadrangle, 

Washington—Grant Co., Provisional 

Edition 1986; 

(4) Wahatis Peak Quadrangle, 

Washington—Grant Co., Provisional 

Edition 1986; 

(5) Coyote Rapids Quadrangle, 

Washington, Provisional Edition 1986; 

(6) Vernita Bridge Quadrangle, 

Washington, Provisional Edition 1986; 

(7) Priest Rapids NE Quadrangle, 

Washington, Provisional Edition 1986; 

and 

(8) Priest Rapids Quadrangle, 

Washington, 1948; photo revised 1978. 

(c) Boundary. The Wahluke Slope 

viticultural area is located in Grant 

County, Washington. The boundary of 

the Wahluke Slope viticultural area is as 

described below: 

(1) The beginning point is at the 

northwest corner of the viticultural area 

where the east bank of the Columbia 

River intersects the north boundary line 

of section 22, T15N/R23E, on the 

Beverly map; then 

(2) From the beginning point proceed 

straight east 1.5 miles to the intersection 

of the section 23 north boundary line 

and the 1,480-foot elevation line, T15N/ 

R23E, Beverly map; then 

(3) Proceed generally east along the 

meandering 1,480-foot elevation line, 

crossing the Beverly map, the Beverly 

SE map, and the Smyrna map, and 

continue onto the Wahatis Peak map to 

the intersection of the 1,480-foot 

elevation line and the eastern boundary 

line of section 15, which forms a portion 

of the boundary line of the Hanford Site, 

T15N/R26E, Wahatis Peak map; then 

(4) Proceed generally southwest along 

the Hanford Site boundary in a series of 

90 degree angles, crossing the Wahatis 

map, the Coyote Rapids map in section 

36, T15N/R25E, and the Vernita Bridge 

map, and continue onto the Priest 

Rapids NE map to the intersection of the 

Hanford Site boundary and the north 

bank of the Columbia River, section 10, 

T13N/R24E, Priest Rapids NE map; then 

(5) Proceed generally west along the 

north bank of the Columbia River, 

crossing onto the Priest Rapids map 

and, turning north-northwest, continue 

along the river bank and, crossing onto 

the Beverly map, return to the beginning 

point. 

Signed: September 29, 2005. 

John J. Manfreda, 

Administrator. 

Approved: November 3, 2005. 

Timothy E. Skud, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, (Tax, Trade, and 

Tariff Policy). 

[FR Doc. 05–23679 Filed 12–6–05; 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–37; Notice No. 40; Ref: T.D. ATF–

454] 

RIN 1513–AA50 

Santa Rita Hills Viticultural Area Name 

Abbreviation to Sta. Rita Hills (2003R–

091P) 

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Treasury. 

ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. 

SUMMARY: This Treasury decision 

modifies the name of the existing ‘‘Santa 

Rita Hills’’ American viticultural area by 

abbreviating its name to ‘‘Sta. Rita 

Hills.’’ We make this change to prevent 

possible confusion between wines 

bearing the Santa Rita Hills appellation 

and wines bearing the Santa Rita brand 

name used by a Chilean winery. The 

size and boundary of the existing 

viticultural area will remain unchanged. 

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: January 6, 2006. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita 

Butler, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 

Trade Bureau, Regulations and Rulings 

Division, 1310 G St., NW., Washington, 

DC 20220; telephone 202–927–8210. 

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 those 

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 American 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