ToAllWineInstituteMembers:
TTBissuedIndustryCircular2011‐4onApril29,2011.InthatCircular,TTB
declaresthatTTBwillnotbereviewingimageclarityandtypesizerequirements
whenitissuesfutureCertificatesofLabelApproval.TTBclaimsthatthiswillmake
theapprovalprocessmoreexpeditiouswhileatthesametimemaximizetheefficacy
ofTTB’slimitedresources.AllCOLAsissuedafterApril29willcarrythefollowing
disclaimer:
TTB has not reviewed this label for type size, characters per inch or
contrasting background. The responsible industry member must continue to
ensure that the mandatory information on the actual labels is displayed in the
correct type size, number of characters per inch, and on a contrasting
background in accordance with the TTB labeling regulations, 27 CFR parts 4, 5,
7, and 16, as applicable.
LabelapprovalrequestsreceivedbyTTBarewellaheadoflastyear,andTTB’s
availablepersonnelandresourceshavenotbeenabletokeepupwiththeincreased
applications.Asaresult,evenCOLASONLINEapprovaltimeshavebeengetting
longer.Inordertoaddresstheprocessingtimedelaysandtoprovidemore
expeditiousservice,TTBhasdecidedtoreducethenumberandtypeoflabel
elementsthatitwillreview.
Aswithallreductionsinservice,thenewsformemberwineriesismixed.Thegood
newsisthatbynotreviewingforcharactersperinch(cpi),typesize,andcontrasting
background,theCOLAapprovalprocessshouldtakelesstime.Iknowthatsomeof
youhavebeenfrustratedwiththeever‐increasingwaitingperiodsforTTBto
approveyourCOLAs.YetalongwiththefasterCOLAprocessingtimesthatwillbe
realizedbythislatestTTBannouncementcomesadditionalwineryrisks.SinceTTB
willnotbereviewingyourlabelfortypesize,cpiandcontrastingbackgroundatthe
COLAstage,winerieswillbeheldresponsibleforsuchviolationsintheconsumer
marketplace.Shiftingtheriskandthepointofenforcementtotheconsumermarket
mayalsomeanthattheconsequencesfornoncompliancemaybemoresevere.
UnliketheconsequencesfacednowforarejectedCOLA,whichisusuallythecost
andtimeforresubmissionofacorrectedlabel,awinelabelfoundinthe
marketplacewithanoncompliantlabelmayfaceabroaderrangeofenforcement
exposurethansimplyarejectedorrescindedCOLA,suchasfines,productrelabeling
andproductrecall.Wineriesshouldn’tpanic(yet),however.Whilethemoresevere
optionsofrecallandrelabelinghavealwaysbeenavailabletoTTB,these
enforcementtoolswouldprobablybeusedsparinglyfortypesize,cpi,and
contrastingbackgroundviolations,andTTBwilllookatallviolationsonacase‐by‐
casebasis.
TTB’sdeclarationplaceswineriesonnoticethattheburdenofcomplianceshiftsto
them.WinerieswillnolongerbeabletorelyonTTBtoreviewandcorrectcertain
improperlabelsatthelabelapprovalstage,atleastfortypesize,cpiandcontrasting
background.
KNOWYOURTYPESIZEREQUIREMENTS:
Wethoughtweshouldsummarizethetypesizeandcpirequirementsforall
mandatorylabelinformationsothatyoucanrefertothisdocumentwhen
developingandinternallyreviewingyourownlabels.
TTBlabelregulationsmakedistinctionsbasedfirstoncontainersize,butcontainer
sizeandrelatedtypesizerequirementsarenotalwaysconsistent.TTB’sstandardof
fillregulationsauthorizespecificmetricsizes.27CFR4.72.Forwine,thesmaller
containersizesbeginat50ml,then100ml,187ml,andthen375ml.Formost
mandatorywinelabelinformation,regulationsprescribeonesetoftypesize
requirementsforcontainersupto187ml,andanothersetoftypesizerequirements
forcontainerslargerthan187ml.GovernmentWarningregulationshavethree
levelsoftypesizeandadditionalcpiprovisions.GovernmentWarningregulations
haveseparaterequirements(a)forcontainerssmallerthan237ml,(b)for
containersfrom237mlupto3liters,and(c)forcontainers3litersandlarger.Wine
fillstandardsdonotauthorizea237mlcontainersize,soforwine,wecanstill
providethreetableswiththreedifferentsetsoftypesizerequirements.
TypeSizeRequirementsforWineMandatoryLabelInformation
ForContainersUpTo187ml
MandatoryLabel
Information
 Brandname
 Class,typeorother
designation
 NameandAddress
 NetContents
 FTCYellowDye#5
 SulfitesDeclaration


RequiredTypeSize
Forcontainersupto187ml,thissetofmandatory
labelinformationmustbeinscript,type,orprinting
notsmallerthan1millimeter,unlesscontainedamong
otherdescriptiveorexplanatoryinformation,inwhich
casethescript,type,orprintingofthemandatory
informationmustbeofasizesubstantiallymore
conspicuousthanthatofthedescriptiveorexplanatory
information.27CFR4.38(b)
Alcoholiccontentstatementsmustmeetminimumand
AlcoholContent
maximumsizerequirements.Alcoholiccontent
Statement
statementsmustnotappearinscript,type,orprinting
largerormoreconspicuousthan3millimetersnor
smallerthan1millimeteronlabelsofcontainers
havingacapacityof5litersorless.27CFR4.28(b)(3).
Governmentwarningstatementsmustbereadily
Government
WarningStatement legibleandoncontrastingbackground.
Thefirsttwowordsofthestatement,i.e.,
“GOVERNMENTWARNING,”shallappearincapital
lettersandinboldtype.Theremainderofthewarning
statementmaynotappearinboldtype.
Regulationsrequirethatforcontainersof237
milliliters(8fl.oz.)orless,theGovernmentWarning
mustbeinscript,type,orprintingnotsmallerthan1
millimeter,withamaximumof40charactersperinch.
27CFR16.22.
TypeSizeRequirementsforWineMandatoryLabelInformation
ForContainersLargerthan187mlTo3Liters
MandatoryLabel
Information
 Brandname
 Class,typeorother
designation
 NameandAddress
 NetContents
 FTCYellowDye#5
 SulfitesDeclaration


RequiredTypeSize
Forcontainerslargerthan187ml,thissetof
mandatorylabelinformationmustbeinscript,type,or
printingnotsmallerthan2millimeters,unless
containedamongotherdescriptiveorexplanatory
information,inwhichcasethescript,type,orprinting
ofthemandatoryinformationmustbeofasize
substantiallymoreconspicuousthanthatofthe
descriptiveorexplanatoryinformation.27CFR4.38
(b).
Alcoholiccontentstatementsmustmeetminimumand
AlcoholContent
maximumsizerequirements.Alcoholiccontent
Statement
statementsmustnotappearinscript,type,orprinting
largerormoreconspicuousthan3millimetersnor
smallerthan1millimeteronlabelsofcontainers
havingacapacityof5litersorless.27CFR4.28(b)(3).
Governmentwarningstatementsmustbereadily
Government
WarningStatement legibleandoncontrastingbackground.
Thefirsttwowordsofthestatement,i.e.,
“GOVERNMENTWARNING,”shallappearincapital
lettersandinboldtype.Theremainderofthewarning
statementmaynotappearinboldtype.

Regulationsrequirethatforcontainersof
morethan237milliliters(8fl.oz.)upto3liters
(101fl.oz.),theGovernmentWarningmustbe
inscript,type,orprintingnotsmallerthan2
millimeters,withamaximumof25characters
perinch.
.
27CFR16.22
TypeSizeRequirementsforWineMandatoryLabelInformation
ForContainersLarger3Liters
MandatoryLabel
Information
 Brandname
 Class,typeorother
designation
 NameandAddress
 NetContents
 FTCYellowDye#5
 SulfitesDeclaration


RequiredTypeSize
Forcontainerslargerthan187ml,thissetof
mandatorylabelinformationmustbeinscript,type,or
printingnotsmallerthan2millimeters,unless
containedamongotherdescriptiveorexplanatory
information,inwhichcasethescript,type,orprinting
ofthemandatoryinformationmustbeofasize
substantiallymoreconspicuousthanthatofthe
descriptiveorexplanatoryinformation.27CFR4.38
(b).
Alcoholiccontentstatementsmustmeetminimumand
AlcoholContent
maximumsizerequirements.Alcoholiccontent
Statement
statementsmustnotappearinscript,type,orprinting
largerormoreconspicuousthan3millimetersnor
smallerthan1millimeteronlabelsofcontainers
havingacapacityof5litersorless.27CFR4.28(b)(3).
Governmentwarningstatementsmustbereadily
Government
WarningStatement legibleandoncontrastingbackground.
Thefirsttwowordsofthestatement,i.e.,
“GOVERNMENTWARNING,”shallappearincapital
lettersandinboldtype.Theremainderofthewarning
statementmaynotappearinboldtype.

Regulationsrequirethatforcontainersof
morethan3liters(101fl.oz.),theGovernment
Warningmustbeinscript,type,orprintingnot
smallerthan3millimeters,withamaximumof
12charactersperinch.
27CFR16.22.
Finally,TTB’sannouncementdoesnoteliminateyourrequirementtosubmitaCOLA
applicationwhenyouneedtodoso.Italsodoesnotmeanthatwineriescan
arbitrarilychangetypesize,font,cpi,andbackgroundofanapprovedlabelwithout
gettinganewCOLA.Wineriesshouldfamiliarizethemselveswiththeallowable
revisionsforanalreadyapprovedlabel.Theremaybeinstanceswhenyoudon’t
needtosubmitanewCOLAapplicationatall.Atableofthese“allowablerevisions”
arefoundonpage3ofthecurrentCOLAapplicationform(TTBF5100.31).We
summarizethose“allowablerevisions”below.
MostCommonAllowableRevisionstoApprovedWineLabels
PleaseRefertoPage3ofTTBForm5100.31forthecompletelist
Revision
Deleteanynon‐
mandatorylabel
information
Allowable?
Yes
Changetheshape
orproportionate
sizeoflabels
Yes
Changethenet
contents
statement
Yes
Changethestated Yes
alcoholcontent
Add,changeor
deletestatebottle
deposit
information
Changethename
and/or
tradenameof
responsible
winery
Changethestated
mandatory
amountsofsugar
atharvestand/or
residualsugar
Changeordelete
statedvintage
date
Yes
Comments
Includeswords,text,illustrations,graphics,etc.
Soifyou’reremovingnon‐mandatorylabel
information,youdon’tneedtoresubmitaCOLA
application.Note,however,thatrelocatinglabel
information,especiallymandatorylabel
information,maystillrequireanewCOLA
application.
e.g.Changeinsizeandshapeofabottledesigned
foratall3literbottletofitashort,flat500ml
bottle.Note,however,thattypesize
requirementsstillapply,sochangingalabel
proportionallydoesn’tmeantypesizecandrop
belowrequiredsize.
Changethenetcontentstatement,exceptthat
separateCOLAapplicationsmustbesubmitted
forcontainersof237mlorless,237mlto3liters,
andover3literstoconformtoGovernment
Warningregulations.
Alcoholcontentcanchangefromyeartoyear
withoutsubmittinganotherCOLAapplication,but
onlyifthechangedoesnotalter(a)classand
type,or“(b)taxablegrade.
Yes
Thename/tradenamemustappearontheBasic
PermitunderwhichtheCOLAisissued
Yes
SeeATFRuling82‐4todeterminewhensugar
statementsaremandatory.Usuallyappliesto
“LateHarvest”or“IceWine”labels.
Yes
Ifvintagedateisdeleted,noreferenceto
“Vintage”maybemadeonanylabelorother
materials(e.g.,caps,celoseals,corks,etc.)affixed
tothebottle.
Youmayaddthisinformationbyaddinganother
labelstatingsuchinformationprovidedthatno
referenceismadeontheadditionallabeltothe
Add,delete,or
Yes
changethename
and/oraddressor
trademark(or
both)ofthe
wholesaler,
retailer,or
personsforwhom
theproductis
importedor
bottled.
Changeordelete
statedbottling
date.
Changeordelete
statedamountof
acidand/orpH
level
Addordelete
bondedwinery
number
Add,delete,or
changeUPCcode
Add,delete,or
changeawebsite
address,phone
number,fax
number,orzip
code
Changeordelete
alotorbatch
identification
numberorother
serialnumbers
Add,delete,or
changetrademark
and/orcopyright
symbols,i.e.,TM,
©,®
productoranyofitscharacteristics.
Yes
Yes
Yes
BondedWineryNumbermustappearindirect
conjunctionthebottler’snameandaddress
Yes
Yes
AdditionorchangeofUPCCodemustbein
compliancewithTTBIndustryCircular77‐23
Yes
Yes
*****
For any questions about label approval or TTB’s Industry Circular, please do not hesitate
to contact Susan Gregory, Wine Institute’s Federal Compliance Program Manager, at
(202) 408-0870, [email protected], or Wendell Lee at (415) 356-7534,
[email protected].