Environmentally-conscious and corkscrew-phobic wine lovers alike will be thrilled to hear that TTB issued a ruling on March 11, 2014, allowing the filling of wine growlers by TTB-licensed taxpaid wine bottling houses (“TPWBH”). The ruling is in response to a new Washington state law allowing state-licensed wineries to sell wine…
Author: Lindsey A. Zahn
Lindsey is the founder and author of On Reserve: A Wine Law Blog. She is an attorney and the Managing Partner of the alcohol beverage and food law firm Lindsey Zahn P.C. Lindsey is admitted to the New York State Bar.
San Antonio Winery Obtains Injunction Against Constellation Brands in Trademark Litigation Suit
The San Antonio Winery recently obtained a preliminary injunction against Constellation Brands. On March 11, 2014, Judge John Kronstadt of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that Constellation’s Rosatello brand was too similar to the Stella Rosa wine of San Antonio Winery. See San Antonio Winery Earns Victory…
Jamieson Vineyards Takes On Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers
On February 27, 2014, the Napa Valley-based vineyard Madison Vineyard Holdings, LLC, the owner of Jamieson Ranch, filed a complaint against Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers Limited, owner of the renowned Jameson Irish Whiskey, in the United States District Court Northern District of California. See Madison Vineyard Holdings, LLC vs. Irish Distillers Limited. The…
Is TTB Next? FDA’s New Proposed Nutrition Label and its Effects on Alcohol Beverages
Last year, I blogged several times about nutrition facts panels and ingredients statements in relation to wine and other TTB-regulated alcohol products. See A Regulatory Analysis: Nutrition Fact Panels and Ingredient Statements on Alcohol Beverages; Full Ingredients List to Appear on 2011 Ridge Vineyards Wine Label. As many know, for the majority of…
Court Awards Sanctions Against Diageo in Jackson Family Wines Lawsuit
In late 2011, Jackson Family Wines filed a compliant against Diageo North America after Jackson issued a cease and desist letter that Diageo stop use of one of Diageo’s marks in August 2011. See, e.g., Jackson Family Wines Sues Diageo Over La Crema Trademark. The complaint argued that the Crème de Lys brand,…
Is China Making a Step Forward in Wine Trademark Law?
One of my recent pieces was published by Cornell International Law Journal Online, which is an incredible online collection of short publications written by attorneys and law students discussing contemporary legal issues in various fields. I wrote about China with respect to trademark and the wine industry. Specifically, I discussed…
TTB Issues Interim Policy on Gluten-Free Labeling and Advertising for Wine, Spirits, and Malt Beverages
As many know, on August 5, 2013, FDA issued a final rule regarding the labeling of gluten-free foods. See 78 FR 47178, Food Labeling; Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods. As noted by On Reserve previously, TTB announced on August 22, 2013 that the agency would review its policy on the use of the term…
European Parliament Passes Stricter Legislation for Labeling Sangria Wines
I spent several weeks one summer in the Andalucía region of Spain. My trip included Granada, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and a few other cities. While the weather—particularly the mid-afternoon—was sweltering, one thing I did look forward to was trying the sangria at the many tapas restaurants we frequented. I…
Champagne House Veuve Clicquot Sues Italian Sparkling Wine Producer Over Label
Update January 23, 2014: The Drinks Business reported today that Veuve Clicquot denied filing suit against Ciro Picariello and instead contends that the Champagne company contacted the Italian sparkling wine producer to note the “similarity” of the labels and see if there is any way Ciro Picariello’s label could “evolve”…
French Winemakers Face Prosecution for Refusing to use Pesticides
I just finished reading an eBook, Into Wine, written by French sommelier Olivier Magny. As I am sure many can agree, I think it important to continually read about industry developments and about wine generally. While I enjoyed Mr. Magny’s publication, what I found most interesting was his discussion about organic and…