[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 27, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 27CFR4.27]

[Page 24-25]
 
            TITLE 27--ALCOHOL, TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND FIREARMS
 
 CHAPTER I--ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE 
                                TREASURY
 
PART 4_LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF WINE--Table of Contents
 
                Subpart C_Standards of Identity for Wine
 
Sec. 4.27  Vintage wine.

    (a) General. Vintage wine is wine labeled with the year of harvest 
of the grapes and made in accordance with the standards prescribed in 
classes 1, 2, or 3 of Sec. 4.21. At least 95 percent of the wine must 
have been derived from grapes harvested in the labeled calendar year, 
and the wine must be labeled with an appellation of origin other than a 
country (which does not qualify for vintage labeling). The appellation 
shall be shown in direct conjunction with the designation required by 
Sec. 4.32(a)(2), in lettering substantially as conspicuous as that 
designation. In no event may the quantity of wine removed from the 
producing winery, under labels bearing a vintage date, exceed the volume 
of vintage wine produced in that winery during the year indicated by the 
vintage date.
    (b) American wine. A permittee who produced and bottled or packed 
the wine, or a person other than the producer who repackaged the wine in 
containers of 5 liters (or 1-gallon before January 1, 1979) or less may 
show the year of vintage upon the label if the person possesses 
appropriate records from the producer substantiating the year of vintage 
and the appellation of origin; and if the wine is made in compliance 
with the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section.
    (c) Imported wine. Imported wine may bear a vintage date if: (1) It 
is made in compliance with the provisions of paragraph (a) of this 
section; (2) it is bottled in containers of 5 liters (or 1-gallon before 
January 1, 1979) or less prior to importation, or bottled in the

[[Page 25]]

United States from the original container of the product (showing a 
vintage date); (3) if the invoice is accompanied by, or the American 
bottler possesses, a certificate issued by a duly authorized official of 
the country of origin (if the country of origin authorizes the issuance 
of such certificates) certifying that the wine is of the vintage shown, 
that the laws of the country regulate the appearance of vintage dates 
upon the labels of wine produced for consumption within the country of 
origin, that the wine has been produced in conformity with those laws, 
and that the wine would be entitled to bear the vintage date if it had 
been sold within the country of origin.

[T.D. ATF-53, 43 FR 37676, Aug. 23, 1978, as amended by T.D. ATF-195, 50 
FR 763, Jan. 7, 1985]