| The next time you are out shopping for wine look | | | | the case for many smaller wineries. The growth in |
| closely for those that have the term "estate | | | | the industry over the past decade however has |
| bottled" on their label. These wines come the | | | | also meant many developments. There are many |
| closest in many ways to being the purebreds of | | | | new processing technologies used on wine which |
| the winemaking world. The actual use of this term | | | | require sending it to an offsite facility for the |
| on a wine label is regulated by the federal agency | | | | treatment. Wineries also have come up against |
| now known as the TTB. (Former BATF) There | | | | storage space issues in which case many now |
| are actually several items that are required to | | | | temporarily ship some of their wine offsite to |
| appear on wine labels. In the case of estate | | | | storage facilities and bring it back when they have |
| bottled its use is an optional one but must meet a | | | | the space or are getting close to bottling it. There |
| stringent list of requirements if a winery chooses | | | | has also been the growth of the bulk wine |
| to put it on their wine label. | | | | market. |
| What are some of these requirements? The | | | | Wineries both buy and sell wines on the bulk |
| winery must have maintained contact with the | | | | market to either sell off wines they don't need or |
| wine throughout its life, from start to finish. This | | | | purchase ones that they do. Any and all of these |
| means they grew all of the grapes used in the | | | | examples would directly impact a winery's ability |
| wine, processed the wine entirely on their site | | | | to qualify for "estate bottled" on their label. |
| from beginning til bottling, (none of the wine may | | | | The use of "estate bottled" is often still seen as a |
| have left their winery for any purpose during the | | | | marketing jewel for many wineries. They believe |
| entire process.) and the wine must be labeled with | | | | in the value of the impact of it appearing on their |
| an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in which the | | | | labels. The savvy wine consumer who is aware of |
| winery itself must also be located. | | | | the intricate details the use of that statement |
| Perhaps for many of you reading this it may | | | | means not only has a powerful shopping guide but |
| sound like somewhat standard fair for a wine's | | | | also becomes an insider of sorts into the wine's |
| "life" to go this sort of route. That was and still is | | | | life. |