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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m S e p t - O c t 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 7 5 and Sangiovese. It's easy to see there's a wide range for distiller creativity. Another common distilling prac- tice in wine districts is production of neutral grape spirits. Wines that aren't fit to sell can be distilled and stripped of their alcohol to make a high proof spirit suitable for forti- fying ports or dessert wines. As more craft distilleries are opening and offering neutral grape spirits, more wineries are opting to create estate-labeled fortified products. PLENTIFUL RED TAPE As more applications for a dis- tilled spirits plant (DSP) are sub- mitted, it appears that TTB is improving all of its processes. Most all TTB business can be conducted online, and that's following a test of patience navigating through the tutorials and instructions. But unlike a winery, a distillery must be near completed before available for labels with the Certifi- cate of Label Approval (COLA) por- tal. There are dozens of rules and regulations dictating what makes a legal formula and label. There are also a growing number of special- ists in the field who can help cut through the red tape. To learn more about craft distilling, go to the American Distilling Institute website at www.distilling.com or American Craft Spirits Association at www.americancraftspirits.org. Karen Binder is founder and co- owner of Grand River Spirits craft distillery and is former executive director of the Illinois Grape and Wine Resources Council. She also has been practicing journalism from Illinois for more than 30 years and, like Mark Twain, keeps a bottle of bourbon in the bottom left desk drawer. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. applying for the license. The appli- cation asks for detailed informa- tion about the location in relation to schools, churches and waterways, proof of local authority approval and registration numbers for the stills. These are only a few examples of the needed information. Keep in mind there's no alcohol production allowed until all licenses are issued. In many states, the TTB license must be acquired first and included in the state application. Among the most common errors in DSP applications is not secur- ing approvals from all levels of per- tinent government jurisdictions, including municipalities, townships or counties as well as the state. Bonding is another common issue, TTB officials say, adding that appli- cants often don't take time to learn the bonding requirements and the differences in bond types. Once a DSP is issued, the spirit "recipes," or formulas, may be sub- mitted online. A similar platform is C R A F T B E V E R A G E S R E P O R T Thanks to All the Great Customers !!!