Federal Government shutdown impacts on wine industry

[GreginND]

Well, the government shutdown is affecting my ability to get my business going directly. I was just about to finish my federal winery application to the TTB. But they're now closed. License application is on hold indefinitely.

Wineries trying to get labels and recipes approved? Too bad. No label for you. Of course you can still file and pay your taxes to them!

I imagine other wineries are having difficulties too.

 

[Norske]

Same thing for us. We are smack dab in the middle of getting our new labels approved. I cannot bottle until I get label approval, in the meantime the politicians are still drawing a check.
Perhaps all of us small wineries need to have a "shutdown" on paying our federal taxes. This really is impacting us and the implications will last for sometime. Did I mention I am pissed

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

I bet those furloughed fed people are looking for something to do since they cant work, maybe a special shutdown tasting would bring them in to buy some wine??? WVMJ

 

[Bartman]

Can I take this opportunity to point out how silly it is that wine labels have to be pre-cleared by the government before they can be applied to a commodity? We all accept that as just one more layer of red tape, but what purpose does it serve? Rather than have some one inspect all labels before they are used, why couldn't they be spot-checked after they are applied and the offending label user penalized then? Is really that great of a risk to the American public that we inform them that the contents includes alcohol and sulfites? Isn't that known by roughly 99.9% of the population?

 

[jamesngalveston]

least your wine will not suffer from any additional aging...

 

[GreginND]

least your wine will not suffer from any additional aging...

Actually, delay in bottling can cause big problems for wineries that rely on freeing up tanks for all the new wine that is being made now during harvest. It could have devastating impacts on the wine. Breweries are in the same boat.

Bartman, agree wholeheartedly with you. The amount of oversight is too much.

 

[WI_Wino]

Can you bottle but not apply labels? I would have to guess that's better than losing an entire year's product????

 

[GreginND]

I suppose that is possible but I think some labeling machines need the bottles empty. That means labeling by hand later?

 

[smoutela]

Perhaps all of us small wineries need to have a "shutdown" on paying our federal taxes. This really is impacting us and the implications will last for sometime. Did I mention I am pissed

If my meadery was ready to open already I would have most certainty done that.

Flying Dog Brewery took the liberty of offering such a deal

http://flyingdogales.com/free-brewery-tours-for-furloughed-government-employees/

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I really like what Flying Dog Brewery has done !!!

 

[jdkelley]

I'm looking for a good labeling machine. Any recommendations? We have a very small winery - just getting started. We will be bottling about 5000 bottles this year. Thanks.

 

[HymnandHerd]

Well, the government shutdown is affecting my ability to get my business going directly. I was just about to finish my federal winery application to the TTB. But they're now closed. License application is on hold indefinitely.

Wineries trying to get labels and recipes approved? Too bad. No label for you. Of course you can still file and pay your taxes to them!

I imagine other wineries are having difficulties too.

Ironically here we are 6 years later and I'm in your exact position. Patiently waiting for the shutdown to end. I've been collecting everything (I hope) that's needed.

 

[GreginND]

Yes, this is actually the third time government shutdowns have affected my business. I have lots of new wine labels and some formulas that need approval. Ugh.

 

[ibglowin]

The Craft Beer industry is getting slammed as well. They churn out new beers almost weekly it seems.......

Commercially its time to bottle the Rose' for Springtime sales. That's not happening either it looks like.

 

[GreginND]

When I try to discuss this with people that - ahem - want the government to stay shut down, they tell me that the government has no business approving my labels anyway. I'm like . . . Ok? And? How does that help?

 

[cmason1957]

When I try to discuss this with people that - ahem - want the government to stay shut down, they tell me that the government has no business approving my labels anyway. I'm like . . . Ok? And? How does that help?

Yeah, that's about as helpful as I don't know what. It sure doesn't matter if they government should have approval power over your labels or not, they do and right now they can't do that. Oh Vey!!

 

[ffemt128]

Same boat as many, sitting waiting for new label approval. The worse part is we use a standard label for all labels and all we change is the product name and the appellation if needed.

 

[KevinL]

Yeah, that's about as helpful as I don't know what. It sure doesn't matter if they government should have approval power over your labels or not, they do and right now they can't do that. Oh Vey!!

If I had my way, the TTB wouldn't exist. Since I can't have my way, I want them to do things swiftly.