3 ms·

> Our country doesn't really have much in the way of "geographical" boundaries for the production of certain products...it's fine to label and sell a "Wisconsin

> Our country doesn't really have much in the way of "geographical" boundaries for the production of certain products...it's fine to label and sell a "Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar (made in Texas)". Or a "Bourbon Whiskey" made in Colorado. Words on labels are generally pretty meaningless here. That’s not quite true. While it is rarer, mostly because the US doesn’t have nearly the regional history of Europe and because it generally takes a more libertarian approach on production, there is a legal protection system for regional items (Protected Geographical Indicator, PGI). One example (that’s also registered as an EU PDO) is “Napa” or “Napa Valley” for wines. It also applies for Vidalia Onions, Florida Oranges, Idaho Potatoes, Humboldt Fog and (ironic, as it’s counter to your example) Kentucky Bourbon; however, I don’t believe those are also registered PDOs. As to Champagne, there was a long while that the US simply refused to acknowledge PDOs (again, because of the more laissez-faire/free commerce attitude) and many “American Champagnes” were produced before PDO was even a legal framework in the EU (1992). For that reason, it’s still a flimsy PGI in the US. That being said, as many winemakers in California are now selling in Europe, given its increased prestige in the wine community, many of them have chosen to rebrand as “Sparkling Wine” of their own accord.

runnerup 4y ago
> (ironic, as it’s counter to your example) Kentucky Bourbon I'm aware of this and was hoping someone else would elaborate on labeling laws in the USA. You've done a fantastic job with these examples, most of which I never knew about! Just as a counter-counter-example to kick things off, here is whiskey labeled Bourbon made in Colorado[0]. Here are the actual laws on Bourbon[1]. Also of note is the rather more restrictive "Bottled-in-bond Bourbon" laws[2]. Still, I didn't know the USA had any actual state-restricted labels. Idaho potatoes are a hell of a discovery for me...I had no idea that Idaho potatoes were "Russet potatoes from the state of Idaho". 0: https://lawswhiskeyhouse.com/our-whiskeys/ https://lawswhiskeyhouse.com/our-whiskeys/ 1: https://caskx.com/2021/08/19/bourbons-legal-definition/ https://caskx.com/2021/08/19/bourbons-legal-definition/ 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_in_bond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_in_bond
- Kon-Peki 4y ago
  I think that "Bottled in Bond" is little more than a marketing gimmick now. The kind of distillery that a consumer would want this guarantee from is not going to go to the expense of doing so. The kind of distillery that would participate is already of high quality and does not need that kind of guarantee. Bourbon is required to be aged in a brand-new oak barrel. A long time ago this may have been a big expense for a distillery, but now the secondhand market for those barrels is so high that a distillery gets a lot of revenue from selling their used barrels to other alcohol producers. They are in high demand, especially for export to Europe! Alcohol producers, distillers included, are now very welcoming of visitors and offer tours and other tourism-related activities. It is a lot easier for a consumer to verify the quality of a product now than it used to be. If you want your own barrel of bourbon, a lot of places will do that for you. I've got a family member that helps run a distillery in Michigan that hosts special events such as weddings. The bride and groom get a smaller barrel as a wedding favor, placed in the venue for all guests to sign and write messages on, etc. The barrel is filled and aged in the warehouse, to be bottled on a future anniversary date, with the bottles and the empty barrel then delivered to the couple years later. They can even participate in the distilling process if they wish, or visit during the aging process to see their barrel in the warehouse, etc.
- deaddodo 4y ago
  > Just as a counter-counter-example to kick things off, here is whiskey labeled Bourbon made in Colorado[0]. Here are the actual laws on Bourbon[1]. Also of note is the rather more restrictive "Bottled-in-bond Bourbon" laws[2]. Notice how it’s labeled “Bourbon” and not “Kentucky Bourbon”.

runnerup 4y ago

> (ironic, as it’s counter to your example) Kentucky Bourbon I'm aware of this and was hoping someone else would elaborate on labeling laws in the USA. You've done a fantastic job with these examples, most of which I never knew about! Just as a counter-counter-example to kick things off, here is whiskey labeled Bourbon made in Colorado[0]. Here are the actual laws on Bourbon[1]. Also of note is the rather more restrictive "Bottled-in-bond Bourbon" laws[2]. Still, I didn't know the USA had any actual state-restricted labels. Idaho potatoes are a hell of a discovery for me...I had no idea that Idaho potatoes were "Russet potatoes from the state of Idaho". 0: https://lawswhiskeyhouse.com/our-whiskeys/ https://lawswhiskeyhouse.com/our-whiskeys/ 1: https://caskx.com/2021/08/19/bourbons-legal-definition/ https://caskx.com/2021/08/19/bourbons-legal-definition/ 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_in_bond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_in_bond

Kon-Peki 4y ago
I think that "Bottled in Bond" is little more than a marketing gimmick now. The kind of distillery that a consumer would want this guarantee from is not going to go to the expense of doing so. The kind of distillery that would participate is already of high quality and does not need that kind of guarantee. Bourbon is required to be aged in a brand-new oak barrel. A long time ago this may have been a big expense for a distillery, but now the secondhand market for those barrels is so high that a distillery gets a lot of revenue from selling their used barrels to other alcohol producers. They are in high demand, especially for export to Europe! Alcohol producers, distillers included, are now very welcoming of visitors and offer tours and other tourism-related activities. It is a lot easier for a consumer to verify the quality of a product now than it used to be. If you want your own barrel of bourbon, a lot of places will do that for you. I've got a family member that helps run a distillery in Michigan that hosts special events such as weddings. The bride and groom get a smaller barrel as a wedding favor, placed in the venue for all guests to sign and write messages on, etc. The barrel is filled and aged in the warehouse, to be bottled on a future anniversary date, with the bottles and the empty barrel then delivered to the couple years later. They can even participate in the distilling process if they wish, or visit during the aging process to see their barrel in the warehouse, etc.
deaddodo 4y ago
> Just as a counter-counter-example to kick things off, here is whiskey labeled Bourbon made in Colorado[0]. Here are the actual laws on Bourbon[1]. Also of note is the rather more restrictive "Bottled-in-bond Bourbon" laws[2]. Notice how it’s labeled “Bourbon” and not “Kentucky Bourbon”.