[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 4 (Friday, January 5, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 726-730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00059]



[[Page 726]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

27 CFR Part 9

[Docket No. TTB-2023-0010; Notice No. 228]
RIN 1513-AD01


Proposed Establishment of the Conneaut Creek Viticultural Area

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to 
establish the 70,437-acre ``Conneaut Creek'' American viticultural area 
(AVA) in Ashtabula County, Ohio. The proposed AVA is located entirely 
within the boundaries of the existing Lake Erie AVA. TTB designates 
viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of 
their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may 
purchase. TTB invites comments on these proposals.

DATES: TTB must receive your comments on or before March 5, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may electronically submit comments to TTB on this 
proposal, and view copies of this document, its supporting materials, 
and any comments TTB receives on it within Docket No. TTB-2023-0010 as 
posted on Regulations.gov (https://www.regulations.gov), the Federal e-
rulemaking portal. Please see the ``Public Participation'' section of 
this document below for full details on how to comment on this proposal 
via Regulations.gov or U.S. mail, and for full details on how to obtain 
copies of this document, its supporting materials, and any comments 
related to this proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen A. Thornton, Regulations and 
Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G 
Street NW, Box 12, Washington, DC 20005; phone 202-453-1039, ext. 175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background on Viticultural Areas

TTB Authority

    Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act), 
27 U.S.C. 205(e), authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe 
regulations for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt 
beverages. The FAA Act provides that these regulations should, among 
other things, prohibit consumer deception and the use of misleading 
statements on labels and ensure that labels provide the consumer with 
adequate information as to the identity and quality of the product. The 
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) administers the FAA Act 
provisions pursuant to section 1111(d) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002, as codified at 6 U.S.C. 531(d). In addition, the Secretary of the 
Treasury has delegated certain administrative and enforcement 
authorities to TTB through Treasury Order 120-01.
    Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 4) authorizes TTB to 
establish definitive viticultural areas and regulate the use of their 
names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine 
advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 9) sets 
forth standards for the preparation and submission of petitions for the 
establishment or modification of American viticultural areas (AVAs) and 
lists the approved AVAs.

Definition

    Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) 
defines a viticultural area for American wine as a delimited grape-
growing region having distinguishing features as described in part 9 of 
the regulations and, once approved, a name and a delineated boundary 
codified in part 9 of the regulations. These designations allow 
vintners and consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or 
other characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to the 
wine's geographic origin. The establishment of AVAs allows vintners to 
describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and 
helps consumers to identify wines they may purchase. Establishment of 
an AVA is neither an approval nor an endorsement by TTB of the wine 
produced in that area.

Requirements

    Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(2)) 
outlines the procedure for proposing an AVA and allows any interested 
party to petition TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA. 
Section 9.12 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 9.12) prescribes standards 
for petitions to establish or modify AVAs. Petitions to establish an 
AVA must include the following:
     Evidence that the area within the proposed AVA boundary is 
nationally or locally known by the AVA name specified in the petition;
     An explanation of the basis for defining the boundary of 
the proposed AVA;
     A narrative description of the features of the proposed 
AVA that affect viticulture, such as climate, geology, soils, physical 
features, and elevation, that make the proposed AVA distinctive and 
distinguish it from adjacent areas outside the proposed AVA boundary;
     The appropriate United States Geological Survey (USGS) 
map(s) showing the location of the proposed AVA, with the boundary of 
the proposed AVA clearly drawn thereon; and
     A detailed narrative description of the proposed AVA 
boundary based on USGS map markings.
     If the proposed AVA is to be established within, or 
overlapping, an existing AVA, an explanation that both identifies the 
attributes of the proposed AVA that are consistent with the existing 
AVA and explains how the proposed AVA is sufficiently distinct from the 
existing AVA, and therefore appropriate for separate recognition.

Petition To Establish the Conneaut Creek AVA

    TTB received a petition from Andrew Kirk, a research specialist at 
Ohio State University--Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station, 
proposing to establish the ``Conneaut Creek'' AVA on behalf of the 
Committee for Establishment of the ``Conneaut Creek AVA,'' comprised of 
local industry and institutional stakeholders. The proposed AVA is 
located in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and is entirely within the 
established Lake Erie AVA (27 CFR 9.83). The proposed AVA consists of 
the land within 2 miles of Conneaut Creek within the State of Ohio, for 
a total of approximately 37,116 acres. There are six commercial 
vineyards covering a total of approximately 45 acres within the 
proposed AVA, as well as three wineries. The distinguishing feature of 
the proposed Conneaut Creek AVA is its climate.

Proposed Conneaut Creek AVA

Name Evidence

    The proposed AVA takes its name from Conneaut Creek, which runs 
through the region and empties into Lake Erie near the Ohio-
Pennsylvania border. According to the petition, one of the earliest 
examples of the use of the name ``Conneaut Creek'' comes from the diary 
of Moses Cleveland, a surveyor who landed at the mouth of the creek on 
the Lake Erie shoreline in 1796 and referred to the creek as 
``Conneaught Creek,'' an anglicized spelling of the Seneca name for the 
creek. The creek also gives its name to the city of Conneaut, Ohio, 
which is within the

[[Page 727]]

proposed AVA. The petition includes several examples of businesses and 
organizations within the proposed AVA that use the name ``Conneaut'' or 
``Conneaut Creek,'' including Conneaut Creek Veterinary Wellness and 
Urgent Care, Conneaut Creek Float and Fly Shop, the Conneaut Creek 
Club, Conneaut Creek Ship Repair, Friends of Conneaut Creek, and 
Conneaut Creek Fishing Lodge.

Boundary Evidence

    The proposed Conneaut Creek AVA encompasses the portion of Conneaut 
Creek that is in Ohio. Although the creek originates in Pennsylvania, 
the petition states that the Ohio-Pennsylvania border is used as the 
eastern boundary of the proposed AVA because at the time the petition 
was submitted, commercial viticulture did not exist along Conneaut 
Creek in Pennsylvania. The boundary of the proposed AVA begins at the 
point where Conneaut Creek intersects the Ohio-Pennsylvania State line. 
The proposed AVA then encompasses all land within 2 miles of the creek 
within the State of Ohio, to the point where the creek empties into 
Lake Erie. The petition states that a 2-mile radius around the creek 
encapsulates the climate, topography, and soil type of the proposed 
AVA, the primary characteristic being a climate that is strongly 
influenced by winds blowing inland from Lake Erie. According to the 
petition, the climatic influence of these winds lessens the farther one 
travels from both the Lake Erie shoreline and the banks of Conneaut 
Creek.

Distinguishing Feature

    According to the petition, the distinguishing feature of the 
proposed Conneaut Creek AVA is its climate, which is influenced by air 
moving inland from Lake Erie via Conneaut Creek. The headwaters of the 
creek are in Pennsylvania, and it primarily flows south to north within 
that State. However, within the proposed AVA, Conneaut Creek flows from 
east to west for some time, parallel to Lake Erie, before resuming a 
northward trajectory into the lake. The proposed AVA is also located 
along a considerable northeasterly curve of the shoreline. The petition 
states that due to the shape of the shoreline, air flowing into the 
proposed AVA has travelled across the waters of Lake Erie for a longer 
distance than at locations along the shoreline that are farther to the 
west. Therefore, the air has more time to be affected by the 
temperature of the water it is passing over. The result is that 
temperatures in the proposed AVA are typically cooler for longer in the 
spring growing season, when the water temperature is generally cooler 
than the air temperature; less extreme in the summer; and warmer in the 
winter, when the water temperature is generally warmer than the air 
temperature. By comparison, temperatures in locations farther from the 
lake are typically warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter than 
the proposed AVA.
    To demonstrate how airflow over Lake Erie affects temperatures, the 
petition included the average growing degree day \1\ (GDD) 
accumulations from 2015 to 2020 from within the proposed Conneaut Creek 
AVA and from the city of Fremont, Ohio, which is located within the 
western portion of the Lake Erie AVA and is not as close to the lake as 
the proposed AVA. The average GDD accumulation for the proposed AVA was 
2,996.6, while the average GDD accumulation from Fremont was 3,379. The 
petition states that the difference of 382.4 GDDs is equivalent to 3.5 
to 4 extra weeks of heat accumulation, indicating a warmer climate in 
Fremont.
    According to the petition, the cooler temperatures of the proposed 
Conneaut Creek AVA affect grape maturation and levels of malic acid, 
sugar (measured in degrees Brix), and phenols (which affect flavor, 
smell, and color). The petition provided information about must from 
pinot noir grapes harvested on the same date in 2019 from a vineyard in 
the proposed AVA and from two vineyards in the nearby Grand River 
Valley AVA (27 CFR 9.87), which is located within the Lake Erie AVA to 
the southwest of the proposed AVA. The information is set out in the 
following table. The petition notes that within the proposed AVA, the 
farthest a vineyard can be from Lake Erie is 6.5 miles, with most 
existing vineyards being within three miles of Lake Erie. In the Grand 
River Valley AVA, the closest a vineyard could be to the lake is 7.5 
miles.

                 Table 1--Comparison of Proposed AVA and Grand River Valley AVA Pinot Noir Must
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Total
                            Location                                   Brix       phenolics (mg/    Titratable
                                                                                        L)         acidity (g/L)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed AVA....................................................              17             317            10.4
Grand River Valley AVA Site #1..................................            20.8             608             7.4
Grand River Valley AVA Site #2..................................              20             584             8.1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the petition, the cooler growing season temperatures 
of the proposed Conneaut Creek AVA are reflected in the higher levels 
of acid in the grape must. Malic acid degradation is primarily a 
function of temperature, both ambient and in the leaf canopy, with 
warmer temperatures reducing acid levels. Cooler growing season 
temperatures also slow the development of sugar and phenolic components 
in the grapes, resulting in grape must with lower degrees of Brix and 
fewer total phenolics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Albert J. Winkler et al., General Viticulture (Berkeley: 
University of California Press, 2nd ed.), pages 61-64 (1974). In the 
Winkler climate classification system, annual heat accumulation 
during the growing season, measured in annual GDDs, defines climatic 
regions. One GDD accumulates for each degree Fahrenheit that a day's 
mean temperature is above 50 degrees F, the minimum temperature 
required for grapevine growth.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The petition also included similar information for juice from pinot 
noir grapes harvested on the same day in 2018 from a vineyard within 
the proposed AVA and from a vineyard in the city of Vermilion, Ohio, 
which is located west of the proposed AVA along the central portion of 
the Lake Erie shoreline and is also within the Lake Erie AVA. The 
information is set out in the following table.

[[Page 728]]



                     Table 2--Comparison of Proposed AVA and Lake Erie AVA Pinot Noir Juice
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  GDD on date of                       Total
                            Location                                  harvest          Brix          phenolics
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed AVA....................................................           2,407              16             406
Vermilion, OH...................................................           2,703            19.8             669
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The data indicates that Brix levels and the number of total 
phenolics in the juice from grapes grown in the proposed AVA are lower 
than those in the juice from the Vermilion vineyard grapes. The lower 
sugar and phenolics levels, along with the lower GDD accumulations, 
demonstrate that the proposed AVA has cooler temperatures, even though 
the proposed AVA and the city of Vermilion are both close to the Lake 
Erie shore. The data also supports the petition's claim that the 
proposed Conneaut Creek AVA's location on the northeasterly curve of 
Lake Erie shoreline allows the air passing over the lake during the 
growing season to cool for a greater length of time than air that 
reaches the shoreline farther to the west.
    The petition states that lower sugar and phenolic levels and higher 
acid levels can also be found when comparing cabernet franc grapes 
grown in the proposed Conneaut Creek AVA to the same varietal grown in 
the Grand River Valley AVA and the western end of the Lake Erie AVA. 
The petition notes that cabernet franc grapes typically ripen later 
than pinot noir, regardless of where they are grown. The following 
table sets out the information.

                              Table 3--Comparison of Cabernet Franc Fruit Maturity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Proposed                         Western
          Year               Harvest date      Grape components   Conneaut Creek    Grand River     portion of
                                                                        AVA         Valley AVA     Lake Erie AVA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018....................  October 10........  Brix..............            19.6            20.2              21
                                              Total phenolics                399             544             488
                                               (mg/L).                         6             4.6             N/A
                                              Titratable acidity
                                               (mg/L).
2019....................  October 10........  Brix..............            20.4            22.2             N/A
                                              Total phenolics                469             531             N/A
                                               (mg/L).                       9.6               6             N/A
                                              Titratable acidity
                                               (mg/L).
2020....................  October 9.........  Brix..............            21.8              22             N/A
                                              Total phenolics                320             380             N/A
                                               (mg/L).                      10.1             7.9             N/A
                                              Titratable acidity
                                               (mg/L).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The petition did not include data related to growing season 
temperatures within the region to the east of the proposed AVA, in 
Pennsylvania, because the region lacked viticulture at the time the 
petition was submitted.

Comparison of the Proposed Conneaut Creek AVA to the Existing Lake Erie 
AVA

    The Lake Erie AVA was established by T.D. ATF-156, which was 
published in the Federal Register on October 21, 1983 (48 FR 48819). 
T.D. ATF-156 states that the AVA is distinguished by its proximity to 
Lake Erie, which ``exerts a moderating influence'' on temperatures. 
Locations adjacent to the lake are more protected from extreme minimum 
and maximum temperatures than regions farther from the lake. T.D. ATF-
156 also states that ``[s]oils, elevations, and other physiographic 
features are diverse and * * * do not directly form the basis'' for 
distinguishing the AVA.
    The proposed Conneaut Creek AVA also has the lake-influenced 
climate that is the primary feature of the Lake Erie AVA. However, due 
to its location on the northeastern edge of the Lake Erie AVA and its 
maximum distance of 6.5 miles from the lake, the proposed AVA has a 
cooler growing season than locations within the Lake Erie AVA that are 
farther west or farther inland.

TTB Determination

    TTB concludes that the petition to establish the approximately 
37,116-acre ``Conneaut Creek'' AVA merits consideration and public 
comment, as invited in this document.

Boundary Description

    See the narrative boundary descriptions of the petitioned-for AVA 
in the proposed regulatory text published at the end of this document.

Maps

    The petitioner provided the required maps, and they are listed 
below in the proposed regulatory text. You may also view the proposed 
Conneaut Creek AVA boundary on the AVA Map Explorer on the TTB website, 
at https://www.ttb.gov/wine/ava-map-explorer.

Impact on Current Wine Labels

    Part 4 of the TTB regulations prohibits any label reference on a 
wine that indicates or implies an origin other than the wine's true 
place of origin. For a wine to be labeled with an AVA name or with a 
brand name that includes an AVA name, at least 85 percent of the wine 
must be derived from grapes grown within the area represented by that 
name, and the wine must meet the other conditions listed in 27 CFR 
4.25(e)(3). If the wine is not eligible for labeling with an AVA name 
and that name appears in the brand name, then the label is not in 
compliance and the bottler must change the brand name and obtain 
approval of a new label. Similarly, if the AVA name appears in another 
reference on the label in a misleading manner, the bottler would have 
to obtain approval of a new label. Different rules apply if a wine has 
a brand name containing an AVA name that was used as a brand name on a 
label approved before July 7, 1986. See 27 CFR 4.39(i)(2) for details.
    If TTB establishes this proposed AVA, its name, ``Conneaut Creek,'' 
will be recognized as a name of viticultural significance under Sec.  
4.39(i)(3) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.39(i)(3)). The text of the 
proposed regulation clarifies this point. Consequently, wine bottlers 
using ``Conneaut Creek'' in a brand name, including a trademark, or in 
another label reference as to the origin of the wine, would have to 
ensure that

[[Page 729]]

the product is eligible to use the viticultural area's name ``Conneaut 
Creek.'' The approval of the proposed Conneaut Creek AVA would not 
affect any existing AVA, and any bottlers using ``Lake Erie'' as an 
appellation of origin or in a brand name for wines made from grapes 
grown within the Conneaut Creek AVA would not be affected by the 
establishment of this new AVA. If approved, the establishment of the 
proposed Conneaut Creek AVA would allow vintners to use ``Conneaut 
Creek,'' ``Lake Erie,'' or both AVA names as appellations of origin for 
wines made from grapes grown within the proposed AVA, if the wines meet 
the eligibility requirements for the appellation.

Public Participation

Comments Invited

    TTB invites comments from interested members of the public on 
whether TTB should establish the proposed Conneaut Creek AVA. TTB is 
interested in receiving comments on the sufficiency and accuracy of the 
name, boundary, and other required information submitted in support of 
the AVA petition. TTB invites comments on whether the boundary 
description, which only includes land within the proposed boundary that 
is also within 2 statute miles of Conneaut Creek within the AVA, is 
sufficient to identify the proposed AVA and different enough from areas 
outside that boundary. In addition, because the proposed Conneaut Creek 
AVA would be within the existing Lake Erie AVA, TTB is interested in 
comments on whether the evidence submitted in the petition regarding 
the distinguishing features of the proposed AVA sufficiently 
differentiates it from the existing AVA. TTB is also interested in 
comments on whether the geographic features of the proposed AVA are so 
distinguishable from the Lake Erie AVA that the proposed Conneaut Creek 
AVA should not be part of the established AVA. Please provide any 
available specific information in support of your comments.
    Because of the potential impact of the establishment of the 
proposed Conneaut Creek AVA on wine labels that include the term 
``Conneaut Creek'' as discussed above under Impact on Current Wine 
Labels, TTB is particularly interested in comments regarding whether 
there will be a conflict between the proposed area names and currently 
used brand names. If a commenter believes that a conflict will arise, 
the comment should describe the nature of that conflict, including any 
anticipated negative economic impact that approval of the proposed AVA 
will have on an existing viticultural enterprise. TTB is also 
interested in receiving suggestions for ways to avoid conflicts, for 
example, by adopting a modified or different name for the proposed AVA.

Submitting Comments

    You may submit comments on this proposal by using one of the 
following methods:
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: You may send comments via the 
online comment form posted with this document within Docket No. TTB-
2023-0010 on ``Regulations.gov,'' the Federal e-rulemaking portal, at 
https://www.regulations.gov. A direct link to that docket is available 
under Notice No. 228 on the TTB website at https://www.ttb.gov/wine/notices-of-proposed-rulemaking. Supplemental files may be attached to 
comments submitted via Regulations.gov. For complete instructions on 
how to use Regulations.gov, visit the site and click on the ``FAQ'' 
link at the bottom of the page.
     U.S. Mail: You may send comments via postal mail to the 
Director, Regulations and Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and 
Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW, Box 12, Washington, DC 20005.
    Please submit your comments by the closing date shown above in this 
document. Your comments must reference Notice No. 228 and include your 
name and mailing address. Your comments also must be made in English, 
be legible, and be written in language acceptable for public 
disclosure. We do not acknowledge receipt of comments, and we consider 
all comments as originals.
    Your comment must clearly state if you are commenting on your own 
behalf or on behalf of an organization, business, or other entity. If 
you are commenting on behalf of an organization, business, or other 
entity, your comment must include the entity's name as well as your 
name and position title. If you comment via Regulations.gov, please 
enter the entity's name in the ``Organization'' blank of the online 
comment form. If you comment via postal mail, please submit your 
entity's comment on letterhead.
    You may also write to the Administrator before the comment closing 
date to ask for a public hearing. The Administrator reserves the right 
to determine whether to hold a public hearing.

Confidentiality

    All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public 
record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your 
comments that you consider to be confidential or inappropriate for 
public disclosure.

Public Disclosure

    TTB will post, and you may view, copies of this document, selected 
supporting materials, and any online or mailed comments received about 
this proposal within Docket No. TTB-2023-0010 on the Federal e-
rulemaking portal, Regulations.gov, at https://www.regulations.gov. A 
direct link to that docket is available on the TTB website at https://www.ttb.gov/wine/notices-of-proposed-rulemaking under Notice No. 228. 
You may also reach the relevant docket through the Regulations.gov 
search page at https://www.regulations.gov. For instructions on how to 
use Regulations.gov, visit the site and click on the ``FAQ'' link at 
the bottom of the page.
    All posted comments will display the commenter's name, organization 
(if any), city, and State, and, in the case of mailed comments, all 
address information, including email addresses. TTB may omit voluminous 
attachments or material that it considers unsuitable for posting.
    You may also obtain copies of this proposed rule, all related 
petitions, maps, other supporting materials, and any electronic or 
mailed comments that TTB receives about this proposal at 20 cents per 
8.5- x 11-inch page. Please note that TTB is unable to provide copies 
of USGS maps or any similarly-sized documents that may be included as 
part of the AVA petition. Contact TTB's Regulations and Rulings 
Division by email using the web form at https://www.ttb.gov/contact-rrd, or by telephone at 202-453-1039, ext. 175, to request copies of 
comments or other materials.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    TTB certifies that this proposed regulation, if adopted, would not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The proposed regulation imposes no new reporting, 
recordkeeping, or other administrative requirement. Any benefit derived 
from the use of a viticultural area name would be the result of a 
proprietor's efforts and consumer acceptance of wines from that area. 
Therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required.

[[Page 730]]

Executive Order 12866

    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action as 
defined by Executive Order 12866, as amended. Therefore, it requires no 
regulatory assessment.

List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9

    Wine.

Proposed Regulatory Amendment

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, we propose to amend 
title 27, chapter I, part 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 9--AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS

0
1. The authority citation for part 9 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  27 U.S.C. 205.

Subpart C--Approved American Viticultural Areas

0
2. Add Sec.  9.__ to read as follows:


Sec.  9.__   Conneaut Creek.

    (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this 
section is ``Conneaut Creek''. For purposes of part 4 of this chapter, 
``Conneaut Creek'' is a term of viticultural significance.
    (b) Approved maps. The 4 United States Geological Survey (USGS) 
1:24,000 scale topographic map used to determine the boundary of the 
viticultural area are as follows:
    (1) Conneaut, OH-PA, 2019;
    (2) North Kingsville, OH, 2019;
    (3) Gageville, OH, 2019; and
    (4) Pierpoint, OH, 2019.
    (c) Boundary. The Conneaut Creek viticultural area is located in 
Ashtabula County, Ohio. The boundary of the Conneaut Creek viticultural 
area is as described as follows:
    (1) The beginning point is on the Conneaut map at the intersection 
of the Ohio-Pennsylvania State line and Conneaut Creek.
    (2) From the beginning point, proceed westerly, then easterly, then 
northerly along Conneaut Creek, crossing onto the North Kingsville map 
and back onto the Conneaut map, to the point where Conneaut Creek flows 
into Lake Erie.
    (3) The Conneaut Creek viticultural area consists of all land 
within 2 statute miles of Conneaut Creek on the Conneaut, North 
Kingsville, Gageville, and Pierpoint maps.

    Signed: December 19, 2023.
Mary G. Ryan,
Administrator.
    Approved: December 20, 2023.
Thomas C. West, Jr.,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy).
[FR Doc. 2024-00059 Filed 1-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P