Assembly votes 67-0 to require 100% U.S. grapes in "American" wine

CAWG: The California Assembly approved AB 1585 (Connolly and Ransom) on a 67-0 vote Tuesday, sending the bill to the Senate. The measure would require any wine labeled "American" and sold or bottled in California to be made entirely from U.S.-grown grapes. Current federal rules let "American"-labeled wine include up to 25 percent foreign-grown grapes.

The bill is co-sponsored by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California, with backing from 18 regional wine associations and 14 co-author legislators. It aligns the "American" designation with the 100 percent standard California already applies to "California"-labeled wine. The Senate Governmental Organization Committee takes it up in June; bottlers get a transition window through July 1, 2027.