Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/197145
compliance Question No. 3: How long do you think it takes to really learn it? WF: To learn the cellar side of it, grape to bottle, you need to go through two years of doing it (at least two harvest cycles). KH: I would say after one harvest on my own, so a year and a half of doing it myself, that made a huge difference for me. Harvest of 2012 (a big year) I could never have been prepared for. There was just so much to keep up with, it was its own kind of baptism. You need to be a person who wants to take all of that on. DS: Several years. SV: It is always evolving, from understanding the tracking component to all the regulatory issues, it takes at least a couple of years to really have a foundation. You are always building on that foundation, too. Only knowing custom crush too, in my case, the customer programs look different from year to year, and having several seasons of that is what it takes to know exactly what to expect and plan for. JW: It is always going to be a work in progress. As long as the TTB continues to update their regulations, then there will still be a need to stay up to date and informed. Taking just a one-day class does not fully prepare someone to have enough of a foundation to go on. There is so much that needs to be addressed; a more sustained course would be more beneficial. Question No. 4: What are some of the best resources (websites) you recommend for learning about wine compliance? WF: The TTB website is good. Another longtime consultant, Sara Schorske, had some helpful articles early on. Other people in the industry are also a helpful resource base—more now than years ago when people were less inclined to share information. KH: The TTB website was basically a foreign language to me when I first started using it. It is getting better now. They are trying to be more user-friendly. I have met some friendly people from the California Dept. of Food & Ag who helped me with the California Grape Crush Report. Here in Napa most wineries share information through various networking groups and organizations. DS: I went to a TTB seminar in 2007, which was the first time topics like COLA were explained. Since then I will still use the TTB website to look up their verbage for specific regulations to then reference those in our standard operating procedures. SV: I still keep the TTB 2004 seminar handout at my desk for basic information, but I constantly reference the TTB's website for the latest in updated resources and information. (This is a handout packet that can be located on the TTB's website still — just do a search on their site: ttb.gov/wine for "seminar handout packet".) Staff at other wineries who manage compliance are also great resources when you have questions. JW: The TTB and the ABC websites. They have gotten better in more recent years. There are more online filing resources now too. I feel the best resource is going to the specialists (consultants). You are playing with the government here and they can come down hard, so I like to err on the side of caution. Question No. 5: What suggestions would you give to someone who wants to get into this area of work? WF: Start at the bottom doing work order entry so you can understand the process and work your way up from there. KH: Look on the Winejobs.com website and locate compliance positions—if you are not specifically qualified for them you can still apply and mention your organizational abilities and that you are eager to learn. Compliance people are NEW Practical Winery Library! Single-subject articles on a wide range of topics From the archives of Practical Winery & Vineyard PracticalWineryLibrary.com pr actica l win ery & vin eya r d N OVEM B ER 20 13 99