TTB Compliance for Wineries 2026: Records & Reports Checklist

The TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) regulates US wine production, requiring detailed record-keeping and periodic reporting. For small and medium wineries, navigating TTB requirements can be overwhelming, especially without dedicated compliance staff.

Required Records

Wine Production Records

Crush report: grapes received by variety, grower, weight, Brix.
Fermentation record: tank, variety, volume, start/end dates.
Cellar treatment record: all additions and treatments (SO₂, fining, filtration).
Blending record: components, volumes, resulting blend.
Bottling record: lot, volume, date.

Inventory Records

Beginning and ending inventory by product type.
Gains (production, purchases).
Losses (sales, samples, breakage, evaporation).

Transaction Records

All purchases and sales of wine.
Transfers between bonded premises.
Removals for consumption or destruction.

Required Reports

Monthly Report of Wine Premises Operations (TTB Form 5120.17)

Due by the 20th of the following month, this report summarizes:

Wine produced, received, removed, and on hand.
Broken down by tax class (table wine, dessert wine, sparkling).

Excise Tax Return

Wine excise tax varies by type:

Still wine (≤14% ABV): $1.07/gallon.
Still wine (14-21% ABV): $1.57/gallon.
Still wine (21-24% ABV): $3.15/gallon.
Sparkling wine: $3.40/gallon.

Small wineries producing <250,000 gallons qualify for tax credits.

Common Compliance Pitfalls

Late reporting: the monthly report is due by the 20th. Late filing can trigger penalties.
Inventory discrepancies: physical inventory must match records. Unexplained differences trigger investigations.
Inadequate cellar treatment records: every addition must be logged. "I sulfited all the reds" isn't sufficient documentation.
AVA documentation gaps: claiming an AVA on the label without adequate grape origin records.
Blend documentation: failing to record blend components makes label claims unverifiable.

Cepaos and TTB Compliance

Cepaos records all winery operations in a structure that supports TTB compliance:

Crush, fermentation, treatment, blending, bottling records.
Inventory calculated automatically from movements.
Data for the monthly report generated from recorded operations.
AVA tracking from grape receipt to bottle.

Compliance shouldn't be a separate project. It's a byproduct of good record-keeping.

Start with Cepaos →

> Cepaos — If you'd like to try Cepaos through the founding members program, review the eligibility requirements.