MUST HAVE NAPA GRAPES FOR NAPA LABEL

The U.S. Supreme Court is staying out of it. By refusing to hear Bronco Wine Co.’s appeal, they are validating a California law that requires wineries using the Napa name to include at least 75% of Napa grapes in their varietals. The case involves three Bronco brands - Napa Ridge, Napa Creek Winery and Rutherford Vintners – which use grapes from areas other than Napa. Bronco’s spokesman, Harvey Posert, says the company has already switched to using Napa grapes for Napa Creek Winery and Rutherford Vintners. According to the L.A. Times, “‘Bronco Wine Co. is disappointed with the Supreme Court's denial of its request to review the state court's erroneous ruling on our claims,’” Posert said in a telephone interview. “‘Bronco wine, however, intends to maintain all of its brands and will do so in full compliance with the law.’” The U.S. Supreme court rejected Bronco’s arguments, along with 62 other wineries that supported the case, and discarded their claims “that the labeling was protected by the company's right to free speech.”