The Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association generally supports the proposed amendments to the Product Labeling standards.  However, VBWA and its member wholesalers urge the Authority to consider implementing procedures to bring greater transparency to the label review process and appeal procedures. 

Many, if not most, suppliers are designing labels for national distribution, and the ability for a label to receive prior approval from the Authority before the product is introduced nationally would be far less costly than mandating changes to an already-existing label to meet Virginia’s standards. 

In addition, the VBWA urges the Authority to make it clear to the alcoholic beverage community that the changes to label approval proposed are proactive, and will not be enforced against those labels that already have been approved and are presently marketed in Virginia.