Fred Franzia likes to say he can make good wine from grapes grown just about anywhere. These two labels tend to show he could also make wine from just about anything. This tomato wine seems to decide the age-old question of whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. TTB classified it as a “table fruit wine” and the winery itself says it’s made with “only the finest fruits available … ” Along the same lines, here is an avocado wine, vinted and bottled in Florida. TTB classified it as a “table fruit wine.”

A number of cues suggest the winter holidays are upon us: shorter days and colder weather, stores decorated with Santas and snowflakes before Thanksgiving, and seasonal winter beers. Here are three examples of winter beer labels, including the new Anchor seasonal label, which changes yearly. Amongst seasonal beers, winter beer appears to be the most prevalent, with over 100 TTB label approvals in 2008 alone. See three recent label approvals here:  Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas, Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser, and Father John’s Winter Ale.

TTB frequently says vintage dates are not allowed on spirits. The rationale is:  subtle vintage characteristics do not survive distillation, and it is usually misleading to suggest otherwise. This bourbon label shows a prominent date, but seems to refrain from using the “vintage” term. The back label explains that 1792 is the year when Kentucky became the 15th state. The ad is from the October 24, 2008 Wall Street Journal.