The TTB recently published three final rules in the Federal Register establishing four new American viticultural areas and modifying one existing area. Those are: the 7,800-acre “Ballard Canyon” viticultural area in Santa Barbara County; the 17,633-acre “Moon Mountain District Sonoma County” viticultural area; the 11,000-acre “Big Valley District–Lake County” viticultural area; the  9,100-acre “Kelsey Bench–Lake County” viticultural area; and made a minor boundary change to the existing “Red Hills Lake County” viticultural area. All final rules were effective on November 1, 2013 in response to petitions from local vintners and grape growers. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.