Is that really a Sonoma wine?

Taking a cue from Napa, Sonoma County growers are pushing for a "truth in labeling" law that would guarantee a wine has Sonoma grapes in the bottle if it has Sonoma on the label.

Under the proposed legislation, wine brands like Sonoma-Cutrer or Sonoma Creek must be made from at least 75 percent Sonoma County grapes. Currently, wine brands with Sonoma in the name can be produced from grapes grown in Lodi, Lake County or anyplace else, without a trace of Sonoma fruit.

"If this bill is approved, it will make sure consumers are informed and not misled in any way. Wine labels are confusing enough. This a step in ending some of the consumer confusion," Nick Frey, executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association, said Tuesday.

Frey said the legislation also will make Sonoma County grapes more valuable by protecting the integrity of Sonoma County wines. That issue will become even more important in the future because the county's growers are considering taxing themselves to raise more than $1 million a year to promote the Sonoma name.

The Sonoma County Grape Growers Association is sponsoring the legislation, SB 1380, which is being carried by state Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata. On Tuesday, the bill passed its first hurdle when it was unanimously approved by the Senate's government organization committee.

Chesbro said SB 1380 is similar to legislation he introduced to protect the Napa name on wine labels. The Napa legislation, which became law in 2000, was aimed at the Napa Ridge and Napa Creek labels, which were not made from Napa Valley grapes but cheaper Central Valley grapes.

Bronco Wine Co., the Ceres-based wine company that owns the Napa Creek and Napa Ridge labels, waged an aggressive five-year legal battle against Chesbro's state law.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the long legal fight when it refused to hear an appeal by Bronco Wine Co.

Chesbro said Sonoma County and other wine regions are now seeking wine label protections like Napa because growers know the law will hold up in court.

Sonoma County Grape Growers Association was instrumental in sponsoring the legislation. But in writing the bill, Chesbro said, he added five other counties where grower groups expressed interest in protecting the county name on wine labels. The other counties are Mendocino, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.

"This is a work in progress," Chesbro said.

While Sonoma and Mendocino counties have widespread support for the bill, other counties could drop out if there is strong opposition from wineries or vintners organizations, Chesbro said.

It's uncertain when the legislation will come up for a final vote, but it's expected to be this summer. If approved, it would become law on Jan. 1, 2007.

Frey said his group sponsored the legislation to protect the Sonoma name in the future, not because of any blatant abuse right now. He knows of only one label, Sonoma Creek, that does not contain enough Sonoma County grapes to comply with the 75 percent rule in the proposed legislation.

Frey said other wineries with Sonoma in their name - including Sonoma-Cutrer, Lake Sonoma and Sonoma Coast Winery - are true Sonoma County wineries that use Sonoma grapes.

Sonoma Creek, founded in Sonoma in 1986, was acquired in 2003 by Ironstone Vineyards, a large wine company based in Murphys in Calaveras County. The Kautz family, owners of Ironstone, were not available Tuesday to comment on the legislation and, if passed, what it would mean for their Sonoma Creek wines.

Frey suggested a simple solution would be for Ironstone to use Sonoma County grapes in making Sonoma Creek wines.

The legislation gives California's Alcohol Beverage Control the authority to revoke or suspend the license of any winery violating the law.