The wine manufactured in the licensed premises shall not be fortified except with the permission of the Excise Supervisory Officer who shall ensure that the fortification is done in accordance with the following rules and mixing with spirit shall be done as prescribed in these rules:-
(1) A licensee desiring to fortify wine shall make an application in Form 9 to the Excise Supervisory Officer three days before the commencement of the operation.
(2) On receipt of the application, the Excise Supervisory Officer, may grant the permission applied for, 17 grant permission to fortify the wine and shall be present at the time of fortification and the entire process of fortification shall be under his supervision.
(3) Fortification shall be made after filtration of wine and before bottling.
(4) The Excise Supervisory Officer shall ensure that the tank where filtered wine is stored gauged by the competent authorities in the presence of the licensee or his representative and recorded before addition of neutral spirit, cane juice spirit or pure grape or fruit brandy.
(5) After the spirit has been added to the wine, the content of the tank shall be thoroughly stirred to ensure a complete mixture of wine with the spirit added.
(6) After adding neutral spirit, cane juice spirit or pure grape or fruit brandy, the said tank shall again be gauged and the details of gauging shall be recorded by the Excise Supervisory Officer in the presence of the licensee or his representative.
(7) Wine to which spirit is added shall be accounted for separately in Form 10 by the licensee and the Excise Supervisory Officer.
(8) Every bottle, jar or cask containing fortified wine shall have on the label affixed with the words “FORTIFIED WINE” in a conspicuous manner in addition to the particulars required under these rules.