Colorado has approximately 120 grape growers tending nearly 1,000 acres of vineyards and more than 140 licensed commercial wineries – including approximately a dozen cideries and a dozen meaderies. These vintners produced 178,000 cases of wine during the 2017 fiscal year, which equaled $36 million in sales alone.
Colorado’s grape growing regions range in elevation from 4,000 to 7,000 feet and are the highest in the Northern Hemisphere and among the highest in the world, beneath only Argentina. We average more than 300 days of sunshine each year creating ideal growing conditions.
Colorado possesses two federally designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): the Grand Valley along the Colorado River between Palisade and Grand Junction, and the West Elks along the North Fork of the Gunnison River between Paonia and Hotchkiss. Together, these regions produce 90% of the wine grapes grown in Colorado. Wine grapes have also taken root in Montezuma (Four Corners), Fremont (Arkansas Valley), Boulder, Larimer (Front Range), Delta and Montrose (Western Slope) Counties.
Of Note: The Grand Valley made Trip Advisor’s list of the Best Wine Destinations in 2012.