Colorado’s wine industry spans historic vineyards, two federally recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), hundreds of winery facilities, and a broad network of suppliers and tourism-related activity. The available figures range from fiscal-year production records beginning in FY 1999/00 to industry and competition data measured in 2025. Together, they show a major shift in where Colorado wine was produced, substantial growth in vineyard resources, and a sizable statewide economic footprint.
Contents
- Production by region
- Vineyards and county concentration
- Colorado’s winery industry
- Economic impact and public revenue
- Grape varieties and growing conditions
- Competitions and recent vineyard conditions
Production by region
The Colorado Wine Production and Market Share figures divide production into the Front Range, the Grand Valley AVA, and the Western Slope outside the Grand Valley. The regional balance changed considerably between FY 1999/00 and FY 2021/22. In FY 1999/00, the Grand Valley AVA produced 209,035.25 liters and represented 75.03% of Colorado wine liters. The Front Range produced 38,998.85 liters, or 14.00%, while the Western Slope, non-Grand Valley produced 30,586.50 liters, or 10.98%.
The early-2000s records show increasing Front Range volume alongside continued Grand Valley leadership. In FY 2000/01, the Front Range produced 55,838.60 liters and held 14.72% of the state share. The Grand Valley AVA produced 288,156.53 liters and held 75.94%, while the Western Slope, non-Grand Valley produced 35,447.75 liters and held 9.34%.
By FY 2001/02, Front Range production had reached 91,931.90 liters, equal to 19.75% of the state total. Grand Valley production was 323,854.79 liters, or 69.58%, and the non-Grand Valley Western Slope produced 49,672.70 liters, or 10.67%. In FY 2002/03, the Front Range reached 117,853.18 liters and 23.28%; the Grand Valley AVA reached 339,306.70 liters and 67.03%; and the Western Slope, non-Grand Valley reached 49,053.75 liters and 9.69%.
The later observations show the Front Range becoming the largest reported production region. In FY 2014/15, Front Range production was 667,715 liters, representing 49.98% of Colorado wine liters. The Grand Valley AVA produced 525,390 liters, or 39.33%, and the Western Slope, non-Grand Valley produced 142,745 liters, or 10.69%.
| Fiscal year | Front Range | Grand Valley AVA | Western Slope, non-Grand Valley |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 1999/00 | 38,998.85 L (14.00%) | 209,035.25 L (75.03%) | 30,586.50 L (10.98%) |
| FY 2002/03 | 117,853.18 L (23.28%) | 339,306.70 L (67.03%) | 49,053.75 L (9.69%) |
| FY 2014/15 | 667,715 L (49.98%) | 525,390 L (39.33%) | 142,745 L (10.69%) |
| FY 2019/20 | 1,562,432 L (66.98%) | 603,464 L (25.87%) | 166,876 L (7.15%) |
| FY 2021/22 | 911,021 L (49.08%) | 667,638 L (35.97%) | 277,440 L (14.95%) |
In FY 2019/20, Front Range production was 1,562,432 liters and 66.98% of the state share. Grand Valley production was 603,464 liters and 25.87%, while the non-Grand Valley Western Slope produced 166,876 liters and 7.15%. In FY 2021/22, the Front Range produced 911,021 liters and represented 49.08%; the Grand Valley AVA produced 667,638 liters and represented 35.97%; and the Western Slope, non-Grand Valley produced 277,440 liters and represented 14.95%. These are reported fiscal-year measurements, not a single annual series with every intervening year shown.
Vineyards and county concentration
The USDA NASS Colorado Fruit Tree/Vineyard Survey 2002 counted 540,000 grape vines and 650 acres of grapes in Colorado. The same survey reported 305,000 vines and 320 acres in 1994. It described the vine count as a 77% rise from 1994 to 2002 and the acreage as more than doubling over that period.
Mesa County was the dominant county in the 2002 survey. It had 350,000 grape vines and 415 grape acres, accounting for 65% of Colorado grape vines and 64% of Colorado grape acreage. The county-level figures help explain the importance of western Colorado in the state’s earlier vineyard base, while the production figures show that regional leadership later became more distributed.
The Colorado Wine fast facts sheet gives a later statewide snapshot. Its 2023 figures assign 70% of vineyard acreage by county to Mesa County, 8% to Delta County, 5% to Montrose County, and 17% to other counties. These percentages are from the 2023 fast facts sheet and are not interchangeable with the 2002 USDA survey measurements.
The same Colorado Wine fast facts source reports 4,000 to 7,000 feet as the elevation range of Colorado’s grape-growing regions. It describes those regions as the highest in the Northern Hemisphere and says Colorado averages more than 300 days of sunshine each year. The source also says the state’s two AVAs produce 90% of the wine grapes grown in Colorado.
Colorado’s winery industry
The WineAmerica Colorado Wine Industry 2025 figures report 679 winery facilities in Colorado in 2025 and 4,550 vineyard acres. A separate Colorado Wine fast facts sheet reports over 170 licensed wineries, along with 25 cideries and 16 meaderies. Because the sources use different labels and measurement frames, “winery facilities” and “licensed wineries” should be treated as separate reported counts rather than combined.
Colorado’s wine history reaches back to 1890, the first recorded wine production cited by Colorado Wine fast facts. That source says George A. Crawford planted 60 acres of wine grapes and other fruit above Palisade in 1890. Gravity canal irrigation was introduced in the Grand Valley in 1882. The Colorado Wine Industry Development Act was enacted in 1990, the Grand Valley AVA was established in 1990, and the West Elks AVA was established in 2001.
Institutional investment also appears in the historical record. Colorado Mesa University received $150,000 in 2020 to create the Warren Winiarski and Gerald Ivancie Institute of Viticulture and Enology, according to Colorado Wine fast facts.
Economic impact and public revenue
WineAmerica Colorado Wine Industry 2025 reports nearly $5.72 billion in total economic activity generated by Colorado’s wine industry in 2025. The total included $1.04 billion in direct economic activity, $2.38 billion in supplier economic activity, and $2.30 billion in induced economic activity. The same source reported $1.62 billion in earnings and 30,878 jobs supported.
Average annual wages and benefits were reported at $59,600 in 2025. This is an average compensation figure for the industry measurement, not a claim that every supported job paid the same amount. The reported economic activity also includes effects beyond wineries themselves: the supplier and induced categories are separate components of the source’s total.
The 2025 figures include several tax measures. Colorado’s wine industry generated $18.88 million in federal consumption taxes and $66.67 million in state consumption taxes. It also generated $332.69 million in federal taxes and $386.53 million in state and local taxes. These tax categories should not be added together without a defined treatment of overlap, because consumption taxes and broader federal or state-and-local tax totals are reported as distinct measures by the source.
| 2025 WineAmerica measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Total economic activity | Nearly $5.72 billion |
| Direct economic activity | $1.04 billion |
| Supplier economic activity | $2.38 billion |
| Induced economic activity | $2.30 billion |
| Earnings | $1.62 billion |
| Jobs supported | 30,878 |
| Average annual wages and benefits | $59,600 |
Grape varieties and growing conditions
The Colorado Wine fast facts sheet’s 2023 variety figures show a mix of widely recognized vinifera grapes and other varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for 11.5% of grape variety production, followed by Merlot at 10.17%, Riesling at 8.98%, and Cabernet Franc at 8.23%.
Syrah accounted for 5.21%, and Chambourcin accounted for 5.17%. Chardonnay represented 3.47%, Malbec 3.26%, Gewürztraminer 2.01%, and Pinot Noir 0.95%. The same 2023 fast facts sheet describes Colorado’s grape mix as 75% vinifera and 25% non-vinifera.
The variety percentages identify production shares in the source’s 2023 snapshot; they do not establish a current ranking beyond that measurement. Likewise, the elevation and sunshine descriptions characterize Colorado’s growing regions rather than specifying conditions at every vineyard.
Competitions and recent vineyard conditions
The 2025 Colorado Wine Governor’s Cup competition included 251 wine submissions. It included 43 Colorado wineries, 8 Idaho wineries, 1 Arizona winery, and 1 New Mexico meadery. The competition was judged by 16 judges. These figures describe participation in that specific 2025 competition, not the total number of wineries or wines operating in the region.
The CSU Viticulture Research Report 2025 reported an average yield of 3.6 tons per acre in the 2025 Colorado Grape Grower Survey. That yield was based on 321 acres. The report said the 2025 average was 0.2 ton per acre higher than in 2024 and 6% higher than in 2024.
The same CSU report recorded 12 daily high-temperature records in the Grand Valley from July through December 2025. November 2025 was the warmest November at the Western Colorado Research Center (WCRC) since record keeping began in 1964, while December 2025 was the second warmest December there since record keeping began. During December 20–26, 2025, the average daily maximum temperature was 59.3°F, or 21.3°F above average.
These weather observations are specific to the Grand Valley and WCRC reporting context. They should not be generalized to every Colorado vineyard or treated as a statewide annual temperature average.