The Story of Colorado Wines

The Story of Colorado Wines is a short history of winemaking in the state, paired with a guide to the places that make it. Abbott Fay begins with the earliest territorial days, when wine was already being produced from Colorado grapes, and follows the industry through its collapse around Prohibition and its revival from 1980.

The second half is practical. The description says the book gives a history of each individual retail winery or vineyard in Colorado, along with directions to the wineries, details about amenities such as wine tasting, and a phone number for further information. The listings it contains reflect the industry as it stood in the early 2000s, not today.

Its argument, taken from the description, is that high altitudes, a consistent climate, and warm days and cool nights combine to make some experts call Colorado wines the best in the nation. That is the claim of the description, not ours. Open Library files the book under wine and wine making and wineries, and dates it 2002.

This book is for anyone planning a winery trip in Colorado who also wants some history to carry along. Wine drinkers curious about how a high-altitude state ended up with a wine industry will find the short opening history useful. Collectors of Colorado books and local history shelves will want it as a record of the industry in the early 2000s. Since winery details change, treat the directions and phone numbers as a snapshot and confirm before you go.

A wine guide is a change of pace for Abbott Fay, whose other books in our catalogue are histories. He taught history in Colorado for decades, including at Western State College in Gunnison, and taught at Mesa College in Grand Junction, near the Palisade wine country. Full details of his career are given on his author page.

More about Abbott Fay →

Grapevines were first brought to Colorado in the nineteenth century by miners in the south of the state. The first recorded vineyard was planted by George A. Crawford, founder of Grand Junction, who put in 60 acres of grapes and other fruit near Palisade. Prohibition virtually wiped out the industry in the early twentieth century.

Revival came slowly. Gerald Ivancie opened Ivancie Cellars in Denver in 1968, using California grapes. The Limited Farm Winery Act passed in 1977, and Colorado Mountain Vineyards became the first licensed winery to use Colorado grapes. By 1990, with five operating wineries, the state created the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. The Grand Valley AVA, near Palisade, was recognized in 1991 as the first in the state, and the West Elks AVA followed in 2001. Most vineyards sit between 4,000 and 7,000 feet.

Source: Wikipedia, Colorado wine