A decade later, Colorado was one of the first states to respond to California's offer to establish free trade among wineries and consumers through the Reciprocal Shipping Law, helping the re-emerging Colorado grape growing and winemaking industry. Ĭolorado's Limited Farm Winery Act was passed in 1977. Ivancie's winemaker was Warren Winiarski, who was the first winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery and rose to fame when he won the Judgement of Paris (wine) tasting in 1976 for his Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1968, Gerald Ivancie opened Ivancie Winery in Denver using grapes from California, but was instrumental in developing experimental plantings of premium wine grapes in and around the Grand Valley. Like in other areas Prohibition in the United States virtually wiped out the Colorado wine industry in the early twentieth century only to have it resurrected again in the 1960s. Homegrown wine was once a part of life in Colorado as it was throughout America. Crawford, founder of Grand Junction planted 60 acres of grapes and other fruit near Palisade. The first agricultural record of vineyards was when Governor George A. Grapevines were first brought to Colorado in the 19th century by miners in southern Colorado. Other wine regions include: the Four Corners area near Cortez, near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Durango Pikes Peak/ Arkansas River Valley near Salida, Cañon City, and Manitou Springs and the Front Range between Fort Collins and Castle Rock, with many wineries located in the Denver metropolitan area. Approximately 100 commercial wineries operate in Colorado and about 1,000 acres (405 ha) are planted to grapevines. Colorado is home to two designated American Viticultural Areas of the Grand Valley AVA and the West Elks AVA, where most of the vineyards in the state are located. The mountain climate ensures warm summer days and cool nights. Colorado's grape growing regions contain some of the highest elevation vineyards in the world, with most viticulture in the state practiced between 4,000 feet (1,219 m) and 7,000 feet (2,134 m) feet above sea level.