You cant grow Grapes in Colorado! The soil is frozen 12 months a year. --Wine Spectator Editor Doug...

““You You can’t can’t growgrow

Grapes in Grapes in Colorado!Colorado!

The soil is The soil is frozen 12 frozen 12

months a year.”months a year.” --Wine Spectator Editor --Wine Spectator Editor

Doug Caskey, exec. dir.

CO Wine Industry Development Board

9 March 2008 You Can’t Grow Grapes in Colorado!

• 72 licensed wineries

• 5 in 1990• 2 federal

AVAs• 850-1000

prod. acres• Hybrid vs.

vinifera• Unique

climate. soil and taste of place

3 Nov 2008 Marketing Colorado Wine

Terroir, the taste of place• The qualities in a wine

determined by its point of origin or appellation

• The combined effect of sun exposure, soil conditions, climate, water quality

• The sense of history• In all agricultural

products, but most talked about in wine and maybe cheese


Statewide Map View

Western SlopeWestern Slope

Front RangeFront Range


CO Wine StatisticsCO Wine Statistics• 53% wine production, 84% of

grapes from Grand Valley AVA• Highest commercial vineyards in

world in West Elks AVA• World Champion Riesling at

Int’l Eastern Competition 2005 and Finalist in 2006

• Harvest figures:2003 over 1200 tons2004 was 1000 tons2005 approx. 1475 tons2006 approx. 1365 tons2007 approx. 900 tons2008 approx. 1800 tons

• Avg yield statewide (2006): 2.6 t/acre at $1300/ton avg.


Fiscal Yr 2008 StatisticsFiscal Yr 2008 Statistics(2007 harvest)(2007 harvest)

• Prod: nearly 1 million liters or 110,000 cases

• Retail value: over $17 mil

• Over 10 fold increase in CO production since 1992

• Total wine mkt. doubled

• Hit 1.84% market share

• Economic Impact in 2005:$21.1 million

• Additional $20.6 million including wine tourism



• Most grape growing areas avg 8-12” annually

• Vines need at least 20”

• Maybe the Spectator was right!

• Oil shale development could shut down water for CO ag.

Irrigation Requirements


• Extremely dry climate means very low pest and disease pressure

• Much less need for chemical pesticides, etc.

• Irrigation adds control over vine development

Irrigation Advantages


Air drainage is second only to water


Statewide Map View




Designated AVAs:• Grand Valley

(Colorado River)

• West Elks(N. Fork of the Gunnison)

Other Growing Regions:• Surface Creek• Olathe• McElmo Canyon



Grand Valley and Delta Co.Grand Valley and Delta Co.


The Grand ValleyThe Grand Valley


The Grand ValleyThe Grand Valley

• 20 wineries• Follows Colorado River• Elevation: 4500-4800 feet above sea level• Precipitation: approx. 8” annually• Bordeaux and Rhone Valley varietals• Former sea coast• Soils:

– pH: 7.2-8.5, very high; Low organic matter (~1%)– Moderate to high salt content, replenished from CO River water– Frequent potassium or magnesium issues in grape vines


Grand Valley by the numbersGrand Valley by the numbers

Station (elev.) Degree days Last Spr Frost 1st Fall Frost

1. Palisade (4720) 3822 April 21 Oct 21

2. Grand Jct. (4850) 3560 April 23 Oct 20

3. Powderhorn (8090) n/a July 10 Aug 14

1122

33


Delta County and Delta County and West Elks HighwayWest Elks Highway



(Colorado River)





West Elks and Surface CreekWest Elks and Surface Creek• Surface Creek

on Grand Mesa

• N Fork of Gunnison River

• Elev: 5700-7000

• Precip: 10-12”

• Former Lake Bed and Shores

• Better pH and org content


Delta County by the numbersDelta County by the numbers

Station (elev.) Degree days Last Spr Frost (32° F) 1st Fall Frost

4. Cedaredge (6180) 2525 April 30 Oct 3

5. Paonia (5690) 2404 May 8 Oct 9

6. Delta (5120) 2893 May 14 Sept 29

12

3

66

44 55


The West Elks AVAThe West Elks AVA

• 12 wineries• Home to highest

commercially producing vineyard/winery in the world (6400 ft.)

• Emphasis on Central European varietals

• Pinot Noir• High-acid

Riesling• Cooler Temps



(Colorado River)






(Colorado River)


Other Growing Regions:

• McElmo Canyon

• Surface Creek

• Olathe

• Cañon City

• Larimer County



Why not the Front Range?Why not the Front Range?

F° C°

40 4.5 Acclimation begins

32 0 Ice nucleation

14 -10Freeze induced desiccation stress

-10 -21.5 Injury likely

-15 -26 Lethal for v. vinifera

ImportantTemps for grapes

• Front Range 10° avg. colder in winter than West Slope

• Extreme fluctuations in winter

• Artic express


CO Growing Regions Comp

Growing Degree Day units are computed as the difference between the daily average temperature and the base temperature. (Daily Ave. Temp. - Base Temp.) One unit is accumulated for each degree Fahrenheit the average temperature is above the base temperature. Negative numbers are discarded. Example: If the days high temperature was 95 and the low temperature was 51, the base 60 heating degree day units is ((95 + 51) / 2) - 60 = 13. This is done for each day of the month and summed.


Temperature Comparison



Let’s Taste ColoradoLet’s Taste Colorado• Terror Creek Winery

2005 West Elks Gewürztraminer

• S. Rhodes Vineyards 2006 West Elks Pinot Noir

• Balistreri Vineryards2006 Grand Valley Zinfandel

• Mesa Park Vineyards2005 Grand Valley Merlot


Thank you very much.Thank you very much.

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You cant grow Grapes in Colorado! The soil is frozen 12 months a year. --Wine Spectator Editor Doug...

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