The collaboration was conceived in the 1970s and then first realized in 1979 when the first vintage of Opus One was created. It was released to the public in 1984 but had already attracted attention, as a single case of the wine had sold for $24,000 at the first Napa Valley Wine Auction in 1981. Opus One’s brand grew considerably in the 1990s, particularly in markets outside of the United States, and in 2005, when Robert Mondavi Winery was acquired by Constellation Brands, Opus One also became part-owned by the multi-national company.