 Peck noted a resemblance to "Gomphidius roseus", which he thought was closely related.It was transferred to the newly created genus "Chroogomphus" by Orson K. Miller, Jr. in 1964.Molecular analysis of internal transcribed spacer DNA sequences shows that "C. vinicolor" groups in a clade with the closely related "C. jamaicensis" and "C. pseudovinicolor".