Ben Parsons, owner/winemaker at Ordinary Fellow in Colorado’s Grand Valley AVA is anything but ordinary. Nor are his wines. To be honest, I’m moderately familiar with Colorado wines since I’ve spent plenty of time in the state at laid back college towns and ski destinations with glass in hand. During a recent virtual tasting, it was enlightening to learn more about Ben Parsons, taste his wines (sent as samples) and understand the stories behind the intriguing labels. With only 165 wineries in the entire state and 900 acres under vine, wines from Ordinary Fellow are those to seek.
Hailing from Kent, England, Parsons made his way to Colorado in September 2001 to pursue a passion for winemaking at Sutcliffe Vineyards. Later, as founder of Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorum in 2007, he disrupted the industry. The urban winery was housed in a quonset hut and offered keg wines, cans along with an accessible and unpretentious image that attracted young wine consumers. In 2019, he left Infinite Monkey Theorum to return to the vineyards and founded Ordinary Fellow, a name inspired by one of his beloved pubs in Kent.
200 miles southwest of Denver is the Grand Valley AVA that encompasess primarily Palisade and Grand Junction. With an average elevation between 4000 and 5000 feet above sea level, the AVA has a range of alluvial soils along the Colorado River and stony and loam soils on the mesas. A temperate climate and wide dirunal swing of temperatures characterized by hot, dry, sunny days with cool nights are optimal for grape growing.
The wines our group tasted are from grapes cultivated in two high-elevation vineyards located south of Cortez and Dolores in the Grand Valley AVA. Ben Parsons shared that he wants wines that express the nuances of the vineyard and are balanced and food friendly. “I produce wines I want to drink,” he stated.
Box Bar Vineyard, south of Cortez, sits “directly above the Yucca House National Monument, an important center for Ancestral Pueblo people from 1150 to 1300.” At 6200 feet elevation, the Vineyard is one of the highest vineyards in the state and sits on rocky ground that lends uncompromising “flavor and intensity.” Parsons farms naturally, uses no cover crops, artificial fertilizers or sprays and weeds by hand.
Box Bar Vineyard – Photo Credit: Ordinary Fellow
Ordinary Fellow 2020 Riesling ($23.99) is bone dry and thirst quenching, with bright, refreshing notes of minerality, vibrant citrus, lemon zest, petrol, apple, anise and mouthwatering acidity. Parson shared that “this is an excellent example of what Colorado Riesling can be.” Ordinary Fellow 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($34.99) is of three different clones cultivated across four acres. Aromas of red cherries, green pepper, leather and baking spice lead to flavors of much of the same framed by chalky tannins and bright acidity. Parsons suggested that the Cabernet should be decanted about an hour before tasting.
Just below the top rim of the Montezuma Valley outside of Dolores, Colorado is Hawks’ Nest Vineyard, the highest commercial vineyard in North America at 6800 feet in elevation. With cold air drainage, soils are mostly Wetherill Loam, preferred for dry farming for thousands of years in the area.
Grapes cultivated in this vineyard comprise Ordinary Fellow 2021 Pinot Noir ($36.99) boasting natural acidity and an intense palate profile. On the nose, I found fragrant flowers, tart cherries, earth and spice. The palate was broad with flavors of crushed cranberries, strawberries, forest floor, spice and hint of black tea.
The Ordinary Fellow tasting room in Palisade, Colorado is on the site of the historic United Fruit Growers COOP peach packing shed, now getting another life as a not-so-ordinary winery. It’s open seven days a week. An onsite casual restaurant, Le Snack, offers exceptional small bites and other items to pair with your wine. If you’re not in Colorado, Ordinary Fellow wines are able to be shipped to selected states.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
