There is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Fellow Wine from Colorado and that is why it is this week’s Wine Wednesday feature. I visited one of Colorado’s small wine regions while on vacation a couple of summers ago and was both surprised and impressed with what I found. When Colorado comes to mind, skiing, not winemaking, is typically top of mind. That might soon be changing. The warm days, cool nights and high elevations make some areas near perfect for vines to thrive.
Enjoying a virtual wine tasting with the founder of Ordinary Fellow Wines from Colorado
About the Colorado winery
Ordinary Fellow Wine recently hosted a virtual tasting with a group of wine writers from around the nation. It was the first time the wine was shared outside of their tasting room in Palisade. The story is a good one. The brand was founded by Ben Parsons who moved to Colorado in the early 2000’s. He also founded Infinite Monkey Theorem an urban winery in Denver. It was here that Parson’s became an industry trailblazer by putting wine in kegs and cans. It’s a practice that has since become more common.
As for Ordinary Fellow, the vineyards are all high elevation and at least one is famous for more than it’s vines. Bok Bar is just above the Yucca House National Monument just south of Cortez. The area is an important center for Ancestral Pueblo people from 1150 to 1300. The vineyards are full of ancient pottery shards, arrowheads and such.
This brand is not just about the wine. There is nothing ordinary about it’s packaging either. It’s colorful, it stands out, and the labels are interactive. Rotate the white sleeve and openings in the back reveal words and phrases, clues as to what you will find once you pop the cork. And once you remove the sleeve, the label is a vibrant mural that you might just want to keep and repurpose. Check out the video below.
There is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Fellow Wine from Colorado. Here is the line-up.
Ordinary Fellow Riesling
Yes Riesling and No it’s not sweet. This is a drier style wine with that signature petrol nose along with stone fruit. It’s high in acidity with citrus, apple and a little peach. It’s a great Florida wine. $32
Ordinary Fellow Chardonnay
Wine drinkers can be quite particular about their chardonnay. Some like butter and oak, whiles others like fresh and more acidic. This wine is more like the latter. It is remarkably crisp and tropical with fruits such as lemon and apple. The vineyards where these grapes are grown are just above the Yucca House National Monument. At 6500 feet, they are some of the highest vineyard sites in the state. $34
Ordinary Fellow Pinot Noir
This pinot is light in color and fresh on the palate. It has some coffee ground characteristics on the nose. The fruit is bright cherry and it has a little tobacco along with pinot’s signature earthiness. There is just a touch of vanilla on the finish. I love how the bottle becomes a piece of art after you peel back the label.
