There’s never been a better time to plan a Grand Valley sipping tour.
In my opinion, it’s always a good time for wine. However, there is a season for wine tasting, and it has arrived. Spring is a lovely time to tour the Western Slope, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s (compared to July’s mid-90s), the orchards in bloom, and winery tasting rooms reopening after taking winter off.
And, luckily for us, Colorado’s varietals have been rising in recognition. Food & Wine calls Colorado the new Sonoma, Decanter says Colorado’s wine industry is “a study in superlatives,” and this year, Colorado wines didn’t just medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, they cleaned up, signaling a shift to a more respected AVA (American viticultural area).
The Ordinary Fellow
Last year’s Two Nights, Three Chefs dinner at Ordinary Fellow. Photo by Dancing In My Head Photography
- Address: 202 Peach Ave., Palisade
- Summer hours: Sunday–Wednesday, 12–6 p.m.; Thursday–Friday, 12–8:30 p.m.
- Where to try locally: Try pours at Wolf’s Tailor, Potager, Beckon, and the Counter at Odell’s Bagel.
Ben Parsons, who started making wine in Palisade 25 years ago and ran Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem from 2008 to 2019, helped put the Western Slope on the wine lover’s map. Since launching The Ordinary Fellow in 2021, he’s become a chef’s favorite too. His vintages can be found at Denver’s Michelin two-starred Wolf’s Tailor, Potager, and the Counter at Odell’s Bagel, as well as Palisade’s Pêche (a Michelin hopeful since the French rating expanded to cover the entire state this year). Bottles of Ordinary Fellow appeal visually too; kaleidoscope-inspired wine labels by Boulder-based designer Moxie Sozo treat each bottle as a modular piece of a larger puzzle. The artwork aligns to reveal hidden images when bottles are placed side by side. It’s a clever nudge that turns casual drinkers into dedicated collectors.
If you’re into Ordinary Fellow, it’s worth stopping by the brand’s rustic Palisade headquarters, which once housed a peach-packing plant. Renovations this year have refreshed the expansive indoor-outdoor space with new furniture, light fixtures, barrel planters, and hanging flowers. Patio games such as corn hole add to the liveliness.
Parsons hasn’t forgotten that wine drinkers like to pair their choices with food. You’ll find the popular Pali Thai truck parked out front every Thursday and a chefs dinner series on the first Friday of every month. During September’s Winefest (the Western Slope’s largest annual festival), Ordinary Fellow will host the second iteration of its Two Nights, Three Chefs dinner series, again with Miles Odell, Justin Freeman, and Justin Brunson (sign up for the newsletter for more information).
What to Drink: The 2024 Riesling made Forbes’ list of top ten Rieslings in the U.S.; you can try it at the Wolf’s Tailor and Beckon if you can’t make it to Palisade. The 2024 Syrah received a 96 from Decanter, the highest score that a Colorado wine has ever been awarded.