Colorado may not have the reputation (yet) of California’s viticultural industry, but wine grapes have been grown in the Centennial State for more than a century and the industry has only expanded over the years. Prohibition essentially halted the state’s wine production but after a revival in the 1960s, wine now contributes more than $300 million to the economy. 

The Western Slope has become a legitimate tourist destination for wine lovers and Colorado’s picturesque vineyards consistently produce great fruit. Outside of the vineyards, wineries have also made their way to the Front Range and other parts of the state where grapes aren’t grown. The winemakers who make it all possible have seen immense growth and changes through the years but quality over quantity is still paramount when it comes to production. 

One industry veteran who has left his mark across the state, is Ben Parsons, founder of the Ordinary Fellow Winery in Palisade. The winery gets its name from an old pub in Kent, England, where Parsons hails from and it is his latest winemaking endeavor after being in the industry since the early 90s. He obtained an enological degree in South Australia. He then applied for a winemaking job at Canyon Wind Cellars in Palisade and moved to Colorado in 2001. At the time Parsons didn’t even realize Colorado had a wine industry, but he was intrigued by the opportunity. 

Through his time as a winemaker in Colorado, Parsons has worked with Sutcliffe Vineyards in Cortez, and he also founded the Infinite Monkey Theorem in Denver before moving back to Palisade to launch the Ordinary Fellow. With Infinite Monkey Theorem, Parsons pushed the envelope and sparked the urban winery craze when it became the first winery to can its product. Since then, other wineries have followed suit in an effort to make the beverage more casual and accessible. While Parsons has been immersed in the industry and seen it grow considerably, he still considers Colorado’s wineries more intimate than other areas.