The Ordinary Fellow Methode Champenoise Sparkling White, Colorado

High-elevation Colorado Riesling takes on a distinctly celebratory form in 2024 The Ordinary Fellow Methode Champenoise Sparkling, a zero-dosage, traditional-method wine from Box Bar Vineyard. Hand-harvested Riesling is whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel before secondary fermentation in bottle and more than 18 months of lees aging. Lemon cream, ripe pear and peach meet saline minerality, honey and a whisper of petrol, while cardamom and candied ginger add aromatic complexity. With no dosage to soften its edges, the palate remains sleek, lively and precise, balancing ripe fruit with the mineral intensity of its high-desert origins.

Product Details:

• Founder & Winemaker: Ben Parsons
• Vineyard Manager: Juan Adan
• Grape Variety: 100% Riesling
• Vineyard: Box Bar Vineyard
• Farming: Sustainably and regeneratively farmed
• Soils: Ancient sandstone
• Harvest: Hand-harvested
• Pressing: Whole-cluster pressed
• Primary Fermentation: Stainless steel
• Sparkling Method: Traditional method with secondary fermentation in bottle
• Lees Aging: More than 18 months en tirage
• Disgorgement: Disgorged by hand
• Dosage: Zero dosage
• pH: 3.01
• Alcohol: 12.3%
• Bottling Date: October 14, 2025
• Production: 250 cases

Sensory Description:

Bright and expressive, opening with a distinctive saline intensity layered with lemon cream, ripe pear, and peach. Sweet honey and a subtle petrol note add classic Riesling complexity without diminishing the wine's freshness. The palate is sleek and lively, with cardamom and candied ginger bringing warm spice to the ripe orchard and stone-fruit core. Extended lees aging contributes texture and a fine, elegant mousse, while zero dosage keeps the finish dry, focused, and mineral. Rich enough to feel established and complete, yet driven by acidity and high-elevation freshness, it is a distinctive Colorado interpretation of traditional-method sparkling Riesling.

Awards & Accolades:

• 92 Points: Decanter Magazine

Winemaker's Background:

The Ordinary Fellow is a craft winery founded by winemaker Ben Parsons in Palisade, Colorado, with a focus on expressive wines grown and made in the state. Parsons studied enology at the University of Adelaide before arriving in Colorado in 2001, beginning a career that would make him one of the influential figures in the development of the modern Colorado wine industry. His earlier work included founding The Infinite Monkey Theorem, where he helped pioneer canned wine and urban winemaking while bringing broader attention to Colorado-grown fruit. With The Ordinary Fellow, Parsons returned his attention closely to vineyards and small-lot production, establishing the winery inside the historic United Fruit Growers packing shed in downtown Palisade. Vineyard manager Juan Adan, who first worked with Parsons at Canyon Wind Cellars in 2001, brings decades of experience managing vineyards and orchards across Colorado's Western Slope and oversees Box Bar, Montezuma Canyon Ranch and other vineyard sites for the winery. Box Bar is a 13-acre high-elevation vineyard that had fallen into disrepair before Parsons leased the property and began restoring it, with plantings that include Riesling alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Albariño, Syrah and Charbono. The Ordinary Fellow emphasizes sustainable and regenerative farming, hand harvesting, small-lot winemaking and an approach designed to express the distinctive high-desert character of Colorado fruit. Parsons has also served with the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board and the Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology and has been recognized by Wine Enthusiast among its Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve well chilled. The producer specifically recommends the wine with caviar and oysters, where its bright acidity, saline mineral character and dry finish provide a clean counterpoint to briny richness. Its combination of fine mousse, citrus, orchard fruit and savory spice also makes it well suited as an aperitif or celebratory sparkling wine.