Colorado Springs

La Taverne is a well-run, properly staffed wine program inside one of Colorado's most storied resort properties — expect to pay for the privilege and the setting. If you stick to Jordan and Peter Michael and resist the siren call of the trophy bottles, you'll drink very well here.

Ristorante del Lago is the rare resort restaurant where the wine program actually earns some respect — the Italian focus is real, the sommelier knows the list, and a few genuinely exciting bottles are hiding in there if you look past the marquee names. Just go in knowing you're paying Broadmoor prices, and order accordingly.

Famous Steakhouse is the dependable old hand — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either, and with a prime rib in front of you and a Stag's Leap in the glass, that's a perfectly decent Thursday night. Just don't come looking for discovery.

Crystal Park Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for tacos and margaritas with a mountain view — lean into that and skip the wine entirely. The list is overpriced grocery store inventory with no ambition, and no amount of scenery changes that.

The Cliff House wine program is the dependable friend who always shows up dressed well — you know exactly what you're getting, and it's genuinely good, even if it never blows your mind. For a special occasion in the mountains, this is a comfortable, well-run room that will take care of you.

Pepper Tree is a reliable wine stop for what it is — a classic Colorado fine-dining room where the tableside Steak Diane is the main event and the wine list is a well-behaved supporting cast. Don't come here chasing discovery, but do come knowing you'll drink decently without drama.

Cowboy Star delivers exactly what a Colorado Springs steakhouse crowd wants from a wine list — familiar names, properly stored, and no homework required. It's not a destination for wine, but it won't embarrass you either; just steer toward Jordan over Caymus and pocket the difference.

Edelweiss isn't a wine destination, but it's a Wild Card in the best sense — a themed German restaurant that actually stocked the right bottles for its food instead of just grabbing whatever the distributor pushed. Send a friend here if they're ordering Schnitzel and want something better than water in their glass.

Oro is the kind of Italian restaurant wine list that actually respects the cuisine it's serving — Italian-focused, sommelier-guided, and deeper than you'd expect in this market. Markups keep it from being a destination wine stop, but as a dinner-and-a-bottle situation, it more than holds its own.

Prime25 is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list — safe, Napa-forward, and priced on the steep side, but it'll do the job if you stick to the right bottles. Send a friend here for the steak, and tell them to order the Jordan.

La Taverne is a reliable, well-run resort wine program that plays it safe and mostly pulls it off — just go in with eyes open on pricing. If you're here for a special occasion steak, the list will serve you well; if you're hunting for discovery or value, you'll need to look harder than the first page.

Ristorante del Lago is a reliable Italian wine destination inside a resort that could easily phone it in — a sommelier on staff and real producers on the list mean it doesn't. Just know you're paying Broadmoor prices for the privilege, and plan accordingly.

The Penrose Room is the rare hotel dining room where the wine list actually earns the five-star billing — deep cellar, proper service, and a sommelier who's there to help, not perform. The markups are real and the prices are serious, but so is everything else about this experience.

Joseph's is doing the right things with wine without doing anything exceptional — a solid, if unadventurous, list in a room that clearly takes its craft seriously. Send a friend here for a reliable night out; just don't send them expecting to be wowed by the cellar.

If you're road-tripping up to Pikes Peak and care even a little about drinking local, Wines of Colorado is a mandatory stop — it's the rare restaurant where the entire concept is the wine list. Send your Colorado-curious friends here without hesitation.

Caspian Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's making an honest effort with a short list that punches well above its zip code. If you've never had Château Musar and you're eating kebabs in Colorado Springs, this is your moment.

Cowboy Star is a dependable steakhouse wine list done right — sommelier on staff, proper storage, and enough depth to keep serious wine drinkers busy. Just don't expect to find anything that will make you forget your dinner conversation; this list is here to serve the steak, not steal the show.

Tapateria is doing something genuinely rare in Colorado Springs: building a wine list that matches the food's ambition rather than catering to the lowest common denominator. The pricing alone makes it worth the trip, but the list's dedication to real Spanish regionality is what earns the repeat visits.

Zocalo isn't your wine destination — it's your Tuesday taco spot that won't make you drink bad wine. If you're not ordering a margarita, grab the Portillo or the Malbec and call it a solid night.

Grand View earns its Wine Spectator hardware — this is a serious, well-curated list backed by real sommelier talent in one of the more spectacular dining rooms in Colorado. The markups sting, but the setting and the depth of the list make it worth the splurge at least once.

Black Forest Bistro is a genuinely charming place to eat dinner, and the room deserves a better wine list than the one it's got. Until the markup math gets rethought, our honest advice is to order a cocktail or accept that you're paying a steep premium for the privilege of drinking wine in a pretty space.

The Steakhouse at Flying Horse is earning its Wine Spectator hardware — two sommeliers, a deep California-France-Italy list, and glassware that actually respects what's in it. Prices run steep as expected at a resort of this caliber, but the program is serious and the execution backs it up; yes, send your friend here for wine.

Summit earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — this is a serious list run by serious people in a setting that can actually support it. Pricing skews steep as expected for a resort of this caliber, but if you're celebrating something worth celebrating, this is where you do it in Colorado Springs.

Mizuna isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its Pacific Northwest-focused list is sharper and more purposeful than most restaurants in this zip code. Send a friend here if they want a solid, food-friendly bottle without having to navigate a 200-label minefield.

La Tour is punching well above its weight for Colorado Springs — a genuinely considered French-forward list at prices that don't make you wince. Not a destination wine program, but absolutely worth your attention if you're in town and want something better than the obvious pour.

The Cliff House wine program is the real thing — 800 bottles, a sommelier, proper storage, and glassware that respects what's in it. The markups sting and the list plays it safe, but if you're celebrating something in the shadow of Pikes Peak, this is exactly where you want to be doing it.

Carlos' Bistro won't surprise you, but it won't let you down either — the wine list is reliable, familiar, and a little expensive, which is exactly on-brand for a fine dining institution built around comfort and consistency. Send a friend here if they want a safe, well-executed wine experience; send a wine geek somewhere else.

Oro is the best Italian wine list in Colorado Springs by a comfortable margin, which matters more than it sounds in this market. The pricing leans hotel-steep and the list won't surprise a seasoned wine drinker, but the focus is right, the staff knows what they're doing, and the room makes you want to stay for another glass.

Mangia isn't trying to reinvent the wine list, and it doesn't need to — the pricing is honest, the glass selection is solid, and Wednesday half-price bottles make this one of the better midweek wine destinations in Colorado Springs. Come for the deal, stay for the Flowers.

Roth's is a genuinely nice place to drink wine if your taste runs California and your budget runs large — it delivers on the experience even if the list doesn't take any risks. Send a friend here for a special occasion, but tell them to skip the Caymus.