Fort Collins

Tasty Harmony is not a wine bar, and it doesn't try to be — but it charges fair prices, pours across the whole list by the glass, and assembles a short list that actually makes sense with plant-based food. If you're eating here, drink the wine; you won't regret it.

Rio Grande isn't a wine destination, and it knows it — but Wine Down Wednesdays with 50% off bottles is a legitimately good deal that earns it a second look. Bring your margarita crew, order the Malbec with your burrito, and call it a win.

The Still is a genuinely fun spot for whiskey and red meat, but the wine list is a clear afterthought — overpriced grocery store bottles with no story to tell. Order a pour from their whiskey program and save the wine night for somewhere that cares.

Bistro Nautile is a genuinely appealing restaurant let down by a wine list that plays it safe with familiar labels and then charges aggressively for the privilege. Drink by the glass, stick to the interesting outliers, and don't let the French bistro atmosphere talk you into a $68 bottle of Daou.

Coyote's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the pricing is fair, the Wednesday deal is genuinely excellent, and there's nothing actively wrong here. Show up on a Wednesday, order a bottle of Pinot Grigio for $19.50, and focus on the burrito.

Red Lobster isn't trying to be a wine destination and the list makes that abundantly clear — grab the Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and don't come here expecting anything beyond the expected. If wine matters to your dinner, eat somewhere else.

Olive Garden's wine list is a corporate afterthought — overpriced supermarket bottles with no rotation, no discovery, and no one behind the bar who's going to help you find something interesting. Order the Moscato, enjoy the breadsticks, and save your serious wine questions for literally anywhere else.

Restaurant 415 is a solid neighborhood dinner spot where the wine list does exactly what it needs to do without doing anything that would actually excite you. Come for the pizza and the happy hour pour, not for the bottle list.

CooperSmith's is a genuinely great Old Town brewpub, and if you're here for a pint of their award-winning craft beer, you're doing it right. The wine list exists because restaurants feel obligated to have one, not because anyone here cares about it — order a beer.

Blue Agave isn't a wine destination — it's a taco spot with a decent enough list and one of the best mid-week bottle deals in town. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Riesling at half price, and you've played this perfectly.

The Emporium isn't a wine destination, but it's a competent, fairly priced list that won't embarrass you on a date night or a business dinner. Come for the $8 happy hour pour, stay for the rotisserie chicken, and don't overthink it.

Jax Fort Collins keeps it lean and smart — a short list that respects the food, fair pricing for the format, and enough by-the-glass options to keep things interesting across a whole meal. We'd send a friend here for the oysters and the Cava without hesitation.

Austin's American Grill is a dependable neighborhood steakhouse with a wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself — just don't come looking for adventure. Order the Albariño or the Dr. L, avoid the Caymus markup, and you'll drink well enough alongside a very solid steak.

The Welsh Rabbit is exactly the kind of small, thoughtful wine program that Fort Collins should be proud of — it's not trying to be a 500-label wine bar, and it's better for it. Send your friends here for a bottle of Touraine and a cheese board, and they'll owe you one.

Cafe Vino is the kind of neighborhood wine bar Fort Collins is lucky to have — imperfect on pricing but honest about what it is. Send a friend here for a low-stakes weeknight glass; just steer them away from the Malbec.

Come to The Moot House for the atmosphere, the craft beer, and the fish and chips — not the wine. This list is a placeholder, not a program, and the markups don't justify the effort of choosing carefully.

RARE Italian is the real deal — a 5,000-label list with sommelier support and the bottles to back it up is genuinely rare at this latitude. The markups sting on the entry-level stuff, but climb the list even a little and you're drinking very well in a room that knows what it's doing.

The Cache is a dependable, well-staffed wine program that knows its audience and serves them well — just don't come looking for adventure. For Fort Collins, it's the best seat at the table; for seasoned wine drinkers, it's a comfortable but familiar ride.

Sonny Lubick is a reliable, well-staffed steakhouse wine program that earns its Award of Excellence badge — just don't expect to be surprised. If you're in Fort Collins and want serious Cabernet with serious beef, this is your spot; show up on a Wednesday for half-price bottles and thank us later.