Vail

Tavernetta is the rare mountain restaurant that earns its wine credibility on merit — a genuine Italian cellar with real depth and a team that actually knows it. Vail prices will make your wallet wince, but if you're already spending a ski week in Colorado, this is exactly where you want to drink.

Makoto is a Wild Card in the best sense: nobody expects serious Burgundy and California cult bottles in a Japanese restaurant at 8,150 feet, but here they are. The markups will sting, but if you're already eating here, you've already made peace with Vail pricing — lean into the Leflaive and don't look back.

Swiss Chalet has earned its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence six times over — this is a destination-worthy list inside a genuinely beautiful alpine room, staffed by people who know what they're doing. Markup runs steep as you'd expect anywhere in Vail, but the depth and curation justify the trip.