Acquolina Trattoria & Pizzeria

This is a Wild Card in the truest sense — a museum rooftop café with no sommelier and steep markups that still manages to stock Lapierre, William Fevre Grand Cru, and Pierre Peters. The prices will get you, but the list itself deserves credit. Come for the view, stay for the Gruner.

Element 47 is the rare mountain resort wine program that could hold its own in any major city — 3,300 labels, proper storage, knowledgeable staff, and glassware that actually fits the wine. Prices are high because Aspen is high, but if you're going to spend serious money on a bottle somewhere, this is a place that respects the investment.

Las Montañas is the rare bar where the wine list deserves more attention than the cocktail menu — a sommelier-curated, California-forward selection with enough Pacific Northwest surprises to keep things interesting. Aspen markups are what they are, but the quality and intentionality here are real.

Sant Ambroeus Aspen is a genuinely good Italian wine program wearing a resort-town price tag — the producers are real, the Franciacorta selection alone is worth your attention, and the staff actually knows what's on the list. Just go in knowing you're paying Aspen rates for everything, and let that Bellavista do its thing.

Snow Lodge delivers exactly what a St. Regis resort lounge should: proper glassware, knowledgeable staff, and a list that won't embarrass anyone. Just don't come looking for discovery — this list is built for comfort, and the markups reflect the altitude in more ways than one.

Velvet Buck is a reliable, well-run hotel wine program doing exactly what a St. Regis in Aspen is supposed to do — impress people without surprising them. If you're after adventure, look elsewhere; if you're after a great glass of Far Niente after a day on the mountain, you're in the right place.