Serious Italian cellar, Alpine warmth, no apologies
Aspen · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated November 2026
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Aosta Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into antler chandeliers, fur pelts on chairs, and a wine list that immediately signals this place is not playing around. The list runs 300-500 bottles deep with Italy at its heart and a serious French and California presence flanking it. This is Aspen, so expect to pay Aspen prices — but the quality on offer earns most of it.
Italy is the obvious star: Barolo anchored by Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa, Barbaresco from Gaja and Produttori del Barbaresco, Brunello from Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri, and Amarone heavyweights like Dal Forno Romano. Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello) make a strong showing, and the Valle d'Aosta regional wines — Les Crêtes and Grosjean — are a rare and thoughtful nod to the restaurant's namesake region. France counters with Burgundy Grand Crus from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Leroy alongside Bordeaux First Growths, while California brings Opus One, Screaming Eagle, and Harlan Estate for the crowd that just closed a deal. Sommelier Stefano Camassa is clearly the hand behind this list — it's coherent, deep, and tells a story.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a genuinely impressive pour program, especially for a list this caliber. Prices land between $15 and $30 a glass, which is honest for Aspen's cost of living and means you can actually explore without committing to a $300 bottle on a Tuesday. We'd push the staff for what's currently pouring from the Valle d'Aosta selections — that's where the real fun is by the glass.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — $60–$90 (bottle estimate from stated range)
Produttori del Barbaresco is a cooperative that punches well above its price class — on a list full of Gaja and DRC, this is the bottle that drinks like a hundred-dollar wine without the markup theater. It's Nebbiolo at its most honest.
Grosjean Valle d'Aosta
Almost nobody at this table is ordering the Valle d'Aosta wines, which means the bottle of Grosjean sitting there is one of the most interesting pours on the list. High-altitude, Alpine-influenced, and completely unlike anything else they're serving — it's the list's best kept secret and a direct wink at the restaurant's identity.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, it's on the list. Yes, it's impressive to see. But Screaming Eagle at a restaurant in Aspen is a pure status transaction — you're paying a four-figure markup on top of an already impossible retail price for a wine you could appreciate far better at home, or not at all. There are fifty more interesting bottles here.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Cacio e Pepe prepared tableside in a Parmesan Wheel
Conterno's Barolo is built on tension — high acid, firm tannins, dried rose and tar — and that structure cuts straight through the fat and salt of a rich, wheel-finished cacio e pepe. The pepper in the pasta finds a mirror in the wine's earthy bite. It's a classicist move, but it works every single time.
The Bottom Line
Aosta is the real thing — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list in a room that actually deserves it, run by a sommelier who clearly has opinions. The markup is Aspen-steep across the top tier, but the depth, the regional specificity, and that Valle d'Aosta selection make it worth every reservation.
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Hotel dining
MOLLIE runs one of the most thoughtful compact lists in Aspen, and the all-by-the-glass format means you can drink your way through France without committing to a bottle. The pricing is fair for the altitude and the address, and the curation punches above a typical hotel program. If you're passing through and want a smart glass of wine without a thesis-length wine list, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
· Aspen · Historic hotel dining
Hotel Jerome's Living Room list is a pleasant surprise in a market where hotel wine programs often coast on tourist ignorance and Famous Names. The selection is short but curated, with enough Old World intrigue — the Vajra Barbera, the Quintodecimo, the Bandol rosé — to reward the curious. Markups are real and Aspen-appropriate, so set your expectations accordingly. If you're staying at the hotel or catching a drink after a ski day, you'll drink well here without feeling insulted.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Seasonal New American
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Japanese-Peruvian
Nobu Aspen's wine list won't win awards for depth or value, but it earns respect for its unexpected Australian backbone and a by-the-glass program that actually has range and structure. If you're dropping serious money at this address anyway, lean into the Swinney Grenache or the Domaine Laroche Chablis — someone cared enough to put them there.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
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Rotating Cast
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Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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