Serious Italian cellar, Alpine warmth, no apologies
Aspen · Aspen · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
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.
Aspen · Aspen · American
Cloud Nine is a trophy-list restaurant in a trophy-list town, and it earns its Wild Card badge for keeping things interesting with a real sommelier, a legitimate French focus, and a Tuesday half-price program that's practically criminal at this level. If you're not dining on Tuesday, go in with eyes open on price — but go in.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Aspen · Aspen · Mediterranean
The Wild Fig is the kind of French-focused wine list you don't expect to find tucked into a Mediterranean spot in Aspen, and that element of surprise is exactly what earns it the Wild Card. Markups can sting, but Ben Brennan knows his list and the Southern French selections give you real value if you know where to look.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Aspen · Aspen · Steak House
The Monarch is the real deal for a special-occasion steakhouse wine experience in the Rockies — Ryan Brown's list has genuine depth and the chops to back it up. Prices are Aspen prices, so come prepared, but you're getting a Wine Spectator-caliber program to match every dollar you spend.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Aspen · Aspen · American Steakhouse
Steakhouse No. 316 is one of the few places in Aspen where the wine list is genuinely as impressive as the room — deep on Burgundy and California, staffed by someone who actually knows what's on the shelves, and worthy of the Best of Award of Excellence hanging on the wall. Yes, it's Aspen prices, but you're getting Aspen quality to match.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Aspen · Aspen · American
Prospect isn't coasting on Aspen's wine budget or its Wine Spectator badge — Claire Crosby has put together a list that would hold up in any serious food city. Markups are what they are in a ski resort, but the depth and range here are the real thing.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Aspen · Aspen · American
PARC earned that Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence honestly — this is a serious list run by someone who knows what they're doing, in a room that actually deserves it. Yes, Aspen markups are real, but the depth of selection and the quality of guidance from Alexandra Bisson make this worth every dollar for the right bottle.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.