Napa-Heavy Hits for Serious Steak Nights
Downtown · Colorado Springs · Contemporary American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cowboy Star signals exactly what this place is: a proper steakhouse that takes its Cabernet seriously. You're not getting any surprises here — this is a well-curated, California-forward list built to move alongside a dry-aged ribeye. It's polished, it's competent, and it knows its audience.
The list leans hard into Napa and Sonoma, with supporting appearances from Washington State and Burgundy. The California Cab lineup reads like a greatest hits compilation — Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Duckhorn — all reliable names that will make a table of steak-lovers very happy, even if they won't surprise anyone who follows the wine world closely. The Burgundy section adds some old-world credibility and is worth a closer look if you want something that punches a little differently. Washington State is a welcome nod for those who want Pacific Northwest structure without the Napa price tags.
With 12-20 by-the-glass options and a sommelier on staff, the pour program is more thoughtful than your average steakhouse. Expect solid rotation across reds and whites, though don't come in expecting natural wines or anything esoteric — this program is built to please, not to provoke. A sommelier in the room means you can actually ask questions and get a straight answer.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently over-delivers for its price point in a steakhouse context. It's structured enough to stand up to a bone-in ribeye without demanding the same premium as the Napa cult names on this list — and it actually has some restraint, which makes it a smarter order than the more obvious picks.
Duckhorn Merlot
In a room full of Cab drinkers, the Duckhorn Merlot gets overlooked every single time. That's a mistake. Duckhorn basically rescued Merlot's reputation in Napa, and their flagship still holds up — plush, structured, and genuinely food-friendly in a way that some of the bigger Cabs on this list aren't.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also the most marked-up, most over-ordered bottle in steakhouses across America. You're paying a significant premium for a name that's been a restaurant workhorse for decades. The juice isn't bad — the value math just doesn't work when better options sit right next to it on the list.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + Cowboy Bone-In Ribeye
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab has the fruit, the structure, and the mid-palate weight to go head-to-head with a bone-in ribeye without either one steamrolling the other. It's a classic match for a reason — the wine's natural richness mirrors the fat in the cut, and the tannins do the work you need them to do.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cowboy Star is a dependable steakhouse wine list done right — sommelier on staff, proper storage, and enough depth to keep serious wine drinkers busy. Just don't expect to find anything that will make you forget your dinner conversation; this list is here to serve the steak, not steal the show.
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse and American
La Taverne is a well-run, properly staffed wine program inside one of Colorado's most storied resort properties — expect to pay for the privilege and the setting. If you stick to Jordan and Peter Michael and resist the siren call of the trophy bottles, you'll drink very well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Broadmoor · Colorado Springs · Italian (Northern Italian, trattoria-style)
Ristorante del Lago is the rare resort restaurant where the wine program actually earns some respect — the Italian focus is real, the sommelier knows the list, and a few genuinely exciting bottles are hiding in there if you look past the marquee names. Just go in knowing you're paying Broadmoor prices, and order accordingly.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse
Famous Steakhouse is the dependable old hand — the wine list won't excite you, but it won't embarrass you either, and with a prime rib in front of you and a Stag's Leap in the glass, that's a perfectly decent Thursday night. Just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Crystal Park Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for tacos and margaritas with a mountain view — lean into that and skip the wine entirely. The list is overpriced grocery store inventory with no ambition, and no amount of scenery changes that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Upscale American, Contemporary Fine Dining
The Cliff House wine program is the dependable friend who always shows up dressed well — you know exactly what you're getting, and it's genuinely good, even if it never blows your mind. For a special occasion in the mountains, this is a comfortable, well-run room that will take care of you.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / West Colorado · Colorado Springs · Fine Dining / Steak & Seafood
Pepper Tree is a reliable wine stop for what it is — a classic Colorado fine-dining room where the tableside Steak Diane is the main event and the wine list is a well-behaved supporting cast. Don't come here chasing discovery, but do come knowing you'll drink decently without drama.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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