Gateway Lodge

You don't expect a 100-plus bottle wine list when you're surrounded by old-growth trees in the middle of Clarion County, but here we are. Gateway Lodge has been holding a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2009 — longer than most city restaurants keep their lights on. The list is approachable without being lazy, which is exactly what you want when you've just finished a hike and you're ready to eat venison by a fireplace.

The list leans on the reliable pillars — France, Italy, California, and Spain — and executes them without embarrassment. You'll find Louis Jadot anchoring the Burgundy section, Caymus and Jordan flying the California Cabernet flag, and Santa Margherita doing what Santa Margherita does on every Italian-leaning list in America. It's not a deep-cellar experience, but for a rural lodge dining room in western Pennsylvania, the range is genuinely solid. Spain and Italy feel a little thin compared to the French and California depth, but there's enough here to keep a curious drinker interested across multiple visits.

Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a respectable showing for a property this remote — most lodge restaurants phone it in with four Chardonnays and a Merlot. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling showing up on that by-the-glass program is a smart, food-friendly call given the kitchen's affinity for trout and foraged ingredients. We'd love to see more rotation here, but what's on offer is chosen with some actual thought.