Red Rocks Views, Napa-Heavy Pours
West Side · Colorado Springs · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed April 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Grand View arrives with the same confidence as the restaurant itself — perched above the Garden of the Gods with red rock formations as a backdrop, this is not the place for a modest pour. The list leans hard into California prestige labels and classic French benchmarks, exactly what you'd expect from a resort property with a Wine Spectator nod and a sommelier on staff.
With an estimated 100+ selections, the list is anchored firmly in Napa Valley and Sonoma, with Bordeaux and Burgundy providing the Old World credibility. Producers like Opus One, Jordan, Duckhorn, and Far Niente tell you everything about the curation philosophy: safe, recognizable, and squarely aimed at the expense-account crowd. There's real depth here — these aren't random imports from a broadliner catalog — but adventurous drinkers hunting for Jura, skin-contact whites, or anything outside the California-France axis will come up empty. The list does what it's designed to do: impress guests who know the famous labels and reassure guests who don't.
Glass pour options aren't fully documented, but with a sommelier on staff and a Wine Spectator-recognized program, expect a curated selection of 8-12 options spanning whites, reds, and likely a sparkling pour or two. Don't expect the pours by the glass to stray far from the list's California comfort zone — but at a resort property like this, the glass program exists to set up the bottle sale, not to surprise you.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan is one of the most reliably overperforming Sonoma Cabs at its retail price point — approachable, food-friendly, and consistently excellent. At a resort with Opus One on the list, Jordan is where you get real quality without paying trophy-wine markup. It's the smart order at this kind of room.
Duckhorn Merlot
Merlot gets no respect in 2024, which means Duckhorn's Napa bottling is perpetually underordered at tables like this. It's a genuinely serious wine — plush, structured, age-worthy — and most diners are still mentally stuck in the Sideways era. Their loss, your gain.
Opus One
Opus One is an undeniably great wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the American restaurant industry. You're paying heavily for the prestige of ordering it in a resort dining room. If showing off is the goal, go for it — but if you actually want to drink well for the money, there are better choices on this list.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Seasonal Seafood
Far Niente Chardonnay is full-bodied enough to stand up to richer seafood preparations — think butter-poached lobster or pan-seared halibut — without bulldozing the plate. It's one of Napa's most polished whites, and a resort kitchen doing seasonal seafood is exactly the right context for it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Grand View is a well-run, properly staffed wine program that does exactly what a high-end resort restaurant should — it just charges accordingly for the privilege. Send a friend here for a special occasion, warn them about the Opus One markup, and tell them to order the Jordan.
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
Downtown Columbia · Columbia · New American
Sycamore is doing something genuinely unusual in Columbia: running a tight, thoughtful wine list with real producers and fair prices, backed by someone on staff who knows what they're talking about. Come on a Wednesday and it's a no-brainer.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
Elizabeth Park area · Hartford · New American
Pond House Cafe is a lovely spot where the wine list exists to support the experience, not define it — and that's fine, as long as you keep your expectations calibrated. Come for the setting, order the Campofiorin or the Santa Marina, and let the park do the rest of the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Upscale McAllen · McAllen · New American
Ambra is a nice room with a lazy wine list — one that coasts on brand familiarity and banks on diners not noticing the markup. Order a cocktail, or bring a bottle if corkage is an option.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.