A Mountain Lodge That Actually Takes Wine Seriously
Beaver Creek · Vail · Steakhouse / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grouse Mountain Grill’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're in a ski resort lodge in Beaver Creek, and the wine list reads like someone spent real money and real time building it — not just calling a distributor and ordering the greatest hits. At 130 labels deep with half-bottle options stretching to $190, this isn't a wine list that was put together by accident. It demands your attention before you even open the menu.
California dominates and it dominates well — Kongsgaard Chardonnay, Aubert 'Powder House,' Araujo Eisele Vineyard, Shafer Hillside Select, Kosta Browne Mt. Carmel, Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow — this is a collector's row, not a gap-filler list. France shows up meaningfully too: Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Champagne, Clos-Vougeot from Gerard Raphet, Volnay 1er Cru from D'Angerville, and a Chevalier-Montrachet from Alain Chavy that belongs in better company than most mountain resort lists. The nods to Oregon (a 1993 Eyrie, which is a genuine flex) and South Africa via Sadie Family Wines 'Skerpioen' signal that whoever built this list actually reads about wine. The gap is elsewhere in the world — Italy and Spain have a few big names like Gaja Barbaresco and Vega-Sicilia Unico, but they feel like trophies rather than a deep conversation.
Sixteen options by the glass is a strong program for a mountain steakhouse, running $13 to $36 a pour with the Plumpjack Reserve Chardonnay available at $25/glass — genuinely good juice at a price that won't make you wince mid-ski-trip. The glass list appears to rotate with the list itself, but we didn't find evidence of regular rotation or a dedicated BTG program beyond the existing selection.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2017 — $120
Vietti is one of Barolo's most dependable names and the Castiglione is their entry-level — but it's proper Barolo, proper terroir, proper aging potential. At $120 in a room where bottles routinely crack $300-$500, this is the move for anyone who wants something serious without ordering off the trophy shelf.
Sadie Family Wines 'Skerpioen' Chenin Blanc/Palomino Swartland SA 2019
Nobody at a Colorado steakhouse is ordering South African white wine, which is exactly why you should. Eben Sadie's Skerpioen is one of the most compelling white wines made anywhere in the world — old-vine Chenin and Palomino from Swartland with texture and tension that beats most white Burgundy at twice the price. It's the most interesting bottle on this list that will actually be available.
Penfolds 'Grange' 2014
At $1,200 a bottle, this is trophy pricing on a wine that retails around $700-$800 depending on vintage. We get it — it's Grange, it's a bucket-list bottle, and someone at a ski resort will buy it. But the markup here is among the steepest on the list, and there are better ways to spend that money in Beaver Creek.
Volnay 1er Cru 'Fremiet' Marquis D'Angerville 2016 + Roasted Duck Breast
D'Angerville's Fremiet is silky, precise Volnay with enough red fruit and earthy undertow to meet duck without bullying it. This is the classic Continental match — delicate red Burgundy, rich poultry — and it's one of those pairings that makes the whole dinner feel intentional.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Grouse Mountain Grill is building a wine list that belongs in a serious city restaurant, not just a ski lodge — and that's the compliment. The markups are real and the trophy bottles are priced for people who don't look at the right column, but the depth, the curation, and the occasional wild swing (1993 Eyrie, Sadie Family Wines) earn this a Rager badge without much argument.
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Deep & Eclectic
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Basic Stemmed
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Small but Thoughtful
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Steep
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Solid Range
Steep
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Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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