Izabella Ristorante Italiano

ECHO's wine program is exactly what a hotel lounge in a ski town should be: fair prices, nothing offensive, nothing exciting. If you're here for the mountain, this list won't get in the way — and that's honestly enough.

The Cork & More is the kind of place that shouldn't work as well as it does — a wine shop and deli hybrid in a tourist ski town charging near-retail prices. We'd absolutely send a friend here, especially one who's been burned by $80 Napa Cabs at resort restaurants one too many times.

Maggie's isn't going to make a wine person drive up from the Bay Area, but for a ski-base hotel restaurant it punches well above its weight — fair markups, considered pours, and a list that treats guests like adults. If you're already at Heavenly Village, you're in good hands.

Jimmy's is a dependable resort wine list with some genuine bright spots — just don't expect adventurous pricing or a staff member who can walk you through the Ornellaia. If you're in South Lake Tahoe and want a proper glass of something good with a fire crackling and the lake out the window, you could do a lot worse.

Evan's is the right place for a proper Tahoe date night, and the wine list won't let you down — as long as you go in knowing it's built for comfort, not discovery. Stick to the Kistler or Flowers and you'll drink well; chase the obvious names and you'll overpay for the privilege.

My Thai is a genuine Wild Card — a family Thai joint that somehow assembled a Napa Cab-heavy wine list with real bottles on it, even if the pairing logic is questionable and the markups climb fast. Come for the green curry, order the Santadi, and marvel at the fact that Heitz Trailside exists on this menu at all.