All-French, All-Glass, No Apologies
Downtown Telluride / San Juan Avenue · Telluride · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 26, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed La Marmotte’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
La Marmotte hands you a wine list that's essentially a love letter to France — and nothing else. Eleven wines, all by the glass, all French, zero pretense. In a ski town where most restaurant lists read like a Greatest Hits of California Cab, this thing stands out immediately.
Every bottle on this list is French, which is either a bold curatorial statement or a kitchen that knows exactly what it's doing — probably both. You've got Loire Valley covered with a Fermin Dezat Sancerre and a Domaine des Sables Vert Saumur, Burgundy showing up via Jean-Charles Fagot and Domaine Thenard's Givry, and the Rhône represented by the always-solid JL Chave 'Offerus' Saint Joseph. Jura and Savoie make an appearance too, which you almost never see on a mountain town list. The gaps: no Alsace, nothing from the South (Languedoc, Provence), and the Cahors is doing heavy lifting on the bold red front solo.
The entire list — all eleven wines — pours by the glass, which is a genuinely generous move. Prices run $15 to $31, which is reasonable for Telluride, where resort-town markups tend to make you wince. Rotation appears to be seasonal rather than frequent, but when every option is this focused and France-forward, that's not a complaint.
Offerus JL Chave 2021 Saint Joseph — $26
JL Chave is one of the most respected names in the Northern Rhône, and their 'Offerus' bottling — a pure Syrah with serious bones — regularly retails well above what a $26 glass implies. This is the bottle that makes the list worth your attention.
Carrel and Senger 2024 Savoie
Most people at a French bistro are reaching for Burgundy or Champagne. The Savoie gets overlooked every time, which is a mistake — crisp, alpine-driven whites from this region are genuinely singular, and you're unlikely to find one poured by the glass anywhere else in Telluride.
Françoise Montand Brut NV Jura
Jura sparkling is a niche choice and we respect the ambition, but Françoise Montand isn't exactly a name that commands confidence at this price point. If you're in the mood for bubbles, the Goutorbe Bouillot Champagne at $30 is a more grounded pick.
Domaine Thenard 'Clos St. Pierre' 2020 Givry + Duck Confit
Givry is Burgundy's underrated Pinot Noir heartland — earthy, red-fruited, with enough structure to hold up to duck fat without overwhelming the dish. It's the kind of match that makes you wonder why you ever ordered Cab with duck.
The Bottom Line
La Marmotte isn't trying to be a wine bar — it's a cozy French bistro that happens to have a genuinely thoughtful, all-French, all-glass list that punches well above the Telluride baseline. If you're eating duck confit in the mountains and someone hands you JL Chave Syrah for $26, you say yes.
· Telluride · Wine Bar
Communion is a focused, deliberate wine bar that built a short list with real intention — anchored on Leitz, punctuated by a standout Chave Selections white, and thoughtful enough to include non-alcoholic options alongside the serious stuff. We don't have pricing data to confirm value, and the list is compact enough that adventurous drinkers may want more range — but what's here is chosen with care. If you're in Telluride and want wine that someone actually thought about, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Mountain Village · Telluride · Contemporary American Mountain Cuisine
The Peak is a reliable, if unambitious, wine program that does its job — nobody leaves thirsty and the bottles are stored properly. Just don't come here expecting discovery; come expecting a decent glass of something familiar with a genuinely spectacular mountain backdrop.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Telluride · Telluride · Cocktail bar with light bites
Liberty is a cocktail bar that accidentally has a wine list worth paying attention to — especially on Mondays when half-price bottles make even the steep markups forgive themselves. It's not a wine destination, but it's a wildly better option than you'd ever expect at 8,750 feet.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Gondola Base / Downtown · Telluride · Barbecue and American Comfort Food
Oak isn't a wine destination — it's a BBQ and bourbon bar that happens to have a decent wine list and one of the best midweek wine deals in Telluride. If you're here on a Wednesday, order a bottle and consider yourself lucky.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
On-Mountain (Top of Polar Queen Express) · Telluride · French-inspired alpine dining
Bon Vivant has no business being this interesting for a ski mountain lunch spot, and the all-French, all-by-the-glass format is a genuine swing. Markups are resort-level steep, but the curatorial effort earns it a pass — just order something you couldn't find at the hotel bar.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
On-Mountain (Lift 4 area) · Telluride · Mountain lodge / ski resort dining
Nobody expects a French-focused wine list at an on-mountain ski lodge, which is exactly why Gorrono Ranch earns a second look. The markups are real and there's no sommelier in sight, but the selection itself punches way above its surroundings — order the Cab Franc, skip the Champagne, and enjoy the view.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River Market · Kansas City · French
A French-led list with 25 two-price wines up front and a long run of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône bottles behind them. Start with the Chinon Le Garenne at 42 or the Cornas 'Granit 60' at 88, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm prices, since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Union Square · San Francisco · French
A 66-page list that starts with a 20-pour glass page and moves quickly into Burgundy, Rhône and Bordeaux bottles priced in the hundreds and thousands, so decide early whether you are drinking by the glass or committing to a bottle. Start with the $20 Chablis or the $23 Corsican red, and confirm today's list because it carries no print date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Meatpacking District · New York · French
A French wine list with a wide price ladder: $16 glasses, $40 half bottles and $60 full bottles at the bottom, Pétrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at the top. Start with the $16 Famille Coulon Rhône white by the glass, or spend $115 on the Marcel Deiss Alsace pinot noir, and check prices because the two PDFs show different bottle prices for Delos. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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