Resort wine list that earns its keep
Southwest / Lake Avenue · Colorado Springs · Steakhouse / French-inspired American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into La Taverne, the wine list lands exactly how the room looks — polished, resort-comfortable, and not trying to surprise you. It's a proper steakhouse list built for people who know what they want, and the execution is clean. You're at The Broadmoor; the expectation is high and the prices are going to reflect that.
The list runs an estimated 120–200 labels and covers the expected steakhouse bases well — California Cabernets anchor the red side with names like Jordan and Silver Oak Alexander Valley doing the heavy lifting, and Duckhorn Merlot filling the middle lane for guests who want something approachable and recognizable. There's no bold swing toward natural wine or obscure Old World finds here; this is a globally informed list that prioritizes crowd comfort over adventure. Gaps exist in the value tier — you're unlikely to stumble on a sleeper Rhône or an underdog South American red that punches above its price. What it lacks in discovery, it compensates for with execution: well-sourced, well-stored, and properly presented.
The glass program runs an estimated 10–18 pours in the $14–$28 range, which is par for the course at a resort of this caliber. Expect the usual suspects — a Cab, a Merlot, a Chardonnay, maybe a Pinot Noir — rotated with minimal drama. Don't expect surprises by the glass, but don't expect to be served something disappointing either.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $55+
Jordan is a known quantity — Alexander Valley Cab at a fair-to-decent entry point on a resort list. It's the wine that won't embarrass you at a business dinner and won't destroy your wallet relative to the room's pricing ceiling.
Duckhorn Merlot
Merlot is the forgotten middle child at steakhouses where everyone's grabbing Cab, but Duckhorn's Napa bottling is a genuinely excellent glass of wine — silky, structured, and it goes stride for stride with a hand-cut steak in a way that surprises people who wrote off Merlot after Sideways.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Oak is priced as a status symbol everywhere it appears on a resort list, and La Taverne is no exception. You're paying a significant premium for a name that's widely available at retail — the wine is good, but the markup rarely justifies it when Jordan is sitting right next to it for less.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Hand-cut steak
Jordan's structured tannins and dark fruit profile are exactly what a properly seared hand-cut steak wants — the fat softens the wine, the wine cuts through the fat. It's a classic combination and it works every time.
✔️ The Bottom Line
La Taverne is a reliable, well-run resort wine program that plays it safe and mostly pulls it off — just go in with eyes open on pricing. If you're here for a special occasion steak, the list will serve you well; if you're hunting for discovery or value, you'll need to look harder than the first page.
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
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