Aurora's Heist-Themed Winery Playing Its Own Game
· Aurora · Urban Winery / Tasting Room · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ladrón Cellars’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Ladrón Cellars, you immediately clock that this is a house-made operation with a personality — every wine on the list carries a name that sounds like it belongs in a caper film: Heist, Mutiny, Getaway, Grifter. It's a tasting room producing its own wines, which means the list is tight but intentional. Twenty labels, all theirs, no filler from the distributor catalog.
The list spans a decent range for a small producer — whites anchor with a Bien Nacido Chardonnay (sourcing from one of California's most respected vineyards is a real signal) and a Glen Rose Roussanne that shows genuine range for a Colorado urban winery. The reds run deep into their back catalog, with vintages stretching back to 2017 with the Stowaway and the 2018 Grifter still in the mix — that's either smart cellar management or slow-moving inventory, and in this case we're betting on the former. What's missing is anything from outside their own production: no guest bottles, no local Colorado collaborations, nothing to benchmark against. When you're the only show in town, you'd better be confident in every pour.
As an urban winery tasting room, the by-the-glass program is almost certainly flight-based rather than a traditional BTG list — you're here to work through their portfolio in some organized tasting format. Without confirmed details on flight pricing or pour sizes, we can't call the specifics, but the 20-label lineup gives enough range that any tasting flight should hit at least two or three genuinely interesting stops.
The Bottom Line
Ladrón Cellars is doing something genuinely independent in Aurora — all house-made, a real range of varieties, and a concept that holds together. It earns a Wild Card because you won't find this kind of self-contained winery personality many places, and the Bien Nacido Chardonnay and Glen Rose Roussanne alone justify making the trip.
· Aurora · Wine Bar
The Wine Barrel has the bones of a good neighborhood wine spot — a few genuinely interesting labels, approachable prices on the low end — but the pricing inconsistencies and thin list make it hard to trust. Until the menu gets cleaned up and the by-the-glass program is visible, order carefully and stick to the imports.
Plays It Safe
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Chinese / Dim Sum
Nana's isn't trying to be a wine bar — but it's doing more than most dim sum spots would ever bother with, and the list actually fits the food. Come for the dumplings, order the Albariño or the orange wine, and tell your friends.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aurora · Aurora · Cider Tasting Room
Haykin is the rare place where cider gets the same treatment wine does — single varieties, vintage dates, dessert-tier offerings, and zero apologies for being serious about it. If you've ever wanted to understand what an apple actually tastes like, this is where you go.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Aurora · Cocktail Bar
Sorry Gorgeous isn't a wine destination, but it's a cocktail bar that actually tried — and that counts for something. Come for the rooftop, order the Pinot Blanc or the orange wine, and leave the Dom on the menu for someone else's bachelorette party.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Modern Mexican
Molino Chido is doing something genuinely unusual: building a wine list that reflects curiosity and culture in a space where most restaurants would just throw up a Kendall-Jackson. If you're in Aurora and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Stanley Marketplace · Aurora · Oyster Bar / New American
Traveling Mercies is a Wild Card in the best way: an oyster bar inside a marketplace that built a wine list with actual conviction. It's not deep, but it's smart, and smart beats deep when you're eating shellfish in Aurora.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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