Ritz Altitude, Surprisingly Grounded Wine List
Truckee · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Manzanita’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're at a Ritz-Carlton at 8,000 feet, surrounded by stone and timber, with a wine list that actually earns its place at the table. The list leans into California and France — which makes sense given the farm-to-table, mountain-lodge positioning — and it doesn't try to be everything to everyone. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2023, and while that's not a grand slam, it signals someone in this building is paying attention.
The 150-250 bottle list hits its California marks hard: Kistler Chardonnay, Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ridge Monte Bello are all accounted for, which gives you real range from workhorse to icon. France gets a respectable seat with Louis Jadot Burgundy rounding out the old-world side alongside Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir bridging the gap between the two hemispheres. There are gaps — if you're hunting Rhône, Riesling, or anything remotely south of the equator, you'll come up short. But for a mountain resort restaurant cooking with seasonal California produce, the list tracks.
Somewhere in the 12-20 glass range, which is respectable for the setting and gives you enough to navigate a multi-course meal without committing to a full bottle every time. We'd love to see more rotation and adventure here — a Sonoma Coast producer beyond the obvious picks would go a long way. As it stands, it's functional and competent, just not exciting.
Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir — $75
Flowers punches well above its price point at the retail level, and in a resort setting where markups can get brutal, finding it at a relatively accessible bottle price makes it the smartest order on the list for the quality delivered.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most people at this table are reaching for the California labels they already know. Drouhin Oregon is the quiet overachiever — Burgundian DNA transplanted to the Willamette Valley, and it's exactly the kind of wine that makes a mountain dinner feel special without the trophy-wine price tag.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine. It's also on every hotel wine list in America, and at Ritz-Carlton markup it's going to cost you significantly more than the $60-70 it fetches at retail. There are better Cabernet options at better value elsewhere on this list.
Kistler Chardonnay + Pan-seared salmon
Kistler is rich and textured without being heavy — it has enough acid to cut through the salmon's fat and enough weight to stand alongside the sear. It's the kind of white wine that makes people rethink their red-with-everything instincts.
The Bottom Line
Manzanita isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a beautiful mountain restaurant with a thoughtful, if pricey, list that holds its own. Send a friend here for the experience; just steer them toward Flowers or Drouhin and away from the Caymus.
· Truckee · Mediterranean / Italian-inspired
Como Truckee is clearly a food-forward restaurant that hasn't put the same energy into its wine program. Six labels is a hard ask when you're building a full Mediterranean meal around it. If you're a wine person, drink with low expectations or call ahead about corkage.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Truckee · Winery tasting room
Truckee River Winery earns its Wild Card badge not because the list is adventurous in the traditional sense, but because finding a family-owned winery tasting room with legitimate California vineyard sourcing tucked into a ski-and-river town is genuinely unexpected. If you're passing through Truckee and want something more interesting than a resort bar pour, this is your move — just come in ready to drink their stuff on their terms.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Truckee · Wine Bar / Bistro
Petra is the wine list you don't expect to find at 6,000 feet next to a ski lift, and that surprise is worth something real. The grower Champagne depth and Loire white focus suggest someone cared enough to build a list with a spine. If you're anywhere near Northstar, skip the hotel minibar and find this place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Truckee · New American
Cottonwood's wine program is a by-the-glass-only affair, but whoever built this list has taste — a Loire Muscadet, a Tempranillo, and a natural California red don't end up together by accident. If you're skiing into Truckee and want something more considered than the usual resort pour, this is a solid stop. Don't come expecting a deep cellar; do come knowing the glass options are genuinely worth ordering.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Truckee · New American / Bistro
Moody's is the kind of place that earns a second look the moment you see Tablas Creek rosé and a Cru Beaujolais on the same all-glass list in a mountain town. The program is compact but clearly curated by someone who cares, and the pricing is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're passing through Truckee, this is worth a stop for the wine alone.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Truckee · Seasonal tasting menu
Stella is quietly running one of the more serious wine lists in the Truckee-Tahoe corridor, anchored by a sparkling section that would hold its own in a San Francisco wine bar and priced without the mountain-town surcharge you might expect. We don't know enough about the service experience or the glass program to call it a Rager, but as a Wild Card — a tasting menu spot in ski country with actual wine ambition — it earns the badge. If you're headed up the mountain, this is the list worth planning around.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Monterey · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Montrio is the rare restaurant where the wine list earns the same respect as the kitchen — regionally focused, fairly priced, and backed by staff who can actually help you navigate it. Add Tuesday's half-price bottle promotion and you've got one of the better wine nights on the Central Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Sixth & Mission · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Grasing's doesn't have the deepest list on the Monterey Peninsula, but the by-the-glass-everything model and genuinely fair pricing make it worth your time. Send a friend here if they want to drink well without being locked into a bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · Californian
Carpe Diem punches above its weight for a 12-bottle list, and Monday half-price night makes this one of the better deals in downtown Napa. Just watch the bottle markups on the bigger names — you're in wine country, not getting a discount for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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