A Tight French List With Mountain Ambitions
· Aspen · French Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Petit Trois Aspen’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Fourteen bottles, all available by the glass — Petit Trois Aspen isn't trying to overwhelm you with options, and that's a deliberate choice. The list skews hard French, with a few smart detours into California and, somewhat surprisingly, Colorado. For a ski-town bistro, it punches with more intention than you'd expect.
The backbone here is Loire and Burgundy: Vouvray, Sancerre, Chablis, Bourgogne Côte d'Or — the French classics are present and properly sourced. Gatinois anchors the Champagne slot with real credibility, and the Cahors Malbec (Chateau les Croisille) shows someone actually thought about the red lineup beyond the obvious. The two wildcards — Ajax Cellars Riesling from Colorado and Presqu'ile Pinot Noir out of Santa Barbara — feel like genuine additions rather than token gestures. What's missing: any depth for serious Burgundy or Rhône explorers, and zero half-bottle options for solo diners or mixed-pace tables.
All 14 bottles pour by the glass, ranging from $16 to $32 — which is convenient but doesn't signal a rotating program with any urgency. At $16/glass, the Ajax Cellars Riesling and Empire Estate Blanc de Blancs are the accessible entry points. The top of the glass range, Michel Bouzereau Bourgogne Côte d'Or at $32, is where things get harder to justify without knowing your pour size.
The Bottom Line
Petit Trois Aspen earns its Wild Card badge by keeping the list lean, French-forward, and genuinely considered — rare for a resort-market restaurant where the wine list is usually an afterthought. The markups are real, and the glass prices climb steeply toward the top, but the Ajax Cellars Riesling and the Estezargue give you a reason to explore. If you're in town and want something with more personality than the usual Aspen lineup, this list delivers — just go in with your eyes open on price.
· Aspen · Japanese-Peruvian
Nobu Aspen's wine list won't win awards for depth or value, but it earns respect for its unexpected Australian backbone and a by-the-glass program that actually has range and structure. If you're dropping serious money at this address anyway, lean into the Swinney Grenache or the Domaine Laroche Chablis — someone cared enough to put them there.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Mountain American
Pine Creek Cookhouse is not a wine destination — it's an experience destination where the wine list exists to complement a genuinely special setting, and to its credit, it doesn't try to be more than that. The pricing is fair, the range covers the basics without embarrassing anyone, and the Gascon white alone is worth knowing about. Come for the mountain, stay for the sleigh ride, and don't overthink the wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Global Asian
LoLa 41 Aspen plays it safe with a crowd-pleasing list that leans heavily on name recognition and a showstopper Champagne section built for Aspen-sized occasions. Markups are steep throughout, and the list won't surprise a serious wine drinker — but the by-the-glass program is functional and the Ken Wright Pinot Noir is legitimately good value for the altitude. Go in knowing what you want, or let the bubbles section do the thinking for you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Aspen · Cafe / Wine-Friendly
This is a Wild Card in the truest sense — a museum rooftop café with no sommelier and steep markups that still manages to stock Lapierre, William Fevre Grand Cru, and Pierre Peters. The prices will get you, but the list itself deserves credit. Come for the view, stay for the Gruner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / The Little Nell · Aspen · Wine Bar / Lounge
Element 47 is the rare mountain resort wine program that could hold its own in any major city — 3,300 labels, proper storage, knowledgeable staff, and glassware that actually fits the wine. Prices are high because Aspen is high, but if you're going to spend serious money on a bottle somewhere, this is a place that respects the investment.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Aspen · Bar / Mexican
Las Montañas is the rare bar where the wine list deserves more attention than the cocktail menu — a sommelier-curated, California-forward selection with enough Pacific Northwest surprises to keep things interesting. Aspen markups are what they are, but the quality and intentionality here are real.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Lancaster · French Bistro
Barberet isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something rarer — matching a focused, honest wine program to food that actually deserves it. If you're in Lancaster and want a French dinner that doesn't embarrass itself on the wine side, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · French Bistro
Frenchy's Hideout is the kind of wine list that rewards people who look past the Caymus and actually read the menu — there's real French depth here at prices that won't ruin your night. If you like your bistro to drink like a bistro, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Alamos · Solvang · French Bistro
Bell's is the rare small-town restaurant where the wine list is as considered as the food, and the two actually talk to each other. If you're anywhere near Los Alamos, this is a destination — not a detour.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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