Resort Italian That Actually Knows Its Wines
Southwest / Lake Avenue · Colorado Springs · Italian (Northern Italian-inspired trattoria) · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting lakeside at one of Colorado's most storied resorts, and the wine list arrives looking exactly how you'd expect — Italy front and center, heavy hitters accounted for, prices that remind you this is still The Broadmoor. It's not trying to surprise you, and it doesn't. What it does do is deliver a focused, competent Italian list that holds up to the room.
The list leans hard into classic Italian regions — Tuscany and Piedmont carry the weight here, with names like Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco anchoring the upper tier and Castello Banfi's Brunello di Montalcino flying the flag for Montalcino. You're not going to find a deep Sicilian bench or a nerdy Etna Rosso tucked in the back pages — this is a greatest-hits Italian list, not an adventurous one. The 100-plus label count means there's range, but it tracks closer to 'what a confident Italian-American diner expects' than 'what a wine geek would get excited about.' That said, the classics are real and well-chosen, not supermarket filler dressed up in resort packaging.
The by-the-glass program runs around 10-16 options, with Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio reliably appearing as the crowd-pleaser anchor — expect it to be the most-ordered pour at every table. The selection covers the bases (a Chianti, probably a Barolo or Barbera, something white and crisp) without taking any risks. Rotation appears minimal; this is a list that was set and has stayed set.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio — $14
Look, it's not a revelation, but in a resort setting where markups punish you for every extra label, this is a well-sourced, consistent glass at a price that won't sting. It's the safe call that's actually safe.
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables here will order the Tignanello because the name lands — but the Banfi Brunello is the better food wine and holds its own against any bistecca or braised short rib on the menu. It's the kind of bottle that makes the dinner.
Gaja Barbaresco
Gaja is a legitimately great producer, no argument there — but at Broadmoor resort markup, you're paying a significant premium over what you'd spend at a good wine shop or even a city restaurant. Save this bottle for somewhere that treats it at a fairer price.
Antinori Tignanello + Bistecca
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has the structure to stand up to a serious cut of beef and enough brightness to keep the meal moving. It's the obvious call here, but obvious for a reason — it works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Ristorante del Lago is a reliable Italian wine destination inside a resort that could easily phone it in — a sommelier on staff and real producers on the list mean it doesn't. Just know you're paying Broadmoor prices for the privilege, and plan accordingly.
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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