Aspen's Best Steakhouse Wine List, Full Stop
Aspen · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Steakhouse No. 316’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into crimson velvet banquettes and white linen and the wine list shows up matching the energy — 350 to 500 bottles deep, anchored by Burgundy and California heavyweights that mean business. This is Aspen, so nobody's pretending to be a bargain, but the list has genuine curation behind it rather than just a trophy shelf of recognizable labels. Sommelier Kristopher Cooke's fingerprints are on this thing, and that matters.
The Burgundy section is the crown jewel — Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny Grand Crus sit alongside the kind of DRC bottles that make grown adults take photos of a wine list. California Cab is handled with equal seriousness: Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Far Niente, Stag's Leap, and Beringer Private Reserve all show up, giving you a proper tour of Napa's greatest hits. Italy holds its own with Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino producers rounding out a list that earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence without apology. The only gap worth noting is a thinner showing outside the French-Italian-California axis — if you're hunting Rhône, Iberia, or the Southern Hemisphere, you may be out of luck.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely impressive for a steakhouse format, and the range runs from a $14 entry point up to $40 for the serious pours. The wine tap setup at the marble bar adds a fun dimension — it keeps the by-the-glass program fresher than the standard open-and-pray-it-holds routine most restaurants run. We'd come in just to sit at the bar and work through the glass list.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — $95–$120 est.
In a list where Opus One and DRC anchor the high end, Silver Oak Alexander Valley is the reliable overachiever — plush, approachable, and famous enough that you know exactly what you're getting without paying trophy-wine premiums. It's the move for a table that wants a proper Napa Cab without the sticker shock of the upper tier.
Chambolle-Musigny Grand Cru (Burgundy)
Everyone at the table is eyeing the DRC and the Opus One, but Chambolle-Musigny is Burgundy at its most seductive — silky, floral, and more approachable in its youth than Gevrey-Chambertin. On a list built for red meat, it's the counterintuitive pick that absolutely works and won't require a second mortgage.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a fine wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles in America's steakhouse circuit. You're paying a hefty premium for a label that's become default ordering for people who don't want to think — the rest of this list rewards people who do think. Skip it and go deeper.
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon + Cowboy Ribeye
The Cowboy ribeye is exactly the kind of aggressive, fatty, high-char cut that wants a structured, full-bodied California Cab to match it punch for punch. Beringer Private Reserve has the weight, the dark fruit, and the tannin backbone to stand up to every bite without going overboard on the price tag.
The Bottom Line
Steakhouse No. 316 is one of the few places in Aspen where the wine list is genuinely as impressive as the room — deep on Burgundy and California, staffed by someone who actually knows what's on the shelves, and worthy of the Best of Award of Excellence hanging on the wall. Yes, it's Aspen prices, but you're getting Aspen quality to match.
· Aspen · Seafood and Oyster Bar
Clark's Oyster Bar Aspen earns the Wild Card badge by doing something almost no oyster bar does: ditching the dry wine playbook entirely and building a focused, globally-sourced dessert wine list with real producers at fair prices. It's a bizarre and commendable choice. Come for the oysters, stay for the Madeira — just don't expect a Muscadet to wash them down.
Small but Thoughtful
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· Aspen · Hotel dining
MOLLIE runs one of the most thoughtful compact lists in Aspen, and the all-by-the-glass format means you can drink your way through France without committing to a bottle. The pricing is fair for the altitude and the address, and the curation punches above a typical hotel program. If you're passing through and want a smart glass of wine without a thesis-length wine list, this is your spot.
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· Aspen · Historic hotel dining
Hotel Jerome's Living Room list is a pleasant surprise in a market where hotel wine programs often coast on tourist ignorance and Famous Names. The selection is short but curated, with enough Old World intrigue — the Vajra Barbera, the Quintodecimo, the Bandol rosé — to reward the curious. Markups are real and Aspen-appropriate, so set your expectations accordingly. If you're staying at the hotel or catching a drink after a ski day, you'll drink well here without feeling insulted.
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· Aspen · Italian
Mezzaluna's wine list is a missed opportunity in a town that could easily support something far more interesting. The markups are real — Santa Margherita at $64 and Joel Gott Cab at $60 are doing the heavy lifting on margin — and the selection never ventures beyond brands your parents recognize. If you're eating here, drink the Frescobaldi or the Ruffino Riserva and call it a night; don't expect the list to surprise you.
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· Aspen · Seasonal New American
AspenX Beach Club is exactly what it advertises: a spectacle first, a wine program second. There's a sommelier on staff and the Champagne-and-rosé focus is at least intentional and coherent, but pricing at this address in this atmosphere is going to sting. Go for the experience, order something cold and bubbly, and don't stress about the list — that's clearly not the point.
Plays It Safe
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· 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.
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· McLean · American Steakhouse
We don't fully understand how a six-bottle list this good ended up at The Palm Tysons Corner, but here we are. If you're eating here and care about wine at all, this list deserves your attention — especially that Sancerre at $23. It's a small program, but it's a thoughtful one, and in a category full of lazy steakhouse lists, that counts for a lot.
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· The Woodlands · American Steakhouse
We're working with event-night evidence, not a full house list, so drawing firm conclusions about Del Frisco's Grille's everyday wine program would be dishonest. What we can say is that a six-wine promotional dinner built around one producer family isn't a reason to make this your wine destination. Come for the steakhouse experience — but don't expect the wine list to be the main event.
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· Ashburn · American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a dependable upscale steakhouse that delivers on the beef side of the equation. The wine program appears to be functional rather than inspired — a crowd-pleasing list built to sell confidently, not to excite. If you're coming for a business dinner or a straightforward date night and want a Napa Cab with your prime-aged ribeye, you'll be just fine. If you want something to talk about on the drive home, you might need to bring your own bottle or do a little pre-visit homework.
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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