Aspen's Best Steakhouse Wine List, Full Stop
Aspen · Aspen · American Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Steakhouse No. 316’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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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.
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 · Aspen · Upscale Italian (Milanese café and restaurant)
Sant Ambroeus Aspen is a genuinely good Italian wine program wearing a resort-town price tag — the producers are real, the Franciacorta selection alone is worth your attention, and the staff actually knows what's on the list. Just go in knowing you're paying Aspen rates for everything, and let that Bellavista do its thing.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Lounge / Mediterranean
Snow Lodge delivers exactly what a St. Regis resort lounge should: proper glassware, knowledgeable staff, and a list that won't embarrass anyone. Just don't come looking for discovery — this list is built for comfort, and the markups reflect the altitude in more ways than one.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Mountain American / Hotel Restaurant
Velvet Buck is a reliable, well-run hotel wine program doing exactly what a St. Regis in Aspen is supposed to do — impress people without surprising them. If you're after adventure, look elsewhere; if you're after a great glass of Far Niente after a day on the mountain, you're in the right place.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Fort Worth · American Steakhouse
Del Frisco's Grille Fort Worth has a wine list the same way an airport newsstand has a wine section — technically true, practically limiting. Order the Tokaji for dessert, drink cocktails with dinner, and don't expect anyone to help you navigate the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Carson · Carson City · American Steakhouse
Glen Eagles is a comfortable, classic Carson City steakhouse with a wine list that's essentially coasting — one strong Port section surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. Come for the prime rib, order a Port after, and don't expect much more from the wine side of the menu.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
San Marcos · San Marcos · American Steakhouse
Outback San Marcos won't embarrass you if you order a glass with dinner, but you're not here for the wine list and nobody pretends otherwise. Stick to the Riesling or the Malbec and spend your energy on the steak.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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