800 Bottles Deep in the Rockies
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 6, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Cliff House at Pikes Peak’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a Victorian-era hotel at the foot of Pikes Peak and being handed an 800-bottle wine list is a specific kind of power move. The cellar program here is serious — this isn't resort wine-list theater, it's a genuine collection built over time. The setting does half the work, but the list earns the other half.
The list leans heavily into Napa and Sonoma, which tracks for a AAA Four Diamond property catering to guests who want comfort and familiarity alongside their elk tenderloin. Bordeaux and Burgundy add old-world credibility, and the depth clears 800 selections — that's not a marketing number, that's an actual cellar commitment. The expected anchor names are all here: Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Cakebread Chardonnay. It's a list built to impress rather than surprise, and it succeeds on those terms. If you're hunting for grower Champagne or skin-contact Slovenian whites, keep driving — but if you want a serious, well-maintained Napa-forward cellar in a historic hotel, this delivers.
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a strong showing for a property like this, and the sommelier on staff means the pours aren't just whatever the distributor pushed that week. Expect the glass list to mirror the bottle list — Napa Cab, California Chardonnay, maybe a Bordeaux blend. We'd love to see more rotation and adventurous choices by the glass, but the breadth covers most tables without anyone feeling stranded.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley — null
Silver Oak Alexander Valley is the move here — it's the most food-friendly expression in their Cab-heavy lineup, with the kind of approachable structure that works across a range of dishes. In a cellar dominated by prestige pours, this one consistently delivers without requiring you to clear your mortgage.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
Easy to dismiss as a safe Napa Chardonnay crowd-pleaser, but Cakebread's Chardonnay is genuinely well-made and restrained for the appellation — less oak-bomb than its reputation suggests. In a room full of people ordering Cabernet with everything, this is the quiet overachiever that pairs well with the kitchen's lighter Rocky Mountain preparations.
Opus One
Opus One is a legitimately great wine and nobody's arguing otherwise — but at a resort restaurant, the markup on a bottle this famous is going to be punishing. You're paying for the name twice: once because it's Opus One, and again because you're at a Four Diamond hotel in a tourist destination. Save this one for a retailer.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon + Colorado rack of lamb
Caymus Special Selection is a big, plush Napa Cab with enough fruit and structure to stand up to Colorado lamb without overwhelming it. The richness of the wine mirrors the gamey depth of locally sourced rack of lamb, and the finish is long enough to bridge the gap between bites. Classic combination executed in a setting that actually does it justice.
The Bottom Line
The Cliff House wine program is the real thing — 800 bottles, a sommelier, proper storage, and glassware that respects what's in it. The markups sting and the list plays it safe, but if you're celebrating something in the shadow of Pikes Peak, this is exactly where you want to be doing it.
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A compact, fully priced list of 16 wines with a glass and a bottle price printed for every wine. Start with the Angeline Cabernet at $10 a glass for a low-cost red, or the L' Ecole Merlot at $17 if you want the Washington bottle, and confirm prices since the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
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A glass-focused list of 29 wines priced 12 to 21 beside a four-course Southwest menu. Start with the Scaia Corvina at 12 or the Bieler Cotes du Rhone Villages at 14, and confirm prices, since the image is named Summer-Cocktails-2026 and shows glass pours only. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
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A large, classic list built around Napa Cabernet, Bordeaux and Burgundy, with 13 glasses from $10 and a short Colorado section worth a look. Start with the $15 Catena Zapata Malbec by the glass, or order the $75 Ordinary Fellow Pinot Noir from Montezuma Valley, and check the vintage before you commit to a big bottle. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Colorado City · Colorado Springs · Italian
An Italian and California list with named glass pours from $9.50 to $12 and bottles up to $325. Order the $10 Badia al Colle Chianti, or the $12 Banfi Chianti Classico with the Gnocchi Bolognese, and check the vintage when the bottle arrives since the list says vintages can change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Colorado City · Colorado Springs · Tapas
A Spanish-leaning list in Old Colorado City with 22 glass/bottle pairs from 9/32 to 14/52, plus a bottle-only reserve group. Start with the 9/32 Lomas del Marques Rioja Tempranillo, or Wine Wednesday's 20% off bottles if the table is sharing. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups; confirm current deals before you go.
· Round Rock · New American
Whiskey Cake Round Rock isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the all-by-the-glass format keeps things approachable, the pricing is honest, and there are a couple of genuinely good pours hiding in a short list. If wine is your priority tonight, look elsewhere; if you're here for the vibe and want something decent in your glass, Chehalem and Altocedro have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbia · New American
Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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