Mountain Fine Dining With Napa on Its Mind
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Upscale American, Contemporary Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Cliff House leans into its white-tablecloth identity — this is not a place that surprises you, but it takes the job seriously. A sommelier on staff and a list of 150–250 bottles signals real intention. The room sets expectations high, and the wine program mostly meets them.
The backbone here is California, full stop — Caymus, Jordan, Rombauer, and Duckhorn are the headliners, and they're playing to a crowd that already knows what it wants. There's a supporting cast from Willamette Valley and France that keeps things from feeling like a pure Napa greatest-hits compilation, but don't come expecting anything left of center. The regional mountain-Colorado angle is largely absent, which feels like a missed opportunity given the setting. It's a confident, conventional list — one that rewards guests who love the classics and leaves adventurous drinkers slightly under-served.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a respectable spread for a hotel dining room at this level. You'll likely find the usual suspects — a Rombauer Chardonnay, something from Caymus — represented on the glass list, which means quality is there even if creativity isn't. We'd love to see more rotation and a few curveballs from the Willamette or Rhône to give the program some pulse.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan consistently overdelivers relative to its price point in the Cab category. In a room full of four-figure Napa bottles, it's the move that gets you Alexander Valley elegance without the markup guilt — and it holds up against anything game or beef on this menu.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone overlooks Merlot in a Cab-heavy list, but Duckhorn's is the real thing — structured, age-worthy, and underordered because the table next to you just said 'Cabernet.' It's a smarter pick than most people give it credit for, especially against the Colorado lamb.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine — we're not disputing that — but it's the most requested Cab in America and restaurants know it. That demand translates into an aggressive markup that rarely reflects what's in the glass anymore. You're paying for the label recognition, not a hidden steal.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon + Elk entrée (rotating seasonal preparation)
Jordan's Alexander Valley fruit profile — plum, cedar, restrained tannin — is practically built for game. The elk's earthiness and the wine's structure find each other without either one throwing a punch. It's the most Colorado pairing on a list that otherwise reads like it was written in Napa.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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
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
Northeast / University Village · Colorado Springs · Upscale American Steakhouse
Cowboy Star delivers exactly what a Colorado Springs steakhouse crowd wants from a wine list — familiar names, properly stored, and no homework required. It's not a destination for wine, but it won't embarrass you either; just steer toward Jordan over Caymus and pocket the difference.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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