The Hermitage Inn

Walking into The Hermitage Inn's dining room, the wine list feels like finding a serious library tucked inside a ski lodge — intimate wood beams, candlelight, and then a list that runs 400 to 600 bottles deep. The Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence hanging on the wall isn't just decoration; the list actually earns it. This is not the kind of place you expect to find in a Vermont mountain town, which makes it all the better.

Sommelier Brendan McGrail has built a list that leans hard into California and France, with Italy keeping pace — and honestly, the heavy hitters are here in force: Opus One, Chateau Margaux, Antinori Tignanello, Louis Jadot Burgundy. There's real range from approachable everyday bottles to genuine cellar trophies, and the French and Italian selections give the list some Old World credibility beyond California Cab worship. That said, if you're hunting esoteric natural wine or off-the-radar producers, you're in the wrong inn — this is a classical list executed with care, not a boundary-pusher. The depth across Burgundy and Tuscan reds in particular makes it worth lingering over.

With 20 to 30 options by the glass, the program is generous for a property this size — you're not stuck choosing between a house Chardonnay and a house Cab. Quality producers like Jordan Winery and Duckhorn make appearances, which means the glass pours aren't an afterthought. Rotation details aren't well documented, but with a dedicated sommelier on staff, we'd expect the BTG list to reflect whatever's showing well seasonally.