Rocky Mountain High, California Cab Higher
Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Flying Horse lands with the kind of weight you feel before you open it — 400 to 600 selections in a resort dining room that clearly takes its Cabernet seriously. This is a Best of Award of Excellence program, and it reads like one: California anchors the list, France shows up with muscle, and Italy earns its place at the table. It's aspirational without being show-offy, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
California is the clear star here, and the roster delivers: Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Far Niente, Stag's Leap, Chateau Montelena, Duckhorn, Paul Hobbs — this is the Napa Mount Rushmore plus a few faces worth knowing. France doesn't phone it in either, with Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lynch-Bages representing Bordeaux with the kind of credibility that makes you pause mid-scroll. Italy shows up with Sassicaia and Tignanello, the two Super Tuscans most people either know and love or need to meet immediately. The gaps, if any, are likely in the New World outside California and in anything under $60 that excites — this is a big-game list, not a bargain-hunter's playground.
With 20 to 35 by-the-glass options, the pour program is among the stronger ones you'll find at a Colorado resort steakhouse. Expect the usual California suspects to dominate the glass list — which isn't a criticism when the suspects are this good. Rotation appears steady but not adventurous; don't expect to find anything that makes you put down your phone.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $50–$80
Jordan is consistently one of the most fairly priced serious Napa Cabs you'll find on a restaurant list — it drinks well above its station and won't require a second mortgage alongside your filet.
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Most tables at a steakhouse reach for the Caymus or Silver Oak without looking left. Lynch-Bages is a Pauillac fifth growth that punches like a second, offering Bordeaux depth and structure that will absolutely outperform on a plate of red meat — and most guests walk right past it.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine that has become a victim of its own ubiquity. At resort steakhouse markups, you're paying a premium for the most-ordered label on the list — not the best bottle on it. The money goes further almost anywhere else on this list.
Sassicaia + Filet Mignon
Sassicaia's Cabernet-forward Tuscan structure — all dark cherry, graphite, and firm tannin — meets a perfectly seared filet mignon and the whole thing resolves like the ending of a very good movie. It's the kind of pairing that justifies the drive up to Flying Horse in the first place.
🔥 The Bottom Line
The Steakhouse at Flying Horse is earning its Wine Spectator hardware — two sommeliers, a deep California-France-Italy list, and glassware that actually respects what's in it. Prices run steep as expected at a resort of this caliber, but the program is serious and the execution backs it up; yes, send your friend here for wine.
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
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · Upscale American, Contemporary Fine Dining
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
Southwest / Time Corners · Fort Wayne · American
Catablu is exactly what it needs to be for its neighborhood — a reliable, thoughtfully maintained list that won't embarrass you on a date night or bore you entirely. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a solid supporting act for a kitchen that clearly takes food seriously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Otay Ranch Town Center · Chula Vista · American
BJ's is a fine place to drink a craft beer and eat a Pizookie. It is not a place to drink wine. Order a Brewhouse Blonde, skip the wine list entirely, and save your wine night for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SanTan Village · Gilbert · American
The Cheesecake Factory is a perfectly fine place to eat — the wine list just isn't a reason to go. Order a cocktail, split a bottle of Santa Margherita if you must, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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