Solid Mountain Pours with a View to Match
Mountain Village · Telluride · Upscale American Mountain Cuisine · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The View at Mountain Lodge’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Thirteen labels, all available by the glass — that's either a bold move or a small room playing it safe, and here it lands somewhere in between. The list is compact but not lazy, with a few genuinely interesting picks tucked in among the expected California staples. For a ski lodge bar in Mountain Village, we were honestly a little impressed.
The list pulls from California, France, Italy, and Argentina without trying to be everything to everyone — and that restraint mostly works. You've got a Sancerre from Alexandre & Antoine Vetois sitting next to a Fontanabianca Arneis from Piedmont, which tells us someone put a little thought into this. The Domaine Du Grapillon Gigondas is the sleeper on the list, a Southern Rhône red blend that has no business being here but absolutely should be. Gaps show up in the red department — Justin Cab and a Malbec are doing a lot of heavy lifting for the full-bodied crowd.
All 13 bottles are available by the glass, ranging from $16 to $36, which is actually a refreshing approach — no guessing which labels are pourable. The spread hits whites, rosé, and reds without doubling up on any single variety, so there's something for everyone at the table. Rotation doesn't seem to be a priority here; this reads like a list that gets tweaked seasonally at best.
Duckhorn Chardonnay Napa Valley — $20
Duckhorn Chardonnay at $20 a glass is quietly one of the better deals on this list. This wine retails around $30 a bottle, and at most restaurants with a view this good, you'd be paying $28-plus per pour without blinking.
Fontanabianca Arneis Piedmont
Arneis is one of those grapes that most people scroll past without a second look, but this Piedmontese white is nutty, floral, and dry in a way that Pinot Grigio wishes it could be. Order it before your tablemates ask for the Chardonnay.
Veuve Clicquot Reims
At $36 a glass for Veuve Clicquot, you're paying top dollar for one of the most ubiquitous bottles in the world. It's fine Champagne, but it's airport-lounge fine — not destination-worthy. If you want bubbles, spend the money elsewhere.
Domaine Du Grapillon Red Blend Gigondas + Colorado Beef Short Rib
Gigondas is built for braised, fatty meat — the Grenache-dominant blend brings enough dark fruit and earthy structure to stand up to short rib without steamrolling it. This is exactly the pairing the list is quietly waiting for someone to order.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The View isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing more than most lodge bars bother to do — a few genuinely interesting pours at prices that don't insult you, all available by the glass with a fireplace in the background. Send a friend here for an après-ski glass of Arneis without hesitation.
Mountain Village · Telluride · Contemporary American Mountain Cuisine
The Peak is a reliable, if unambitious, wine program that does its job — nobody leaves thirsty and the bottles are stored properly. Just don't come here expecting discovery; come expecting a decent glass of something familiar with a genuinely spectacular mountain backdrop.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Telluride · Telluride · Cocktail bar with light bites
Liberty is a cocktail bar that accidentally has a wine list worth paying attention to — especially on Mondays when half-price bottles make even the steep markups forgive themselves. It's not a wine destination, but it's a wildly better option than you'd ever expect at 8,750 feet.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Gondola Base / Downtown · Telluride · Barbecue and American Comfort Food
Oak isn't a wine destination — it's a BBQ and bourbon bar that happens to have a decent wine list and one of the best midweek wine deals in Telluride. If you're here on a Wednesday, order a bottle and consider yourself lucky.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
On-Mountain (Top of Polar Queen Express) · Telluride · French-inspired alpine dining
Bon Vivant has no business being this interesting for a ski mountain lunch spot, and the all-French, all-by-the-glass format is a genuine swing. Markups are resort-level steep, but the curatorial effort earns it a pass — just order something you couldn't find at the hotel bar.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
On-Mountain (Lift 4 area) · Telluride · Mountain lodge / ski resort dining
Nobody expects a French-focused wine list at an on-mountain ski lodge, which is exactly why Gorrono Ranch earns a second look. The markups are real and there's no sommelier in sight, but the selection itself punches way above its surroundings — order the Cab Franc, skip the Champagne, and enjoy the view.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mountain Village · Telluride · Contemporary American with Rocky Mountain influences
Altezza is a reliable resort wine list — not exciting, not gouging you into oblivion, just a dependable slate of familiar names with a killer alpine backdrop. If you're here for the views and the trout, the wine will hold its own.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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