Colorado Springs Hides a Serious Wine Program
Northgate · Colorado Springs · American | Contemporary | Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Uva in the Northgate strip feels like finding a proper wine bar where you'd least expect one — sandwiched between chain restaurants off Interquest Parkway. The list is real: 40 by the glass and 200+ by the bottle is not a suburban restaurant flex, that's a commitment. This place is trying, and mostly succeeding.
The list leans on California and France as its backbone, with Italy, Spain, and New Zealand filling in the middle, plus a nod to Colorado producers that gives the whole thing a local anchor worth respecting. The anchor names — Caymus, Whispering Angel, Kim Crawford — tell you they're not chasing obscurity for its own sake, which is probably smart for this market. What we'd love to see is more depth in those Italian and Spanish sections and fewer safe harbor picks crowding the top of the list. Still, 200 bottles in Colorado Springs is a genuine effort and it shows.
Forty by-the-glass options is legitimately impressive — most restaurants top out at twelve and call it a day. The presence of Meiomi, Kim Crawford, and Whispering Angel confirms these pours skew crowd-pleasing, but the sheer volume suggests there's more interesting stuff buried in there. We'd push the staff to walk you past the obvious picks.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $12
A well-priced, clean, reliable glass pour that over-delivers at this format — bright and food-friendly without demanding anything from you.
Colorado Local Producers (house selection)
Most people at a Colorado Springs wine bar default to California. Don't. The Colorado pours here are the most interesting thing on the list and nobody's ordering them.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
You're paying a significant premium for a wine that's been on every steakhouse list since 2009. It's fine. It's also everywhere. Save the money and explore what else is on this list.
Whispering Angel Rosé + Charcuterie and Cheese Board
The Whispering Angel is dry, structured, and just rich enough to hold its own against cured meats and aged cheeses without overpowering the whole spread. Classic combo, executed well here.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Uva punches well above its zip code — 200 bottles and 40 glass pours in a Northgate strip mall is either ambitious or slightly unhinged, and we respect both. If you're in Colorado Springs and you want to actually drink wine, this is the move.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.