Aspen takes wine seriously. The Little Nell's cellar holds over 20,000 bottles. Element 47 has graduated eleven Master Sommeliers through its in-house Court of Master Sommeliers program. And eighteen miles down valley in Basalt, Tempranillo's owner-chef stocks more than three hundred Spanish wines. This is the guide to where to drink it, where to learn about it, and where to buy it.
First, some context. Aspen's wine reputation rests on a small number of restaurants that run cellars at a scale you would expect in Manhattan or San Francisco, not a Colorado mountain town. The reason is the clientele. Aspen draws a hospitality-industry-savvy crowd who expect — and pay for — wine programs with depth in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the better corners of California. Master Sommeliers Chris Dunaway at The Little Nell and Jonathan Pullis at 7908 are not curating these lists casually. The town also has a parallel scene of wine bars, by-the-glass programs, and bottle shops that the casual visitor often misses.
The guide below is organized by purpose. If you are there for the big-cellar experience, the first section. If you want to drink wine by the glass in a real wine bar, the second. If you want to buy a bottle to take back to your rental, the third. And if you are planning the trip around the Food & Wine Classic, the last.
The Great Aspen Cellars.
- The Little Nell Wine Bar Aspen's most serious cellar — over 20,000 bottles, from Roulot and Romanée-Conti in Burgundy to Ridge and Screaming Eagle in California. Master Sommelier Chris Dunaway was named the 2024 Michelin Guide Sommelier of the Year. The Wine Bar itself (refreshed in alpine décor with vintage vinyl on the speakers) is open to non-hotel guests; walk in for a glass, charcuterie, and a conversation with one of the most decorated sommelier teams in the country.
- Element 47 (at The Little Nell) The Little Nell's flagship dining room is named for silver — Aspen's original economy — but the real treasure here is the wine. The list runs to 100 pages. The Little Nell's long-running partnership with the Court of Master Sommeliers has produced eleven graduating Master Sommeliers, more than almost any restaurant in the United States. A serious wine pairing here is a once-a-trip experience.
- 7908 Aspen Named for Aspen's elevation in feet. Master Sommelier Jonathan Pullis runs a world-class list with a live DJ in the room — a combination that should not work but does. Chef Byron Gomez (Top Chef season 18) handles the food; the wine program holds its own against any room in town.
- Cache Cache French Provençal cooking and a French-focused wine list. Reliable Burgundy by the glass, Champagne by the half-bottle, and a wine director who actually wants to recommend something interesting at every price point.
- Matsuhisa Aspen Not a typical "great cellar" pick, but worth knowing about: Matsuhisa pours an unusually thoughtful by-the-glass program for a sushi room — Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Finger Lakes Riesling, even a 45ml pour of 2013 Tokaji. The pairings with omakase are worth letting the chef choose.
- Tempranillo (Basalt) Worth the 18-mile drive. Madrid-born chef-owner Javier Gonzalez-Bringas stocks over 300 Spanish wines — every bottle on the list is from Spain. Best Tempranillo selection in Colorado, full stop. The 1892 yellow building has dual fireplaces and a community table.
- Free Range Kitchen (Basalt) Steve Humble's 1,000-bottle cellar is the deepest in Basalt, with an emphasis on boutique global producers. Note: the restaurant was sold to chef Angelo Elia in 2025/26 and will relaunch under a new name later in 2026; the current cellar may not survive the transition, so visit while you can.
· By the glass · By the bottle ·
The Wine Bars.
Aspen does not have a huge density of dedicated wine bars — most great wine drinking happens inside restaurants. But there are several rooms where you can walk in, sit at a bar, and order serious wine by the glass without committing to a three-hour meal.
- The Wine Bar at The Little Nell Walk-ins welcome. The most serious by-the-glass list in town, plus charcuterie and cheese boards from the kitchen at Element 47. VIP booths available with $2,000+ minimum and 100g Ossetra caviar service — but the bar itself is approachable and reasonable for what you get.
- The Living Room Bar at Hotel Jerome The bar program at the historic Jerome leans toward classic cocktails, but the wine list is deeper than most hotel bars in town. Good for an early-evening glass before dinner.
- J-Bar at Hotel Jerome Famous for the Aspen Crud (a bourbon milkshake), but the wine list is solid for a saloon. Where the older Aspen crowd holds court.
- Hillstone Inside the historic A.G. Sheppard House (built 1883). Strong Napa Cabernet, French Champagne, and Sancerre by the glass. Bar seating fills up fast — go at 5:30 PM or after 9.
- Sant Ambroeus Italian-leaning list, strong on Northern Italy. The morning coffee counter doubles as an early-evening Aperol Spritz and Prosecco-by-the-glass spot.
The Bottle Shops.
Colorado liquor laws do not allow restaurants to sell wine for off-premises consumption (with rare exceptions). For bottles to take to your rental, hotel suite, or condo, these are the shops Aspen locals actually go to.
- Of Grape & Grain The locals' answer. Same owner for over 35 years. Wide selection of small artisan producers at prices that won't ruin your week. The owner shares wine-travel stories and will guide you to something specific. If you only visit one shop in Aspen, make it this one.
- Aspen Wine & Spirits Downtown convenient. Strong on rosé, Champagne, and well-priced French whites. Good for last-minute pickups before a dinner party.
- Aspen Grog Shop Good craft beer selection alongside the wine, with a friendly staff that will pick out a local IPA recommendation if you ask. Useful when the group is split between wine and beer drinkers.
- Carl's Pharmacy Unlikely as it sounds, Carl's has a thoughtful wine selection alongside the cold remedies and ski socks. The locals' answer when nothing else is open and you need a bottle.
- Wine Cellar Liquors Larger selection, better for whiskey and tequila browsing, but the wine wall is serviceable.
The Food & Wine Classic.
The single biggest weekend on the Aspen wine calendar is the FOOD & WINE Classic, June 19–21, 2026 — three days of grand tastings, seminars, and chef demos hosted in tents throughout downtown. It is in its fourth decade and remains the most important consumer-facing wine event in the United States.
- Get tickets months early. Three-day passes sell out by April most years. Single-day tickets are sometimes available closer to the event but at a premium.
- Book restaurants the week before, not during. Every dining room in town fills with Classic ticket-holders. If you want to eat at Bosq, Matsuhisa, or Element 47, book six weeks out.
- The off-Classic events matter. Wineries, distillers, and sponsors host parallel events — winemaker dinners, after-parties, satellite tastings — that often have better access to the people you actually want to talk to. Watch the local calendars for these.
- Hotels are at peak prices. Plan to spend roughly double normal summer rates for hotel rooms that weekend, or rent a condo down valley in Basalt or Carbondale and shuttle in.
The Colorado Wine Section.
Aspen restaurants have started carrying Colorado wines from the Western Slope — the Palisade region produces about 80% of the state's wine grapes, with elevation, sunshine, and clay-rich soil that gives the wines a recognizable natural acidity. Names to look for on a list:
- Sauvage Spectrum Pét-nat (natural sparkling) that's started appearing on Aspen wine lists by the glass. Bold and fun.
- The Ordinary Fellow The 2024 Riesling made Forbes' top-10 American Rieslings list. The 2024 Syrah received a 96 from Decanter — the highest score ever given a Colorado wine. Ask for either.
- Aquila Cellars Burgundy-style Pinot Noir from the North Fork Valley. Best Pinot in Colorado, period.
- Colterris Estate-grown wines from over 188 acres of vineyards along the Colorado River. Consistent and reliable.
- Carlson Vineyards Family-owned for over 30 years. The Laughing Cat Sweet Baby Red is the casual party wine; the dry whites are the locals' real picks.
The Rules of Drinking Wine in Aspen.
Talk to the sommelier. Aspen's serious wine programs are run by people who genuinely want to recommend something interesting. Tell them your budget honestly — they will not judge — and let them suggest. You will learn more about wine in one evening at Element 47 or The Wine Bar than in a month of reading at home.
Drink by the glass first, by the bottle later. Most great Aspen rooms have generous by-the-glass programs. Use them to figure out what the kitchen and the cellar are pointing at before committing to a bottle that costs as much as a flight home.
Acclimate before the first glass. Aspen sits at 7,908 feet. Alcohol hits harder at altitude — most visitors feel two glasses like four for the first day or two. Hydrate before dinner.
Don't ignore Colorado. The state's wine industry has moved past "novelty" — the better Western Slope producers are now winning major Decanter scores. If a sommelier offers you something from Palisade, take it. If they want to take you to a real Colorado wine country, the next page is for you.
· Read Next ·
Colorado Wineries Worth the Drive.
The Western Slope wine region around Palisade — about two hours from Aspen — produces 80% of Colorado's wine. The wineries, the tours, and the route worth driving.
View the wine country guide →