Aspen

The Wild Fig is the kind of French-focused wine list you don't expect to find tucked into a Mediterranean spot in Aspen, and that element of surprise is exactly what earns it the Wild Card. Markups can sting, but Ben Brennan knows his list and the Southern French selections give you real value if you know where to look.

The Monarch is the real deal for a special-occasion steakhouse wine experience in the Rockies — Ryan Brown's list has genuine depth and the chops to back it up. Prices are Aspen prices, so come prepared, but you're getting a Wine Spectator-caliber program to match every dollar you spend.

Steakhouse No. 316 is one of the few places in Aspen where the wine list is genuinely as impressive as the room — deep on Burgundy and California, staffed by someone who actually knows what's on the shelves, and worthy of the Best of Award of Excellence hanging on the wall. Yes, it's Aspen prices, but you're getting Aspen quality to match.

Prospect isn't coasting on Aspen's wine budget or its Wine Spectator badge — Claire Crosby has put together a list that would hold up in any serious food city. Markups are what they are in a ski resort, but the depth and range here are the real thing.

PARC earned that Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence honestly — this is a serious list run by someone who knows what they're doing, in a room that actually deserves it. Yes, Aspen markups are real, but the depth of selection and the quality of guidance from Alexandra Bisson make this worth every dollar for the right bottle.

French Alpine Bistro is the kind of wine program that earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and then some — Aspen prices are real, but so is the list. If you're eating here, you're already spending money; point that energy at a bottle of Rousseau or Leflaive and let the sommeliers do their job.

Catch Steak Aspen is the rare mountain-town restaurant where the wine list actually earns the glamour of the room — deep in the right regions, staffed by people who know what they're talking about, and serious enough to warrant the trip up the hill. Just budget accordingly, because nothing here is trying to be cheap.

Aosta is the real thing — a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list in a room that actually deserves it, run by a sommelier who clearly has opinions. The markup is Aspen-steep across the top tier, but the depth, the regional specificity, and that Valle d'Aosta selection make it worth every reservation.

Element 47 is the real deal — a proper wine destination wearing the clothes of a hotel restaurant. If you're in Aspen and serious about what's in your glass, this is where you go.