Forty

You're sitting in a White Mountains inn with views that would make anyone order a second bottle, and the wine list arrives playing it exactly as safe as you'd expect. It's a California-forward lineup that reads like a greatest hits album — familiar names, no curveballs, nothing that'll make you scramble for your phone to look something up.

The list runs 80 to 120 bottles and leans hard into California, with heavy hitters like Caymus, Jordan, Duckhorn, Stags' Leap, Far Niente, and Rombauer anchoring most of the real estate. These are crowd-tested, restaurant-safe bottles that guests recognize and trust — which is exactly the point at a destination inn in rural New Hampshire. What's missing is any meaningful depth outside California: minimal Old World representation, no adventurous producers, and nothing that suggests someone on staff is losing sleep over the list. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence since 2023 reflects a competent, well-curated program — just don't expect to discover anything new.

Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a respectable range for this kind of property, and prices landing between $10 and $18 are fair for the North Conway corridor. Expect the usual suspects to dominate the pour list — think Rombauer Chardonnay and Meiomi Pinot Noir — solid, crowd-pleasing pours that won't offend anyone but won't start a conversation either.