Historic Dining Room
Montana wilderness hides a serious wine program
Pray · Pray · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're 30 miles south of Livingston, surrounded by Paradise Valley elk country, and the wine list hands you Quilceda Creek and Pol Roger. It's a genuine surprise — the kind that makes you wonder if you stumbled into the wrong room. You didn't. This is exactly the room you want to be in.
Selection Deep Dive
The 300-500 bottle list leans hard into California and Washington, which suits the grilled-everything menu well — Caymus and Silver Oak anchor the Cab section, while Kistler covers the serious Chardonnay crowd. France gets respectable treatment with Louis Jadot Burgundy and Pol Roger Champagne, and Antinori Super Tuscans give Italy a credible foothold. The gaps are real: South America, Spain, and anything remotely natural are essentially absent, and the list plays a fairly safe game beyond its headline producers. Still, for a remote Montana resort, this is Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence territory — earned, not handed out.
By the Glass
With 20-35 pours running $15-$25, the by-the-glass program is unusually ambitious for a resort dining room in the middle of nowhere. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Domaine Chandon likely hold down the more approachable end, which gives first-timers an easy entry point. We'd love to see more rotation here, but what's on offer is several cuts above the usual resort pour-and-forget approach.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon — $50
At the lower end of this list's pricing, Chateau Ste. Michelle punches above its station — it's a legitimate Washington Cab from one of the state's most consistent producers, and it holds its own against the bison tenderloin without draining your wallet the way the Silver Oak will.
Leonetti Cellar
Leonetti is a Walla Walla icon that gets overshadowed on wine lists by its louder California neighbors. Most tables will reach for the Caymus out of habit — walk right past it and ask Shane about the Leonetti. It's tighter, more structured, and frankly more interesting.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, and resort markups on everywhere wines are rarely kind. You're paying a premium for a label people recognize rather than a wine that earns its price on this particular list. There are better California Cabs hiding nearby for less.
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon + Elk medallions
Quilceda Creek is one of Washington's most serious Cabs — dense, structured, with enough dark fruit and backbone to stand up to elk without steamrolling its gamey depth. This is the pairing that justifies the trip to Pray, Montana.
🎲 The Bottom Line
A legitimate wine program operating out of a hot springs resort in the Montana wilderness — Somerset Maugham could not have written it better. Yes, pricing runs steep and the list plays it safe past its marquee names, but Shane Kehoe's presence and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence mean you're in real hands. Absolutely worth the detour.
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