Hooked

Walking into a ski-town seafood spot and finding a Wine Spectator-recognized list — held since 2017 — is a pleasant surprise against the backdrop of après-ski cocktail culture. The list skews confidently toward France and California, which is exactly where you want to be when fresh oysters are hitting the table. It's not trying to be a wine bar, but it's clearly trying harder than most places at 8,000 feet.

The 80-120 bottle range gives Hooked enough room to cover the bases without getting ambitious, and the focus on France and California keeps things coherent. You'll find Burgundy representation through Domaine Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin, which is credible — these aren't supermarket labels. California Chardonnay leans predictably toward the crowd-pleasing end with Sonoma-Cutrer and Far Niente, though Far Niente at least earns its place on a seafood list. The Duckhorn Merlot feels a little out of place on a fish-forward menu, but the rest of the list stays reasonably on theme.

With 12-18 options by the glass in the $12-$18 range, there's enough variety to work through a multi-course meal without repeating yourself. The program doesn't appear to rotate aggressively — what's on the list seems to stay on the list — but the quality of the pours is solid for a mountain resort town. Louis Jadot Chardonnay by the glass is a dependable workhorse that won't embarrass you.