Monarch Chophouse

You're in a casino resort in the Rocky Mountains, and somehow the wine list doesn't embarrass itself — that alone earns some respect. The California focus is immediately clear, and if you love Napa Cab with your steak, you're going to feel very at home here. Anthony Benavidez is on staff as sommelier, which is a genuine differentiator for a gaming property at 8,000 feet.

The list runs 150-250 bottles deep and leans hard into California — we're talking Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Rombauer, Far Niente. It's a greatest hits of Napa and Sonoma, curated to sell well with a Prime ribeye, not to challenge anyone's comfort zone. There's no real adventure here — you won't find Barolo, aged Rioja, or anything from the natural wine world — but what's here is well-sourced and properly stored. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirms they're doing the fundamentals right, even if the list reads more like a beverage director's safe play than a passionate collector's cellar.

Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours available by the glass, priced $12-$18, which is reasonable for an upscale chophouse in a resort setting. The glass program almost certainly mirrors the bottle list — expect Rombauer Chardonnay and a rotating Cab or two to anchor it. No evidence of a serious rotation or experimentation program, so what you see is likely what you always get.