The Cliff House at Pikes Peak
800 Bottles Deep in the Rockies
Manitou Springs · Colorado Springs · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 6, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into a Victorian-era hotel at the foot of Pikes Peak and being handed an 800-bottle wine list is a specific kind of power move. The cellar program here is serious — this isn't resort wine-list theater, it's a genuine collection built over time. The setting does half the work, but the list earns the other half.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans heavily into Napa and Sonoma, which tracks for a AAA Four Diamond property catering to guests who want comfort and familiarity alongside their elk tenderloin. Bordeaux and Burgundy add old-world credibility, and the depth clears 800 selections — that's not a marketing number, that's an actual cellar commitment. The expected anchor names are all here: Opus One, Caymus Special Selection, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Cakebread Chardonnay. It's a list built to impress rather than surprise, and it succeeds on those terms. If you're hunting for grower Champagne or skin-contact Slovenian whites, keep driving — but if you want a serious, well-maintained Napa-forward cellar in a historic hotel, this delivers.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is a strong showing for a property like this, and the sommelier on staff means the pours aren't just whatever the distributor pushed that week. Expect the glass list to mirror the bottle list — Napa Cab, California Chardonnay, maybe a Bordeaux blend. We'd love to see more rotation and adventurous choices by the glass, but the breadth covers most tables without anyone feeling stranded.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley — null
Silver Oak Alexander Valley is the move here — it's the most food-friendly expression in their Cab-heavy lineup, with the kind of approachable structure that works across a range of dishes. In a cellar dominated by prestige pours, this one consistently delivers without requiring you to clear your mortgage.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
Easy to dismiss as a safe Napa Chardonnay crowd-pleaser, but Cakebread's Chardonnay is genuinely well-made and restrained for the appellation — less oak-bomb than its reputation suggests. In a room full of people ordering Cabernet with everything, this is the quiet overachiever that pairs well with the kitchen's lighter Rocky Mountain preparations.
Opus One
Opus One is a legitimately great wine and nobody's arguing otherwise — but at a resort restaurant, the markup on a bottle this famous is going to be punishing. You're paying for the name twice: once because it's Opus One, and again because you're at a Four Diamond hotel in a tourist destination. Save this one for a retailer.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon + Colorado rack of lamb
Caymus Special Selection is a big, plush Napa Cab with enough fruit and structure to stand up to Colorado lamb without overwhelming it. The richness of the wine mirrors the gamey depth of locally sourced rack of lamb, and the finish is long enough to bridge the gap between bites. Classic combination executed in a setting that actually does it justice.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The Cliff House wine program is the real thing — 800 bottles, a sommelier, proper storage, and glassware that respects what's in it. The markups sting and the list plays it safe, but if you're celebrating something in the shadow of Pikes Peak, this is exactly where you want to be doing it.
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