WineInk: Bars, nooks and crannies

“Can I get you a glass of wine?”

That question is posed hundreds of times each week here in Aspen during the ski season as guests in our local watering holes slide into the bespoke booths and belly up to bars at the end of each ski day. Yes, Aspen is a great ski town, but it is also chock full of comfortable places to imbibe from world-class wine lists and, of course, mingle with hospitable wine professionals.  

If you have never been here, it can be a lot to take in. And, if you do live here, there are so many good places for wine that it is sometimes not easy to keep track of them all. So, for this week’s column, I thought I’d run through just a few of the special places in town to sit and have a glass of wine. Whether you are solo or with friends, you can find your comfort level in any of them.

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It is only appropriate to begin at the beginning, slope side at The Little Nell hotel with a glass of Prosecco. How about the Bisol Glera, Jeio, from Valdobbiadene, Italy? A local institution, the Nell’s wine program was once again named this year as a Grand Award winner by Wine Spectator. That is the most elite level of the magazine’s prestigious awards. In all the world, fewer than 100 establishments earn the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, and Element 47, as well as its earlier incarnations (You remember Montagna, don’t you?), has been so honored each year since 1997. It is a formidable accomplishment. The cellar at Element 47 boasts some 3,100 selections and has an inventory of over 22,000 bottles.

Ah, but having a glass of wine while sitting at one of the little round tabletops in the bar at Element 47, while reclining on a sofa and thumbing through a book on mountaineering in the lounge, or après skiing on the patio at the Ajax Tavern is about more than just awards and numbers of bottles. Each is a quintessential Aspen experience — enhanced by the presence of a knowledgeable wine team under wine Director Chris Dunaway — that includes sommeliers Jesse Libby, Rachel Ligget-Draper, and Jonathan Koch. All of them are happy to take guests on a wine journey through the Nell’s extensive list.

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And the Nell is just one of many wine programs in town recognized by the Spectator for excellence. Sitting on the side of Wagner Park, The Monarch, Samantha Cordts-Pearce, and Craig Cordts-Pearce posh steakhouse has received a Best of Award of Excellence for four straight years. The bar is elegant and professionally-run, and a perfect place to pair a glass of Heitz Cellar Lot C-91 Napa 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon with a Kansas City strip. It is the closest thing one will find to an elegant Parisian bistro in Aspen.

And, if you like that combo, head over to Steakhouse No. 316, another Cordts-Pearce eatery, and ask Aspen favorite Sonya Lutgring, wine director and sommelier, for a recommendation of something to sip by the glass with the Mussels & Frites. Perhaps a Ken Forrester “Petite” Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa? It is a raucous yet cozy bar, one where your neighbors will quite possibly become friends.

Other spots in Aspen honored by Wine Spectator this past year include Christel Stiver’s great list at Prospect at Hotel Jerome (And fine wines are available in the venerable J-Bar), the French-inspired Betula, Daniel Liesener and Mawa McQueen’s Mawa’s Kitchen in the ABC, and Catch Steak. Oh, and Tim Bean, who has continued a long tradition as sommelier at Casa D’Angelo after years of service at Piñons, is also pouring wines from a Best of Award of Excellence list at Angelo Elia’s Italian outpost. All beckon for a stop when you are looking for a great glass of wine and a satiating nibble.

But Aspen’s great wine programs and professionals run much deeper than just those that have been bestowed awards. Locals have long known that one of the great Aspen dining experiences can be found at the bar at Ellina on the Hyman Avenue Mall. Longtime Aspen wine superstar Jill Carnevale, who grew up in an Italian family in New York City, continues to provide locals and visitors with the authentic Italian wines that are her passion. A cellar with over 2000 bottles, heavily populated by her go-to Brunello, is a treat to behold. Find a seat at the bar and order a glass of La Serena Brunello di Montalcino 2017 and pair it with some tacos, yes, tacos. Italian reds can be sublime with pork belly and/or carne asada tacos.

For a special treat, the Cache Cache wine program under director Alexandre Harvier FWS and his team presents a well-honed list of the finest wines from the most acclaimed producers in the world’s most significant regions. The list is a veritable who’s who of the wine world’s greats, and the eclectic modern bar is a fine place to post up and indulge.

Harvier, a connoisseur of Champagne, has a selection of Grower Champagnes — those that are, as the list explains, sourced from “individual villages and parcels where the inherent qualities of the vineyards imprint themselves  into the wines.” For the ultimate indulgence at the sleek bar, I might follow a glass of Champagne with an appetizer order of Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine with a toasted baguette, sea salt, house-made raspberry preserves and a by-the-glass pour of a sticky Château d’Yquem Sauternes from the 2015 vintage. I’m good, thank you.

Oh, and one would be hard pressed to find a cozier private enclave to gather with a group for a wine dinner than at the Aspen Hospitality Group’s Duemani. Proprietor Carlos Solorzano-Smith has compiled a collection of wines ranging from collectable Burgundies to epic Barolos and stored them in a subterranean, private dining room. Above ground at the well-stocked bar, hosted by bar manager Philip Choi, guests can pair the Mediterranean cuisine of executive chef Jesus Alvarado (an Aspen High School grad who did post-graduate studies at Matsuhisa) with, say, a crisp 2020 Lucien Crochet from the Sancerre region of France.

Of course, when in the mountains, we all should take advantage of the opportunity to sip and savor as we absorb the spectacular views surrounding us. This year, four on-mountain restaurants of the Aspen Skiing Co. were also named for Best of Awards by Wine Spectator. Ski in, and take in the views at Sam’s with a glass of Pinot Grigio and a plate of warm ricotta cheese, and you will have a virtual trip to the Dolomites.

Salud!