Wine Tasting Experiences in Aspen

Food & Wine Classic

In its 35 years, the FOOD & WINE Classic has turned Aspen from an alpine escape with decent eats to a coveted stop on the gourmet circuit. Each June, celebrity chefs and sommeliers land in Aspen for a three-day festival of seminars, demonstrations, parties, and tastings — all focused on what’s trending in the food and wine industry.

This year’s anniversary fete is already sold out, but there are still plenty of ways to take advantage of the established wine experiences in Aspen.

Social Handle to keep at the ready: #FWClassic

Here are a few ways to get a taste of it:

Wine & Dine at The Little Nell

The Wine Bar

Offering an extensive list of rare wines, The Wine Bar at The Little Nell features around 35 different wines by the glass, 16 wine enomatics on tap, a charcuterie carving station and cheese boards for light bites, as well as a full bar menu. Listen to DJs spinning vinyl as you lounge on plush couches and enjoy elevated wine selections. For a fun challenge, test your wine knowledge in our Coravin Wine Tasting for $100 per person. You’ll be led through a blind tasting, learning how to see, smell and sip four different wines, complemented by a cheese board from our culinary team. The Wine Bar is open daily from 3 pm – 10 pm.

The Board Room

Looking for a cozy space?  Check out The Board Room at The Little Nell. It has recently been completely transformed into a speakeasy, offering food & beverage service in an intimate space with couches, a bar, pool table and 88″ flat screen TV with 5.1 Klipsch sound system.

The Board Room is also available for wine-paired dinners, featuring a custom cover to convert the pool table into an elegant dining table where you’ll enjoy a customized menu from our culinary team and hand selected wine pairings from our sommeliers with your closest friends.

Underground Wine Tasting

Nell Wine Cellar

If wine tasting out of the public eye is more your style, then head downstairs at The Little Nell, where the property offers exclusive wine tastings for parties of up to 6. Here, Wine Director Chris Dunaway will curate a menu for adventurous wine enthusiasts, while wading through regions like Burgundy and decoding riesling’s misunderstood identity. Or, oenophiles can make their own selections while enjoying the intimate wine cave.

Social Handle for all things wine: #NellWine

Wine Tastings Around Town

Tasting Around Town

Any wine professional will attest that the best way to develop a wine palate is to experience it. That, of course, means lots of wine tasting and Aspen is not short on places to do it. Start with Cache Cache, an upscale French-bistro restaurant with a wine list that boasts more than 5,000 bottles. Sit in the moody-blue bar area and gaze into the wine room while being choosy about what they have to offer.

Sticking with the European theme, drop into Le Creperie du Village for haute-alpine cuisine and Old World wines. Both the taste and the atmosphere will make you forget you’re in Aspen.

Down the street, Victoria’s Espresso & Wine Bar is another casual locale for tasting wines from France, Italy, and Spain.

Jimmy’s may be known for its tequila and mezcal menu, but they don’t skimp on wine either. The friendly servers here are happy to walk you through the menu, making sure that you’ll leave educated — but not thirsty.

And naturally, one of the best places to learn about wine is through a dedicated wine class at the Cooking School of Aspen. Recently renovated, the inviting kitchen features everything from blind tasting workshops to après-ski seminars, and they’re led by entertaining experts. Book ahead as they tend to fill up.

In Aspen, it’s always wine time.