87 Colorado Restaurants Earn 2022 Wine Spectator Awards

COLORADO — While metro areas like New York City and high-profile wine-growing regions like Napa tend to get all the attention, oenophiles shouldn't knock Colorado.

Wine Spectator unveiled the 2022 restaurant award winners, which honor the world's best restaurants for wines. This year's awards program recognized 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 states and in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In Colorado, 87 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The "Award of Excellence," the "Best of Award of Excellence" and the "Grand Award."

Only 97 restaurants around the world received the coveted Grand Award. That includes two in Colorado: Element 47 in Aspen, which made the list in 1997, and Flagstaff House Restaurant in Boulder, which earned the accolade in 1983.

Then there's the Award of Excellence, given to restaurants that carefully choose their wine lists to have 100 or more selections, containing both quality and diverse wines, according to the magazine. There were 1,782 Award of Excellence winners this year.

The Best of Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that "go the extra mile," with lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. These restaurants might also carefully design the presentations of the list, train their staff to assist diners with the list and have curated wine dinners, according to Wine Spectator. Worldwide, 1,290 restaurants received the Best of Award of Excellence award.

Here are Colorado's 2022 winners:

Best of Award of Excellence

801 Chophouse (3000 E. First Ave. Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy

• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Adventures Decanted (37 Cooper Creek Way, Suite 315, Winter Park, Colorado)

• Wine strengths: Italy, France, California

• Cuisine: regional

Allred's Restaurant (Telluride Ski & Golf Resort, Gondola Station St. Sophia, Telluride, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, France, Italy

• Cuisine: American

Barcelona Wine Bar (2900 Larimer St. Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: Spain

• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Undici Taverna Rustica (11 W. River Rd., Rumson)

• Wine strengths: Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy
• Cuisine: Italian

Betula (525 E. Cooper Ave. #201 Aspen, CO)

• Wine strengths: Burgundy, California, France

• Cuisine: French Southern American

Caffe Aldo Lamberti (2011 Route 70 W)

• Wine strengths: California, Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy, Bordeaux, France
• Cuisine: Italian, seafood

C Lazy U Lodge Restaurant (C Lazy U Ranch, 3640 Colorado Highway 125, Granby, CO)

• Wine strength: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: Farm to Table, Regional

Casa d'Angelo (105 S. Mill St. Aspen, CO)

• Wine strengths: Piedmont, Tuscany, Burgundy, Veneto, Italy, France, Bordeaux, California
• Cuisine: Italian

Catch Steak Aspen (515 E. Hopkins Ave. Aspen, CO)

• Wine strengths: Burgundy, France, California
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Chimney Park Restaurant & Bar (406 Main St. Windsor, CO)

• Wine strengths: California Rhône

• Cuisine: American, Regional

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse (8100 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Italy, Burgundy, Bordeaux, France, Spain

• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Edge Restaurant & Bar (Four Seasons Hotel Denver, 1111 14th St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Elk Ave Prime (226 Elk Ave. Crested Butte, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Elway's Cherry Creek (2500 E. First Ave., Unit 101, Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, Italy, France
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Frasca Food & Wine (1738 Pearl St., Boulder, CO)

• Wine strengths: Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Burgundy, Champagne, France

• Cuisine: Italian, Regional

Guard and Grace (1801 California St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, Bordeaux, France, Italy

• Cuisine: Steakhouse

La Piazza Del Villaggio Ristorante (117 Lost Creek Lane, Mountain Village, Telluride, CO)

• Wine strengths: Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy

• Cuisine: Italian

La Tour Restaurant (122 E. Meadow Drive, E3, Vail, CO)

• Wine Strengths: California, Burgundy, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, French

Mizuna (225 E. Seventh Ave., Denver, CO)

• Wine Strengths: Burgundy, France, California, Bordeaux
• Cuisine: American, Regional

New Sheridan Chop House (New Sheridan Hotel, 231 W. Colorado Ave., Telluride, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Palace Arms (The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, 321 17th St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Panzano (Hotel Monaco Denver, 909 17th St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: Italy, California
• Cuisine: Northern Italian, Regional

Prospect (Hotel Jerome, An Auberge Resort. 330 E. Main St. Aspen, CO)

• Wine strengths: Champagne, California, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Oregon
• Cuisine: American
• Quality Italian (241 Columbine St. Denver, CO)
• Wine strengths: California, Italy
• Cuisine: Italian, Steakhouse

Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon (Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa, 3530 County Road 83, Tabernash, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Rustico Ristorante (114 E. Colorado Ave., Telluride, CO)

• Wine strengths: Piedmont, Tuscany, Italy
• Cuisine: Italian

Seasons of Durango (764 Main Ave., Durango, CO)

• Wine Strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American, Regional

Shanahan's Steakhouse (5085 S. Syracuse St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Burgundy
• Cuisine: Seafood, Steakhouse

Steakhouse No. 316 (1922 13th St., Boulder, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, Rhone, Bordeaux, Oregon
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Summit (The Broadmoor, 19 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: Regional, Seasonal

Swiss Chalet (Sonnenalp Hotel, 20 Vail Road, Vail, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Bordeaux, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal
• Cuisine: Swiss, European

Tavernetta (1889 16th St. Denver, CO)

• Wine Strengths: Piedmont, Tuscany, Italy, Champagne
• Cuisine: Northern Italian, Regional

The Capital Grille (1450 Larimer St., Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

The Cliff House Dining Room (The Cliff House at Pikes Peak, 306 Canon Ave., Manitou Springs, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Bordeaux, France, Port
• Cuisine: American, European

The Greenbriar Inn (8735 N. Foothills Highway, Boulder, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Bordeaux, France, Australia, Italy
• Cuisine: American

The Monarch (411 S. Monarch St., Aspen, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, France, Italy
• Cuisine: steakhouse

The Penrose Room (The Broadmoor, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO)

• Wine strengths: Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Italy
• Cuisine: French, regional

The Steakhouse at Flying Horse (The Club at Flying Horse, 1880 Weiskopf Point, Colorado Springs, CO)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Timber Room (Madeline Hotel & Residences, An Auberge Resort, 568 Mountain Village Blvd., Telluride, CO)

• Wine strengths: France, Italy, California
• Cuisine: American, regional

Truffle Pig Restaurant (2250 Apres Ski Way, Steamboat Springs, CO)

• Wine strengths: Italy, California, France
• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Venice Ristorante & Wine Bar (1700 Wynkoop St. Denver, CO)

• Wine strengths: Italy, California
• Cuisine: Italian

Find more info on all 2022 Restaurant Award Winners from Wine Spectator.