Aspen Times Readers Vote for Best Local Sommelier

Aspen —Aspen locals ask a simple question every fall: who actually knows their stuff when the wine list hits 400 pages?

The Aspen Times’ Best Of awards just dropped their finalists for Best Sommelier. The short version: eight nominees made the initial cut, and now only a few remain for the final vote.

It’s harvest season out in the valleys, but up here, it’s also voting season. The paper frames this not just as a restaurant perk, but as a test of the local wine community’s professionalism. Aspen isn’t just a ski town anymore. It’s a wine destination that sits alongside Napa and Bordeaux in the minds of serious collectors.

Why does this matter to your nightly dinner? Because the person pouring your glass dictates whether you get a good bottle or a bad one.

The Aspen Times, in its WineInk column, points to the raw economics behind this status. Homeowners and visitors in Aspen are among the most affluent people on the planet. That money fuels a specific type of demand. It creates a market where steakhouses and wine shops must stock quality, not just quantity. When the customer is willing to pay top dollar for a rare bottle, the staff must be able to justify it.

The paper also traces this reputation back to 1983. Gary Plumley, a local wine purveyor, started the Aspen/Snowmass International Wine Classic with 50 winemakers and just over 300 guests. That small tasting evolved into the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, one of the world’s most prestigious events. That legacy didn’t happen by accident. It happened because people here take wine seriously enough to build an industry around it.

Then there is The Little Nell hotel. It has twice been named as having the “Best Hotel Wine List in The World” by The World of Fine Wine magazine. For decades, it has served as a finishing school for aspiring Master Sommeliers from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Bobby Stuckey, who built the Frasca empire in Boulder, spent time there. Carlton McCoy, now an executive and partner at Lawrence Wine Estates, also cut his teeth in Aspen’s wine scene. Their presence here signals that the local talent pool is deep enough to produce national-level experts.

The Aspen Times notes that by the time this piece runs, the nominations will have been paired down to finalists. The original eight sommeliers are no longer in the running as a full group. Only the top contenders remain for your vote.

This isn’t about hype. It’s about service. When you sit down in a high-end dining room, the sommelier is your guide through a complex product. They interpret your budget, your palate, and the food on your plate. If they fail, you waste money. If they succeed, the meal improves.

The paper argues that this professionalism is the most important element of Aspen’s wine culture. It’s not just about having expensive bottles on a shelf. It’s about the human connection that makes those bottles accessible to people who might not know the difference between a Barolo and a Nebbiolo.

The vote is open now. The Aspen Times wants you to pick your favorite local sommelier. It’s a chance to reward the people who make your dining experience better, not just more expensive.

The list is short. The stakes are high for the professionals involved. And the choice is yours to make before the awards are finalized.