Jackson Hole Wine and Events

Jackson Hole Restaurants and Shops Feature Fine Wines

Visitors come to Jackson Hole for many reasons – mountain scenery, outdoor activities, the wildlife – but wine is not usually at the top of the list. Usually.

Over the past decade, Jackson Hole has developed an impressive array of fine wine outlets, including shops, restaurants, bars and wine tasting events. Whether it’s a rare bottle, a relaxing place to sip it, or a master sommelier to help you find it, Jackson Hole has all the resources you need to enjoy your favorite variety.

Wine Events In Jackson Hole
Every summer for the past six years, the Grand Teton Music Festival has hosted one of the country’s top wine events: the Jackson Hole Wine Auction. The festival draws wine lovers and connoisseurs from around the world to taste sample rarities and bid on exquisite vintages. The event has made Wine Spectator’s list of Top 10 Charity Wine Auctions and raised millions for the nonprofit music festival. For more information, call (307) 733-3050.

The local Rotary Club also hosts an annual event well worth the visit. Held each spring, the club’s Wine Fest brings more than 40 vineyards to the Jackson Hole valley and draws a large crowd to the Snow King Center for the opportunity to taste up to 400 different wines.

Have A Glass
But one needn’t wait for a special occasion to enjoy a good glass of wine, and in Jackson Hole there are plenty of places to do that.

Koshu Wine Bar is one of the hippest spots around to raise a glass. Located conveniently inside the Jackson Hole Wine Company, the small restaurant-bar has one of the best ‘wines by the glass’ selections in town. Koshu pours about 15 wines by the glass, in various price ranges, and rotates its list regularly, so guests can expect something new, different and sure to please every time they visit.

Nani’s Genuine Pasta House is an authentic eatery with a fine selection of Italian wines at reasonable prices. You cannot go wrong by indulging in any of Nani’s Chiantis.

If you want to see and be seen, the Rendezvous Bistro, Jackson Hole's hotspot, is the place to go. The restaurant/bar offers a rotating selection of wines by the glass and bottle, and co-owner Gavin Fine has a knack for pairing wines with any dish on his menu.

On the west side of the Town Square, the Cadillac Grille sits right next door to the honky-tonk Cowboy Bar, pouring a selection of fine wines every night, as does the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill in the Wort Hotel, just around the corner on Broadway. The bar also generally hosts piano and bluegrass music a few nights a week.

Across the river on the West Bank, the Calico Italian Restaurant and Bar on the Village Road – with its roaring fireplace and spacious bar area – is a wonderful spot to stop and have a glass of wine on the way back from skiing or hiking at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The bar always has a few wine specials available by the glass and an appetizer menu to go along with it. In the summer, the cool outdoor deck is an ideal place to enjoy a glass.

Jackson Hole Wine Shops
If it’s a bottle or two you are after, Jackson Hole has many excellent wine shops, each with its own distinct offerings.

Just a couple of blocks off the Town Square, the Jackson Hole Wine Company has one of the most esoteric collections around. The store specializes in stocking the world’s best up-and-coming wines, hand-chosen by the shop’s buyer and general manager, Adam Henkel. Henkel’s staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, whether you walk in with something specific in mind or are in need of suggestions. And the shop holds wine tastings each Friday throughout the summer.

Dornan’s in Moose has an enormous wine cellar, which allows it to store more than 1,700 bottles. Touted as the best selection between New York and California, the shop is definitely worth exploring. Because storage space allows Dornan’s to stock coveted vintages indefinitely, shoppers often find wines that are impossible to find elsewhere in the valley – or even the state – often at surprisingly low prices.

During the winter, Dornan’s holds wine tastings on the first Sunday of each month. For $5, you can taste 10 different wines, each in the affordable price range. Tasters also receive a $5 discount on any bottle purchased that evening. Another advantage to Dornan’s: after you buy your bottle, you can take it to the adjacent bar or rooftop deck to enjoy it beneath the best view of the Tetons.

If you are on the West Bank, there’s no need to go to town to buy wine. Westside Wine and Spirits sells more than 500 varieties. Shop employees share an enthusiastic interest in wines and sample the store’s selection regularly, so they can knowledgeably help customers. The store often has a bottle open for customers to try.

And those staying in Teton Village don’t even have to leave the resort: The Mangy Moose Market and Grocery has a fabulous selection of Californian, Chilean and European wines in every price range. //