I can’t believe I just started engaging in this group. It’s the best!

We were skiing in Les Deux Alpes and found a slope side restaurant with the most insane wine list. And the best part? The prices were beyond reasonable.

As we were enjoying this spot, I was thinking about what makes a wine list truly great.

1. Variety. In this case we’re in France so it’s a French list, but there’s a good variety of regions and grapes represented. They’re heavy on Burgundy and the Rhône as they should be, those are the closest major regions, but had plenty of cool Savoyard producers too. Size of the list doesn’t necessarily indicate greatness, small and big lists can be great.

2. Small producers. Sure we have some big names like Guigal and Château Margaux but most of the list is small, artisan winemakers.

3. Some older wines. Look I’m not expecting a restaurant to have crazy back vintages, but damn it warms my heart to see stuff that is older than the current release. Great wines benefit so much even from just an extra year or two!

4. Realistic pricing. Don’t mark up more than the industry standard. Don’t be a dick just cause it’s rare or you’re in a good location.

5. Most importantly, a human behind it all! Ugo, the owner of this place is obviously a knowledgable wine professional, with the allocations to match. A restaurant without someone who cares and knows what they’re doing is not going to ever have a great list. This can be the somm, but I feel like there is an enthusiastic owner behind every great list. Someone’s gotta sign off on the bills!

What else do you think makes a great wine list?

If you like snow and wine, go to Les Deux Alpes, stay at the Chalet Mounier, and eat lunch exclusively on the terrace at Diable Au Coeur.