An Exclusive Slopeside Wine Experience in Aspen

By Amiee White Beazley for Departures

At the first ski-in/ski-out wine cellar and tasting room in the world, located at The Little Nell in Aspen, Carlton McCoy, the property’s new wine director and the youngest master sommelier in the country, is taking full advantage of his 20,000-bottle collection. “I look at this as sort of a secret wine club,” he says. “This is not a cookie-cutter cellar tasting room. Everything is personal, from what you drink to the music you listen to.”

McCoy consults with guests to design a theme based on individual preferences, from a grand cru flight of Burgundies to Champagnes by smaller, lesser-known producers. After a final run on Aspen Mountain, skiers meet a concierge who will rack their skis and provide them with slippers, an alpaca blanket and glass of private-label Champagne. Tastings (from $500 for up to six guests) take place in an intimate, custom-designed space in the wine cellar (complete with housemade charcuterie and a local cheese plate), which allows McCoy to pull bottles on the fly.

“This is a great opportunity to have wine you cannot access anywhere else in the world,” he says. “The sky’s the limit.” For inquiries, e-mail cmccoy@thelittlenell.com; 675 E. Durant Ave.; 970-920-4600; thelittlenell.com.