Aprés the Aspen Way

Photos courtesy of The Little Nell

With an art deco design, a DJ booth where only vinyl records are on rotation, an extensive wine list and an innovative bar menu, The Wine Bar at The Little Nell is a stylish and cozy spot to aprés-ski this season.

Set in the heart of the hotel, The Wine Bar is a completely refashioned space from its former outlet, Chair 9 après-ski bar, with an inviting, candlelit ambiance and cozy, socially distanced seating areas for parties of up to eight.

It was inspired by Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris, Corkbuzz in New York City and Wally’s in Beverly Hills, establishing its own style and taste based on The Little Nell’s legacy wine program.

As an extension of The Wine Bar, The Krug Lounge is set in a private tent just outside on the Element 47 patio with the same menu and service as inside and seating for up to two groups – either on a plush couch or across the lounge at a high-top table where a sommelier can lead private tastings.

For both The Wine Bar and Krug Lounge, Little Nell Wine Director Chris Dunaway offers dozens of wines by the glass, 16 wine enomatics on tap, as well as the full bar menu and Little Nell wine list of nearly 3,000 selections from the hotel’s award-winning cellar. With education and approachability as a central theme at The Wine Bar, Dunaway assembled a team of five sommeliers, also known as wine-tenders. All are extremely knowledgeable, ranging in experience and qualifications from studying winemaking and viticulture to earning the Master Sommelier pin. In welcoming Josh Nadal, M.S., to the team at The Wine Bar, this brings the count of Master Sommeliers to work at The Little Nell to eleven.

Little Nell Culinary Director Matt Zubrod has written a unique menu of shared plates to complement the wines. A chef’s charcuterie board with house-cured meats and cheeses, caviar tacos, truffle fries, wagyu tataki and king crab are among the highlights.

DJ Dylan Regan oversees the music for this listening lounge, spinning tracks from his entirely vinyl collection of 4,000 records all neatly arranged in shelves on either side of the booth. He created an audiophile room with original Technics turntables, Klipsch Horn speakers and top-of-the line analog mixers. Song requests are still welcome from the safety of a plexiglass barrier between the DJ and guest.

Designer Emily Campbell of Go Bella Design & Planning added her touch throughout the space seen in the art deco accents from gold mirrors on the walls and bar carts for each seating area to lady lamps and wine books displayed on the bar to black velvet curtains fastened with gold tassels at the entrance and exit. She also designed The Krug Lounge as a chic and cozy event space.

“At The Wine Bar, guests have access to our entire wine list at The Nell, which is packed with the classics, as well as wines from some incredibly exciting up and coming regions both domestic and abroad,” Dunaway explains. “We’re offering some of the most highly allocated wines by the glass such as Roumier, Roulot, Bartolo Mascarello, Vega Sicilia, and Chave Hermitage.”