WineInk: The Nell’s world-class wine program

Editor’s note: A version of this story appears in this year’s edition of the Winter in Aspen/Snowmass magazine.

For those who love wine and live to ski, no place on earth is better suited for indulging in these dual passions than The Little Nell hotel.

Situated at the base of the iconic Aspen Mountain steps from the gondola, the Nell hosts a wine program that, for the second consecutive year, The World of Fine Wine magazine has recognized as the Best Hotel Wine List in The World. The London-based publication selected the Nell over esteemed international hotel lists as far afield as the Aux Beaux Arts, MGM, in Macao, and the Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas.

It’s one of the most prestigious awards a wine list can receive, and it comes on the heels of Chris Dunaway, The Little Nell’s director of wine, being named the winner of the Michelin Guide Colorado 2024 Sommelier Award.

The Michelin honor recognizes Dunaway for his work at the hotel, which began nearly a decade ago when he decamped from New York City to take a spot on Nell’s wine team.

Raised in Kentucky, Dunaway’s wine journey was initially influenced by his German grandfather, who grew Maréchal Foch and Concord grapevines in his backyard. The family’s winemaking led him to consider a career in wine following college. After picking up a copy of “The Wine Bible” by Karen MacNeil, he was bit by the bug and spent the next few years studying wine while working in New York and New Jersey at wine shops and in restaurant wine programs. There, he had the good fortune to be mentored by great wine professionals, including master sommelier Laura Maniec at Corkbuzz Restaurant and Wine Bar and Michael Madrigale and Daniel Johnnes at Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud. In 2015, Dunaway joined the team at the Nell and eventually rose to his current position as wine director in 2019.

Since 1997, the Nell has annually been acclaimed by Wine Spectator with its Grand Award, which recognizes the best wine lists in the world. There are just 96 wine lists on the seven continents that were so honored by the Spectator this past year. Heady stuff.

The self-effacing Dunaway, who went to London each of the last two years to attend The World of Fine Wine awards gala and hopefully collect some hardware, was obviously pleased with the recognition, especially considering the quality of the other hotels in the competition.

“These are programs I follow very closely and often draw inspiration from for our offerings,” he says. “Graycliff (which also made the finals last year) has a cellar that is one of the deepest in the world. It’s an old pirate cave that functioned as a prison during the Civil War. Their cellar houses over 275,000 wines, which is said to be the third largest in the world. To best one of the most legendary cellars in the world is truly an honor for us that we are incredibly proud of, and it invigorates us to keep pressing to elevate our program and not rest on our laurels.”

Dunaway’s pride extends beyond awards to the work of his four-person team of sommeliers.

“It’s truly a tremendous honor — not only for our current team of Jesse Libby, Rachael Liggett-Draper, and Adam Darlington, but for the legacy of great sommeliers that have worked the floor here at the Nell,” he says.  

The Nell’s wine program, which dates back to the day the hotel opened in 1989, has spawned a dozen members of the prestigious Court of Master Sommelier program and now hosts a carefully curated cellar that boasts over 20,000 bottles of the world’s most sought-after wines and vintages.

“We’ve put a tremendous amount of energy into refining the list over the last three decades, so that we can bring the greatest diversity of selections to our guests,” Dunaway says about the ever-evolving list. “We not only provide benchmark expressions from the classic regions, but also wines from emerging and rediscovered regions like Sicily, Friuli, Greece, Australia, and beyond.”

The Nell’s legacy has not only attracted wine aficionados to the hotel, but has also made it a magnet for sommeliers who want to work at the esteemed property.

“Part of the reason I chose to come work at the Nell is because of the pedigree of the program,” says Darlington, who joined as the most recent member of the team last spring. “I wanted to surround myself with colleagues that would push me to be better and learn more every day. I’m extremely lucky and grateful to have Chris, Rachael, and Jesse as my teammates.”

Libby-Draper relishes the opportunity to be part of the prestigious team at the Nell, as well.

“I think the most unique and inspiring part of our team is how close we are,” she says. “The four of us spend more time together than we do at home or with our significant others. Through the ups and the downs, the stressful shifts, and the celebrations, there’s no one that I’m closer to than this team. We might poke fun at each other, but, secretly, we all admit there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other.”

All of this resonates with Dunaway.

“The team at the Nell currently is about as good as it gets, and I’m truly lucky. I’ve had the chance to work with a few outstanding teams during my time here, and I think this group has the strongest chemistry of any I’ve been with. I’m truly inspired by our team’s desire to get the most out of their time here. They may work until 1 to 2 a.m. but be up early the next morning hiking Highlands Bowl together while drilling each other on theory questions to prepare for sommelier exams,” he says. “It’s truly a work-hard-play-hard environment, and we all feed off that energy here.”

The Little Nell: An incomparable, world-class venue for those who love wine as much as they love the mountains.