Waikiki hides a surprisingly serious wine list
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian Pizza / Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Appetito Craft Pizza & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A craft pizza spot in Waikiki with 63 labels and 16 by-the-glass options is not what you expect to find between souvenir shops and resort buffets. The list opens with a legitimate sparkling section — Billecart-Salmon Rosé sitting next to a Naveran Cava — which immediately signals someone actually thought about this. It's not a destination wine program, but it's well above the tourist-trap baseline.
The list leans Italian where it counts — Antinori's Bramito Chardonnay, a Banfi Chianti Classico, and the Pian Della Vigne Brunello di Montalcino anchor the program with some real credibility. Outside of Italy, things get more mainstream: Elouan Pinot Noir, Bonanza Cab, and Sea Sun Chardonnay are solid enough crowd-pleasers but won't surprise anyone. The Aniello Pinot Blanco and Contrade Negroamaro are the two picks that show genuine range — southern Italian varieties that most pizza joints wouldn't bother with. The bottle list tops out at $499, suggesting at least one or two serious bottles tucked in, though the Brunello at the glass level already sets the ceiling high.
Sixteen pours is a strong by-the-glass count for a pizza spot, and the pricing runs $13–$20 — reasonable for Honolulu, where everything costs more. The Pian Della Vigne Montalcino at $20/glass is the standout: that's a legitimate Brunello producer and a pour that earns its price. The sparkling options — Cava, Prosecco, and a Brut Rosé — make the by-the-glass section especially useful for anyone who wants to open with bubbles and pivot to red.
Antinori Bramito Chardonnay — $18/glass
Bramito is the entry point to the Antinori Cervaro ecosystem — a serious Umbrian Chardonnay with oak handled right. At $18 a glass in Waikiki, where a mediocre hotel Chardonnay costs the same, this is the obvious move.
Aniello Pinot Blanco
Most people at a pizza spot are reaching for the Pinot Grigio or the Prosecco. The Pinot Blanco at $17 is the smarter pick — more texture, more personality, and it's the kind of wine that makes you feel like you discovered something. You basically did.
Bonanza Cabernet
At $18/glass, Bonanza is a budget-tier Caymus side project that retails for around $20 a bottle. You're paying a steep per-glass premium for a wine designed to be a cheap weeknight cab. Go literally anywhere else on this list.
Banfi Chianti Classico + Margherita pizza
Sangiovese and tomato sauce are a textbook Italian match — the acidity cuts through the cheese, the earthy fruit echoes the basil. Banfi's Chianti Classico is reliably built for exactly this situation, and at $16 a glass it doesn't require a second thought.
The Bottom Line
Appetito is the Wild Card of Waikiki — a pizza and wine bar that quietly punches above its tourist-strip surroundings with fair pricing, a Brunello on the glass list, and enough Italian depth to make the wine worth ordering. Send a friend here and tell them to skip the Bonanza.
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