Three Wines. That's the Whole List.
Downtown Hilo · Hilo · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Coco Cantina’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Coco Cantina fits on a napkin — because it basically is a napkin. Three labels, two of them Hess, and a Spanish Cava rounding things out. This is a restaurant that has technically offered wine and moved on with its life.
We've seen wine lists this short before, usually at places that specialize in something else — craft beer, cocktails, whatever — but Coco Cantina doesn't appear to be making that trade-off strategically. It's California and Spain, full stop: a Hess Chardonnay from Monterey, a Hess Cab, and a Poema Cava Brut. Hess Shirtail is a perfectly drinkable entry-level line, but leading your entire wine program with two bottles from the same mid-tier California producer isn't a curation strategy, it's a grocery run. There are no regions to explore, no contrast, no depth — just a list that someone filled out and forgot about.
All three bottles pour by the glass, so the BTG program and the bottle program are the same program — because there is no other program. At $7.50 for the Cava and $9.50 for the still wines, the pricing is at least honest. Don't expect rotation or seasonal swaps; what you see today is almost certainly what you'll see next year.
Poema Cava Brut — $7.50/glass, $24.00/bottle
At $24 a bottle, the Poema Cava is the only pick here that feels like a genuinely good deal. Cava punches above its price point by design, and this one is no exception — it's crisp, food-friendly, and miles more interesting than either of the Hess options on offer.
Poema Cava Brut
Most people ordering wine at a casual New American spot in Hilo are reaching for the Cab or the Chard on autopilot. The Cava is the smarter move — it works with nearly everything on a menu like this, and at $7.50 a glass it's the kind of quiet win that feels earned.
Hess Cabernet Sauvignon
Hess makes perfectly fine wine, but the Shirtail Cab at $9.50 a glass is the most forgettable thing on this list. It's not offensive, but you're paying restaurant markup on a bottle you could find at a CVS. Save your money or order the Cava twice.
Poema Cava Brut + Unknown — menu data not available
Without confirmed dish data we're not going to invent a pairing. What we can say: the Cava is your best bet with anything light, fried, or seafood-forward — all reasonable guesses for a New American spot in Hilo.
The Bottom Line
Coco Cantina is almost certainly a fine place to eat, but it has opted out of the wine conversation entirely. Order the Cava, enjoy your meal, and don't come here expecting more than three options.
Waiakea Peninsula/Banyan Drive · Hilo · Hotel Bar/Lounge
Nanea Lounge is a perfectly fine place to have a drink while you watch the sun go down over Hilo Bay — but the wine list is pure hotel autopilot, and nobody here is going to help you drink better. Order a mai tai and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Hilo · Hilo · Italian
Cafe Pesto isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair one — reasonable prices, an approachable list, and enough to keep the table happy while you focus on the view and the pizza. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to keep it simple on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Tucson · New American
Maynards Kitchen is a charming spot inside a genuinely iconic Tucson hotel, which makes the wine list feel like an especially lazy afterthought. Skip the wine, order a cocktail, and hope whoever curates this program eventually decides to care.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · New American
Kitchen West Palm has no business having the Casanova di Neri Brunello and the Ménard-Geborit Muscadet on the same 13-bottle list — and yet here we are. It's small, priced fairly, and clearly curated by someone who actually drinks wine. Send a friend, order the Ridge.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · New American
Walkers Grill is doing something genuinely rare — building a thoughtful, eclectic wine list in a market that would forgive them for not trying. If you're passing through Billings or happen to live there, this is worth your dinner reservation and your second glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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