Harbor Views, Honest Pours, No Pretense
Honokohau Harbor (North Kona) · Kailua-Kona · Casual American bar & grill with Hawaiian influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Harbor House Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You walk in off the harbor docks, salt air still on you, and the wine list is a single laminated page — 17 labels, no drama. For a casual waterfront bar in North Kona, that's actually kind of refreshing. Nobody's trying to impress you with a leather-bound tome, and the picks are legitimately better than the setting might suggest.
Seventeen labels sounds thin, but Harbor House earns points for the geographic spread: New Zealand, Oregon, Italy, France, Argentina, Germany, and California all show up. The Gradis'Ciutta Pinot Grigio from Collio Goriziano and the Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt Riesling are legitimate picks that you don't typically find on a burger-and-fish-and-chips menu in a harbor pub. The white game is stronger than the reds — the Sauvion Sancerre is a real wine on a real list, not just a filler. On the red side, the Martin Ray Cab and Marques de Caceres Rioja hold their own, but there's not much depth beyond that.
Ten of the seventeen bottles are available by the glass, which is a genuinely high conversion rate for a list this size — that matters when you're splitting plates and don't want to commit to a bottle. At $14 a glass across the board, the pricing is straightforward if not exactly a steal. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here; it's a set list, not a seasonal program.
Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley — $48
Martin Ray bottles Napa Cab that typically retails in the $25–$30 range, and at $48 on the list, the markup is reasonable by any standard — especially Hawaii restaurant standards where everything costs more to ship and store. If you're having a burger or something off the grill, this is your move.
Gradis'Ciutta Pinot Grigio Collio Goriziano
Everyone's eyes go straight to the Sauvignon Blanc or the Chardonnay, but Collio Goriziano Pinot Grigio from northeastern Italy is a different animal entirely — structured, mineral, with actual personality. This isn't the thin, neutral Pinot Grigio you're thinking of. It's the right call for fresh catch plates, and almost nobody at the table will order it.
Sauvion Sancerre Loire Valley
At $75, the Sancerre is the list's top-dollar bottle, and while Sauvion is a perfectly fine Sancerre producer, it's not a special-occasion wine. You're paying a premium for the appellation name on a harbor pub menu where the food tops out at $25. The Gradis'Ciutta or the Giesen Sauvignon Blanc both scratch that crisp-white itch for a lot less money.
Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt Riesling, Germany + Fish & Chips
Off-dry Riesling with fried fish is a pairing that never gets old — the acidity cuts through the batter, the slight sweetness balances the salt, and the whole thing just works. Kesselstatt makes honest, food-friendly Riesling, and it's a genuinely surprising choice on this list that holds up to Harbor House's signature dish.
The Bottom Line
Harbor House isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more with 17 labels than most waterfront bars bother to attempt. If you're grabbing a harbor-view lunch or a casual dinner after a dive, there's a real, honest pour waiting for you here.
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Hawaii Regional Cuisine / Asian Fusion Seafood Grill
Roy's Waikoloa is a reliable night out with food that outpaces the wine list by a full length. Drink the Sonoma-Cutrer with the butterfish, skip the markups on the obvious stuff, and let the view do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Italian osteria with locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients
Pueo's isn't building a destination wine program, but it's doing something harder — keeping prices honest in a market that rarely does. Send your friends here for dinner; just know the list is a supporting character, not the headliner.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Beachside Hawaiian and Pacific Rim
Come for the sand, the sunset, and the Huli Huli chicken — just don't come expecting the wine list to match the view. Order the best white they have cold, tip your server well, and make peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alii Drive · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-style barbecue / plate lunches
We would never send someone to TJ's for the wine list — we'd send them for the smoked brisket and the ocean view. But if you want something in a glass while you eat, the list does just enough to keep you covered, and $12 a pour is fair by Hawaii standards.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-inspired and pan-Pacific fare with a classic tiki bar
Don the Beachcomber is a genuinely fun place to spend an evening in Kona, and the cocktail program absolutely earns its reputation — so get the mai tai and leave the wine list alone. If you insist on a bottle, grab the La Crema, accept your losses, and watch the sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary American and Seafood
Come for the manta rays and the sunset, order a cocktail, and make your peace with it. The wine list is a hotel afterthought dressed in markup we can't recommend with a straight face.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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