Bordeaux and Burgundy under the palm trees
Waikīkī · Honolulu · Regional · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Hau Tree’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're sitting under actual hau trees, sand basically within sprinting distance, and the wine list opens to Burgundy and Bordeaux classified growths. It's a little disorienting in the best possible way — this is not the laminated tourist list you feared. Someone here actually cares.
The France-California axis runs strong: Jadot and Drouhin anchor the Burgundy side, while Bordeaux classified growths give the list some real weight and ambition. California holds its own with Kistler and Far Niente on the Chardonnay front and Stag's Leap and Jordan flying the Napa Cabernet flag — all recognizable names that earn their spots rather than just filling pages. Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir rounds out the new world contingent and feels like a genuine nod to cooler-climate California rather than a checkbox. At 150–250 bottles, there's real selection here without the list becoming a burden to navigate.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a healthy number for a beachfront restaurant, and with sommelier Elton Gjonaj steering the ship, you'd expect those slots to be used thoughtfully rather than just defaulting to whatever's cheapest to open. Pours clock in at $12–$18, which is honest money for this caliber of program in Honolulu. No notable rotation or glass program beyond the standard list, but what's here is solid.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $40s–$50s per bottle (est.)
Jordan always punches above its price point — structured, food-friendly, and crowd-pleasing without being a pushover. On a Honolulu wine list where markups can get creative, this one tends to land at a number that doesn't make you wince.
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Most tables here are locked in on Napa Cab or French Burgundy, but a well-chosen Sonoma Coast Pinot is exactly what you want with the ocean breeze and lighter seafood-leaning menu. Don't sleep on it.
Bordeaux Classified Growths
The prestige bottles are real, but classified Bordeaux at a beachfront Hawaii restaurant is almost never priced to move — you're paying for the address as much as the wine. Save those splurges for a cellar-focused spot and drink something that actually makes sense in the setting.
Kistler Chardonnay + Lobster Eggs Benedict
Rich, buttery Kistler Chardonnay and lobster hollandaise is not a subtle choice, but it's a correct one. The wine's texture and restrained oak hold up to the richness without steamrolling it — this is the move for a slow Sunday brunch with sand in your shoes.
The Bottom Line
Hau Tree earns its Wine Spectator nod — this is a genuinely considered list in a setting where mediocrity would have been completely forgiven. If you're in Waikīkī and want a glass of something real with your toes near the sand, this is the place.
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian Pizza / Wine Bar
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kaimukī · Honolulu · Wine bar / small plates
Kaimukī Storeroom is doing the bare minimum in quantity and the maximum in quality — three bottles, all bangers, prices that won't make you do sad math on your phone. If you're a natural wine person stuck in Honolulu wondering why every list is the same, come here first.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · New American
Fête is quietly running one of the most interesting wine programs in the state of Hawaii, and most people eating there probably have no idea. If you care at all about what's in your glass, this is worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Contemporary tasting menu
Pai's wine list won't impress anyone counting bottles, but it will surprise anyone counting countries — seven wines, six regions, zero filler. If you trust the kitchen's tasting menu, trust whatever pairing the list is built around.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Honolulu · Honolulu · Wine Bar / New American Small Plates
Amuse Wine Bar is doing something genuinely unexpected in Honolulu: building a thoughtful, geographically diverse list with fair pricing in a city where most wine programs are an afterthought. If you're in Hawaii and care about what's in your glass, this is the room to be in.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Waikīkī · Honolulu · Modern Steakhouse
StripSteak Waikīkī pulls off something genuinely rare: a hotel steakhouse wine program worth paying attention to, built almost entirely around an extraordinary by-the-glass selection. The prices reflect the zip code, but if you're eating steak in Waikīkī anyway, this is the room to do it in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Third Ward · Milwaukee · Regional
Ash is a reliable, California-centric wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without overreaching. Send a friend here if they want a good bottle with a great meal — just tell them to stick to the West Coast and avoid the trophy bottles.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Easton · Easton · Regional
The Stewart is a genuine surprise on the Eastern Shore — a cocktail lounge with a brass-and-marble soul that quietly runs a Wine Spectator-recognized program with a real sommelier steering it. Hit it on a Wednesday and you've found one of the best wine deals in Maryland.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Franklin · Franklin · Regional
Red Pony is exactly the kind of reliable wine program a well-run regional restaurant should have — familiar producers, fair prices, and no real landmines. It won't blow a wine geek's mind, but it'll keep a table of six happy on a Saturday night, which is honestly the harder job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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