Great View, Grocery Store Wine List
Ali'i Drive / Waterfront · Kailua-Kona · American pub fare and bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Humpy's Big Island Alehouse’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
You're sitting on a lively waterfront patio in Kailua-Kona with the Pacific doing its thing right in front of you, and then the wine list lands. It's short, California-only, and reads like someone grabbed a case from Costco and called it a program. The beer list is clearly where Humpy's put its energy, and fair enough — but if wine is your thing, you'll notice the mismatch immediately.
Ten to twenty wines, all California, with the visible anchors being Edna Valley Chardonnay, Rosehaven Rosé, and Josh Craftsman Cabernet Sauvignon — the kind of bottles you'd find stacked near the checkout at Total Wine. There's no old world representation, no Pinot Noir, no sparkling, no texture or range to speak of. This is a list built for convenience, not curiosity. If you came to Hawaii hoping to explore something interesting with your fish and chips, the wine list won't be your vehicle.
Six to ten pours by the glass, which sounds decent until you realize the roster barely changes from the bottle list. The happy hour pricing on the Edna Valley Chardonnay, Rosehaven Rosé, and Josh Cab is genuinely the best reason to engage with the wine program here. Outside of happy hour, the value proposition gets thin fast.
Edna Valley Chardonnay — Happy hour pricing
Edna Valley is a reliable Central Coast producer making clean, food-friendly Chardonnay. At happy hour, it's the most defensible glass on the list — honest wine at a price that won't sting.
Rosehaven Rosé
It's easy to overlook rosé at a sports bar, but on a hot Kona afternoon with an ocean breeze, a cold glass of Rosehaven Rosé is actually the right call. Nobody orders it, which means it might be the freshest pour on the list.
Josh Craftsman Cabernet Sauvignon
Josh Cellars markets hard and delivers little. A Cab Sauv at a humid waterfront bar in Hawaii is already a stretch, and paying pub markup for one of the most over-distributed brands in the country makes it a hard no. Order a local draft instead.
Edna Valley Chardonnay + Fish and chips
The Chardonnay's brightness and light citrus cut through the batter without fighting the fish — it's the most logical match on a list that doesn't give you many options.
❌ The Bottom Line
Humpy's is a genuinely fun spot to watch a game, drink a craft beer, and catch a sunset over Ali'i Drive — but the wine list is an afterthought at best. If wine matters to you even a little, save it for a proper dinner elsewhere and come here for the cold beer and the view.
Pawai Place / Kailua Industrial · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian, Seafood, Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Umekes isn't a wine destination, but the pricing is honest, the glass count is surprisingly high, and the Riesling-with-poke move alone is worth knowing about. Send your friends here for the food; the wine will take care of itself.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ali'i Drive / Waterfront · Kailua-Kona · Steakhouse
This is a chain wine program doing exactly what corporate tells it to — nothing more, nothing less. If you're in Kailua-Kona for the wine, you're in the wrong zip code and definitely the wrong restaurant.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hualalai Resort / Kaupulehu · Kailua-Kona · Italian-inspired coastal cuisine with Hawaiian and Mediterranean influences
Beach Tree is a reliably well-run resort wine program with real producers and a sommelier who knows the list — just come in clear-eyed that you're paying Four Seasons Hawaii prices for the privilege. If someone else is expensing it, order the Leflaive and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Kuakini Highway / Inland Kona · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary American and Island-inspired seafood
Jackie Rey's is a reliable neighborhood spot with a wine list that matches its vibe: comfortable, familiar, and a little pricey for what it is. Send a friend here for a great meal — just tell them to go Sancerre on the wine and not stare too long at the Kistler price tag.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua Industrial / Pawai Place · Kailua-Kona · American pub fare, brewery, pizza bar
Come to Kona Brewing for the beer — seriously, the beer is the point — and if you must have wine, grab a glass of Cava or the sparkling rosé and enjoy the breeze. The wine list is an afterthought, and you should treat it like one.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Asian, Hawaiian
ULU earns its Wine Spectator badge by doing the basics right in a setting that could easily get away with doing nothing right at all. Send a friend here for the ocean view and the fresh fish — just temper expectations on wine discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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