Aloha Shirts Meet Actual Good Wine
Waikiki · Honolulu · Asian, Hawaiian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Island Vintage Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A wine bar inside a shopping center on Kalakaua Avenue sounds like a trap, and yet — Island Vintage earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by actually trying. The open-air setting is breezy and casual, the list is longer than you'd expect, and nobody's pretending this is Napa.
The list runs 150-250 bottles with a clear lean toward France and California, which tracks with the Wine Spectator recognition. You'll find Louis Jadot holding down the Burgundy section and Sonoma-Cutrer representing Russian River Chardonnay with some credibility. The Jordan Cab and Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir are solid picks that play well above the tourist-trap baseline you'd normally expect from a mall wine bar in Waikiki. Gaps exist — don't come looking for Rhône, Ribera del Duero, or anything remotely adventurous below the equator.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is genuinely impressive for this context, and the range covers enough ground to keep a table of mixed drinkers happy. Glasses run $12-$25, which stings a little given the Hawaii premium already baked into everything on the island. The Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc anchors the approachable end; the Drouhin Pinot Noir is the move if you're spending up.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $12
At the low end of the glass pour pricing, this Washington Riesling is crisp, off-dry, and built for humid Honolulu weather. It's the smartest $12 you'll spend with a poke plate in front of you.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most people ordering wine in Waikiki are grabbing Sauvignon Blanc or a Cab. The Drouhin Pinot is the sleeper — elegant, earthy, and genuinely interesting in a setting where interesting isn't the default expectation.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
It's fine, but you can grab Kim Crawford at any grocery store on the island for a fraction of the restaurant markup. Your money works harder almost anywhere else on this list.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay + Cheese and charcuterie board
The Sonoma-Cutrer has enough oak and richness to stand up to aged cheeses and cured meats without overwhelming the lighter island flavors on the board. It's the most composed white on the list and earns its place here.
The Bottom Line
Island Vintage is the wine bar you didn't think you'd find in a Waikiki shopping center, and that surprise is exactly why it earns the Wild Card. Bring a light appetite, skip the obvious pours, and let the setting do the rest.
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
Morton's Honolulu gives you a competent, Cabernet-saturated list that will reliably satisfy the guest who came for a big steak and a big red — just don't expect any surprises, and watch the markup on the entry-level bottles. Send a friend here if they want comfort, not if they want discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Latin American / Tasting Menu
El Cielo earns its reputation on atmosphere and food, but the wine program is a black box — and in a city where you're already paying tourist-tier prices, a list you can't see or trust is a list you should probably skip. Order a cocktail and save the wine night for somewhere that wants to earn it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikīkī · Honolulu · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Waikīkī is a dependable splurge for steak night, but the wine list is corporate comfort food — Napa-forward, markup-heavy, and unlikely to surprise you. If wine is the point of your evening, this isn't your destination; if steak is the point, it'll get the job done.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood / Steak
Chart House Waikiki is giving you a safe harbor, not a destination — the list is functional, the by-the-glass selection is surprisingly broad, and a couple of smart picks exist if you know where to look. Come for the ocean views and the fish; just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Honolulu · Honolulu · Hotel Wine Bar
Vintage 1901 is a well-organized hotel wine bar doing exactly what it should — giving visitors something better than the minibar without demanding too much effort or knowledge. The port program is legitimately great and worth your time; the rest of the list is competent, if a little sleepy on value.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Rooftop Wine Bar
Tchin Tchin is a perfectly pleasant place to drink wine with a view, and nearly everything being available by the glass means you can graze without committing to a bottle. Just don't come expecting discovery — come expecting a solid pour and a great sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
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
Kapolei · Kapolei · Asian, Hawaiian
Island Vintage Wine Bar is exactly the kind of place that earns its Wild Card badge — a thoughtful, Award of Excellence wine program inside a casual Hawaiian concept in a strip mall outside Honolulu. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Tignanello, and stop second-guessing it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Asian, Hawaiian
ULU is a beautiful place to drink wine — the setting does half the work — but the list plays it safe in a room that could afford to take a few risks. Come for the ocean air and the local fish, order the Jordan or Kistler, and enjoy the view.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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