Ocean Views Doing Most of the Heavy Lifting
· Kailua-Kona · Italian-Inspired / Casual · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Kai Eats + Drinks’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The setting at Kai is doing a lot of work — Oneo Bay glittering out the window, a come-as-you-are resort energy, and a menu built for people who want fish tacos and a cold glass of something without overthinking it. The wine list matches the vibe: West Coast crowd-pleasers, nothing that requires a decoder ring, nothing that's going to make a wine nerd's heart race.
From what we can piece together, the list leans on Oregon and California standbys — the kind of bottles you recognize from every resort bar between Maui and Malibu. There's no evidence of a sommelier shaping this program or any real curatorial intent beyond covering the bases. Expect the usual suspects: approachable Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and maybe a rosé for the sunset crowd. The gaps are predictable — don't come looking for anything European, anything natural, or anything with a story.
By-the-glass specifics aren't publicly documented, but given the casual resort format, expect a handful of options cycling through the familiar West Coast playbook. Rotation and depth are unknowns, so treat the glass program as functional rather than inspired.
The Bottom Line
Kai is a great place to watch the sun drop into the Pacific with something cold in your hand — just don't expect the wine list to be the reason you went. The program is serviceable for the setting, but with resort-level markups likely baked in, the cocktail menu might be a smarter play. If wine is your priority, lower your expectations before you sit down; if the view is your priority, you're exactly where you should be.
· Kailua-Kona · Seafood / Steakhouse
Huggo's is a reliable enough place to drink wine if you're already there for the view and the fresh fish — just don't come expecting value or discovery. The regional mix is competent, the setting is genuinely spectacular, and the list will get you through dinner without incident. If you're a wine-first traveler, this probably isn't your destination, but it's a perfectly reasonable stop if the ahi tuna is calling your name.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Wine Shop / Small Plates
Kona Wine Market is the kind of wine shop that makes you do a double-take when you're expecting tourist-trap bottles and instead find Shafer Hillside Select and a Campanian obscurity on the same shelf. The list is small but it's edited, not lazy, and the pricing is fair for Hawaii. If you're staying on the Big Island and want a serious bottle without driving to a resort bar and paying resort prices, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Seafood / Hawaiian
Umekes clearly puts its energy where it counts — the fish. The wine list is an afterthought, marked up steeply with no variety, no rotation, and no apparent interest in matching the program to what the kitchen does well. Order the poke, drink the Chenin Blanc, and don't expect much more than that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Fine Dining Seafood
Brown's Beach House is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if you're on the Kohala Coast for a special night out, it earns its reputation on atmosphere and food alone. But if the wine list is your primary reason to show up, you'll be disappointed — the program is resort-standard, California-safe, and priced to match the view rather than the quality in the glass. Order something cold and white with the butterfish, enjoy the sunset, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Seafood / Classic American
Kona Inn's wine list is exactly what it needs to be — competent, crowd-friendly, and anchored by a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options. Markup trends steep, as expected in Hawaii's resort corridor, but a few smart picks like Siduri Pinot and Lieu Dit Blanc de Mer reward guests who look past the Rombauer reflex. If you're eating here for the view and the seafood, the wine list won't let you down — just don't expect to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Modern Hawaiian / Seafood
Moana's wine list is a fascinating contradiction: twelve bottles, a Rosewood price tag, and two Birichino natural wines sitting next to a 2006 d'Yquem. It shouldn't work this well, but the curation earns respect. Come for the ocean, stay for the Tokaji — just be prepared to pay resort prices for the privilege.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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