Oceanfront Burgundy Dreams in Paradise
Waikiki · Honolulu · French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed La Mer’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at La Mer arrives with the same quiet confidence as the room itself — ocean air, candlelight, and a catalog that opens straight into Burgundy royalty. This is not a list assembled by a food-and-beverage committee hedging bets; it's a list curated by people who actually care. Holding a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence continuously since 2008 isn't an accident.
With somewhere between 400 and 600 selections, the list leans hard into its four pillars — Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, and California — and doesn't apologize for it. You'll find Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Leroy sitting at the top of the Burgundy section like they own the place, which, effectively, they do. Bordeaux gets the full treatment too: Château Pétrus and Château Margaux represent the trophy end, while the list presumably fills in the middle tiers reasonably well. California isn't an afterthought — Harlan Estate, Opus One, and Kistler Chardonnay signal that the team takes the New World seriously alongside the classics.
The by-the-glass program runs 12 to 20 options, which is respectable for a fine dining room of this size and focus. Expect the pours to skew French and California-forward, with price points that reflect the address. Sommeliers Randall Parker and Taro Kurobe are your best resource here — ask what's open and you may land something worth the flight to Honolulu on its own.
Kistler Chardonnay — $80–$120 (est.)
In a list anchored by four-figure Burgundy, Kistler represents a Chardonnay that actually competes with the big French names at a fraction of the cost. It's the move if you want serious glass of white wine without triggering sticker shock.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet
Everyone reaches for DRC and Pétrus on a list like this, but Leflaive's Puligny-Montrachet is quietly one of the most compelling white Burgundies on the planet. Next to the Hawaii seafood preparations, it's the kind of wine that makes you forget what you paid for the flight.
Opus One
Opus One is a fine wine, but it's also one of the most aggressively allocated and restaurant-marked-up bottles in the American market. In a list this deep in Burgundy and Bordeaux, paying a La Mer premium on top of Opus One's already-inflated retail price is a hard sell. Spend that money in France.
Krug Grande Cuvée + Lobster bisque
Krug's Grande Cuvée has enough oxidative richness and toasty complexity to stand up to the depth of a proper lobster bisque without getting buried. It's a pairing that earns the oceanfront table.
The Bottom Line
La Mer is the real deal — a destination wine list in a destination restaurant, backed by a team that clearly knows what they're doing. Yes, the markups sting, but when you're sitting oceanside in Honolulu with a glass of Leflaive in hand, it's difficult to argue with the experience.
· 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
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce is a strong place to explore French wine with a firm budget in mind. The posted list runs from a $64 Southern Rhône red to $600 Champagne, so tell Chris Ray what you want to spend and let that guide the conversation. Confirm prices and availability when you book or arrive.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Paso Robles · French
Cépage is a destination restaurant in a destination wine region — the kind of place you plan a Saturday around, not somewhere you stumble into. The wine program appears honest to its terroir and purpose, though pricing at this caliber of operation rarely favors the guest. If you're already out on Highway 46 with a reservation in hand, you're likely going to have a very good time; just don't arrive expecting a sprawling global list or a killer value-hunting opportunity.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Weston · Weston · French
The Left Bank is the rare small-town wine program that genuinely surprises you — not by accident, but because someone with real taste built it. If you're driving through Vermont and need a reason to stop in Weston, this list is it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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