Lehua Restaurant

Sixteen bottles isn't much to work with, but Lehua's list reads like someone actually thought about it — there's Failla sitting next to Vinho Verde, a Sancerre at $48, and a Crémant de Loire that has no business being this interesting in a casual Hawaiian restaurant. You don't expect this in Hilo, and that's exactly the point.

The list spreads across bubbles, rosé, whites, and reds with surprising intentionality for its size. Whites lean toward aromatic and food-friendly picks — Broadbent Vinho Verde, Selbach Ahi Riesling, and a Petit Bourgeois Sancerre give you real range at the lower end of the price scale. Reds are California-forward with Belle Glos and Failla holding down a solid Pinot Noir anchor, plus Bella Union Cab and Paraduxx rounding out the bigger stuff. The Gran Passione Rosso at $52 is the wild card that keeps things interesting.

Fifteen of the sixteen bottles are available by the glass — which is either a logistical headache or a genuine commitment to accessibility, and we're inclined to call it the latter. Glass pours run $12–$25, which is reasonable for Hawaii, where everything costs more and wine lists often use geography as an excuse to gouge. The range by the glass covers all the bases: bubbles, rosé, white, red — you're not getting locked into one lane.