Sunset Views, Solid Pours, Resort Prices
Mauna Kea Resort · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary Hawaiʻi Regional Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Manta Restaurant at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list while the Pacific breeze comes in off Kaunaʻoa Bay and the sun starts doing its thing on the horizon — and honestly, the view is doing more heavy lifting than the list. Twenty-seven labels isn't a lot for a resort of this caliber, but what's here is curated rather than chaotic. It reads like someone made real choices, even if they played it conservatively.
California dominates, which makes sense — Napa and Sonoma names like Shafer, Vineyard 29, Duckhorn, and Ramey anchor the reds, and they're all respectable picks. France shows up in the right places: Billecart-Salmon and Collet handle the Champagne duty, Domaines Ott covers Provence rosé, and there are nods to Burgundy and Alsace. The gaps are real though — South America is absent, Italy gets minimal love, and there's nothing particularly adventurous or small-producer. This list won't surprise you, but it won't embarrass you either.
The by-the-glass count wasn't pinned down in our research, but the selection spans the expected categories — sparkling, white, rosé, and red — with quality pours like the Domaines Ott rosé and likely a house Chardonnay option. Rotation appears minimal; this feels like a set list that changes with the seasons at best. For a resort at this price point, we'd want more pours, more often.
Domaines Ott 'BY.OTT' Côtes de Provence Rosé 2022 — null
In a setting this warm and coastal, a proper Provence rosé is exactly right. BY.OTT is the more approachable tier from Ott but it's still the real deal — dry, mineral, and built for fish and ocean air. At resort pricing it's still not cheap, but it's the wine that earns its keep most honestly against the menu.
Vöcal 'Sabroso' 'Enz Vineyard' Cabernet Pfeffer, Lime Kiln Valley 2019
Nobody at the table is ordering this, and that's a mistake. Cabernet Pfeffer is a near-extinct Californian oddity — a grape so rare most wine lists don't bother. The Enz Vineyard in Lime Kiln Valley is one of the only places still growing it seriously, and Vöcal is doing right by it. If your server can actually talk you through it, order it immediately.
Orin Swift 'Abstract' Red Blend, Napa Valley 2019
Abstract is a perfectly fine, crowd-friendly red blend — but it's also widely available at retail for well under $40. At resort markup it's going to land somewhere that makes the value math look ugly. There are more interesting and better-valued bottles on this list.
Shafer 'Red Shoulder Ranch' Chardonnay, Carneros 2021 + Fresh local catch of the day
Red Shoulder Ranch is one of California's benchmark Chardonnays — rich enough to stand up to a buttery local fish preparation, but with enough Carneros acidity to keep it from going heavy. The volcanic minerality in the wine has a subtle conversation with whatever's coming in fresh off the Kona coast that day.
The Bottom Line
Manta is a beautiful place to drink wine — the setting alone earns a pass on some of the list's shortcomings. But you're paying resort premiums for a 27-bottle list that plays it safe, so go in knowing the view is part of what you're buying.
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Hawaii Regional Cuisine / Asian Fusion Seafood Grill
Roy's Waikoloa is a reliable night out with food that outpaces the wine list by a full length. Drink the Sonoma-Cutrer with the butterfish, skip the markups on the obvious stuff, and let the view do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Italian osteria with locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients
Pueo's isn't building a destination wine program, but it's doing something harder — keeping prices honest in a market that rarely does. Send your friends here for dinner; just know the list is a supporting character, not the headliner.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Beachside Hawaiian and Pacific Rim
Come for the sand, the sunset, and the Huli Huli chicken — just don't come expecting the wine list to match the view. Order the best white they have cold, tip your server well, and make peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alii Drive · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-style barbecue / plate lunches
We would never send someone to TJ's for the wine list — we'd send them for the smoked brisket and the ocean view. But if you want something in a glass while you eat, the list does just enough to keep you covered, and $12 a pour is fair by Hawaii standards.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian-inspired and pan-Pacific fare with a classic tiki bar
Don the Beachcomber is a genuinely fun place to spend an evening in Kona, and the cocktail program absolutely earns its reputation — so get the mai tai and leave the wine list alone. If you insist on a bottle, grab the La Crema, accept your losses, and watch the sunset.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary American and Seafood
Come for the manta rays and the sunset, order a cocktail, and make your peace with it. The wine list is a hotel afterthought dressed in markup we can't recommend with a straight face.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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