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.
Ali'i Drive / Waterfront · Kailua-Kona · Contemporary Hawaiian Café and American
Island Lava Java is genuinely great for Kona coffee, breakfast, and that Ali'i Drive ocean view — just don't show up expecting the wine list to match the scenery. Order a pour of the Fleur de Mer rosé, enjoy the trade winds, and call it a day.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Honokohau Harbor (North Kona) · Kailua-Kona · Casual American bar & grill with Hawaiian influences
Harbor House isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more with 17 labels than most waterfront bars bother to attempt. If you're grabbing a harbor-view lunch or a casual dinner after a dive, there's a real, honest pour waiting for you here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kailua Pier / Ali'i Drive · Kailua-Kona · Seafood & Steak
Fish Hopper is a perfectly decent place to drink wine if you're already there for the ocean view and the clam chowder — just don't come expecting the list to impress anyone. Stick to the better California producers, avoid the house wine trap, and let the sunset do the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mauna Lani Resort · Kailua-Kona · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Mauna Lani does exactly what it promises: a deep, California-forward wine list served in proper glassware at steep resort prices inside a flawless steakhouse setting. You won't discover anything new here, but if you're after a great bottle of Napa Cab with your Prime filet and an ocean breeze somewhere nearby, this list will not let you down.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Pawai Place / Kailua Industrial · Kailua-Kona · Hawaiian, Seafood, Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Umekes isn't a wine destination, but the pricing is honest, the glass count is surprisingly high, and the Riesling-with-poke move alone is worth knowing about. Send your friends here for the food; the wine will take care of itself.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ali'i Drive / Waterfront · Kailua-Kona · Steakhouse
This is a chain wine program doing exactly what corporate tells it to — nothing more, nothing less. If you're in Kailua-Kona for the wine, you're in the wrong zip code and definitely the wrong restaurant.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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