Great Views, Brutal Markups, Zero Effort
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Meridia at Westin Hapuna Beach Resort’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The Mediterranean concept gives us hope — Spain, Italy, Greece, Southern France, that's a canvas with real potential. Then you open the list and find Kim Crawford and Meiomi sitting right where the Txakoli and Assyrtiko should be. The ocean view is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
For a restaurant that bills itself as Mediterranean-inspired, the wine list reads more like a hotel banquet package than a thoughtful regional program. California dominates with the usual suspects — Cakebread, Silver Oak, Decoy, Sonoma-Cutrer — while the stated focus on Spain, Italy, and Greece barely registers in practice. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the token Italian gesture, and we'd bet the Greek and Southern French sections are similarly thin. There are no adventurous producers, no small-grower finds, nothing that says anyone thought hard about what wines actually belong alongside grilled octopus and paella.
Expect somewhere between 8 and 14 pours, almost certainly anchored by the same names on the bottle list — La Marca Prosecco to start, Kim Crawford for the table that always orders Kim Crawford, maybe Meiomi for the Pinot crowd. Rotation appears nonexistent; this is a set-it-and-forget-it program through and through.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley — $195
At 129% markup it's the least egregious option on a list built to punish you. It's still $110 over retail, but relative to everything else here, it's as close to fair as Meridia gets.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley
Not a hidden gem in any exciting sense, but at 144% markup it's the most reasonably priced white on the list and at least a recognizable, consistent pour — damning-with-faint-praise territory, but that's where we are.
La Marca Prosecco
A $16 bottle of grocery-store Prosecco priced at $52 is a 225% markup on something you can find at every Trader Joe's in America. Do not toast your vacation with this.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley + Fresh local fish
Cakebread's Napa Chard has enough richness and oak to stand up to buttery preparations without trampling delicate island fish. It's the least-bad choice on a list that doesn't actually try to match its Mediterranean menu.
The Bottom Line
Meridia has the setting, the concept, and the menu to deserve a genuinely interesting wine list — instead it serves up resort-hotel boilerplate at punishing markups. Order the paella, drink the cocktails, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
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
· Aurora · Mediterranean
Pita Central is here for the food, full stop — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems fine with that. Order a beer or a soft drink and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bridgeport · Mediterranean
Basso is a genuinely warm neighborhood spot where the wine list does exactly enough to support a good meal without doing anything remarkable. Send a friend here for the pasta and the vibe — just don't come expecting to geek out on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Wichita · Mediterranean
Meddys West is here for the food, and the wine list knows it. If you're looking for something to wash down your meal without drama, the $8 glass is fine — just don't come here expecting the wine to be the point.
Grocery Store
Fair
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
