Hawaii's neighborhood osteria that gets wine right
Waikoloa · Kailua-Kona · Italian osteria with locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pueo's Osteria’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
Walking into Pueo's, you get the vibe of a place that actually cares — open kitchen, lively bar, locals mixed with resort-escapees who found something better. The wine list is modest and won't make anyone's jaw drop, but at $9–$11 a glass in Hawaii, you're already ahead of the tourist-trap math.
The list leans on the reliable international circuit: Veneto Pinot Grigio, Napa Cab, Monterey Chardonnay, a Chilean Pinot Noir from Colchagua, and a Sauvignon Blanc from Waikato, New Zealand. It's not adventurous — nobody's hiding a Fiano di Avellino or a Sicilian Nerello back here — but the selections are competent and sensible for an Italian-leaning menu in a resort corridor. The Italy representation is thin for a place calling itself an osteria; one Pinot Grigio from the Veneto does not a regional wine program make. That said, the California and Southern Hemisphere picks fill the gaps without embarrassing anyone.
The website claims over a dozen by-the-glass options, though only five are visible on the accessible drink page — so there's either a deeper rotating list happening in-house or some optimistic marketing copy. What's confirmed is priced honestly: $9–$11 per glass is genuinely fair for the Big Island, where a mediocre pour at a Kohala resort can run $18 without blinking.
Sauvignon Blanc, Waikato, New Zealand — $9/glass
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at $9 a glass in Hawaii is a legitimate deal — bright, high-acid, and built for the local fresh fish dishes on the menu. It's the workhorse pick of the list.
Pinot Noir, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Most people gloss past Chilean Pinot in favor of Napa or New Zealand, but Colchagua can turn out surprisingly structured, fruit-forward bottles that hold their own with pasta and red sauce. At these prices, it's worth the gamble.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
Napa Cab is the default order for people who aren't really thinking about what they're eating — and at a pasta-and-pizza osteria, it's the least interesting match on the list. Nothing wrong with the wine itself, but you're paying the Napa premium for a bottle that'll fight your bucatini all night.
Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Italy + Local fresh fish with Italian-style sauce
It's not a revolutionary call, but it's correct: a crisp Veneto Pinot Grigio keeps things light and clean against whatever the catch of the day is, and doesn't try to upstage the kitchen's Italian-leaning prep. Sometimes the obvious answer is obvious for a reason.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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 · 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
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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