Rooftop Views, Focused List, Honest Pours
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Quiora’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Quiora is short — 22 labels total — but it doesn't feel lazy. Someone made real choices here: Italian anchors, a few smart California picks, and enough fizz to satisfy the sunset-cocktail crowd without turning the list into a Champagne catalog.
The backbone is Italian, as it should be at a restaurant serving handmade pasta and uni spaghetti: Volpaia Chianti Classico 2022, Elena Walch Pinot Grigio, and the Tintero Barbera Rosato give the list some regional credibility. California gets a proper showing too, with Failla Pinot Noir 2024 and Tyler Chardonnay 2023 — two producers that punch well above their price points. The bubbly section leans expected (Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Krug 2004 for the whales), though Bisol Crede Prosecco keeps things grounded. What's missing: anything from Southern Italy, no real Barolo or Brunello depth, and nothing that signals adventurous curation — but for a 22-bottle hotel list, the hits outnumber the misses.
Fifteen of the 22 labels pour by the glass, which is a genuinely impressive conversion rate and makes this a strong by-the-glass program for what it is. Prices run $12–$35/glass, with most options landing in the $14–$22 range — reasonable for a Ritz-Carlton rooftop in Waikiki. The Selbach-Oster Riesling 2022 at $16/glass and the Bodegas Care Garnacha 'Nativa' 2023 at $16/glass are the standout pours for the price.
Tintero Barbera Rosato — $12/glass, $45/bottle
The lowest price on the list and arguably the most interesting. Tintero is a cult-ish natural producer from Piedmont's Moscato d'Asti country, and this rosato is bright, low-alcohol, and built for food. At $45 a bottle — a price you'd barely beat at retail — it's the clearest value on the menu and the right call with anything from the pasta section.
Selbach-Oster Exclusive Riesling 2022
Riesling gets skipped constantly at Italian restaurants, and that's a mistake here. Selbach-Oster is one of the most reliable Mosel producers going, and the 2022 vintage delivered bright, precise wines with real tension. At $16/glass it's the kind of pour that makes people remember the meal — especially alongside anything with uni or citrus-forward seafood.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut
At $35/glass or $137/bottle, you're paying Ritz-Carlton real estate prices for the most recognizable label in the Champagne aisle. Veuve Yellow Label is a fine wine, but it's also available at every airport lounge and mid-range steakhouse in America. With Bisol Crede at $20/glass and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs available by the bottle for those who want to step up, there's no reason to default to the orange label here.
Volpaia Sangiovese Chianti Classico 2022 + Uni + Crab Spaghetti
Chianti Classico with seafood pasta sounds counterintuitive until you remember that Sangiovese's high acidity and savory edge work as well with rich, briny shellfish as they do with red sauce. Volpaia is a estate-focused producer making structured, food-friendly wines — not fruit bombs — and the 2022 at $22/glass is the kind of red that makes the pasta taste better without overwhelming it.
The Bottom Line
Quiora isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a 22-label Italian restaurant list on a rooftop in Waikiki with an ocean view doing the heavy lifting. But the list is genuinely considered, the glass-pour selection is deep for the size, and pricing is fair by hotel standards. If you're eating here, drink the Tintero rosato or the Selbach Riesling and enjoy the sunset.
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian / Californian Coastal
Botanico is doing something genuinely unusual for Waikiki — building an Italian-forward wine list with real regional depth and mostly fair pricing in a place where restaurants routinely treat wine as an afterthought. The by-the-glass program alone is worth a seat at the bar. If you care at all about what's in your glass, this belongs on your radar.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Hawaii Regional
Moku Nui is a casual Hawaii Regional spot that has no business running a wine list this thoughtful — and we mean that as high praise. Fair glass prices, a sommelier clearly making intentional choices, and enough variety to reward the curious drinker. If you're eating here, skip the default beer order and let someone at the table order the Vouvray.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood
Azure is a genuinely lovely place to drink wine — the setting does a lot of heavy lifting and the France-Italy-Hawaii focus is a sensible match for the island seafood menu. Just go in knowing resort markup is real, and if the tasting menu with wine pairing is available, that's likely your best shot at getting something memorable poured without having to guess blind from the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Tasting Menu
Senia's wine program is one of the more thoughtful in the state — sommelier on staff, an Old World-focused list, and a Wednesday night deal where bottles at $65 and under get cut in half plus a tasting flight. If you're serious about what's in your glass, this is where you go in Honolulu. Book a Wednesday if you can.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
· Honolulu · Italian-American
53 By The Sea plays an interesting game: a short, all-glass list that punches well above its weight in the mid-range, anchored by a custom Failla Pinot and some genuinely thoughtful picks from Austria and southern Italy. Markups lean steep, especially as you climb the tiers, and the absence of bottle service means you're always buying by the glass. But if you stick to the $12–$31 range, this is one of the more curated pours you'll find in Honolulu — and that Grüner alone is worth the visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Honolulu · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Hawaii's wine list does what the brand does everywhere — it's safe, corporate, and priced to capture resort-market margins. The Champagne selection is genuinely deep and includes some worthwhile picks like the Paul Bara and the Llopart Cava, but markups are steep and there's little here to excite anyone looking beyond the obvious. If you're here for a steak and want bubbles, you'll find something that works — just don't expect the list to dazzle you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Coral Gables · Miami · Italian
An Italy-first list built around Piedmont and Tuscany, with a four-vintage Burlotto Barolo vertical, three vintages of Sassicaia and a 16-bottle Brunello section plus special-vintage Brunellos. Start with a Coravin pour or a quartino, then ask for bottle prices, because this version of the list posts none and carries no printed date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Miami · Miami · Italian
A long, Italian-first list where Barbaresco, Barolo and Brunello each get their own block and several producers list multiple older vintages. If you want a safe Tuscan red by the glass, ask for the Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico 2020; if you want something stranger, ask about the Zidarich Vitovska, and ask the price either way because none is posted. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups. The list carries no printed date, so confirm current availability.
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Italian
A big, Italy-heavy list with a run of $38 house-label bottles and reds that climb to a $696 1993 Quintarelli. Order the $38 C.G. Vini Chianti or the $38 Argiolas Vermentino, and save the Quintarelli for a table that has confirmed it's in stock. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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