Serious Cellar Meets Island Farm Table
Waikiki · Honolulu · Farm to Table, Regional · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Solera lands like a quiet flex — no flashy gimmicks, just a 300-500 bottle program that means business in a town where most restaurants are happy to slide you a mediocre Pinot Grigio and call it a day. California, France, and Italy anchor the list with real intention, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2023 tells you this wasn't assembled on autopilot. You get the sense someone actually cares.
California leads with the heavy hitters: Opus One, Ridge Monte Bello, Caymus, and Kistler Chardonnay cover both the prestige seeker and the serious drinker. France brings genuine depth — Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet and Barolo names like Giacomo Conterno and Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino show this isn't just a token Bordeaux and done situation. Oregon sneaks in with Domaine Drouhin, which is a nice nod for guests who want something between the Old and New worlds. The gaps are hard to identify from the outside, but if you're hunting natural wines or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, you may be out of luck.
With 20-35 by-the-glass options ranging from $12 to $25, the pour program is one of the stronger ones you'll find in Honolulu — this isn't a six-bottle-by-the-glass situation. The range suggests some thoughtful curation rather than just dumping the cheapest case options into stem rotation. We'd love to know how often the list rotates, but even a static 20+ glass list at this quality level beats most of the island.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir — $60–$80 (est. bottle range)
In a list dominated by Napa heavyweights and blue-chip Burgundy, Drouhin Oregon is the play for anyone who wants elegance without the four-figure commitment. It's serious wine that won't require a moment of sticker shock.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo
Most tables at a Hawaii farm-to-table spot will reach for California Cab or something French. Conterno Barolo is one of the benchmark names in Italian wine and it's sitting right there — order it, let it breathe, and thank us later.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine that's been so relentlessly over-ordered at restaurants everywhere that the markup is essentially baked into its cultural moment. With Ridge Monte Bello and Opus One on the same list, there's no reason to default to the crowd pleaser.
Kistler Chardonnay + Locally sourced fish preparation
Kistler is rich and textured without being a butter bomb — it has enough acidity to cut through any delicate preparation and enough weight to match the natural sweetness of fresh Hawaii fish. This is the pairing that makes the island setting make sense.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Solera is quietly one of the most serious wine destinations in Hawaii, and the farm-to-table menu gives you plenty of reasons to open something special. Yes, you'll pay for the privilege, but a sommelier who knows the list and a cellar stocked with Conterno and Leflaive isn't something you find at every beachside restaurant.
Kaimukī · Honolulu · Wine Café & Bistro
Brix and Stones is doing something genuinely valuable for Kaimukī — bringing a thoughtful, accessible wine program to a neighborhood that needed one. The Caymus carafe pricing is a bona fide deal and the Meinklang shows real taste, but watch out for the bubbly markups and a list that could use a little more rotation to keep regulars coming back.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kakaʻako · Honolulu · Wine Bar & Spirits Lounge (BYO Food)
Brix and Stones is the kind of place that shouldn't exist in the form it does, in the city it's in — and that's exactly why you should go. The markup swings from genuinely fair to eyebrow-raising depending on what you order, but the natural wine focus and knowledgeable staff make it the most interesting wine stop in Honolulu by a comfortable margin.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Waikiki · Honolulu · Italian with local Hawaiian influence
Fresco is a solid resort wine list doing exactly what it's designed to do: keep guests comfortable and the floor moving. If you're looking for adventure, you'll need to look elsewhere — but if you just want a cold glass of something decent with a view of the Pacific, it gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kakaʻako / SALT · Honolulu · Hawaiian-inspired / New American
Moku Kitchen isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood spot that doesn't gouge you — and in Hawaii, that alone earns real points. Send a friend here for dinner, not for the wine list, but tell them the prices won't sting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Steak and seafood with Hawaiian regional influences
Beachhouse at the Moana is a perfectly decent wine experience as long as you know what you're walking into: a hotel list with hotel markups and a stunning ocean backdrop doing the heavy lifting. Go for the Jordan with your steak, catch the sunset, and save the serious wine exploration for somewhere else on the island.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waikiki · Honolulu · Seafood / Mediterranean
Orchids is a reliable wine program wearing a luxury price tag — the sommelier is real, the pours are properly handled, and the list gets the job done for the room it's in. Just know that you're paying the Halekulani premium on every bottle, and budget accordingly before you sit down.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Fairhope · Fairhope · Farm to Table, Regional
The Hope Farm is punching well above its zip code — a serious wine program with a credentialed sommelier in a city most people have never heard of, anchored by a half-price Wednesday that borders on absurd. The markups on the Napa flagship bottles are a legitimate gripe, but if you navigate around them, there's a genuinely rewarding list here worth the drive down to the bay.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Poughkeepsie · Poughkeepsie · Farm to Table, Regional
Crew has held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2011 and it's earned — this is one of the better-reasoned wine lists in the Hudson Valley, especially for anyone who wants to drink local without sacrificing quality. Send a friend here if they're curious about New York wine; keep them away if they're dead-set on a deep cellar dig.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · La Jolla · Farm to Table, Regional
A.R. Valentien earns its Wine Spectator credential without drama — the California list is deep, the sommelier is the real deal, and the setting alone makes it worth the drive up Torrey Pines Road. Just go in knowing you'll pay resort prices and that the world beyond California largely doesn't exist here.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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