Paradise Views, Dependable Pours, Zero Surprises
Kailua-Kona · Asian, Hawaiian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed ULU’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting oceanside at the Four Seasons Hualalai, waves crashing, trade winds doing their thing — and then the wine list arrives and it's exactly what you'd expect from a luxury resort in Hawaii. Competent, safe, and priced for people who just charged a $600 room to their corporate card. It won't disappoint you, but it won't surprise you either.
The list clocks in around 80-120 bottles with a clear tilt toward California, France, and Italy — the exact trio Wine Spectator flagged when handing out the Award of Excellence this place has held since 2020. You've got Caymus Cab, Duckhorn Merlot, Louis Jadot Burgundy, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio doing the heavy lifting, which tells you everything about who this list is built for: resort guests who want something they recognize. There's nothing here from Hawaii's own small-but-growing wine scene, which feels like a missed opportunity given the setting. The French representation leans on Louis Jadot rather than anything with a sense of adventure, and the Italian side is similarly middle-of-the-road.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass with a spread from $12 to $18, which is reasonable for a Four Seasons property — we've paid more for worse at far less impressive zip codes. The pours seem to rotate on the slower side, so don't expect a surprise new addition every visit. What you see is largely what you get, week to week.
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay — $15/glass
In a resort context where markups can get savage, Sonoma-Cutrer by the glass at this price point is a reasonable ask. It's a crowd-pleaser with actual terroir behind it, and it holds up against the fish and seafood forward menu without getting weird.
Louis Jadot Burgundy
Most people at this table are reaching for the California bottles out of habit, which means the Jadot Burgundy quietly sits there being the most food-friendly option on the list. Against the local fish preparations and Asian-inspired sauces, a proper Burgundy does work that Caymus simply cannot.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a perfectly fine wine that has been marked up into the stratosphere at every resort on earth. You're paying a Four Seasons premium on top of an already inflated brand premium — this bottle follows you home from every vacation. Skip it here.
Meiomi Pinot Noir + Hawaiian poke
Meiomi's fruit-forward, slightly sweet profile is an easy match for the soy and sesame notes in a poke bowl — it doesn't fight the dish, and the lower tannins keep the fish tasting like fish.
The Bottom Line
ULU earns its Wine Spectator badge by doing the basics right in a setting that could easily get away with doing nothing right at all. Send a friend here for the ocean view and the fresh fish — just temper expectations on wine discovery.
· Kailua-Kona · New American / Hawaiian
Magics Beach Grill earns its reputation on atmosphere, not its wine program — and there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you know what you're walking into. If the sunset and the fresh fish are the draw, go for it; just don't expect the list to keep pace with the view. A happy hour window from 2–5 pm and again at 8 pm to close gives you a reason to order a glass without overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Italian-Inspired / Casual
Kai is a great place to watch the sun drop into the Pacific with something cold in your hand — just don't expect the wine list to be the reason you went. The program is serviceable for the setting, but with resort-level markups likely baked in, the cocktail menu might be a smarter play. If wine is your priority, lower your expectations before you sit down; if the view is your priority, you're exactly where you should be.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Seafood / Steakhouse
Huggo's is a reliable enough place to drink wine if you're already there for the view and the fresh fish — just don't come expecting value or discovery. The regional mix is competent, the setting is genuinely spectacular, and the list will get you through dinner without incident. If you're a wine-first traveler, this probably isn't your destination, but it's a perfectly reasonable stop if the ahi tuna is calling your name.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Wine Shop / Small Plates
Kona Wine Market is the kind of wine shop that makes you do a double-take when you're expecting tourist-trap bottles and instead find Shafer Hillside Select and a Campanian obscurity on the same shelf. The list is small but it's edited, not lazy, and the pricing is fair for Hawaii. If you're staying on the Big Island and want a serious bottle without driving to a resort bar and paying resort prices, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kailua-Kona · Seafood / Hawaiian
Umekes clearly puts its energy where it counts — the fish. The wine list is an afterthought, marked up steeply with no variety, no rotation, and no apparent interest in matching the program to what the kitchen does well. Order the poke, drink the Chenin Blanc, and don't expect much more than that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Fine Dining Seafood
Brown's Beach House is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if you're on the Kohala Coast for a special night out, it earns its reputation on atmosphere and food alone. But if the wine list is your primary reason to show up, you'll be disappointed — the program is resort-standard, California-safe, and priced to match the view rather than the quality in the glass. Order something cold and white with the butterfish, enjoy the sunset, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kapolei · Kapolei · Asian, Hawaiian
Island Vintage Wine Bar is exactly the kind of place that earns its Wild Card badge — a thoughtful, Award of Excellence wine program inside a casual Hawaiian concept in a strip mall outside Honolulu. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Tignanello, and stop second-guessing it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Kailua-Kona · Kailua-Kona · Asian, Hawaiian
ULU is a beautiful place to drink wine — the setting does half the work — but the list plays it safe in a room that could afford to take a few risks. Come for the ocean air and the local fish, order the Jordan or Kistler, and enjoy the view.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Waikiki · Honolulu · Asian, Hawaiian
Island Vintage is the wine bar you didn't think you'd find in a Waikiki shopping center, and that surprise is exactly why it earns the Wild Card. Bring a light appetite, skip the obvious pours, and let the setting do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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