Hawaii's Most Civilized Hotel Bar, Portwise
Downtown Honolulu · Honolulu · Hotel Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Vintage 1901’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Vintage 1901 opens with a confident spread across bubbles, whites, rosé, reds, and — unexpectedly — a four-deep port program that immediately signals someone here actually thought about this. The overall selection skews accessible and brand-recognizable, which makes sense for a hotel bar catering to travelers who want something good without a steep learning curve. It's not trying to be a destination wine bar, and it mostly succeeds at what it is.
Thirty-four labels isn't a deep cellar, but the list is organized and covers its bases without too much filler. You'll find familiar names — Louis Jadot, Sonoma-Cutrer, DAOU — alongside some more interesting choices like L'Ecole N°41 Chenin Blanc Old Vines and the Mathilde Chapoutier Côtes de Provence. The bubbly section punches above its weight with Domaine Carneros and Taittinger alongside the entry-level Bisol Prosecco. The red selection stays squarely in recognizable American and Italian territory with the Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico as the most interesting detour from the usual Cab-Merlot-Pinot formula.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is genuinely strong for a hotel wine bar, and the range here covers every category on the list — including all four ports by the glass, which is a real standout. Prices run $9 to $26 per glass, with most whites and reds landing in the $17–$21 range. The port lineup at $9–$15 per pour is the most interesting and accessible part of the BTG program.
Smith Woodhouse Port 2004 — $10/glass
A vintage port at $10 a glass is borderline absurd in a good way. Smith Woodhouse is a solid, underrated producer, and getting a dated port at this price — especially in a hotel bar — is the kind of quiet win you tell people about.
L'Ecole N°41 Chenin Blanc Old Vines
Most people scroll past Chenin Blanc on a wine list and land on the Chardonnay. Don't. L'Ecole's Old Vines bottling from Washington's Columbia Valley is textured, savory, and a level above everything else in the white wine section — and at $18 a glass, it's priced the same as the Louis Jadot Chardonnay that will bore you.
St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc
At $21 a glass, this is the most expensive white on the list, and St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc is widely distributed grocery-store-tier wine. You're paying hotel-bar premium for a bottle that retails around $18. Pass.
Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico + Charcuterie Board
Brolio is one of Chianti's oldest estates and this Sangiovese has enough acidity and earth to cut through cured meats and hard cheeses without overwhelming them. A natural match for grazing food, and one of the more food-honest bottles on this list.
The Bottom Line
Vintage 1901 is a well-organized hotel wine bar doing exactly what it should — giving visitors something better than the minibar without demanding too much effort or knowledge. The port program is legitimately great and worth your time; the rest of the list is competent, if a little sleepy on value.
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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
Waikiki · Honolulu · Steakhouse
BLT Steak Waikiki is a competent, crowd-pleasing steakhouse wine list in a setting where you're mostly paying for the view and the popovers. If wine is central to your evening, call ahead and ask what's actually open — the list's documented depth isn't enough to guarantee a great bottle without some homework. Come for the porterhouse, manage your wine expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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