Wacky for Wine in Waikiki: The Sony Open in Hawaii, Wai’alae Country Club, January 15-18, 2026
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After just covering Maui for the Sentry TOC I reset my expectations to the upside for Oahu and the Sony Open in Honolulu. I was not disappointed. There is no shortage of great options, although for the most part they are expensive and presented in formal fine dining settings. Also, I was a little surprised when updating for 2025 that one of my previous best restaurant list now links to a Malaysian online casino. I hate it when that happens!
In a similar vein, the wonderful La Vie appears to have breathed its last and when I clicked on my old link I found myself in Hy’s Steakhouse. Here the list is strong but it’s so heavily tilted to the high end you should only come here on an expense account. If in fact the new owners bought out La Vie’s cellar they appear to have dumped 90% of the wines under $150/bottle. There’s still a horizontal DRC collection and “rich” offers in Napa and Bordeaux. Though not particularly large, It’s star-studded in every category, and at least they have the decency to display the wines in descending price order by region so you can quickly scan to find what’s in your budget. Link to Wine List
We don’t usually rate the big steakhouse chains, but Stripsteak by Michael Mina has enough breadth and depth to rise above the chain formula. The world’s best wines are mostly represented and while prices are high, they aren’t astronomical for the genre. No matter what the budget, I always judge a restaurant by what they have available under $100. Here there are at least a few thoughtful choices in the more affordable bucket. I don’t understand the concept behind the short list of seemingly random “Red Wines of Consequence” that appears on page 32 of the list (mostly American cab franc and petite sirah, but I’ll cut them some slack. Link to Wine List
Michel’s has a list that can compete with either of the first two choices. There are some quirks to put it mildly in terms of random annotations and even a few tasting notes but no rhyme or reason for why they are where they are. If you have to ask whether the 2020 DRC La Tache for $8698 is grand cru or not maybe don’t order it. Still you can find some relative bargains in categories like “Enticing Whites.” I would like to know who “Orwin Swift” is though. Wine List
Merriman’s list is a slacker compared to their Maui outlet, but there is enough variety and high-end options to get the job done. Strongest in New World and West Coast reds. Link to Wine List
The different wine regions on Mugen’s list are adorned with some of the clearest, most useful maps I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, they’re better than the list itself, which is unaccountably studded with trophy wines and not much else if that’s your thing. For example, the Bordeaux selection contains nothing but first growths. Clearly this is a spot where you have to pay to play. I’ve never seen Chateau D’Esclans Rose “Garrus” but you can be pretty sure I won’t be paying $251 for it either. There’s one red Burgundy under $200. Better luck on the short list of eclectic whites (Note: In January 2026 I could not get their linked wine list to load in my browser. Maybe a change is underway, or it’s just a bug.
Island Vintage Wine Bar has a more diverse, budget-friendly selection of wines from around the world. Some evident curation especially in some of the more off-beat appellations around the world. The list has a feature online I’ve never seen anywhere before-each wine has a little prompt that takes you to a secondary page with some details about the wine. Here’s the entry for a dry Italian Lambrusco: “Bone dry and plentiful aromatics shoot out of the glass and into your nose with this stunning sparkling red.” Well, that sounds fun, right? An unpretentious option or maybe a pre-game if you’re on your way to any of the radically more expensive options above for dinner. Link to Wine List
No See Ums:
The Wine Spectator award-winning wine program at La Mer isn’t available online.
Like Maui, there isn’t a single retailer’s inventory you can peruse online so the best bet is to ask around. Trust me, you don’t want to rely on google reviews in this category.
