My experience with wine is simply that I love to drink it. Hence when I visit a wine store, I rely on the expertise of the staff or the simple layout of the store to guide me in selecting the perfect bottle of wine. Here are my top wine stores in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Fujioka’s Wine and Spirits
Fujioka’s Wine and Spirits serves as my “go-to” wine store when I deserve a glass of chardonnay on a Friday night at home, or I need to complete my Christmas shopping. Local residents distinguish Fujioka’s as the number one stop for wonderful wine and service, and most people discover the store through word of mouth. Fujioka’s very rarely advertises and one could easily miss this gem as their location is in a small shopping complex in Kaimuki. However, don’t let the size or location fool you. This store promises a wide variety of wines, from the basic to the exotic, and various price tags to match.
If you visit Fujioka’s and ask for a $10 wine, they can easily provide a number of options, and they don’t make you feel as if you’re a cheapskate. In fact, Fujioka’s pride themselves on finding good wine at respectable prices.
The staff at Fujioka’s educates their patrons whenever they purchase a bottle of wine. They provide instruction on how you can describe the wine to your guests, which in my opinion adds tremendous value to your purchase, and over time by visiting Fujioka’s, one can very well increase their knowledge of wine.
Market City Shopping Center
2919 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite LL
Honolulu, Hawaii
The Wine Stop
I lacked any idea as to where to begin in my plan to host my first blind wine tasting soiree at my home. Then I remembered a charming wine store on King Street in Honolulu and I decided to stop in to see if I could get a clue as to how I was going to pull this off.
I burst in and discovered that a complimentary wine tasting was in progress. The staff eagerly invited me to join the group, but my mind was set on my party planning.
The staff member who assisted me was amazing. She recommended wines specifically for my purpose, offered suggestions on wine related party favors that my guests could keep as a memory of the event, and even sold me a blind wine tasting kit complete with numbered bottle covers and scoring sheets.
The Wine Stop can present a wine for every budget. They offer personal wine tasting services, and plenty of wine-related items such as books, gadgets, and favors. They also deliver to nearby locations in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, so there is no excuse for not getting your hands on that perfect bottle of wine.
1809 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
HASR Wine Co.
After work dinner parties are a common event for those working downtown, and attending one empty handed is a true faux pas. HASR Wine Co. is located in a quaint courtyard in downtown Honolulu and provides the professional crowd a way to make their wine selections for the evening.
My first experience with HASR was shopping for a wine as a gift to a friend who was hosting a dinner nearby. I found HASR Wine Co. to be more of a self-selection store, where I could browse the varieties of wine without a staff member hovering over me. However, a staff member did introduce the layout of the store to me which made my selection process less intimidating. Like some wine stores, shopping left to right means browsing wines from the lightest bodied to the fullest. They also provide additional signage for each wine to offer additional information, and I ended up purchasing a very nice merlot. The average cost was a bit higher than Fujioka’s and The Wine Stop, but that merlot was worth every penny.
HASR Wine Co. boasts owning one-of-a-kind lots, purchased from prestigious Napa Valley auctions. Having exclusive rights to these wines put HASR Wine Co. sets this store apart. They also consistently offer wine tasting and other special events.
31 North Pauahi Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
