Meridia
California Classics Meet the Pacific at Sunset
Kohala Coast · Kohala Coast · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The list lands on your table just as the sun starts dropping over the Pacific, and honestly, the setting does half the work for it. You're at a white-tablecloth restaurant on the Kohala Coast inside the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, so the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence hanging on the program's reputation feels right at home. California and Italy lead the charge — which, for a Mediterranean menu, is a reasonable bet.
Selection Deep Dive
The 150-250 bottle list leans hard into the California heavyweights and Italian prestige tier — Caymus, Stag's Leap, Duckhorn, Jordan on one side; Antinori, Gaja, Banfi, and Sassicaia holding down the Italian front. It's a crowd-pleasing hits album more than a deep-cuts record, but when those hits are Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco, you're not exactly slumming it. The gaps show where you'd hope for more: minimal exploration of Sicily, Sardinia, or southern Italian producers that would make more natural sense alongside a Mediterranean menu. Still, for a resort restaurant in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the depth is genuinely impressive.
By the Glass
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, running $12–$18, which is reasonable for a resort property of this caliber. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and Rombauer Chardonnay are almost certainly anchoring the white side — reliable, crowd-familiar, and not exciting, but they'll sell all night. We'd push staff to walk you toward something further down the list before you default to the obvious.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $45
Jordan consistently punches above its price point — structured, food-friendly, and honest California Cab without the Napa trophy-wine markup. On a list where bottles climb fast, this is where you land if you want quality without the regret check.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Most diners at a resort wine list head straight for the California Cabs, completely overlooking this. Brunello with lamb chops or the Mediterranean sea bass is a proper move, and Banfi's version offers serious Sangiovese depth without requiring you to spend Gaja money.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
It's fine. It's also $15 retail and ordered by people who don't look at the list. You're in a beautiful restaurant in Hawaii with Gaja and Sassicaia on the menu — Santa Margherita is autopilot, and you can do better here.
Antinori Tignanello 2020 + Lamb chops
Tignanello is the rare bottle that earns its price tag on a resort list — Sangiovese backbone with Cabernet structure, savory and dark-fruited in a way that matches the char and richness of lamb chops without fighting the herbs on the plate. This is the dinner you came to Hawaii for.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night on Wednesdays — the single best reason to time your reservation accordingly.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Meridia isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely solid one for a beachfront resort on the Big Island — the California-Italy focus makes sense, Wednesday's half-price wine promotion is worth knowing about, and a few bottles here (Tignanello, Gaja, Sassicaia) are the real deal. Go for the sunset and the lamb, and let the list do its job.
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