Merriman's Kapalua
Sunset Views, Serious Wine, No Apologies
Lahaina · Lahaina · Farm to Table, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're sitting oceanfront in Kapalua watching the sun melt into the Pacific, and then the wine list lands on the table — 350 to 500 bottles deep, anchored in France, California, and Italy, with a Best of Award of Excellence going back to 2016. This is not the list of a restaurant coasting on its views. Someone here actually cares.
Selection Deep Dive
The list reads like a California greatest hits album with serious European credentials on the side: Opus One, Dominus, Peter Michael, and Kistler sit alongside Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, Château Lynch-Bages, and Sassicaia. Italy gets real representation too — Gaja Barbaresco isn't the kind of bottle you throw on a list as an afterthought. France skews toward Burgundy and Bordeaux, which tracks for a program chasing Wine Spectator recognition year after year. The gaps are minor — more depth in the Southern Hemisphere or natural wine space would round things out — but for a Hawaii resort restaurant, this list punches well above its weight class.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is genuinely impressive, and at $14 to $22 a pour, there's room to explore without committing to a bottle. The real move, though, is Wednesday: half-price wine night turns an already solid by-the-glass program into one of the best deals on Maui. We'd plan a trip around it.
Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot — N/A — list price not published
Duckhorn is one of the most consistent Merlot producers in Napa, and it tends to be one of the more approachable price points on a list heavy with $300+ trophy bottles. If the markup holds anywhere near fair, this is your bottle for the table.
Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin
Everyone at this table is eyeing the California Cabs, and that's fine — let them. Gevrey-Chambertin from Jadot is earthy, complex, and genuinely interesting next to the farm-to-table menu. It's the bottle that makes you look like you know what you're doing.
Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros 2022
At $98 on the list, you're paying a significant premium for a wine that retails around $35-40. Rombauer is crowd-pleasing and perfectly fine, but on a list that includes Kistler and Domaine Leflaive, this is the least interesting Chardonnay choice at the worst relative value.
Kistler Vineyards Chardonnay + Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
Kistler's richly textured, barrel-fermented Chardonnay has the weight to match the buttery macadamia crust without steamrolling the delicate mahi mahi underneath. It's the kind of pairing that makes you stop mid-bite and just nod.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — applies to wine list selections. One of the best recurring wine deals on Maui.
🔥 The Bottom Line
A four-sommelier wine team, a 400-bottle list, and half-price wine Wednesdays on the Maui coast — Merriman's Kapalua earns its Rager badge and then some. Markups lean steep across the prestige bottles, but the program's depth and staff knowledge make this one of the best wine destinations in the state.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.